Getting to Know You

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Welcome Marc

[Marc]

Thanks, Hugh.

[Trevor]

It’s great to meet new friends! Welcome to all of you who’ve found your way here over the past while! I hope you’ll find yourselves welcome to share your reading!

[Ace]

This is probably a good time for me to say hi also, I have been lurking for a while and know a couple of the members here from other GR groups. I've been following the Booker prizes and hope to be able to contribute a little bit in the threads here.

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Welcome Ace.

[Ace]

Hugh wrote: "Welcome Ace."

Thanks Hugh :)

[Trevor]

Oh, those are some great books on your list! Welcome to the group. I think we will all benefit from your thoughts and taste!

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Welcome to the group Manda

[WndyJW]

Hi, Manda!

[WndyJW]

I wanted to share with the group my very pleasant surprise from Ben Myers, yes that Ben Myers. After my review of The Gallows Pole he followed me on GR and on Twitter. I’m such a fan that I asked him if he would sign a book for me if mailed it to him with return postage. ( I will forever feel guilty for buying a signed first edition Reservoir 13 from a third party, for which Jon McGregor received not a dime, and I will never do that again.) Ben offered to send me signed postcard instead. He sent me 7 signed, personalized postcards and he sent me a signed First edition chap book of poems, Brutalism One: Nowhere Fast, a self-published collection of his poetry and Adele Stripe and Tony O’Neill. I posted a photo of what he sent me on my home page.
I was giddy with delight. This personal response from a writer is another of the advantages to supporting indie presses, in addition to the great literature of course.

[Marc]

That's an awesome story and experience, WndyJW!

[WndyJW]

I think so too, Marc. thanks.

[Chris]

Greetings, all.

I've been stalking this group for some time and decided to finally come out of the shadows. I do not recall how I came across this group initially, but I'm sure it had something to do with the Man Booker. Rather than just jump into conversation, I thought I'd introduce myself.

I've been on Goodreads since '07, which I believe was the year it debuted. I live in the u.s., so it's not surprising that I'd never heard of the Man Booker Prize, but I began to notice that several books I enjoyed were noted as "Man Booker nominees." I researched the Prize, followed it loosely, and soon fell in love. For a few years, I made it a point to read the complete shortlist; last year was the first year I tried to read the whole longlist. Being stateside makes it difficult, as publication dates are sometimes several months after the winner has been announced, but I make every effort.

Also, I'm a librarian and a writer. Naturally, I drink a lot of coffee and spend most of my time with cats. My favorite book is East of Eden.

I look forward to hearing everyone's views on this year's Prize. Hopefully I will have an intelligent thought or two of my own to share.

[Trevor]

Thanks for introducing yourself, Chris, and welcome! I hope you always feel welcome to share your thoughts and join in the discussions!

[Alysson]

Hi, I've just discovered this topic, and thought it would be nice to introduce myself. I am Brazilian, and I live in São Paulo, where I work as a film reviewer and reporter for a website and Reuters news agency. I'm also a doctorate student in a Literature program at Universidade de São Paulo, and I research about Ursula K. LeGuin, her utopian novels and how utopian novels became apocalyptic novels in the age of neoliberalism. I have a master's degree, and my thesis was about Cormac McCarthy and apocalypse - specially, obviously, The road.

I have been member of this group for sometime, but I had never posted until this week's Booker longlist - but I am enjoying the comments very much since I started following the group's activities.

And also I want to apologise in advance for the language mistakes I may sometimes commit. I try to pay attention, but... To be honest I am not that good at speeling even in Portuguese (haha).

[Chris]

Trevor wrote: "Thanks for introducing yourself, Chris, and welcome! I hope you always feel welcome to share your thoughts and join in the discussions!"

Thanks, Trevor.

[Anita]

Chris wrote: "Greetings, all.

I've been stalking this group for some time and decided to finally come out of the shadows. I do not recall how I came across this group initially, but I'm sure it had something to..."

Hi Chris,

I'm more of a lurker too until Man Booker "season", but I love love East of Eden so had to say hello and welcome!!

[Chris]

Anita wrote: "Hi Chris,

I'm more of a lurker too until Man Booker "season", but I love love East of Eden so had to say hello and welcome!!"

Hi, Anita.
I'm always amazed with how many people love East of Eden. I know it's not for everyone, but I've met so many who claimed it as their favorite. Thanks for the warm welcome!

[Anita]

I am a Steinbeck fan in general, but thought that book was truly excellent. Look forward to seeing what else you pick up . . .I'm trying to read at least 6 or so of the Man Booker longlist selections before the shortlist is announced.

[Marcus]

Hi there, my name is Marcus. Originally from the UK, I now live in New Zealand, which puts me in a different time zone to most people.
I have been an avid book collector and reader since childhood. My collection of books now stands over 4,000 titles and I probably add 200 a year which is far more than I read. I saw your list of Mookse Madness for 2019 and realised that I own about 25 of those. What a great way to encourage me to read more of what I own.

