Monthly Read Suggestions

[Benjamin]

Too late to add Let the Right One In for April?

[Ronald]

Benjamin wrote: "Too late to add Let the Right One In for April?"

I think this group read that book.

[Bill]

Welcome back Benjamin!

Ronald is right. This was a monthly read in 2018:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

We have had the very occasional repeat monthly book in the past, so that's not necessarily a problem.

[Benjamin]

Ok. Never mind then.

[Benjamin]

I had gotten the Suntup edition of this and it came with 2 additional short stories related to the novel. I can read this on my own, no biggie.

[Bill]

Randolph wrote: "I’d nominate A Trick of the Shadow by R. Ostermeier but it seems to sadly have very limited availability."

The blurb is very intriguing. But you're right, might be hard to get.

I'm keen to check out Richard Thomas' Spontaneous Human Combustion.

[Russ]

I wouldn't mind checking out Spontaneous Human Combustion if it wins.

[Nancy]

Randolph wrote: "I’d nominate A Trick of the Shadow by R. Ostermeier but it seems to sadly have very limited availability."

I loved this book, and all of the other ones from Broodcomb I've read. So far, The Night of Turns is my favorite, although it is a sort of companion to The Settlements.

[Margaret]

How about South African novelist Lauren Beukes. I haven't read her, but I like the idea of having some female representation in the read. I also like the chance to focus on South Africa.

[Margaret]

I'm throwing this out there to see if the group has read this, a Pacific Northwest erotic gothic horror novella set in the 1920s The Secret Skin my link text by Wendy Wagner. It is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. It is shelved as LGBT+ on Goodreads. It may be appealing to some for its shorter length. According to many reviews, it seems quite solid and was recommended by a recent panel I attended on gothic horror.

Also, has the group read anything by Kathe Koja?

(I'll come back to figure out how to add the links. Sorry! I'm new to this.)

[Bill]

Margaret wrote: "How about South African novelist Lauren Beukes. I haven't read her, but I like the idea of having some female representation in the read. I also like the chance to focus on South Africa."

Thanks Margaret. Is there a specific Beukes book that you'd suggest?

I didn't know Beukes is South African. I've come across some of her recent books, and they're set in Chicago or Detroit.

[Margaret]

I figured out how to search your discussions and see you have covered Kathe Koja's Velocities. Still, there are others.

Also, I really love Patricia Highsmith and so far, I haven't found anything here in the discussions. Maybe this is not the kind of writing for this group? It is a particular type of dark fiction. I consider it literary horror, but I put a lot under this designation.

For a shorter reads selection by a fairly consistent writer, I would think her Selected Stories with a forward by Graham Greene would make a great discussion. I'm pretty sure I've read some of these stories and it's easily available in paperback via Amazon, etc.

[Bill]

Margaret wrote: "I'm throwing this out there to see if the group has read this, a Pacific Northwest erotic gothic horror novella set in the 1920s The Secret Skin by Wendy Wagner. "
Great, thanks.

Also, has the group read anything by Kathe Koja?
We've read The Cypher, and Velocities. The Bookshelf link for the group has a list, though not all of them were group reads here.

I'll come back to figure out how to add the links.
Just above the comment textbox is an "add book/author" link. It takes you to a nice interface for searching the goodreads database, and will insert the appropriate book/author link in your comment.

[Margaret]

Hi Bill. Yes, Beukes S. African. I may hold off on her just a bit. There are mixed reviews on some of her stuff, including a mixed review by writer/reviewer whom I admire. She still may be worth a read sometime! I want to read Zoo City, which is set in South Africa.

[Margaret]

Margaret wrote: "Hi Bill. Yes, Beukes S. African. I may hold off on her just a bit. There are mixed reviews on some of her stuff, including a mixed review by writer/reviewer whom I admire. She still may be worth a ..."

It looks like Zoo City my link text may be a horror in its dystopianism. So, I would definitely be on for this. It looks like a very interesting read, even if there is not a consensus. It looks rich and ground in the writer's culture.

[Margaret]

Another that I would absolutely love to discuss is Sarah Moss's Cold Earth my link text . Moss is a UK author and this book is set in Greenland. Archeologists and other specialists from all over the world conduct a dig on a Viking settlement and disturbing things begin to happen. I'm about halfway through but would love a buddy read. So far, I have been really impressed with the quality of the novel and its exquisite prose. The novel is epistolary, though it breaks off frequently into story scenes, so it often reads more like a novel told from the point of view of several of its characters. The book is available via Amazon.

