New Leaf Welcome to the New Leaf Book Club - Page 33

issybird · 04-10-2019, 08:29 AM

New theme thread.

issybird · 05-01-2019, 06:55 AM

Nominations for June are open.

issybird · 06-02-2019, 07:19 AM

The July nomination thread is up.

issybird · 07-01-2019, 07:11 AM

Nominations for August are open.

Dazrin · 07-20-2019, 05:12 PM

A book that I know I want to nominate at some point, The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, is $3 at US stores today if anyone is interested: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=2943

It is an alternate history science fiction story set in the 50's. A wonderful book with a lot of great characters and themes to it. Highly recommended even if we don't end up reading it here.

CRussel · 07-20-2019, 05:21 PM

Thanks for the heads up -- it's been on my list for a while but the wait at the library is 22 weeks at one, and even longer at the other. There's a WhisperSync Audible version, but unfortunately the narrator is the author, and I'm not sanguine about that.

Dazrin · 07-20-2019, 09:39 PM

Regarding the audio, I haven't heard this particular book but I do like Mary Robinette Kowal's audio work in general. She did some recordings for Kage Baker that were excellent. One is free on Subterranean Press' site if you want a sample: Rude Mechanicals, I actually heard them before I ever read any of her books. Total length is just under 3 hours. She is a professional puppeteer in addition to an author so she does know how to speak/read/perform better than most.

CRussel · 07-21-2019, 12:53 AM

Good to know. I'll try a sample and see how it goes.

issybird · 07-21-2019, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

A book that I know I want to nominate at some point, The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, is $3 at US stores today if anyone is interested: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=2943

It is an alternate history science fiction story set in the 50's. A wonderful book with a lot of great characters and themes to it. Highly recommended even if we don't end up reading it here.

When astrangerhere mentioned it, I put the prequel, The Lady Astronaut of Mars on hold at the library. It's hit my account; I should get to it soon.

Dazrin · 07-21-2019, 01:23 PM

The Lady Astronaut of Mars is also available here: https://www.tor.com/2013/09/11/the-l...onaut-of-mars/

Although it isn't a prequel. It takes place after the first two novels. It was written and published first though. It does have some minor changes from the novels.

issybird · 07-21-2019, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazrin

Although it isn't a prequel. It takes place after the first two novels. It was written and published first though. It does have some minor changes from the novels.

Thanks for the correction; obviously I reversed things.

So long as it was written first, no harm will be done if I read it first, I suppose. There's almost never an ideal situation to books written out of chronological order.

issybird · 08-03-2019, 08:18 AM

The September nomination thread is up and running.

So catch it!

Catlady · 08-06-2019, 12:09 PM

A general comment. One of the things I heartily dislike is the lag between nomination/voting and discussion, in part because it's interrupted by consideration of a different topic and book. When I find interesting books on a topic, I want to read them right away, not six weeks later, after I've looked for books on a completely different topic.

Maybe the discussion threads could be opened right away, with spoiler tags liberally used for anything substantive.

CRussel · 08-06-2019, 03:11 PM

I understand where you're coming from, Catlady. I know how we got to this point -- a desire to make sure we provided sufficient time for participants to acquire the book (Library waiting lists can be an issue!), and read it. But it is a disconnect, especially when one is all excited about one or more books that have just been nominated and/or selected. Not sure what the answer is, exactly, but worthy of more discussion, I think, based on our experiences.

Bookpossum · 08-06-2019, 06:21 PM

Maybe one option would be to open the discussion thread a week after the book is chosen, on the understanding that several people might not get there for a while, which makes a discussion difficult.

I tend to wait until about the beginning of the month before starting the book, unless it’s a long one, and I find that works pretty well. There’s always something waiting to be read in the intervening fortnight!

