Buddy Reads Introduction & Sign Up

[Sydney]

March will be good. I just looked all over for this book today and there's like a 36 person hold for it from the library! If anyone sees it for cheap on nook kindle or iTunes let me know!

[Jodi]

Helena wrote: "Jodi wrote: "Anyone interested in We Are Water ? I want to start it pretty quick because it is a library book."

I'm about a month too late, but I'll be starting this book soon if y..."

Thanks anyways Helena. I did finish it. It was a library book I had in January.

[Cassandra]

March works for me as well. I just placed the book on hold at the library (there are a TON of them already), so hopefully I will get it in time. If not, it's a book I wouldn't mind buying.

[Zara's Retreat]

Cassandra wrote: "March works for me as well. I just placed the book on hold at the library (there are a TON of them already), so hopefully I will get it in time. If not, it's a book I wouldn't mind buying."

At my library it has five books on order.

[Cassandra]

Zara, the library system where I live is really huge, and that's both good and bad. There are a lot of titles available, but also a lot of demand. It serves basically the entire western half of Washington state. For I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban, there are 122 copies in circulation, but 271 holds on them currently.

When there are that many, it's hard to know how long it will take to get the book - sometimes it moves surprisingly fast, and sometimes not.

[Zara's Retreat]

Cassandra wrote: "Zara, the library system where I live is really huge, and that's both good and bad. There are a lot of titles available, but also a lot of demand. It serves basically the entire western half of Was..."

Gee. When you said there were tons of reserves I never expected that many!!! Maybe buying the book would be better.

[Sydney]

Yeah you still have almost a month. If it gets too late I'll just buy it

[Cassandra]

That's the plan! ;]

[Brian]

Sydney wrote: "Does anyone want to read I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban? I have no preference of when to read it."

My Secret Santa from our group gave me this book for Christmas - I would love to join in for this next month!

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Would anyone be interested in reading Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon after it comes out on June 10th? I've read the first 7 books in the Outlander series and look forward to this one. Since I'll be doing the Buddy Reads here for Middlemarch March-April and 1Q84 May-June, I thought Written in My Own Heart's Blood might be a good one for July-August.

[Jodi]

I am looking to read The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism for either March or April. Anyone interested?

[Brian]

I can't decide which edition of Middlemarch to get from my library - one is a Norton Critical Edition, the 1874 story edition last corrected by the author and is annotated identifying unfamiliar historical figures and attitudes at the time with a huge background section after the full text of the book with important selections from George Eliot's essays, letters, journals, and other works of fiction. It includes a notebook that Eliot kept while she wrote the novel and a chronology of her life.

It also includes contemporary reviews and modern criticisms of her work. Would this be too intense? Or should I just get an edition that just contains the story alone? I feel like such a bother :/ I've been waiting for my head librarian to get out of a meeting to let me know what he thinks for almost an hour while I browse lol.

[Zara's Retreat]

Brian wrote: "I can't decide which edition of Middlemarch to get from my library - one is a Norton Critical Edition, the 1874 story edition last corrected by the author and is annotated identifying unfamiliar hi..."

I don't envy you Brian. I hate making decisions. In the case of reading this book though all I have to do is pick the book from my own bookshelf.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Brian,

Middlemarch is written by Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot. From your post above, I take it that you thought the author was a man.

I have the 1874 version for Kindle and the linked Auidobook. I like that for long books so I can listen on the way to/from work and pick up where I left off on the Kindle when I can actually read.

If anyone's interested, Amazon has the Kindle version for $0.99 and if you buy that you can get the Audible Audiobook for $3.49. Sorry, but I believe this works in the USA only.

[Brian]

Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Brian,

Middlemarch is written by Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot. From your post above, I take it that you thought the author was a man.

I have the 1874..."

You would be correct! I did make a huge mistake in thinking the author was a man. Thank you for correcting me - I feel slightly embarrassed and just edited my post to correctly identify the author's gender!! I actually have a vague memory of learning that from my parents as a child one time when we were in London at the age of like 10 or 11. We saw George Eliot's grave and my mom told me George was a pen name because the author wanted her writing to be taken more seriously and judged on its merits alone.

I have never read anything by George Eliot and need to read more from this period, which is why I am participating in this buddy read :] The only Victorian authors I can think of that I have really read are Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, and Lewis Carroll.

[Brian]

Zara wrote: "Brian wrote: "I can't decide which edition of Middlemarch to get from my library - one is a Norton Critical Edition, the 1874 story edition last corrected by the author and is annotated identifying..."

I ended up choosing the Norton Critical edition. I can pick and choose what reviews and background information I want to read based on what I find interesting, and I love reading footnotes in annotated versions of old books.

[Zara's Retreat]

Jodi wrote: "I am looking to read The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism for either March or April. Anyone interested?"

I may be interested in reading this book but I couldn't read it in March or April. Would later in the year work for you at all?

[Jodi]

Yes Zara. I can read it whenever.

[Zara's Retreat]

Jodi wrote: "Yes Zara. I can read it whenever."

How about September or October?

[Alessia]

I'm interested in reading The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism too. Any month is ok for me except March.

[Zara's Retreat]

Alessia wrote: "I'm interested in reading The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism too. Any month is ok for me except March."

How about I make it for October then.