[Bill]

Margaret, buddy reads in this group are pretty informal. Just get together with a buddy or three, and post a thread announcing the book and time window. I'm involved in two buddy reads at the moment, on top of organizing the next monthly read, and probably shouldn't make any commitments. But perhaps another time!

Thanks for all the interesting ideas for May's book. Maybe you could trim them down to one or two? Usually I try to keep my nominations down to one or two; they might compete against each other for votes.

[Margaret]

yeah me too.

[Bill]

Randolph wrote: "I’m good with whatever the rest want. I don’t want to drive this narrative."

Of course. And I do appreciate all the interesting ideas. But we have a lot of titles in the hat for nominations, probably too many for the poll. If I include all of them in the poll, your favorites will be competing with each other. Please help me narrow things down a little? I think the polls work well with <6 or so items.

I'm definitely including my single nomination, the Richard Thomas collection.

Randolph, most of the Broodcomb books sound intriguing. But as you noted, they could be hard to find. (I'm not seeing a single listing for the Ostermeier on bookfinder.com, for instance.) There are cheap used copies of Throat Sprockets online though, but no ebook. You sounded unsure whether to nominate it.

Margaret, Zoo City is easily available, so I'm happy to include it in the poll (or not, if you'd rather hold off on it as you mentioned). The Highsmith collection is 700+ pages, with no ebook. I'd suggest selecting a slimmer collection. There might be public domain versions of some of the stories, but I haven't had time to look. The Sarah Moss also looks interesting, but it sounds like you're in the middle of it already and may not want to wait the 1+ week or so for the monthly read process to work through?

Please let me know how you'd like me to proceed.

[Margaret]

I have the Richard Thomas collection so I could read that and have been looking forward to it.

My only question about Zoo City is that it also seems to have sci-fi and fantasy elements so I'm not sure about this for the group. I would love it. Maybe I should get to know the group better. I just jumped in here the last couple of weeks.

I don't mind waiting on the Sarah Moss discussion. I write and do other things and may be back in school soon. I think it possible that people will like it. Then again, I don't know for sure. It is engrossing and well written.

I like Richard Thomas and I do like short stories.

I am also ok with reading some of the other things suggested.

[Bill]

Last call for May nominations. I'd like to get the poll up ASAP.

[Benjamin]

I'd be up for Remember You're a One-Ball!

[Benjamin]

It has gotten a pod reprinting from Snuggly books

[Margaret]

A writer I know and admire seems to dig it, so I would be up for that.

[Bill]

Benjamin wrote: "I'd be up for Remember You're a One-Ball!"
Happy to include that, Benjamin. I note that there's no e-book, and the amazon link only shows the Chomu edition ($30+). Is there another edition I'm not seeing?

[Bill]

Margaret, I don't think you've suggested another Highsmith collection that might be a lighter commitment. Any thoughts on these? (All available as e-books too.)

The Black House
Little Tales of Misogyny
Tales of Natural and Unnatural Catastrophes

[Benjamin]

Bill wrote: "Benjamin wrote: "I'd be up for Remember You're a One-Ball!"
Happy to include that, Benjamin. I note that there's no e-book, and the amazon link only shows the Chomu edition ($30+). I..."

Oh... I thought it could also be purchased from Snuggly books... they just re released it... hmm... I'm only seeing a hard back edition. I'll ask them if they have a cheapy PB edition

[Margaret]

Bill wrote: "Margaret, I don't think you've suggested another Highsmith collection that might be a lighter commitment. Any thoughts on these? (All available as e-books too.)

The Black House
[book:..."

My last impression of Highsmith's Little Tales of Misogyny is that the tales are very short, very dry, and very dark. . I bought and sold the little book though now I wish I had it again. Still, I'm not sure it would be everyone's thing.

I think I have the individual collection of "Black House," but if not, I have it in a compendium and haven't read it yet. So, definitely that would be a good one for me at least. However, there are currently only 6 of them on Amazon and they are $21. Although of course there are e-versions and used books.

