alt-TOB The Final 16

[Jen]

It's a bit slow going for me too, for the same reasons (life!). I've read only three. I have Oreo and Fifteen Dogs on my night table ready to sink into, and am next in line for The Mountain Story and Welcome to Braggsville in audio at the library. So things are looking up for December!

[AmberBug]

Going as expected. Finished 2 books, started another (halfway through gave up, not my cup of tea) and currently reading another. I already had 2 read before the tournament started, so that makes 4.5 completed. For me it's a bit harder with the holidays - so much going on during the weekends.

[Juniper]

@ jen -- i just started Welcome to Braggsville last night, jen. and have The Mountain Story planned after that! :) i am glad things are looking up for december!!

@ amber -- it's true, eh? so much going on for so many people right now. december is always a bit of a cuckoo month. sorry you gave up on one, that it was really not your cup of tea. i have that concern for two of the books, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out for me.

[Jane from B.C.]

I have finished 2 books also and I have already read 2 so 4 completed in total. I am planning to continue on and work my way through the pairings.

[Beverly]

I am actually doing better than I expected though I suspect that will start to slow down some in a week.

I had previously read 3 books before the alt-TOB started and thankfully they were 3 that I had some notes on.

I have since read and/or listened to 5 books.

Now trying to decide which book to read next. I am thinking Landfalls

[Juniper]

it's so great hearing about everyone's progress! thank you, all!! i was thinking about everyone last night, hoping that things are going well and that enjoyment is happening!! :)

@ jane -- i am also working with the pairings! :)

@ carol -- cool!

@ beverly -- awesome!

[Lark]

I have The Mountain Story left to read, and am currently re-reading Aquarium and Welcome to Braggsville.

It's good to have company through these varied reads, and I've enjoyed learning more about people's reading experiences in our discussions.

[Rebecca]

I've finished two (in the bracket I'm judging) and am listening to a third (The Mountain Story -- great on audio). All is going well -- definitely still enjoying myself and can't wait to see how things turn out. I'm having to fulfill another reading commitment right now, but in a day or two I'll return to reading for the Alt.Tob.

[Drew]

Jennifer wrote: "i am just curious about how everyone's reading is going? i hope you are all enjoying the process and having a good time with the books!

my own progress is a bit slower than i hoped for, because li..."

I'm about where you are, Jennifer, at least as far as life's little curveballs. ;^) I'm working away on the four books that my two will come from. It's a snowy day today so I'm hoping I can spend the evening finishing Aquarium.

[Heather]

I had previously read 3 of the books, and half of another. I finished the half-read book, and have since read 5 more (Under the Udala Trees, The Story of My Teeth, Gap of Time, The Mountain Story, and Fifteen Dogs). Currently in the middle of both Gutshot and Man Tiger. The books have been all over the map as far as my enjoyment level goes...some I've loved, a few I've disliked, and a couple "meh" reads to round it all out.

[Melanie]

I'm still at my pre-list total of 2 read, but I did acquire most of the list (all at once - crazy library efficiency!) so I'll be getting through several in the next couple of weeks, I expect.

[Kendra]

I finished 3 and have a couple waiting at the library. I started a fourth that didn't interest me, so I will only get back to it if I read everything else.

[Lagullande]

I have finished:
Undermajordomo Minor (favourite so far),
Aquarium (still wish I could give it the 4 stars, but still can only really summon up 2!), and
Sweetland (expectations may have been a bit too high based on everyone's fervent recommendations).

And I've started The Mountain Story. I'm glad to see some other people have this one lined up, as I was starting to worry I was the only one reading it, going by the discussion thread. Although I'm reading it in print, I can see how it could be really good for audio.

[Juniper]

you guys are awesome!! thank you!!! it's so great to have so many people along on this reading adventure.

@ drew -- i hope your curveballs calm down soon!! :)

[Kendra]

Lagullande wrote: "I have finished:
Undermajordomo Minor (favourite so far),
Aquarium (still wish I could give it the 4 stars, but still can only really summon up 2!), and
[book:Sweet..."

Lagullande,

I will be picking up The Mountain Story from the library later today, so you won't be the only one reading it.

[Juniper]

The Mountain Story is also coming up in my own reading. can't wait to hear what people think!

[Drew]

Jennifer wrote:
@ drew -- i hope your curveballs calm down soon!! :)"

Thanks, Jennifer! Same to you!

[Huntleybrinkley]

Like everyone else, the holidays are gang-tackling my reading efforts (along with running a couple fantasy football leagues and... oh yeah, family and work), had already read 3, finished Teeth and in the middle of Undala (trying to read in order). Will re-read Teeth if possible before the tournament; not because I loved it, but my initial read left me a little pissed off at it; maybe my frame of mind at the time...But isn't this fun?! And isn't fun the best thing ever?!!