07-21-2019, 01:23 PM	#490
Dazrin Wizard Posts: 2,631 Karma: 73864785 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: PDXish Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices	The Lady Astronaut of Mars is also available here: https://www.tor.com/2013/09/11/the-l...onaut-of-mars/ Although it isn't a prequel. It takes place after the first two novels. It was written and published first though. It does have some minor changes from the novels. Last edited by Dazrin; 07-21-2019 at 01:27 PM.

08-06-2019, 12:09 PM	#493
Catlady Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,345 Karma: 52398889 Join Date: Oct 2010 Device: Kindle Fire, Kindle Paperwhite, AGPTek Bluetooth Clip	A general comment. One of the things I heartily dislike is the lag between nomination/voting and discussion, in part because it's interrupted by consideration of a different topic and book. When I find interesting books on a topic, I want to read them right away, not six weeks later, after I've looked for books on a completely different topic. Maybe the discussion threads could be opened right away, with spoiler tags liberally used for anything substantive. Last edited by issybird; 08-06-2019 at 02:08 PM. Reason: Moved the post to the current thread and the quoted posts weren't relevant to the thread.

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04-10-2019, 08:29 AM	#481
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,224 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	New theme thread.

05-01-2019, 06:55 AM	#482
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,224 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	Nominations for June are open.

06-02-2019, 07:19 AM	#483
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,224 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	The July nomination thread is up.

07-01-2019, 07:11 AM	#484
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,224 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	Nominations for August are open.

07-20-2019, 05:12 PM	#485
Dazrin Wizard Posts: 2,631 Karma: 73864785 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: PDXish Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices	A book that I know I want to nominate at some point, The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, is $3 at US stores today if anyone is interested: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=2943 It is an alternate history science fiction story set in the 50's. A wonderful book with a lot of great characters and themes to it. Highly recommended even if we don't end up reading it here.

07-20-2019, 05:21 PM	#486
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,159 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	Thanks for the heads up -- it's been on my list for a while but the wait at the library is 22 weeks at one, and even longer at the other. There's a WhisperSync Audible version, but unfortunately the narrator is the author, and I'm not sanguine about that.

07-20-2019, 09:39 PM	#487
Dazrin Wizard Posts: 2,631 Karma: 73864785 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: PDXish Device: Kindle Voyage, various Android devices	Regarding the audio, I haven't heard this particular book but I do like Mary Robinette Kowal's audio work in general. She did some recordings for Kage Baker that were excellent. One is free on Subterranean Press' site if you want a sample: Rude Mechanicals, I actually heard them before I ever read any of her books. Total length is just under 3 hours. She is a professional puppeteer in addition to an author so she does know how to speak/read/perform better than most.

07-21-2019, 12:53 AM	#488
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,159 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	Good to know. I'll try a sample and see how it goes.

08-03-2019, 08:18 AM	#492
issybird o saeclum infacetum Posts: 20,224 Karma: 222235366 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New England Device: H2O, Aura One, PW5	The September nomination thread is up and running. So catch it!

08-06-2019, 03:11 PM	#494
CRussel (he/him/his) Posts: 12,159 Karma: 79742714 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Sunshine Coast, BC Device: Oasis (Gen3),Paperwhite (Gen10), Voyage, Paperwhite(orig), Fire HD 8	I understand where you're coming from, Catlady. I know how we got to this point -- a desire to make sure we provided sufficient time for participants to acquire the book (Library waiting lists can be an issue!), and read it. But it is a disconnect, especially when one is all excited about one or more books that have just been nominated and/or selected. Not sure what the answer is, exactly, but worthy of more discussion, I think, based on our experiences.

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08-06-2019, 06:21 PM	#495
Bookpossum Snoozing in the sun Posts: 10,137 Karma: 115423645 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: iPad Mini, Kobo Touch	Maybe one option would be to open the discussion thread a week after the book is chosen, on the understanding that several people might not get there for a while, which makes a discussion difficult. I tend to wait until about the beginning of the month before starting the book, unless it’s a long one, and I find that works pretty well. There’s always something waiting to be read in the intervening fortnight!