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View Poll Results: What scholastic book will we read in September? | |||
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro | 7 | 58.33% | |
Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris | 5 | 41.67% | |
Voters: 12. You may not vote on this poll |
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08-11-2018, 07:58 AM | #1 |
o saeclum infacetum
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Runoff Vote for September 2018 • The Shortest, Gladdest Years of Life: School
This is a runoff poll to choose the book we'll read and discuss in September 2018. We love new participants. We're happy for you to vote, but we'd like to request that you not vote unless you plan to join the discussion whatever the selection, in the interest of a vibrant conversation. Vote for one. I won't vote unless there's another tie, in which case I'll be the tiebreaker. Questions? FAQs | Guidelines Or just ask! Choices: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Amazon | Kobo | Google Play All $9.99 Spoiler:
362 pages
Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris $US7.99, $C7.99, $A12.99, £0.99 - time to travel again! All from Kobo. Spoiler:
422 pages
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08-11-2018, 08:01 AM | #2 |
Snoozing in the sun
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Although I nominated the Harris, I voted for Never Let Me Go.
I have read and enjoyed both books, but I think the Ishiguro will give us a lot more to discuss and think about. Last edited by Bookpossum; 08-11-2018 at 08:05 AM. |
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08-11-2018, 10:49 AM | #3 |
(he/him/his)
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I've read neither, but voted for Never Let Me Go because I suspect it will lead to more discussion. OTOH, I intend to read Gentlemen and Players because I expect to enjoy it. Good nominations, both!
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08-11-2018, 01:39 PM | #4 |
cacoethes scribendi
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I have not read either, but I now own both because I intended to read both. But I voted for Never Let Me Go because it actually got a mention at the end of a book I just finished reading.
In the "Book group questions" appendix of The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey, is this question: "The book has been compared with Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. How far does each of these books characterise children as grotesque and to be feared?" And that got me rather curious. |
08-12-2018, 08:26 PM | #5 | |
Almost legible
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Quote:
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08-12-2018, 08:34 PM | #6 | |
o saeclum infacetum
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Quote:
Spoiler:
Can someone with a distaste for Spoiler:
read it with enjoyment anyway, or is it a concept too far? |
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08-12-2018, 08:41 PM | #7 |
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Frankly, I'm not a fan of the genre myself, but this one took me in, and I blew through a couple chapters before I realized what was going on there. The book is on my reread list (actually, I have reread it once already) and since finding out today that there are related books (thanks again, Orlok) I am picking those up from the library shortly.
...along with Never Let Me Go, hah! |
08-12-2018, 10:08 PM | #8 |
Grand Sorcerer
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I saw that too, and now I'm feeling pretty hesitant about Never Let Me Go if the books are similar.
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08-12-2018, 10:22 PM | #9 |
o saeclum infacetum
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08-12-2018, 10:48 PM | #10 |
Grand Sorcerer
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Yeah, but any similarity when it comes to THAT might be too much ...
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08-13-2018, 12:04 AM | #11 | |
cacoethes scribendi
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Regarding: The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey
Quote:
Oh, and the Spoiler:
never appears in the story.
Had I known the genre I would not have picked it up. The blurb hint Spoiler:
didn't give it away for me because I wasn't even thinking about this genre (the person who recommended it to me is not into that genre either). It took a good few pages before I realised where it was going, and by then it was too late, I was caught up and wanted to know more.
There is a strong science-fiction element to it (it seems to take the science of the situation more seriously than some), although I would describe it as character driven. There are holes, but that is to be expected. It comes close to hitting the aspects of the genre that I don't much like (the aspects that always seem to me like farce or out-of-place humour), but mostly manages to just touch up against them and move away again. I liked some of the ideas. I liked the characters, and I liked the questions it raises, and I liked the fact that it kept on moving fast enough that its flaws didn't matter. That book group question I quoted above ("How far does each of these books characterise children as grotesque and to be feared?") struck me as strange, or at least unexpected. Although I can see where it comes from, there was nothing about the story that made me think specifically of children as "grotesque and to be feared". The situation may have been that, but the children, no. Last edited by gmw; 08-13-2018 at 12:08 AM. |
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08-13-2018, 01:24 AM | #12 |
Snoozing in the sun
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Fear not Catlady, Never Let Me Go is very definitely not about things starting with Z. But it is a book that you go on thinking about long after you have read it, and that for me is the mark of a book that is very well worth reading.
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08-13-2018, 08:02 AM | #13 |
Professor of Law
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I can assure you all - I would never nominate a book with that particular theme. Ever.
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08-13-2018, 12:27 PM | #14 |
Close to the Edit!
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I've voted for Never Let Me Go, and will participate in the discussion, never fear
My wife's Aunt recommended The Girl with all the Gifts to her, and anyone less likely to read Z related books I can't imagine. |
08-14-2018, 08:43 AM | #15 |
Professor of Law
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I am excited for everyone to read this! If I can make a suggestion - read as little as possible about the book before you begin reading it. I think the less you know going in, the better the organic development of the book is. |
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