Yes, it's time to nominate another book! This will be our Cristmas/New Year read.

Please read this carefully:

1) The book must be published between 1837-1901

2) All nationalities welcome

3) Please only ONE nomination per person (if more than one is suggested I will take the first suggestion only)

4) If you would like to get interest in your nomination please either include a link to the book or a little snippet of the plot to allow others to consider it for voting

5) Nominations will close on 5th November and voting will then begin

6) Have fun and get nominating! :o)

Vanity Fair, by William Makepeace Thackeray.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain.

Mary Kingsley, Travels in West Africa.

"It was in 1893 that, for the first time in my life, I found myself in possession of five or six months which were not heavily forestalled, and feeling like a boy with a new half-crown, I lay about in my mind, as Mr. Bunyan would say, as to what to do with them."

So begins the Author's Preface to this book, published in 1895. Mary Kingsley, Victorian spinster, age 30, settled on West Africa to "go and learn your tropics," as Science said to her. So, despite all the dreadful dangers, diseases, and other "disagreeables" she was warned of, she went. The result was this extraordinary book of a single woman traveling in full Victorian dress (including wool hoop skirts) largely alone except for native bearers through the rivers and jungles of West Africa, observing a life now long lost and reporting with classic English understated humor her adventures, including being stuck in a small canoe in a mangrove swamp with an "at home" crocodile, "jumping at a rock wall, and hanging on to it in a manner more befitting an insect than an insect-hunter," being chucked out of her canoe in a rapid on the Ogowe river, losing poles and paddles, being rushed downstream in the rapids sometimes glancing successfully off of rocks, sometimes not, in which case she and her crew were tumbled into the bottom of the canoe and had to "sort ourselves out correctly with our own particular legs and arms," and many other adventures which are a delight to read about but would have been a horror to experience.

Mixed in with the adventures are fascinating details of Africa just before the turn of the century by one who befriended the natives (and almost lived as one herself for much of the time she spent in Africa).

The book will be a departure from our more common fare of fiction. But for a view of the Victorian spirit and character,it is a marvel.

Oh, just found this -- it's worth including here. It's the description from the National Geographic edition:

Until 1893, Mary Kingsley led a secluded life in Victorian England. But at age 30, defying every convention of womanhood of the time, she left England for West Africa to collect botanical specimens for a book left unfinished by her father at his death. Traveling through western and equatorial Africa and becoming the first European to enter some parts of Gabon, Kingsley's story—as an explorer and as a woman—would become an enduring tale of adventure, ranking 18th on Adventure magazine's list of the top 100 adventure books.

Originally published in 1895, and never out of print, Travels in West Africa is Kingsley's account of her dauntless travels, unaccompanied but for African guides, into Africa's most dangerous jungles, where the tribes were reputed to be ferocious and cannibalistic. Along the way, she fought off crocodiles with a paddle, hit a leopard over the head with a pot, fell into an animal trap lined with sharpened sticks, and waded through swamps in chin-deep water. Despite her travails, Kingsley succeeded remarkably in this unknown place, establishing warm relationships with the natives and collecting more than 400 samples of plants and insects, some of which are now extinct.

The editions available for purchase at Amazon are fairly costly, but there are many copies available from online sources -- Alibris has many copies, both new and used, available starting at $3.00 for used copies and new copies starting at under $10.00, plus there is a free Kindle edition. So don't be put off voting for this work because at first glance it looks costly.

I am going to nominate:

- Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

I have only ever seen the film (although I have seen that about a hundred times) but never read the book and I thought it would be a really nice read for Christmas as it begins at Christmas and it is a good ole feel-good book.

Boof do you prefer the classic film version or the remake with Winona Ryder. I love the latter. It certainly a good choice for both it being Christmas and a good old feel good book.

Tom Sawyer is a great one to recommend too Gypsy. I was just thinking the other day I would like to read it again.

Rebecca, I haven't actually seen the newer version (I must get round to it) but I ADORE the old version with June Allyson as Jo. It is usually on over the holidays here every year and I just love it.

That said, the other nominations are great too.

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

Laurele wrote: "The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

Oh yeah! Which would lead most excellently into The Eyre Affair for the next neo-Vic.

I would like to nominate "Little Dorrit" for the next read.

I am all on board for "The Eyre Affair" for the next neo-vic read. I have read it twice. It's loads of fun and I'd love to see the discussion it generates.

I'll have to find just the right link, but I'd like to nominate The Christmas Stories/Book, by Charles Dickens, which would include A Christmas Carol, The Chimes and The Cricket on the Hearth.

I just read A Christmas Carol for the first time this past July (I know, odd time to read it) and absolutely loved it! It's so much better than any of the movie adaptations, imho, but they're coming out with a new movie version very soon, in the states.

A Christmas Carol might be too short on its own and I'd love to read the others anyway.

Peregrine wrote: "Laurele wrote: "The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

Oh yeah! Which would lead most excellently into The Eyre Affair for the next neo-Vic."

