MobileRead April 2010 Book Club Nominations

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Zipr

Yes it does. I have no problem with alternative lifestyles and I don't care about the orientation of the author. But, the fact remains that gay literature just isn't my thing. I also don't like sci fi or fantasy. Simple as that.

Maybe you should read the blurbs and reviews then. You clearly have a premeditated bias.

All of her work (that I've read and read review of) is great writing and very humorous she has received numerous awards and great acclaim from the literary community.

As far as "Gay Literature" or "Sci fi" or "Fantasy" there is nothing "typical" about any of them they all cover vast ranges of styles, stories, and subjects.

Literature and particularly great literature has nothing to do with labels thrown on it by marketers or reviewers.


Here is the description from Amazon (which btw says nothing that I see about it being in any particular genre)

"Perched right on the Mason-Dixon line, tiny Runnymede, Maryland, is ripe with a history almost as colorful as the women who live there—from Celeste Chalfonte, headstrong and aristocratic, who murders for principle and steals her brother’s wife, to Fannie Jump Creighton, who runs a speakeasy right in her own home when hard times come knocking. Then of course, there’re Louise and Julia, the boldly eccentric Hunsenmeir sisters. Wheezie and Juts spend their whole lives in Runnymede, cheerfully quibbling about everything from men to child-rearing to how to drive a car. But they never let small-town life keep them from chasing their biggest dreams—or from being true to who they really are. Sparkling with a perfect combination of sisterhood and sass, Six of One is a richly textured Southern canvas—Rita Mae Brown “at her winning, fondest best”(Kirkus Reviews)."

The thing that is interesting though is they don't have a Kindle edition....in fact I'm not even finding it as an ebook edition anywhere.

[Ea]

Rita Mae Brown is lesbian, but most of her books (as far as I'm aware), do not have 'gay' themes. It's no risk reading this.

[Zipr]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Maybe you should read the blurbs and reviews then. You clearly have a premeditated bias. (

Of course I do. I have a bias against SciFi, Fantasy, Polka music, mean people, etc. You are the one making assumptions. I simply stated that I don't care for literature that is geared more towards gay themes. I have nothing against gay authors. I've read and enjoyed Truman Capote, Val McDermid, etc. I was worried more about a romance style book geared towards the gay community. It's just not my cup of tea.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Ea

Rita Mae Brown is lesbian, but most of her books (as far as I'm aware), do not have 'gay' themes. It's no risk reading this.

Yeah, I don't think you'll get infected from reading her work.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Zipr

Of course I do. I have a bias against SciFi, Fantasy, Polka music, mean people, etc. You are the one making assumptions. I simply stated that I don't care for literature that is geared more towards gay themes. I have nothing against gay authors. I've read and enjoyed Truman Capote, Val McDermid, etc. I was worried more about a romance style book geared towards the gay community. It's just not my cup of tea.

As I said. It's always good to be open to a full range of literature. Preconceived biases are often untrue in literature as in society.

If I have any bias it's against closed-minded individuals.

[A4-]

Originally Posted by banjomike

Um, I think you are miscounting with Colfer (or more likely counting me in), which I'm not. In that is.

Actually Nakor seconded it.

As for my nominations:

I'll second The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

And Nominate: The Distance Travelled by Brett Alexander Savory

"Why have certain denizens of Hell taken to throwing farm animals through innocent folks' kitchen windows? How long does it take a dead, desiccated gas attendant to walk out to his pumps? What sort of relationship do the Lord of the Underworld and Hell's Head Torturer have, besides the obvious professional one? What kind of air conditioning units do they use down there? Do they listen to Cyndi Lauper? What is Hell's official currency, and by what criteria did the Big Red Fella choose it? Can pigs eat cereal with a spoon? What nameless beast dwells in the flame pit near the hole to Upside? What is Upside, for that matter, and why should you care, anyway?" from Amazon.

[ficbot]

I will third the Runyon omnibus.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by A4-

Actually Nakor seconded it.

Oops, sorry.

[JSWolf]

My nomination is... Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years -- except Biff.Ever since the day when he came upon six-year-old Joshua of Nazareth resurrecting lizards in the village square, Levi bar Alphaeus, called "Biff,"had the distinction of being the Messiah's best bud. That's why the angel Raziel has resurrected Biff from the dust of Jerusalem and brought him to America to write a new gospel, one that tells the real, untold story. Meanwhile, Raziel will order pizza, watch the WWF on TV, and aspire to become Spider-Man.Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung-fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes -- whose considerable charms fall to Biff to sample, since Josh is forbidden the pleasures of the flesh. (There are worse things than having a best friend who is chaste and a chick magnet!) And, of course, there is danger at every turn, since a young man struggling to understand his godhood, who is incapable of violence or telling anything less than the truth, is certain to piss some people off. Luckily Biff is a whiz at lying and cheating -- which helps get his divine pal and him out of more than one jam. And while Josh's great deeds and mission of peace will ultimately change the world, Biff is no slouch himself, blessing humanity with enduring contributions of his own, like sarcasm and café latte. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more -- except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdala -- and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.Lamb is the crowning achievement of Christopher Moore's storied career: fresh, wild, audacious, divinely hilarious, yet heartfelt, poignant, and alive, with a surprising reverence. Let there be rejoicing unto the world! Christopher Moore is come -- to bring truth, light, and big yuks to fans old and new with the Greatest Story Never Told!

[Zipr]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

My nomination is... Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.

I just started that yesterday! It is a riot. I second this.

[ficbot]

Third it. I have it and have not read it yet.

[JSWolf]

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal made it to the vote!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal made it to the vote!

Calm down! Step away from the keyboard!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Calm down! Step away from the keyboard!

Only if you and everyone else votes my way.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Only if you and everyone else votes my way.

Well it does sound like a humorous book....I'll not commit til we get the final voting set in...