Monthly Read Suggestions

[Tim]

Bill wrote: "Tim, could you consider cutting one of your three? (I'll cut one or two of mine as well..."

Absolutely. Sorry about that.


A Lush and Seething Hell: Two Tales of Cosmic Horror
Sweetheart, Sweetheart

[Marie-Therese]

Bill wrote: "Thanks for the nominations, everyone! Marie-Therese has also indicated she might throw an item into the hat."

I nominate Little Eyes by Argentinian author Samanta Schweblin. We read her Mouthful of Birds previously; it was somewhat uneven but had some really good stories. I've read her other novel, Fever Dream and that was excellent. 'Little Eyes' ('Kentuckis' in the original Spanish) is considered by many to be her best work and it's received some great reviews here on Good Reads.

[Bill]

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

Please vote by Friday (May Day)!

A reminder: if you vote for a book and it wins, you are committing to participate in the discussions.

[Bill]

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

Please vote by Friday (May Day)!"

Reminder: get your vote in today...

[Tim]

Thanks for reminding me. I needed to change my vote. I started reading the Pack and it’s... not as entertaining as I was hoping for. Trying to decide if it is laughably bad or just bad. It has moments of both.

[Dan]

Sorry to hear about The Pack. Those 1970s bring-backs can be hit or miss. I'm glad Tim checked it out so that we don't have to. Thank you for your service, Tim.

I don't like the looks of the current vote-leader. I've seen the film, only it was titled Gremlins. I can't get behind British cottages with "seething auras" either. So, I'll make a different sure-to-lose choice and join you all in June.

[Bill]

Marie-Therese reminded me that it's time to collect nominations for our June monthly read! Time flies in quarantine, haha. Let's hear them, everyone. Please remember that while some of our local administrations are taking baby steps toward allowing bookstores and libraries to reopen, availability could be an issue for many of us.

Here are some ideas (all available as e-books, sorry Scott):

Geoff Ward, You're Not Dead: The Midnight Books
B.R. Yeager, Negative Space

I also recall some interest in Bernard Taylor? I'll let the Taylor enthusiasts hash out a nomination (or 2) if they choose.

[Dan]

The book does not come out until tomorrow, 5/22/20, but there is some serious buzz already for Dark Blood Comes from the Feet. I nominate it.

[Marie-Therese]

Valancourt Books has just announced that their latest series of paperbacks will be based around books discussed in Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction. This sounds like a really interesting survey of lesser-known horror and could make for a fun group read, as well as giving us all ideas for future nominations, so I'm nominating it.

Valancourt has already noted that the first release in the new series will be a volume of short stories by Elizabeth Engstrom. Valancourt previously released Engstrom's Black Ambrosia which is considered a fine example of vampire literature and was featured in Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of '70s and '80s Horror Fiction. As a vampire fiction fan, I think this sounds like a hoot so I'm also nominating this for a group read this month.

[Tim]

I had not seen that Valancourt update! Nice find and I look forward to knowing what their other future releases will be in this series.

As a side note, I have a copy of Engstron’s Black Ambrosia and it is on my to read soon list.

[Janie]

Black Ambrosia is on my list, too.

[Bill]

Thanks for the nominations so far. Let's have all proposals in by Monday afternoon; I'd like to have the poll up by Monday night. Enjoy the long weekend.

[Marie-Therese]

Janie wrote: "Black Ambrosia is on my list, too."

Oh yay! You and Tim, too! Even if the book doesn't make the group read cut we have the makings of a fun buddy read.

[Tim]

I would again be completely fine with that. Last buddy read was great!

[Janie]

Count me in, too!

[Bill]

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

As usual, if you vote for a book and it wins, you are committing to participate in the discussion.

[Marie-Therese]

Bill wrote: "Poll is up! Please vote by Saturday evening:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2..."

As ever, thanks, Bill, for being uber-mod extraordinaire!

This looks like a really great line-up and I'll be happy to read whatever wins.