[Kendra]

Three of my holds at the library were fulfilled at the same time, and now I'm not sure which one to start first - Oreo, Delicious Foods or The Mountain Story. This is a nice "problem" to have.

[Ellen]

Listening to The Mountain Story now, and ... whoa. Just finished Welcome to Braggsville and had previously read Delicious Foods and The Gap of Time. I have a pile from the library TBR and 3 more on cd. I just need to have more reading time! The three new cats I've just adopted that are coming home the day after tomorrow will NOT help...

[Susan]

Picked up all the books at the library. Which chocolate to choose? Think I'm starting Mountain Story when I finish current read.

[Kristin]

I'm working on some of these! this looks to be an awesome tournament!

[Lark]

Heather wrote: "The books have been all over the map as far as my enjoyment level goes...some I've loved, a few I've disliked, and a couple "meh" reads to round it all out. "

That sounds about right.

I just applied the "Heather Test" to Booker 2015 books I've read (The Year of the Runaways is in progress for me):

Loved: 1
Disliked: 2
Meh: 2

I'm trying to be more open to novels that first hit me the wrong way, if these books represent serious attempts to do something new with language, or to tell a new story, even if they stumble in places. When I think about why I don't like a book, usually I come up with the feeling that it just isn't a sincere book, somehow...that the author was just writing for his/her own sake, or for the market.

Of course these feelings are all just in my little brain and other people have expressed liking the very same books very much.

Which gets to the core of TOB, how cool it is to have just one person in charge of making the choice because it really just boils down to "which of these books did I like better?" and then trying to articulate why.

[Beverly]

poingu wrote: "Heather wrote: "The books have been all over the map as far as my enjoyment level goes...some I've loved, a few I've disliked, and a couple "meh" reads to round it all out. "

That sounds about rig..."

I love book list and book award nominations as I always get a couple of more books to add to my reading list.

I will have to admit that The Booker Prize has not necessarily been a favorite of mine over the last couple of years but liked it more this year (2015).

I like it when my favorites win but do not stress if I am not keen about those nominated/winners.

As for the TOB format I think that like in sports usually on any given day one team can beat another and feel that way about a judge choosing between two books.

[Lark]

Beverly wrote: "I will have to admit that The Booker Prize has not necessarily been a favorite of mine over the last couple of years but liked it more this year (2015)."

The choices seem very arbitrary this year, and also for the National Book Award, but maybe I feel that way because I've read more of them than I usually do by this time of year.

[Jan]

I had read 5 of the Alt 16 books when the list was announced, and read The Gap of Time (along with The Winter's Tale, which I hadn't read/seen before) and Girl Waits with Gun this week. I enjoyed both and probably wouldn't have read them otherwise, so YAY Poingu & Jennifer for making this happen. Another reason to love the Alt tourney: It lessens the antsy frustration I'd otherwise be feeling as we wait for the ToB long list and final 16 to be announced. Starting on Aquarium today.

[Kaion]

I'm starting on Oreo today.

I imagine the chatter has been slow because people are tackling the books they're judging first, and they have to keep mum. One of the advantages not being a judge is being able to be completely free with my opinions as I go along, which is fun.

As for awards, I do tend to be hit or miss with all the major ones. I just think industry awards tend to be geared towards agendas other than "is this good."

[Juniper]

Kaion wrote: "Is this the general discussion thread?"

absolutely!! there are threads for each of the books, but general chat can go here, for sure!

folder for the books: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

[Kendra]

Can I request that Jennifer and Poingu choose all my reading selections? I've read 5 so far and really liked all of them in one way or another.

[Juniper]

Kendra wrote: "Can I request that Jennifer and Poingu choose all my reading selections? I've read 5 so far and really liked all of them in one way or another."

haha!! that's awesome, kendra! i am very glad it's going so well for you -- and i hope that continues with the other books you plan to read. :)

[AmberBug]

Kendra wrote: "Can I request that Jennifer and Poingu choose all my reading selections? I've read 5 so far and really liked all of them in one way or another."

I was thinking the same thing Kendra!

[Lark]

Thanks but I think your enjoyment has more to do with who you are as readers, rather than our special skill at picking books. This group is very adventuresome. As a group we seem to be very good at allowing the flaws of a book to recede, and also good at appreciating a given book for what it does well. We're also good at listening to one another. These qualities about our group have made this exercise such a blast for me.

[Lagullande]

AmberBug wrote: "Kendra wrote: "Can I request that Jennifer and Poingu choose all my reading selections? I've read 5 so far and really liked all of them in one way or another."

I was thinking the same thing Kendra!"

I think the "real TOB" pickers will be doing well if they come with a better list than ours!

[AmberBug]

I would love to see them pick the winner of the Alt TOB as a contender for the official one!

[Beverly]

Lagullande wrote: "AmberBug wrote: "Kendra wrote: "Can I request that Jennifer and Poingu choose all my reading selections? I've read 5 so far and really liked all of them in one way or another."

