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Anyone interested in a book club?

by kuli
posted 355 days ago · shared by: 13
I have always wanted to be a part of a book club....but, several things have been working against me: I have limited time and I have limited tolerance of people (I know that sounds terrible). But, I guess, I have always had an idealistic idea that I could find a group of people, with complimentary ideas and interests that could stimulate and encourage my love for reading. Well, since I am very limited on both time and resources, I would like to know if any of you are interested in starting/becoming a part of a book club? If so, do you have any recommendations for something either riveting (something you want to stay up night reading), though provoking or life changing? As for me, I am usually interested in fiction, but completely open to most other generes.....I am thinking a book/month or every other month???? Ok, well, keep me posted!

EDIT: Book Chosen see here



by kuli 354 days ago  ·  link
Ok, every other month it is! We can discuss it as we read it or have one finale discussion the last week of the second month (or both). So, for the first book, we should be finished by the end of July. Since I prefer fiction, I am choosing that. Here are three novels to choose from...hopefully, we can find one that nobody has read. I picked them all from among the Booker finalists from 2010 and 2011:

Jamrach's Menagerie

Parrot and Olivier in America

In a strange room

by thenewgreen 354 days ago  ·  link
I have not read any of these, so I am game for any of them. Here are a list of NY Times Book reviews for the options:

Jamrach's Menagerie

Parrot and Olivier in America

In a Strange Room

AnSionnachRua, insomniasexx, b_b, JakobVirgil, sounds_sound, lessismore, mk, winston, caio, scrimetime, cgod and any others that would like to weigh in on these choices, please do.

I only tag you guys because you've expressed interest in joining the club. If you prefer not to be included just let me know. Thought I'd help kuli out.

by JakobVirgil 353 days ago  ·  link
up for anything but as I hold being a cheapskate sacred. I would perfer one that I can get at the library without a wait.
by winston 353 days ago  ·  link
Based on the reviews, my vote is for In a Strange Room.
by insomniasexx 353 days ago  ·  link
I'm down for anything...and keep me updated.
by sounds_sound 354 days ago  ·  link
Ok. Well I'll throw my vote for Jamrach's Menagerie. I love a good ménage now and then so...
by AnSionnachRua 354 days ago  ·  link
I'm happy with any of those, though I think Parrot and Olivier seems the weakest.
by thenewgreen 353 days ago  ·  link
I agree that Parrot and Olivier was the one I was least excited about. Still, I'm up for any of them though.
by briandmyers 351 days ago  ·  link
I'm in. How soon is a decision to be made?

Can I request that we agree on a unique-ish hashtag for the book club? To make it easier for casual hubskiers (hubski-ites?) to follow the hubski book club? I propose "hubskibookclub".

by kuli 351 days ago  ·  link
great idea--it will make things much easier
by kuli 351 days ago  ·  link
I have checked-out both books from the library and I am going to read both. But, I think Jamrach's menagerie seem more like a summer adventure book, so that is the one I have chosen to kick-off the book club. Keep me posted when you start reading---I am looking forward to this very much!!!

AnSionnachRua, insomniasexx, b_b, JakobVirgil, sounds_sound, lessismore, mk, winston, caio, scrimetime, cgod, briandmyers

by briandmyers 351 days ago  ·  link
I have requested it from my library - hoping it arrives quickly (although I still have a few days before I'll finish the book I'm on now).
by mk 354 days ago  ·  link
I'm up for any of these. I'd almost rather not pick the one I think I'd like most.
by AnSionnachRua 355 days ago  ·  link
Provided we actually do discuss the book, I'd quite like this.