Really? Does it have Dickens in it too? I sort of though it was about Jane Eyre (hence the title). Now I'm really intrigued!

Some really good nominations - it's going to be difficult to choose again!

I'm going to nominate Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

Boof, it is mostly about Jane Eyre, but there is a definite Chuzzlewit plot point.

I'm going to admit that I did not love THE EYRE AFFAIR. I got through it, tried to read the second book in the series and gave it up.

How about George Gissing's The Odd Women?

Jenny wrote: "How about George Gissing's The Odd Women?"

Intriguing. I had never even heard of Gissing until a few months ago, and now he (she?) keeps sneaking into view. I definitely need to get educated.

Laurele wrote: "Intriguing. I had never even heard of Gissing until a few months ago, and now he (she?) keeps sneaking into view. I definitely need to get educated. "

He. And personally I wouldn't press you to rush into getting educated about him. New Grub Street is perhaps his best known book, and I found it readable but not a book I will reread, which is my personal test for a book of significant interest. I have The Nether World on my TBR shelf, but not near the top of it.

Still, some people do find his brand of realism very interesting, and his almost exclusive emphasis on urban settings a good antidote to the romanticism of Wordsworth and the whole romantic movement. He dealt mostly with the poorer classes -- few if any aristocrats here -- and with gritty realism.

According to one commentary, "His novels are conventional products of the late Victorian literary marketplace; a market which Gissing well understood and deplored, but which he could not afford to ignore."

You may find this essay by George Orwell (also a writer about the under classes of life -- do you know Down and Out in Paris and London or The Road to Wigan Pier? If so, you will have some flavor of Gissing, though Orwell was writing autobiographically and Gissing was writing novels.

Well... So far there have been some good ones nominated, e.g., Our Mutual Friend, Martin Chuzzlewit, etc.; but I'd love to get wrangled into reading something I've not read (or, not read in a while). So, what about Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall?



This is a seriously important book, in my opinion, from the perspective of proto-feminism. It has an awesome love story; and a nail-biting plot. Anne mixes up her writing style too. There's the usual novel portion, and there's the epistolary novel portion. This is gritty in-your-face stuff! Read my review of this novel. I absolutely give nothing away either. Cheers! Chris

Other nominations: Charlotte Bronte's Villette or George Meredith's The Egoist.

Everyman wrote: "Laurele wrote: "Intriguing. I had never even heard of Gissing until a few months ago, and now he (she?) keeps sneaking into view. I definitely need to get educated. "

He. And personally I wouldn'..."

I very much agree with Everyman's assessment of Gissing and I'm one of those who find his brand of realism intriguing though he is by no means a great writer. Still, his view is neither a Dickensian romanticized view of poverty nor a Trollope type romanticized view of the aristocracy. His portrayals are of pure middle-class urban struggle and rather unusual for that.

Or how about something really obscure and feminist: Olive Schreiner's The Story of an African Farm? It was a big deal when it was published in England in 1883 and in the US when it was published in 1889.

All great nominations!

Jenny, we are only allowed one nomination each so I have taken your first nomination. Cheers.

Boof wrote: "All great nominations!

Jenny, we are only allowed one nomination each so I have taken your first nomination. Cheers."

Oops, of course. Sorry about that.

So far we have:


- Vanity Fair - W M Thackeray

- The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - Mark Twain

- Travels in West Africa - Mary Kingsley

- Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

- Martin Chuzzlewit - Charles Dickens

- Little Dorrit - Charles Dickens

- A Christmas Carol & other Christmas stories - Charles Dickens

- Our Mutual Friend - Charles Dickens

- The Odd Women - George Gissing

- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall - Anne Bronte

- Trilby - George du Maurier

- Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carrol

I am sorry I cannot participate for Women in White. For December, I'll vote for Little Women or Our Mutual Friend :)

I will vote for Our Mutual Friend. I've been wanting to read another major Dickens novel.

I was going to nominate Miss Marjoribanks because I can't believe we haven't read one of the most prolific and successful Victorian women writers yet, but I really love The Tennant of WIldfell Hall and I would love to read it again. I'll save my sales pitch for Mrs. Oliphant for the next round and throw in my support for Christopher's nomination.

I just love Little Women--I always wanted to be Jo :-) It's got my vote.

Jenny wrote: "How about George Gissing's The Odd Women?"

Yes - good call! The Odd Women looks interesting.

I'd like to nominate Trilby by George du Maurier. I've realized I should probably give some background; Trilby was written by Punch illustrator and grandaddy of Daphne du Maurier George du Maurier. Trilby was the rage in the Victorian era. Here is the write-up on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Trilby-Oxford-Worl...

I have added Trilby to the list above so that the full list is there for people to see (sounds good Amanda, I had never heard of it).

This vote should be interesting as in previous ones there has been a few books with a clear lead before voting has even started but this time it looks like an open playing field. *Exciting!*

I'm not nomming as there have been such good noms already! It's going to be really difficult to pick.