I was thinking the ..."

Agree!
So enjoying this group and the discussions.
And it is a wonderful list - once I finish one book I am so anxious for the next book. :)

[Lark]

There are some interesting patterns in how we're reacting to these books, where we might all agree about a book having a certain characteristic, but then we disagree on whether to judge the book positively or negatively based on this same characteristic.

For instance: Landfall's stoves, Aquarium's happy ending, Mountain Story's implausibility, Sweetland's disinterest in female characters, Story of My Teeth's artiness, Fifteen Dogs's treatment of gender roles, Man Tiger's digressive storytelling style, Major Domo's lack of seriousness, Girl Waits with Gun's genre-ness, Gap of Time's reliance on Shakespeare...

Many other examples as well, where we more or less agree that a novel does "X" and then we diverge on whether "X" is a good thing, or a thing we feel neutral about, or a thing that is a deal breaker for us with this particular book.

[Lark]

btw Jennifer and I have now heard from all first-round judges and two of the four quarter-final judges...the suspense builds...

[Beverly]

poingu wrote: "btw Jennifer and I have now heard from all first-round judges and two of the four quarter-final judges...the suspense builds..."

LOL - yes the suspense builds
And I better get to reading!!!

[Jan]

Must. Read. Faster. :-)

[Jan]

poingu wrote: "There are some interesting patterns in how we're reacting to these books, where we might all agree about a book having a certain characteristic, but then we disagree on whether to judge the book po..."

That's what makes group reading so fun/interesting/challenging. :-)

[Rebecca]

Guys! The Morning News just tweeted (in response to a friend's question) that there is a 90% chance the TOB long list will be posted Wednesday!!!

[Juniper]

Rebecca wrote: "Guys! The Morning News just tweeted (in response to a friend's question) that there is a 90% chance the TOB long list will be posted Wednesday!!!"

NICE!!!

[Kendra]

Rebecca wrote: "Guys! The Morning News just tweeted (in response to a friend's question) that there is a 90% chance the TOB long list will be posted Wednesday!!!"

Sweet! I'll be busy reading for the alt Tob but the long list is always exciting. We will have EVEN MORE literary things to discuss. What will make the short list? What books were sadly overlooked?

[Rebecca]

Their long list is so long, there's a decent chance their books will overlap with ours somewhat.

[Kendra]

Rebecca wrote: "Their long list is so long, there's a decent chance their books will overlap with ours somewhat."

I think you're right. I'm really hoping a couple of our final 16 make it into their final 16 as well.

[Kaion]

poingu wrote: "There are some interesting patterns in how we're reacting to these books, where we might all agree about a book having a certain characteristic, but then we disagree on whether to judge the book po..."

I'm definitely learning about myself as a reader. I was in a bed all of yesterday and I previewed all the books I haven't read yet. I find that I'm drawn to books that are self-assured books with a strong point of view. I like books that start with a bang, but don't necessarily lay themselves out completely on sight. Also, language makes a huge deal of difference in the first few pages relative to the rest of the book -- smooth, lucid writing just makes it that much easier to get through the introductory portions, before I get hooked by things like plot, character or theme. And I assume the beginnings are the most edited and revised portions, so if it still reads awkwardly...

[Lark]

Kaion wrote: "I'm definitely learning about myself as a reader. "

As the written decisions start to come in, and from comments here, it's very cool to see how different our readerly values and preferences are.

Ryan for example mentioned in the Aquarium thread that he judges novels by "how they make me feel."

I don't like novels whose primary purpose is to make me feel but I value that quality in short stories a lot: Symbols and Signs by Nabokov, A Father's Story by Andre Dubus, Reunion by John Cheever, A Small Good Thing by Raymond Carver, Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O'Connor, Redemption by John Gardner, People Like That Are the Only People Here by Lorrie Moore, Helping by Robert Stone.

Hmm, I didn't mean to rattle off a bunch of short stories but these were all so extraordinary in the "make me feel" category that they came to mind when I started to write "I don't like novels that make me feel" and realized I do like that quality in short stories a lot.

In novels it's too much for me and I start to feel manipulated if the author keeps striving for emotion.

The "Books On the Nightstand" podcast just ran a show where "Why we Like the Books We Do" was the topic of conversation, here:

http://booksonthenightstand.com/2015/...

[Jason]

Making snowflakes on a slow day at work. Recognize it?

https://www.instagram.com/p/_c4v8LDYYJ/

[Amy]

Jason wrote: "Making snowflakes on a slow day at work. Recognize it?

https://www.instagram.com/p/_c4v8LDYYJ/"

Holy cow Jason that is awesome!!

[Ryan]

Jason wrote: "Making snowflakes on a slow day at work. Recognize it?

https://www.instagram.com/p/_c4v8LDYYJ/"

Very awesome!