I've read 1Q84, so if that's chosen I'll wait for the next one.

by kuli 354 days ago  ·  link
Do you recommend it?
by AnSionnachRua 354 days ago  ·  link
Actually, not really. It's more of a "thriller" novel than most of Murakami's other works.
by thenewgreen 355 days ago  ·  link
Is there anything you've been wanting to read?
by b_b 355 days ago  ·  link
I'll read anything; my only suggestion is that it can't be too obscure, because everyone should be able to find it relatively easily. I nominate kuli for the first selection, since that's where the idea originated. We can have a rotating dictatorship; not sure how to choose the chooser, but voting on a choice sounds very cumbersome.
by thenewgreen 355 days ago  ·  link
I second the nomination and suggest that future dictators be chosen randomly somehow.
by AnSionnachRua 354 days ago  ·  link
This book club thing comes at a good time; I've been looking for something to read.
by thenewgreen 353 days ago  ·  link
Me too. I will be spending some time in hotels this month and could use a good book.
by b_b 355 days ago  ·  link
I'm in. Every other month would be best, because I always have too many books in my queue.
by mk 355 days ago  ·  link
I'll do my best to be in. I get little time to read, but I'd love to share and discuss a good book. I'm creeping through Churchill's The Gathering Storm atm, but I am up for anything, fiction or non.

Every other month sounds good.

by lessismore 355 days ago  ·  link
I didn't read Churchill's version, but I did read Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson's version.

Found a bug. How can we escape "(" and ")" on a link? I cannot use this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gathering_Storm_(novel)

by mk 354 days ago  ·  link
Huh. Thanks. I'll see what I can do about that.
by thenewgreen 355 days ago  ·  link
I have been shamefully absent from reading for too long now. I've been relying on "books on tape" to curb my guilt. I miss reading, it's been WAY too long. So I guess what I am saying is "I'm in"!

Any suggestions for books? Even if you can't participate in the club, suggestions might be helpful. kuli, did you have any particular books you were interested in?

by kuli 355 days ago  ·  link
Not that I know anything about any of these, but here are a couple of ideas:

-1Q84

-The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

-The Storytelling Animal: How Stories Make Us Human

by sounds_sound 355 days ago  ·  link
I was in queue at my library for 1Q84, but when it finally got to be my turn I got busy and couldn't even pick it up. My library charges one dollar if you don't pick up a book you request, so it sucked. I hate library fines. I'd be into having another go at it.
by thenewgreen 355 days ago  ·  link
I'm down with 1Q84. Anybody else? Other suggestions?
by lessismore 355 days ago  ·  link
May I suggest Tell to Win by Peter Guber?
by thenewgreen 355 days ago  ·  link
I'd personally rather stick with fiction, but I would like to check out this book. Seems applicable in what I do day to day.
by lessismore 355 days ago  ·  link
It is a really fantastic read and quite short.
by briandmyers 351 days ago  ·  link
I enjoyed reading "Cloud Atlas" by David Mitchell recently - it would be a good book for discussion by a book club, I reckon. Apparently it's being made into a movie soon. Interesting structure to the novel.
by thenewgreen 351 days ago  ·  link
Perhaps for the next book? Are there any of the ones listed here: http://hubski.com/pub?id=31692 that interest you in our first round of book club?
by caio 355 days ago  ·  link
I'm in. I also second b_b's rotating book dictatorship.

Does anyone knows a good app for iPhone for buying books?

by JakobVirgil 355 days ago  ·  link
I am in next month the man who was thursday?
by winston 355 days ago  ·  link
Sure, I'm in. Every other month would work best for me.
by insomniasexx 355 days ago  ·  link
I read way too much but I have been lacking because I am so overwhelmed with work. Ask boss man decapolis if I'm allowed to join the book club or if my time is only his. :P
by thenewgreen 355 days ago  ·  link
boss man decapolis, I'm pretty sure that it would be a great "team building" exercise if you both joined the Hubski book club. What do you say? If you're not interested in joining, is it okay if insomniasexx comes out to play?
by lessismore 355 days ago  ·  link
I am currently working on The Satanic Verses: A Novel. About a third of the way into it. Don't have a very strong urge to finish it at the moment.
by kuli 355 days ago  ·  link
I have tried to read Midnight's Children several times, but could never really make it past 2/3 of the book...
by thenewgreen 353 days ago  ·  link
kuli, from what I can gather, Parrot and Olivier seem to be a least favorite option. I suggest you choose one of the others.


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