"Featured Group", 4/9/2014 - Catching Up on the Classics (and lots more!)

[MK]

heh, I was wondering how come there were so many new members today (glad to have you all!!)

Our little group is one of the four featured groups at the moment:

Featured Groups

Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)
Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) Be brave and join me as I tackle classics that have been gathering dust on my bookshelves and to…more
1,087 members, last active 7 minutes ago

Romance, Historical or Otherwise
Romance, Historical or Otherwise A group to discuss our favorite novels, be it Historical, Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery, YA,…more
2,514 members, last active 6 hours ago

Reading the Chunksters
Reading the Chunksters Our Current Contemporary Chunkster is: Under The Dome by Stephen King Our Current Classic Chunkst…more
311 members, last active 5 hours ago

Discovering Russian Literature
Discovering Russian Literature A study of great works of Russian literature! Does that sound too complicated? Shouldn't be. Thi…more
1,377 members, last active 2 hours ago

[MK]

Links -

Catching up on Classics (and lots more!)

Romance, Historical or Otherwise

Reading the Chunksters

Discovering Russian Literature


----


I joined the Chunksters and the Russian Literature to check them out :D

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Hey that's cool. I didn't even look at the groups page today. Still out of town. Thanks for catching that.

[Glenna]

I found you in the Featured Groups. I am also a member of 19th Century Epic Romances,if you are interested in the classics, I would recommend this group. I look forward to reading along with everyone.

[MK]

You have quite an interesting bookshelf in that group, Glenna! And I see one of your books this month is Doctor Zhivago - I loved that book.

19th Century Epic Romances — 3713 members — last activity 6 hours, 32 min ago
Join us in discussing 19th Century Epic Romances. After all, who doesn't love a good love story.

Hope you have a good week, Kathy :)

[Lars]

I had a copy of "Catch-22" on my bookshelf for years, a nice old hardcover, and one day I just decided I had better read it. It has one of the great first lines of any American novel, but then I had a creeping feeling I was going to be disappointed, and I was. I wonder if having read it 50 years after it was published, and having read countless imitations, had bleached out its effectiveness. That can't be helped, of course, but it was not the overwhelming experience I had hoped it would be.

[MK]

Lars wrote: "I had a copy of "Catch-22" on my bookshelf for years, a nice old hardcover, and one day I just decided I had better read it. It has one of the great first lines of any American novel, but then I ha..."

Hmmm, interesting. Maybe it was reading the imitations? I just read it with the group last fall (I think it was my second group read :) ). I absolutely loved it, was blown away. We have a number of threads for the book (a no spoiler one, and several as-you-read spoiler threads), but maybe you might like to share your thoughts in the book-as-a-whole spoiler thread? Our book threads always stay open, post in any of them, as you like :).

[Lars]

I just took a look at that thread. Can't believe I just joined Goodreads! Well, happy to be here. I need to think about what I want to say about Catch-22 and also am now wondering if having read a couple of other Heller books that I did not care for (and a biography by his daughter, which was terrible), also spoiled my disposition. Huh.

[MK]

Lars wrote: "I just took a look at that thread. Can't believe I just joined Goodreads! Well, happy to be here. ..."

I remember thinking something similar right after I'd joined. People had told me about it for a few years, but I just never signed up. It's such a great site! (A little toooooo absorbing, maybe ;-). It keeps showing me more and more and more great books I'd love to read :D )

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Lars, we are happy to have you here! And MK, always glad that you found the group too.

[MK]

:D ty, Kathy! :)

[Rachel]

That's how I found you guys. I was looking for a classics group, and this group popped out at me because 1. feature group 2. active group 3. books that will be read 4. number of members.

Congrats on being recongnized!

[MK]

awesome! glad you found us :D welcome ~

[Lars]

I'm not usually a fan of digging up unpublished works by deceased writers, but "The Haunted Life" by Jack Kerouac, just out, is interesting because it reminded me of what a classic craftsman he cold be. I don't mean to say he was sloppy or didn't write with intent in most of his books, but the stories in "The Haunted Life" show that his experimentation was based on some hard-won training. The things people say in this book also seem remarkably prescient, too.

[MK]

I haven't read that one, Lars. Interesting.


I can't believe how much being a "Featured Group" has grown our group! It's fabulous. Shortly after April started, we were closing in on 1,000 members. Now, 2 more new members, and we'll be at 1,400! I'm really looking forward to some fascinating and rocking discussions :D

Membership stats right now:
Members (showing 1-30 of 1,398)

[MK]

Oops! Spoke too soon. Author Gabrielle Zevin will be hosting a chat, and that group just replaced our slot in the four "Featured Groups" :-).

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

It was still so cool to be listed as "featured." I am not sure what the criteria are, but I am going with, "we are just a great group."

[MK]

Kathy wrote: "It was still so cool to be listed as "featured." I am not sure what the criteria are, but I am going with, "we are just a great group.""

I'll go with that! :)

[MK]

Woooohoooo!

Members (showing 1-30 of 1,400)

40% increase in under two weeks. :D

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Wow. Welcome everyone.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Back to being "Featured."

:)

[MK]

Isn't it neat!? :D

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

1499 members just now. Wow

[MK]

Kathy wrote: "1499 members just now. Wow"


Kathy,
We just went over the bump.

--->> Members (showing 1-30 of 1,500)


heeheeheeeee such fun! Lotsa great book discussions ahead, I hope!



edit, update:
4/21/14, 3.00pm - Members (showing 1-30 of 1,600) :)
4/22/14, 1.30pm - Members (showing 1-30 of 1,656) (no longer featured group)
5/2/14, 9.30am - Members (showing 1-30 of 1,702) :)
6/7/2014, 11pm - Members (showing 1-30 of 1,800)
7/9/14, 10am - Members (showing 1-30 of 1,904)

[MK]

We are still adding about 1000 members a month :o. I guess we'll be over 2k by summer's end, probably!

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

This used to be a very small group, right?

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Andrea (Catsos Person) wrote: "This used to be a very small group, right?"

Yes, we were at one point. Growing like crazy still.

[Alissa]

I love this group!! I love how active it is, I love the personalities really shine in here. I love how the polls each month are always down to the wire, nailbiting suspense haha. There are always such great nominations!!

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

I love this group too, Alissa. Those are all great reasons! You nailed it.

[MK]

:) :) :) I agree too!!

(Even if I'm pretty much taking July as a pass :p)

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

We are getting really close to 2000 members! MK you predicted 2K by summer's end -- I think we may do it!