I love a good trail of literary coincidence. I recently discovered a book of letters between a New Zealander, D'Arcy Cresswell, and Lady Ottoline Morrell. When I lived in the UK I was very fond of Virginia Woolf and the art within the Bloomsbury Group, so I was interested to learn more about this New Zealander. Turns out he lived in the next road to where I spent my college days in North London. Small world really.
In my spare time I review books for a couple of NZ websites.

[Antonomasia, Admin only]

Hi Marcus and welcome!

Some people are reading a lot of books for Mookse Madness but you shouldn't feel you have to have read all of them to join in. I hope you enjoy exploring the books you read for it, and if you feel like discussing any of them before the vote, please do post in the author threads in the Mookse Madness folder.

[Trevor]

Yes, welcome Marcus! I hope you jump into any conversations that interest you!

[Jen]

I've been following this group for some time now (and contributing occasionally) but only just saw there is an introduction thread. So while this is very overdue I feel like I should say a 'formal' hello!

My name is Jen, I'm a Canadian (Nova Scotia) who spent 10 years living in London, UK and am still missing the literary scene and lively discussions I had there about books. We have an active albeit small number of events and shops in Halifax, but of course there is no comparison. So it was a thrill for me to find GR after moving back to Canada and then more recently, this group, which recalls for me those passionate book debates I had in the pubs!

Another great thing about Mookse has been learning about some lesser known awards and expanding my international and small press reading. I took out my first small press subscription some weeks ago because of this group and have ordered various titles after reading praise for them here.

Thanks for having me here!

[WndyJW]

Hi, Jen. Hi, Marcus. What are the websites that publish your reviews?

[Karen Michele]

Hello everyone! I’ve been retired and reading like crazy for about 5 years now. Before that, I was a high school librarian and I taught elementary school music before getting my library credentials. I read almost anything when it comes to genre and audience as long as the writing is solid. I have two grown children and my husband and I live in beautiful Washington State, US. I’m planning to join in here as much as I can and I have already enjoyed reading through the group posts. I always appreciate the wonderful discussions on Goodreads. I enjoy reading prize winners and I am looking forward to Mookse Madness. I have read enough of the books to be involved and hope to read as many as possible that I have missed, especially those that move forward in the tournament.

[Trevor]

Welcome to the party, Karen! I hope you'll have fun joining in!

[WndyJW]

Hello, Karen Michelle.

[Laura]

Hi everyone! Goodreads recommended this group to me based on my shelves, and I have spent the last week or so lurking in the threads.

I currently live in London but am originally from Gloucestershire. I studied English Lit some time ago now, which was followed by a year or two of binging contemporary writing, and savouring the opportunity to not "think" about any of it. Now, I've landed myself somewhere in the middle of the two extremes! My father and I look forward to the Booker every year, and usually make a trip to the Cheltenham literature festival to see the shortlisters talk about their books. Last year I missed the whole thing though - I started with Snap and I think maybe that put me off continuing!

My favourite "serious" writers are Henry James and Thomas Hardy, and my favourite "fun" writers are Agatha Christie and Stephen King. My favourite Booker winner since following closely is The Narrow Road to the Deep North. I also loved A Little Life (even though it didn't win!).

[Ang]

Welcome, Laura. There are a few of us who attend Cheltenham Lit Fest each year so that's nice to see.

[Trevor]

Yes, welcome Laura!

[Tracy]

Hello all. While not normally a quiet person, I've been lurking here for a while now. I live in Iowa, USA. I'm a pharmacist, and I'm fortunate to have a position where I can work remotely from home, in 11 hour shifts, 7 days on/off. I listen to a lot of books while working, and read a lot of books when not working, since my kids are grown and gone. I have been enjoying recommendations and long/shortlists from the threads here- and Mount TBR has grown. A lot. I've also been having a great time reading the Mookse Madness books.

My reading preferences are eclectic- like my musical tastes. I seem to have settled in to literary fiction for now. Favorite authors vary from Austen and Dickens to James Baldwin and Ali Smith. Since the MM challenge, I've fallen more in love with Muriel Spark, and am trying to get through her novels.

[Ang]

Welcome, Tracy. From the weather I've been seeing in Iowa, I imagine it's good to be able to work from home there. I grew up in Iowa and left after college, so it's been a long time, but I still remember how cold the winters are and how hot the summers are.

James Baldwin - excellent - I need to read more of him. You'll find a lot of love for Ali Smith on these pages. I agree on Spark as well.

[Louise]

Welcome Tracy. I was just perusing my local library this week for some James Baldwin. I haven't read any of his work yet and wasn't sure where to start. Any recommendations? Which do you think is his best/most important book?

[Tracy]

Louise wrote: "Welcome Tracy. I was just perusing my local library this week for some James Baldwin. I haven't read any of his work yet and wasn't sure where to start. Any recommendations? Which do you think is h..."
I started with Go Tell It on the Mountain, but all the books I’ve read so far have been worthwhile reads.

Ang- it’s a little soggy right now! Fortunately, Grinnell isn’t near any rivers.

[WndyJW]

Welcome, Tracy!