[Bill]

Marie-Therese wrote: "As ever, thanks, Bill, for being uber-mod extraordinaire! "

Oh blush, thanks M-T.

So our current buddy read of Lovecraft Country seems to be winding down. There was some talk of Rogomelec next. Are we ready?

[Marie-Therese]

Bill wrote: "So our current buddy read of Lovecraft Country seems to be winding down. There was some talk of Rogomelec next. Are we ready? "

Oh, wow, synchronicity! I just this minute emailed you telling you that I'd ordered Rogomelec and asking if you'd like to propose it as a group read?

Obviously, sounds like a great plan to me! ;-)

[Tim]

Mind if I join the read for Rogomelec as well? I don’t have copy currently, but the description sounds fascinating.

[Marie-Therese]

Tim wrote: "Mind if I join the read for Rogomelec as well? I don’t have copy currently, but the description sounds fascinating."

Please do, Tim! The more, the merrier!

[S̶e̶a̶n̶]

I'm in for the Rogomelec buddy read, too. I've already read the book but would like to do a deeper re-read with the benefits of group discussion.

[Bill]

S̶e̶a̶n̶ wrote: "I'm in for the Rogomelec buddy read, too. I've already read the book but would like to do a deeper re-read with the benefits of group discussion."

Awesome. Marie-Therese and Tim, why don't you let us know when your copies arrive? (It's also available as an e-book.)

[Paul]

Ooooh, I've been meaning to read this for an age. I've a copy in French that I've so far been too lazy to read, but this has prompted me to order one right now.

[Merl]

Leonor Fini, hell yeah. Count me in.

[Tim]

Bill wrote: "Awesome. Marie-Therese and Tim, why don't you let us know when your copies arrive? (It's also available as an e-book.)"

In theory mine should arrive tomorrow, unless the package is delayed yet again.

[Marie-Therese]

My copy came today. It's a beautiful little book and I can't wait to read it.

[Tim]

Shockingly, my copy arrived as well! I love the design of the book and am looking forward to starting.

[Paul]

I have actually started it in French, but won't comment until I've read it in translation too, because I'm worried I might be missing stuff. I don't think my copy's in the post yet, so I'm not expecting it till early next week.

[Bill]

Paul wrote: "I have actually started it in French, but won't comment until I've read it in translation too, because I'm worried I might be missing stuff. I don't think my copy's in the post yet, so I'm not expe..."
Ok, how about we plan on starting Rogomelec early next week? If you're planning to join and would like us to hold off a bit more, please speak up.

The monthly read will be decided tomorrow (we have a clear leader), and start next weekend.

[Bill]

We've been busy arguing about the reliability of self-styled vampire narrators, and cryptic surrealist Tarot decks. But it's time to consider nominations for our July monthly read. I don't have a lot to offer from my to-read list (for various reasons, it's clogged with items that are not great matches for LH); other than

Nicole Cushing, The Half-Freaks

So let me know what you're up for by (say) midweek!

Again, most of our public libraries and bookstores are not open at the moment. So please keep in mind whether a book is easily available.

[Whitney]

Just FYI, if people don't know about Bookshop.org, you can order from them and profits go to your local independent bookstore.

[Bill]

Whitney wrote: "Just FYI, if people don't know about Bookshop.org, you can order from them and profits go to your local independent bookstore."

Thanks Whitney!

A couple more nominees, from the Shirley Jackson awards:

Joanna Pearson, Every Human Love: Stories
J.S. Breukelaar, Collision

[Bill]

Ok, I also have Mark's nomination, posted to a different thread:

Brian McNaughton, The Throne of Bones

Any more for July's monthly read?

[Bill]

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

As usual, if you vote for a book and it wins, you are committing to participate in the discussion.

[Bill]

Reminder to vote today for our July monthly read, whether or not you're in the BIGC (pronounced Big-see)!

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

As usual, if you vote for a book and it wins, you are committing to participate in the discussion.

[Bill]

Alright, we're late getting nominees for August's monthly read! Let's hear them ASAP.