I am not familiar with "Tales of Natural and Unnatural Catastrophes" and don't have it but I love all her short work, and even like reading the uncollected and unpublished. "Natural and Unnatural" is available on Amazon, mostly the mass-market paper edition, yet it is a whopping $26. But of course, there is the e-version. It does seem like "The Black House" was a higher point between these two collections, however, and I would be more inclined to go in "The Black House" direction depending on what you think about its availability.

[Margaret]

Amazon says more "Black House" books are coming out so if you have enough nominations, maybe it would be better to wait on that. Just thought I would throw that out there.

[Margaret]

I think Sarah Moss's "Cold Earth" my link text is more along the lines of the horror the group might like. (I was going to propose "Zoo City" again, but it seems to be heavily scifi/dark fantasy.) I really would like to read "Cold Earth" again, the first half. It is like a collection of longer short stories because of the divisions of the point of view characters telling the story. I suggest this in case "The Black House" by Highsmith doesn't quite feel doable at the moment.

[Bill]

Benjamin, any updates on the Crisp?

By the way, I see there are some interesting new Snuggly offerings that are available as ebooks.

[Benjamin]

Just heard back, sadly, Snuggly has no current plans to do a paper back or e-book for this one.

Its all good, I'll read this one with a friend who expressed interest outside of GR.

[Bill]

Let's organize nominations for June's monthly read. A couple ideas:

Elin Olausson, Growth: A Collection of Short Stories
David Peak, The World Below

[Adriane]

I hadn'd heart of either, but The Word Below sounds very interesting!

[Benjamin]

I would be game for The Butcher Boy.

[Vanessa]

I was looking at May releases and was going to suggest Orphans of Bliss, but I saw that Lullabies for Suffering: Tales of Addiction Horror was added to Kindle Unlimited.

[Bill]

Last call for June monthly read nominations!

We already have several juicy suggestions. I'd like to start the poll by the weekend.

Only a handful of the voters for the winning books of the past couple months have participated in the discussions. For the June monthly read poll, I will not broadcast the call to vote. But active participants in this and a few other forum threads should get notifications when the poll is up.

[Bill]

June 2022 poll is up!
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

If you vote for a book and it wins, you are committing to participate in the conversations.

[Bill]

Ideas for our July monthly book? I'm keen to start

Elin Olausson, Growth: A Collection of Short Stories

Nominations will close around Sunday 6/26. The poll will be up around the 27th, and will close around 7/2. I will not broadcast an announcement to vote in the poll; please check this thread and the polls page to vote. Thanks!

[Adriane]

I’d like to nominate Paul Tremblay’s new novel The Pallbearer’s Club, which will be released on July 5. It will be available on Kindle and in audiobook format as well.

[Jack]

I don't know to what extent the new Otessa Moshfegh novel Lapvona is straight horror, but I think it would fit the bill.

[Charlene (Char)&#x1f341;☕️&#x1f4da;]

Good morning!
I read all of the nominated books and they all look good! If possible I would like to upvote for the The Pallbearers Club

[Bill]

Last call for July nominations. I'd like to have the poll up by Sunday night.

[Bill]

Poll is up:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

[Dan]

Edit: I am pulling my Caitlín R. Kiernan nomination for next month's group read. I've read two of her short stories now, a 3.5 and a 3, and based on my reading of that second short story, "Alabaster", am not really comfortable recommending her work for a group read. Sorry. I am sure we will get other good nominations to consider.

[Bill]

Time to organize nominations for our August monthly read. A couple ideas:

Kate Folk, Out There: Stories
John Taff (ed.), Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror

[Bill]

Last call for August nominations. I'd like to have the poll up by tomorrow.

[Whitney]

Dan wrote: "Edit: I am pulling my Caitlín R. Kiernan nomination for next month's group read. I've read two of her short stories now, a 3.5 and a 3, and based on my reading of that second short..."

I haven't read Kiernan's short stories. But The Red Tree is fantastic, and would make a great group read (I'm not nominating it, my reading is too sporadic these days). We read Agents of Dreamland in another group, and it made for a good discussion.

[Bill]

Poll is up! Please vote by Tuesday 8/2:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

If you vote for a book and it wins, you're committing to participate in the discussion by posting at least one message to the forum thread.

[Bill]

Ideas for September's monthly read?

We've had quite a run of novels, so I thought this might be a bit different:
Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors