MobileRead December 2017 Book Club Vote

[WT Sharpe]

December 2017 MobileRead Book Club Vote

Help us choose a book as the December 2017 eBook for the MobileRead Book Club. 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.

We will start the discussion thread for this book on the 20th of December. Select from the following Official Choices with three nominations each:

• Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll
Goodreads | Patricia Clark Memorial Library: ePub | USF/Lit2Go Audiobooks: S&B / S&B Concluded
Print Length: 488 pages

Spoiler:

This is a hard work to classify. It has fantasy, it has humor, it has philosophy, some parts are nice for children, some parts contain more "grown-up" thoughts. Nevertheless, the style and imagination of Carroll is evident throughout the book. It is also surprising how he manages to touch so many subjects of interest today, quotes and situations can be found to illustrate relativity, evolution, topology, emergent intelligence, self-referencing... It's, in my opinion, a very pleasant work to read and a nice discovery.

The book is fully illustrated with the 92 original illustrations by Harry Furniss, which account for the large size of the file (I preferred to keep the images rather high-quality).

• Green Rider by Kristen Britan
Goodreads | Amazon US / Kobo US / Overdrive
Print Length: 483 pages

Spoiler:

From Goodreads:

On her long journey home from school after a fight which will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her future as she trudges through the immense forest called Green Cloak. But her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves as a galloping horse bursts from the woods, the rider slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan that he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king, and that he bears a "life and death" message for King Zachary. He begs Karigan to carry his message, warning her not to read it, and when she reluctantly agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission "for love of country." As he bestows upon her the golden winged-horse brooch which is the symbol of his office, he whispers on his dying breath, "Beware the shadow man..."

Karigan's promise changes her life forever. Pursued by unknown assassins, following a path only her horse seems to know, and accompanied by the silent specter of the original messenger, she herself becomes a legendary Green Rider. Caught up in a world of deadly danger and complex magic, compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

• Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
Goodreads
Print Length: 254 pages

Spoiler:

The award-winning sword and sorcery classic that introduced Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, from a Grand Master of Science Fiction and Fantasy.

First in the influential fan-favorite series, Swords and Deviltry collects four fantastical adventure stories from Fritz Leiber, the author who coined the phrase "sword and sorcery" and helped birth an entire genre.

[I]From Goodreadsj[bI]

For the first time-the story of how the greatest heroes in fantastic literature first met.

'The two thieves had themselves been robbed by two youths, who eyed each other suspiciously over the sprawled, senseless bodies.

Fafhrd said: 'Our motives for being here seem identical.' 'Surely, they must be!' the Mouser answered curtly, fiercely eyeing his huge, potential foe.

Fafhrd glanced down at the belts and money-pouches of the fallen thieves. Then he looked up at the Mouser with an honest, open, ingenuous smile.

'Sixty-sixty?' he suggested.

Thus was born the most improbable relationship in the whole history of swords and sorceries.

• The Magic City by Edith Nesbit
Goodreads |
Patricia Clark Memorial Library: ePub / Kindle
Print Length: 212 pages

Spoiler:

When young Philip Haldane and his new step-sister Lucy (whom he resents) are magically transported to a magic city (created by Philip from odds and ends from about the house), they find themselves on an incredible enchanted adventure complete with talking dogs, winged horses, ancient buildings and magic islands. How Philip and Lucy come to forge a friendship and work together to save the Magic City from impending disaster makes for a riveting, entrancing story.

From Goodreads:

Philip Haldane builds a play city out of odds and ends that comes to life, when his beloved sister Helen marries Lucy's father. But the nurse tears down the city and traps Lucy. Peter, The Deliverer, must perform seven valorous deeds, opposed by the Pretenderette, a mysterious veiled woman who wants to be Queen. Noah builds an ark and adventures abound.

[CRussel]

Even though I seconded Green Rider, I will not be voting for it. I'll be voting for Lewis Carroll or Fritz Leiber.

[Bookpossum]

I have joined in to help give the Club a send-off. Sylvie and Bruno is one of those books of which I had heard but have never read, and I'm very happy to give the Edith Nesbit a try also.

[CRussel]

I would have hoped that Leiber's book would have gotten more uptake, but the Lewis Carroll will be interesting, or at least I hope so.

[WT Sharpe]

To no one's surprise who followed the voting, Sylvie and Bruno by Lewis Carroll won the toss. This mixture of humor, fantasy, and philosophy that promises to touch on relativity, evolution, topology, and emergent intelligence should be most interesting.

Also, issybird has posted the poll for 2nd Chance January (2018).

[latepaul]

Are you reading "Sylvie and Bruno" and "Sylvie and Bruno Concluded", or just the first?

[issybird]

Originally Posted by latepaul

Are you reading "Sylvie and Bruno" and "Sylvie and Bruno Concluded", or just the first?

I'm reading both, but certainly the first is enough to go with!

[CRussel]

I wish there were an available Audible version (yes, I know there's Lit2Go version, but I frankly find Audible much easier to deal with in my day to day life.)

That being said, I've got Sylvie stacked up second on my TBR. Should give me more than sufficient time to read it before the discussion starts.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by CRussel

I wish there were an available Audible version (yes, I know there's Lit2Go version, but I frankly find Audible much easier to deal with in my day to day life.)

How about Librivox? While preferring Lit2Go, astrangerhere mentioned Librivox version(s) and at least Librivox has an app, making it less of a nuisance to access.

[CRussel]

I think I'll probably just read it. I've got audio books backed up right now, so it won't be a hardship.

[Sharkie]

How does one join this group?

[CRussel]

By participating in the discussion. There are no limits to membership. So, since we've already chosen the book, Sylvie and Bruno, for this month, just read it and join the discussion (Which will start on the 20th with a new thread in this sub-forum.)

Also, you might want to follow along in the Lit and MR Book Clubs -- the way forward thread. We're currently working to define a new club that will take the best of both existing clubs and end up with an all new entity here.

[Bookpossum]

Hello Sharkie. Do join us in the reading and discussion. You will find another voting thread for January as well, so have a look at that too.

[fantasyfan]

I missed this vote but am absolutely delighted with the choice. Sylvie and Bruno is a neglected masterpiece. I look forward to reading it.

[JSWolf]

I'll start reading Sylvie and Bruno either later today or tomorrow. I have it ready to go.