I am with you on that one too Lauren.

I agree, the choice is a hard one. I'm leaning towards A Christmas Carol & Other Christmas Stories. Though, I have to say, I will be reading that anyway in December, even if it's not chosen.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Personally, I'm intrigued by Travels in West Africa and Trilby. I just finished reading The Tenant of Wildfell Hall three days ago (that's how I found this group, actually), so that won't be back on my list for a while.

Boof wrote: "I have added Trilby to the list above so that the full list is there for people to see (sounds good Amanda, I had never heard of it).

This vote should be interesting as in previous ones there ..."

Trilby is not such a great read but it was a phenomenon in its day on the scale of Harry Potter, perhaps even bigger. Not only was it a huge international best seller and launched the concept of tie-in merchandising--there were trilby hats, shoes, ice creams, sausages, etc. and one town in Florida even changed its name to Trilby. Today few have heard of the book. Perhaps part of the reason for that is that the book has been accused of being anti-semitic--a chief protagonist is an evil Jew named Svengali-- but Oliver Twist's Fagan never hurt that book. In David Lodge's "Author, Author" about Henry James, there is much about the master's very close relationship with Trilby's author Du Maurier and James' terrible jealousy of his friend's mind-boggling success, especially since Du Maurier originally told James the idea for the book with the intention that James write the novel himself.

Tina wrote: "I just love Little Women--I always wanted to be Jo :-) It's got my vote."

I always wanted to be Jo too! I still do actually... Little Women is one of my favourite books :) And I LOVE the Winona Ryder film version.

If I get time to join in (I really hope I do) then this will be my first group read with this group, and there's so many books already nominated that I want to read or re-read! I have no idea how I'm going to decide what to vote for...

Welcome Harriet. I know how you feel so hard to choose.

"I just love Little Women--I always wanted to be Jo :-)"

Little Woman may be the most "chick book" of all chick books. I know many women who love it; I know no men who even like it, unlike such books as Pride and Prejudice which would seem to meet the definition of a "chick book" but many men love.

Every decade or two when Little Women comes up in conversations, as it has here, I decide that I should give it another chance. But I can never get past the first page. It's so sappy, simpering, cloying, so sickeningly sweet that I need to go quickly to read some Trollope or Hardy or Dickens to cleanse my mental palate.

Just more evidence of how differently different readers see books.

Jenny wrote: "Boof wrote: "I have added Trilby to the list above so that the full list is there for people to see (sounds good Amanda, I had never heard of it).

This vote should be interesting as in previou..."

Jenny, that sounds really interesting. Thanks for that background - how funny that a book like that could loose popularity over the years but others remain firm favourites (and some even more popular that the time they were written).

Jenny wrote: "Boof wrote: "I have added Trilby to the list above so that the full list is there for people to see (sounds good Amanda, I had never heard of it).

This vote should be interesting as in previou..."

Jenny, that sounds really interesting. Thanks for that background - how funny that a book like that could loose popularity over the years but others remain firm favourites (and some even more popular that the time they were written).

Everyman wrote: " "I just love Little Women--I always wanted to be Jo :-)"

Little Woman may be the most "chick book" of all chick books. I know many women who love it; I know no men who even like it, unlike such ..."

LOL Everyman! I love it when a book provokes a strong reaction (good or bad). It wouldn't do for us all to like the same thing, would it?

These all soounds great! George Meredith's The Egoist, with themes of Victorian ideas about psychology and the mind, sounds really interesting.

Everyman wrote: " It's so sappy, simpering, cloying, so sickeningly sweet that I need to go quickly to read some Trollope or Hardy or Dickens to cleanse my mental palate. ..."

That was quite the reaction, Everyman! :) I typically don't like the 'chick lit books' but have always loved Little Women. I, too, always thought of myself as closer to Jo than any of the others.

Perhaps if it is chosen, the discussion that is generated could convince you to wander into page two! If not, that's cool; there are several books that I have read that generate a strong negative reaction as well. :)

Little Women isn't "chick lit". It is a children's book. Most of the time girls who are 10 or 12 read it as one of their first "real" books and fall in love with it.

Starling wrote: "Little Women isn't "chick lit". It is a children's book. Most of the time girls who are 10 or 12 read it as one of their first "real" books and fall in love with it. "

So true, Starling. I loved to read as a pre-teen, but there were very few books that I felt a desire to read more than once. Little Women was one of the few. The only thing that makes me a little reluctant is that it may lose some of it's magic, reading it as an adult. That happens sometimes and it's always sort of sad, in a way. Our perceptions change with our experience.

I'll be willing to give it a go, though, if it's chosen.

Starling wrote: "Little Women isn't "chick lit". It is a children's book. Most of the time girls who are 10 or 12 read it as one of their first "real" books and fall in love with it. "

Exactly. And let's hope and pray they are not too jaded at that age to thoroughly enjoy it and be enriched by it and remember it all their lives.