A few ideas:
Stephen Graham Jones, The Only Good Indians
Joanna Pearson, Every Human Love: Stories

[Bill]

Any more nominations for August? Surely there are more exciting ideas than mine! I'd like to have the poll up soon; it's almost August.

[Jen from Quebec :0)]

Has this group already read 'HELL HOUND'?? Hell Hound by Ken Greenhall ?? It's from the 1970's, but recently has had a 2017 re-issued print + audio version....

BTW, I had a hard time even FINDING where to go on the site to nominate for August, especially because this thread starts wayyyyyy "back in the day", and until the post above mine, I didn't know if I was in the right spot. FYI! --Jen from Quebec :0)

[Bill]

Thanks for the nomination, Jen. I believe we haven't read Hell Hound as a group, though it might have been mentioned in the past.

This is the thread where we usually collect monthly read nominations. If you make a post, all previous posters (including me) will see it.

[Bill]

Our August monthly read poll is up!
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

Please vote by this coming Wednesday 8/5.

Reminder: if you vote for a book and it wins, you are committing to participate in the discussion. Also, before you vote, please keep in mind whether you can get access to copies. I try to check most of the nominations, but it's still possible that some of the books may not be available as e-books. We should try to start our August monthly read early the week of 8/11.

[Bill]

Our August poll was too close to call last night, so I took the liberty of extending the deadline to tonight (Thurs).

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

[Bill]

I'd like to get our nomination/poll cycle for September started, since we were a little behind last month. Please share your proposals.

I'll contribute this from my to-read list:
Sean O'Brien, The Silence Room: Short Stories

[Bill]

Ok, any more nominations for September's monthly read? Don't get stuck voting for Sean O'Brien, ok?

[Bill]

Ok, I'm guessing everyone is busy fighting wildfires and/or getting set up for the fall semester. Let's skip September's monthly read; I'll check in in a few weeks for October's.

[Bill]

After a month off, we might start thinking about our October monthly read. (Or not.) I see a few intriguing items from the Bram Stoker Awards for 2019.

Josh Malerman, Inspection
Ted Chiang, Exhalation: Stories
Paul Tremblay, Growing Things and Other Stories

More at:
http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/fr...

[Marie-Therese]

Bill wrote: "After a month off, we might start thinking about our October monthly read. (Or not.) I see a few intriguing items from the Bram Stoker Awards for 2019.

Josh Malerman, Inspection
Ted Chiang, Exhalation: Stories
Paul Tremblay, Growing Things and Other Stories

I'm definitely interested in reading the Chiang collection as I already own it. I also own one of the short story collections nominated for a Stoker this year, Nox Pareidolia, and would be up for reading that in a group as well.

Valancourt will be releasing a bunch of really intriguing books in October so we should have some great potential group reads to look forward to throughout the winter months.

[Bill]

Thanks M-T! Nox Pareidolia has also been on my to-read list for ages. It's almost 600 pages, so I haven't jumped on it. But maybe the collective energy of a monthly read will help push through it.

For various reasons, my to-read list is a bit skimpy on appropriate monthly read items. I'm keen to start Olga Tokarczuk's last book, but you've read it already.

[Marie-Therese]

Bill wrote: "Thanks M-T! Nox Pareidolia has also been on my to-read list for ages. It's almost 600 pages, so I haven't jumped on it. But maybe the collective energy of a monthly read will help push through it.

For various reasons, my to-read list is a bit skimpy on appropriate monthly read items. I'm keen to start Olga Tokarczuk's last book, but you've read it already."

I'm actually finding it easier to read anthologies right now because I can pick them up and put them down and the change in voice and POV helps my distracted brain pay attention. So an anthology might be a better choice for us as a group right now than a novel or a collection by a single author.

If the Tokarczuk you're referring to is Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, you have to read it! It is wonderful. One of the very best books I read last year.

[Bill]

Last call for October monthly read nominations. It will be Halloween; surely LH members have intriguing ideas? (However, one might quip that these days, every day is Halloween, haha.) I'd like to get the poll up soon.