[Jodi]

I don't know if I want to wait that long Zara. I am having government issues right now, putting corporations and money before the good of the people and would rather read it sooner than later. You can put it for October though and if I read it before then, I should probably still be able to comment.

[Zara's Retreat]

Jodi wrote: "I don't know if I want to wait that long Zara. I am having government issues right now, putting corporations and money before the good of the people and would rather read it sooner than later. You ..."

Of course you'd be able to comment Jodi. We'd welcome your input.

[Alessia]

Jodi wrote: "I don't know if I want to wait that long Zara. I am having government issues right now, putting corporations and money before the good of the people and would rather read it sooner than later. You ..."

Jodi is right! It's a pretty important book for the current state of things. Maybe we could read it a bit earlier than October? June maybe? Would that be ok for you both?

[Cassandra]

I'd love to get in on the The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism buddy read. Whenever you read it is good with me!

[Zara's Retreat]

I've moved The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism to June. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to it but we'll see (I have another buddy read I'm doing and the book is huge).

[Jodi]

Zara wrote: "I've moved The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism to June. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get to it but we'll see (I have another buddy read I'm doing and the book is h..."

June is good for me!

[Karina]

Where did the Anathem buddy read thread go? I can't find it in the March buddy reads folder. (I know it was a bit neglected, but I actually got started on it now, heh)

[Zara's Retreat]

Karina wrote: "Where did the Anathem buddy read thread go? I can't find it in the March buddy reads folder. (I know it was a bit neglected, but I actually got started on it now, heh)"

Hi Karina,

It's back in the March section. For some reason it disappeared from the listing.

[Cosmic]

I was wondering if anyone would like to read The 39 Steps for April. It was the first spy book and launched this genre. It was also the inspiration for the Alfred Hitchcock movie The 39 Steps. You can find this book on Audible as well as Guttenberg...and bookstores in between. So what do you say?

[[deleted user]]

Does anyone want to read Ignite Me with me starting today maybe?? I'm already 12 pages in

[Karina]

Can I interest anyone in The Gormenghast Novels?

[Lilac]

I'll read Ignite Me with you, Andria. I love the series but will be a little sad when it ends.

edit: Just realised the date of the post... but if you haven't finished I'll still join you.

[Lilac]

I'm up for The 39 Steps this month too, seeing as it's only about 100 pages. I can't start it just yet though, but maybe around the middle of the month?

[Ramesh]

Zara wrote: "Adriana wrote: "Zara wrote: "is The Shining and The Thorn Birds going to be October reads? Also is there still interest in the following:

Middlemarch
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
Fatherland?

If th..."

I just finished Middlemarch & could have really used a buddy. I know i need to read it again but it wouldn't be for a while.

[Ramesh]

Would anyone like to read Ulysses? I've been trying to build up the courage after struggling with Portrait of an Artist.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Ramesh wrote: "Would anyone like to read Ulysses? I've been trying to build up the courage after struggling with Portrait of an Artist."

Ramesh, I started reading Ulysses this month, and I'm about 10% through it. I've had to set it aside for a bit to read some library books that had come off hold, but I'll get back to it soon.

[Cosmic]

Lilac wrote: "I'm up for The 39 Steps this month too, seeing as it's only about 100 pages. I can't start it just yet though, but maybe around the middle of the month?"

The middle of the month would work really well for me too.

[Zara's Retreat]

I've added The 39 Steps and Ignite Me to the April listing.

[Zara's Retreat]

Are there any other books for the May buddy reads? We only have one going at the moment.

[Lilac]

Ramesh wrote: "Would anyone like to read Ulysses? I've been trying to build up the courage after struggling with Portrait of an Artist."

I'd like to read Ulysses at some point too. I doubt I'll be able to until May but if you and Theresa want to start it this month I can try and fit it in. It sounds like a book that you'd need to buddy read. :)

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Lilac, Ramesh, & others, would you like to set up Ulysses as a May Buddy Read? I just had to renew A Suitable Boy from my library and really need to finish that mega-chunker this month. I wouldn't mind postponing Ulysses until May, since I only have 10% read.

I am finding this book one that I prefer having the words in front of me rather than using the audiobook during my work commute. I will most likely do this one as a read and listen on my Kindle Fire, following the text as John Lee reads.

[Erika]

If it doesn't end up being chosen for the May group read, is anyone interested in reading Middlesex with me next month?

[Lilac]

Erika wrote: "If it doesn't end up being chosen for the May group read, is anyone interested in reading Middlesex with me next month?"

I am! I need to read that book for multiple challenges and really want to try something by Jeffrey Eugenides.


Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Lilac, Ramesh, & others, would you like to set up Ulysses as a May Buddy Read? I just had to renew A Suitable Boy from my library and really need to finish that mega-chu..."

That sounds good to me.

[Alissa]

I'd be interested in middlesex. I attempted it once and really think it would be a book to read with a group

[Cosmic]

I would be interested in reading Ulysses next month.

[Cassandra]

I could potentially do Ulysses as well.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Yeah! Lots of interest in Ulysses for May.

[Zara's Retreat]

I've added Ulysses and Middlesex to the list for May.

[Zara's Retreat]

Is anyone interested in reading Ponting: At The Close Of Play with me over a two month period starting in November?