October & November 2016 - Classic Group Read - Nomination Thread

[Leslie]

It's time once again to nominate your choices for our group classics read, this time for October and November. For convenience, we at AAB are defining a 'classic' as a book that was first published 50 or more years ago, i.e. first published in 1966 or earlier.

Nominations will be run for 5 days and will close late on Saturday August 27th (or early on Sunday the 28th!). The poll will then run for a week from the 28th August until the 3rd of September.

During this time anybody can either nominate or second a book. The 6 books with the most second votes at the end of the 5 day nomination period will go into the poll. Each person can either nominate one book or second one book. There are no limits to the number of seconds a book can receive.

Please only nominate, second or vote for a book you will read with the group if it should win. Please also check that your chosen nomination hasn't been a group read in the past. You can do this by looking at the group bookshelf or browsing through the Group Fiction folder.

If you have any questions on the nominations process please post here, use the 'Ask the Moderators' thread or contact one of the moderators and we will be happy to help.

[Leslie]

Sorry that I forgot to send the link to this thread in the message I sent out! I can send it out tomorrow but don't let that stop you if you have already found this and have a book to suggest!

[Myst]

I'll nominate The Turn of the Screw.

[Dhanaraj]

I nominate CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY by Alan Paton.

[Beth]

I second Cry, the Beloved Country.

[Alannah]

Myst wrote: "I'll nominate The Turn of the Screw."

I second this, was very confused when I read it. Maybe a discussion in this group will help me understand it better.

[Greg]

Both of those are excellent, on my list of favorites, but I've already read them; so I'll nominate:

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

the fictional biography written in 1912 by poet and novelist James Weldon Johnson, a famous writer of the Harlem Renaissance.

I haven't read it yet, but I've been wanting to for a while.

[PF]

Rebecca by Daphne du Marier
Mutual Friend by Dickens

[Mimi]

I'll nominate North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

[E.]

I would like to nominate The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

[Pink]

Greg, that's a really good book!

[Ellen]

I'll second Rebecca. It's been following me lately and I've never read it. Have heard lots of good things though!

[Diane S ☔]

Greg wrote: "Both of those are excellent, on my list of favorites, but I've already read them; so I'll nominate:

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

the fictional biography written in 1912 by..."

Will second this one. Fascinated with the Harlem Renaissance.

[Jenna]

I'll second North and South!

[Free]

I will second North and South as it is on my tbr.

[Leslie]

PF wrote: "Rebecca by Daphne du Marier
Mutual Friend by Dickens"

PF, you can only nominate one book - since Rebecca has already been seconded, I will use that as your nomination. Maybe you can nominate the Dickens next time!

[Guy]

I would like to nominate What Is to Be Done? byNikolai Chernyshevsky

Written while the author was in prison for subversive activities, What is to be Done? published in 1863, became a favorite among the rising left for the next half-century.
The novel tells the story of Vera Pavlovna, a woman who looks to be free and emancipate herself from the conservative oppression of the czarist regime. Lenin professed that it was his favorite novel, and he saw its positive-minded protagonists as models for the revolutionaries that would eventually take over the country several decades down the road.

[Greg]

Guy wrote: "I would like to nominate What Is to Be Done? byNikolai Chernyshevsky

Written while the author was in prison for subversive activities, What is to be Done? published..."

How fascinating Guy! - I haven't heard of this book, but I'd love to read it! A window back onto a different world. The communist excesses were terrible, but the czars were fairly horrible too from what I understand .. interesting to see a pre-communist look at the excesses of the czars.

[Greg]

Diane S ☔ wrote: "Greg wrote: "Both of those are excellent, on my list of favorites, but I've already read them; so I'll nominate:

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

the fictional biography writt..."

Thanks Diane, and glad to hear it Pink! :)

[Lauri]

I'd like to nominate The Picture of Dorian Gray because I've been wanting to read it for quite awhile.

[Greg]

Lauri wrote: "I'd like to nominate The Picture of Dorian Gray because I've been wanting to read it for quite awhile."

Lauri, we have already had this for a group read; so it isn't eligible. Is there another book you want to nominate?

[Luci]

I'll nominate When the Lion Feeds by Wilbur Smith

[Guy]

Greg I have been reading Secondhand Time. If your not aware, you probably are, it's an oral history about the USSR from the perspective of several different persons of various walks of life. Fascinating peek into a past I had little knowledge of. They reference quite a lot of Russian Literature. It has taken me down a wormhole. And so I have stumbled upon some titles and authors I had not been exposed to. Hence - What is to be done? Surfaced.

[Greg]

Guy wrote: "Greg I have been reading Secondhand Time. If your not aware, you probably are, it's an oral history about the USSR from the perspective of several different persons of various walks of life. Fascin..."

Ah, I've seen others in the group talking about it - I like they reference Russian literature as well! Sounds like a fascinating book - I love the concept!

[Leslie]

OK, so here is our current status:

books nominated (number of seconds in parentheses):
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (seconded)
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (seconded)
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man by James Weldon Johnson (seconded)
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (seconded)
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (seconded x2)
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (seconded x3)
What Is to Be Done? by Nikolai Chernyshevsky
When the Lion Feeds by Wilbur Smith
The Assistant by Bernard Malamud
Black Boy by Richard Wright
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

Plenty of time for more nominations and seconds!

[Leslie]

In case anyone was wondering about the second for Wilkie Collins, that is me -- The Woman in White is a good book to read over the Halloween season imo!

[Greg]

Lots of great nominations this time!

[Shirley]

I'll also second The Woman in White!

[Chrissie]

I would like to nominate The Assistant by Bernard Malamud.

[Ruth]

I nominate Black Boy by Richard Wright

[Suzanne]

Iwould like to nominate Invisible Manby Ralph Ellison

[Leslie]

I have updated the list in message #25. There's still time for people to nominate or second before nominations close.

[Leslie]

The nominations are now closed and the poll is up:

http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/14...

[Karin]

I missed this since I was on summer mode. I'm reading a Wilkie Collins right now, No Name, and will see if I can muster up the energy to reread The Woman on White, which tied for first. I liked it the first time, but don't remember loving it (can't abide The Moonstone).

[Pink]

I didn't realise we had a tie! I enjoyed both of the winning books, so I'll be happy to join in with any discussions :)

[Free]

Sounds interesting.

[Leslie]

Because of the tie, I think what we will do is read The Woman in White in October and November then read The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man in December and January. But I am willing to change my mind if anyone has a better idea.

Thoughts or suggestions?

[Pink]

Sounds good to me :)

[Alice]

Like Karin, I liked The Woman in White, but didn't love it. Would be happy to join the discussion.