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Next Book > 2017 Book #3 - Swing Time by Zadie Smith

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message 1: by René (last edited May 11, 2017 01:08AM) (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
Our next book is Swing Time.

Let me explain.

Sometimes, you get a group of people together, and the group has its own mind, and you think you're in control but the group mind actually develops its own whims and it gets away from any one participant, it's not about the alcohol, I'm talking about group minds, and the idea of choosing a topic for the next book seemed like a relic of a bygone era, and we were all there and we thought the book should be chosen, that night, not in the upcoming days, it was a decision taken by the group, sometimes a group has its own mind, it gets away from any one member, someone brought up the idea that we could propose books we wanted to read and choose randomly from that, and someone else latched onto the idea of random and thought it was good, and someone else said there's a site that provides random numbers, and we found it, random.org , and we had our list of books and we let the random number generator choose, it said on the site that the random generator is somehow fed by atmospheric fluctuations and so much more random than anything you'd get from a seeded computer generator, and it chose, and Justin's suggestion of Zadie Smith was selected, and so Swing Time is our next book, and that's how it happened.


message 2: by Tania (new)

Tania U So all this rant could be boiled down to "the group doesn't give a sh** about me as the organiser and what I want"?

Finally some change!!!


message 3: by René (last edited May 11, 2017 01:21AM) (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
Eh, no, it couldn't be boiled down to that at all, that's a complete reinterpretation from your subjective first-person-shooter perspective


message 4: by Justin (new)

Justin Hood | 628 comments Me and my big mouth...


message 5: by Tania (new)

Tania U "If 'War And Peace' could be boiled down to a single phrase, Tolstoy would've done it."


message 6: by Lara (new)

Lara | 296 comments I wanted to read it along with a friend so that's perfect timing!


message 7: by Nabil (new)

Nabil Lakhnachfi | 175 comments All hail queen atmosphere! Perhaps this system will work out better than the old one.


message 8: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
I wasn't tryinig to start a revolution! I quite like Zadie Smith (I think, not read too much)

Justin, didn't you have a bee in your bonnet about Ms Smith and her audacity in frequenting the same supermarket as you? or something.


message 9: by Viviane (new)

Viviane | 172 comments Hello ! I d be happy to joign for the reading this time, but do you know where to find the book ?(On Amazon it is said to be released in July...). Thanks ! Viviane


message 10: by Tania (new)

Tania U Don't know about the supermarket thing, Alan, but if my memory serves me well, Justin tried to read White Teeth and was disappointed by how she depicted the boroughs where he lived. I conjure up Justin's spirit to confirm it) Btw, I quite liked White Teeth, although I found the British-à-la-Bridget-Jones-wittiness not suitable for this particular story and book.


message 11: by Alvaro (new)

Alvaro Perez-Quintero (alperezq) Hello everyone! I'm new here and I would love to join you in discussing this book id possible. Is there a tentative date for this?
Thanks!


message 12: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
Hello @Alvaro! We haven't set a date for the meet yet but it should be sometime in about six weeks. Welcome to the club!


message 13: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
Everyone up for meeting early July? I'll post the doodle if the ballpark is OK


message 14: by Tania (new)

Tania U Early July is great for me, except if it's a Wednesday that will be voted for again, I won't be able to come as my Wednesday evenings are always taken...


message 15: by Lara (new)

Lara | 296 comments early July is neato


message 16: by Lara (last edited May 31, 2017 07:29AM) (new)

Lara | 296 comments aaaaaaalso: should we show up to the meeting with a title in mind for the next book club?


message 17: by Tania (new)

Tania U I think it's a great idea, Lara


message 18: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
OK here's the doodle, exercise your vote!

http://doodle.com/poll/d4dwc3pcdmb7ze5g


message 19: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
Anyone else going to vote? I'm going to close the poll this evening.


message 20: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
Meetup will be Monday July 3rd. I at first changed my vote to make it the 4rth of July, then remembered Zadie Smith isn't American. Where would everyone like to meet?


message 21: by Justin (new)

Justin Hood | 628 comments Missed the vote. Damn goodreads updates!
Book club picnic?


message 22: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
A picnic is not a bad idea, I'm up for that!


message 23: by Tania (new)

Tania U Too bad it's the 3rd, means I can't join you again :(


message 24: by Lara (new)

Lara | 296 comments Cool idea! Where would we meet tomorrow?


message 25: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
Sure tomorrow will be good pickernick weather?


message 26: by Katerina (new)

Katerina | 496 comments i dont think so ...


message 27: by Justin (new)

Justin Hood | 628 comments Yeah, I'm not convinced... :I
Good cafe instead?


message 28: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
Sounds more suitable! Any suggestions?


message 29: by Justin (new)

Justin Hood | 628 comments What about a British pub to have a good pint while talking about this British book?


message 30: by Lara (new)

Lara | 296 comments Now we're cooking with gas


message 31: by Lara (new)

Lara | 296 comments Curious about your takeaway on this book, Justin


message 32: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
I too am curious about Justin's takeaway from the book. Why don't we say picnic a priori and then all come back to this thread tomorrow afternoon to discuss if the weather seems to agree with our plans?


message 33: by Lara (new)

Lara | 296 comments It's not that I feel like this thread could use a control freak (hi!) but what if we said right now where would plan A/picnic take place and ditto plan B/pub? That way we don't have to do it last minute tomorrow for people who can't check on the thread all the time. Like having your clubbed seal sandwich prepared for school tomorrow. Go Canada!


message 34: by Justin (new)

Justin Hood | 628 comments I was thinking the Highlander cos it has upstairs and down - so we should get a table, no? Especially on a Monday?

The book was all getting drunk in pubs, right?


message 35: by Lara (new)

Lara | 296 comments Yes! Getting drunk in pubs and then dancing! Wuhoooo


message 36: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
Seconded for the highlander for the pub choice, if pub it shall be


message 37: by Katerina (new)

Katerina | 496 comments Highlander is the pub in the 6 ? near Seine ?


message 38: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
Yes, at the pont neuf, south side.


message 39: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
You're talking about plan B like it's plan A. You probably all think it is. Is it? Is plan B plan A? You have to choose, you can't just have your clubbed-seal sandwich and eat it too.


message 40: by Nabil (new)

Nabil Lakhnachfi | 175 comments If I come and I only read the first 30 pages. Will I be shunned and berated?


message 42: by Justin (new)

Justin Hood | 628 comments (I've not read a single word...)


message 43: by Maria (new)

Maria | 1 comments What time are you meeting tonight? I've only read a few pages too...


message 44: by Tania (new)

Tania U (René, manning up, stepping up and mustering his courage: but it's a BOOK club, dammit!)


message 45: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
But, it's a BOOK club, darnit! You're all going to heck!


message 46: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
I read it all - second book running!

We need to make a call then : Plan A, Plan B, Flanby, Tant-pis...

I haven't heard any locations suggested in earnest for the picnic, so does this mean the Highlander pub is winning?


message 47: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
I assume that regardless of location, it'll be at 20:00...


message 48: by Katerina (new)

Katerina | 496 comments well the weather seems good finally we can still try the pick plan )


message 49: by Alan (new)

Alan | 172 comments Mod
Tania, did you actually rad Shunned, Betrayed, Loved? It looks like a modern classic, right up their with Cooper's Choice!


message 50: by René (new)

René (cigro) | 643 comments Mod
All aboard on picnic plan? I don't want to ruffle feathers, I just want to pringle chips


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