[Antonomasia, Admin only]

Welcome, Tracy, and thanks for joining in with the MM2019 polls!

[Pink]

Hi everyone, my name is Pink, I’m 41, live in the UK (Essex) with my two grown up children and I work as a pharmacy tech assistant, in our local hospital.

I joined this group a few days ago, after seeing a link in the Manbookering, or Women’s Prize for fiction group, I can’t remember which. I’ve enjoyed reading through the posts here and picking up recommendations for new books. I’m usually a reader of classics and help moderate a group on here, but I also enjoy reading newer fiction and follow several book prizes.

I’m hoping to join in with the posts and not just be a lurker, but we’ll see!

[Antonomasia, Admin only]

Hi Pink, Nice to see you in here. (As a new occasional user of Catching Up On Classics, I'm finding your group very useful as a home for lists and things - thanks)

There'll be lots going on here soon when the Booker longlist is announced on the 24th. And if you want to pitch in with some guesses as to what might be on the longlist, do post in the speculation thread.

[Pink]

Thanks, Antonomasia. I’m looking forward to the Booker longlist announcement. I’ll take a look at the speculation thread and see how my guesses compare.

[Emma]

Hi all,

Since I just jumped in on a discussion without saying hello, I'll make up for that now...

I'm Emma from the UK (Peterborough). I'm currently a specialist support worker, which basically means I either have hardly anything to do or it's a medical emergency. Thankfully, it's more of the former and I get lots of time to read. Before this I was a Waterstones bookseller/assistant manager so I've always followed book trends and prize lists. Recently my reading and reviewing has been focused on the SFF side or my history studies so I've been looking at adding more variety back into my reading. I have seen lots of the stuff this group reads and talks about due to being friends with a few members.

Can't wait to get stuck in!

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Good to see you here Emma - hope you enjoy our discussions.

[Cristiano]

I have not introduced myself! I just realized there is a thread for introductions.

I am a Swiss Portuguese architect. Love reading. The last 6 years I have lived in Los Angeles and was part of the Skylight Coyote book club. I moved back to Zurich, Switzerland, last May and am replacing my book club with all you guys. Love the discussions on here, always very insightful. Maybe I should also start a book club for the large English speaking community in Zurich.

I don't want to fixate myself to a genre, but I love me an experimental/conceptual book for sure.

(PS: English is not my mother language, hence my thoughts just start flowing and I don't structurize them coherently in English. Hopefully with time, my reviews will be less confusing.)

[Tom]

I never realized there was an introduction thread! I've been in this group for about a year now, as I joined around the time of last year's shortlist announcement. I've already posted a lot, but I'll give a quick overview of who I am.

I am 31 years old, from the US - born and raised on Long Island and currently live in Stamford, CT after nearly 9 years living in NYC. I work in real estate finance for a developer here in Stamford. I was always an avid reader of science fiction and fantasy and have only recently started reading mostly literary fiction. I was always a math/science/business guy so I took little to no arts and literature courses in college. The benefit of this is I have a very long TBR list of incredible books that I get to experience for the first time.

My favorite book may just be Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, which I read early this year and keep coming back to. I think there's so much I still have to unpack there.

Anyways, I've really enjoyed reading the longlist with you all this year and speculating on which would be shortlisted. Hope to contribute more in the future.

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Thanks for the intros Tom and Cristiano (and welcome to the group)

[WndyJW]

Welcome Tom and Cristiano!

[Debra]

I also jumped into the discussions without making an introduction, so here goes.

My name is Debra and I am a marketing researcher in the U.S. (near Cincinnati, Ohio). My hobbies include genealogy, photography, travel and, of course, reading.

I've been on GR since 2011, but only discovered this group about a month or so ago. My reading interests include literary fiction, experimental fiction, classics, history and both dystopian fiction and dystopian non-fiction (formerly known as current affairs). I also belong to a book club, so I end up reading a variety of other books, which is a lot of fun.

I've really enjoyed your book reviews and comments, and hope to contribute as much as I can. I have a major problem with writer's block, so I haven't written any book reviews myself, but I'm finding it a bit easier to say a word or two in these message posts.

[Hugh, Active moderator]

Thanks and welcome Debra

[Neil]

Welcome Debra. Interestingly, I have traced my family tree back to just before the English Civil War, retired early in order to concentrate on my photography and I also, obviously, read a lot. We would have a lot to talk about if we met!

[Debra]

Neil wrote: "Welcome Debra. Interestingly, I have traced my family tree back to just before the English Civil War, retired early in order to concentrate on my photography and I also, obviously, read a lot. We w..."

Interesting! I also have early English roots (among others), so perhaps we have a few surnames in common.

[Ella]

Oh dear! I never introduced myself here (think I did the first time I actually commented - somewhere.) Hi everyone, I'm Ella :-)

I am from Baltimore, Maryland (in the US.) A widow, I live with my cat Josh and work in traumatic brain injury/ neurology/neuropsychology at a trauma center.

For fun I knit silly hats & outside of work, I do a bunch of community stuff.