August 2018 Open Pick Nominations

[Marc]

Nominations are now open until June 22nd for the August 2018 Open Pick.

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) first published between January 1, 2000 and August 1, 2017. For translations the latter date must be an English edition.
- One nomination per person (please do not nominate or vote for a book unless you are certain you can read and discuss if it wins)
- A book this group has not yet read (see group bookshelf)

If you are nominating, please begin your post by stating "I nominate [name with hyperlink to book]"

[Hugh]

Thanks Marc

[Clarke]

I nominate May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes.
Did this link work?

[Hugh]

Yes - the link works.

I nominate Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor, which as I am well aware was discussed extensively last year but seems a perfect fit for this group's criteria (though I am sure Doug will disagree!)

[Meike]

I nominate Days Without End by Sebastian Barry. (That's the second chance now! :-))

[Lia]

I nominate Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald.

[Robert]

I going to pitch Animal's People by Indra Sinha - Third time lucky???

[Doug]

Hugh wrote: "Yes - the link works.

I nominate Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor, which as I am well aware was discussed extensively last year but seems a perfect fit for this group's criteria (though I am sure Doug will disagree!) "

Well, since the book WAS published between the deadlines and hasn't been 'officially' read as a group pick, it DOES fit the criteria... since there is nothing about QUALITY in the guidelines! :-) But hasn't anyone interested in reading it ALREADY had the ... 'pleasure'? :-)

As counter programming, I will nominate the REAL best book of the past decade, and one equally polarizing: The Nix by Nathan Hill.

[Lily]

Doug wrote: "...it DOES fit the criteria... since there is nothing about QUALITY in the guidelines! :-) ..."

(Chuckling...) "Rather, our passion is to explore those works of fiction which stand a good chance of being remembered fifty years from now."

Are you saying the chance of being remembered may be independent of "quality", Doug?

Reminder of the overall position for the group? (view spoiler)[
"For people interested in keeping up with the modern literary classics. We will be reading fiction and fine literature from 2000 to present, with the intent of finding those literary gems of timeless and enduring quality. We are not interested in reading the latest bestsellers, nor in discussing books already well-represented in other groups. Rather, our passion is to explore those works of fiction which stand a good chance of being remembered fifty years from now.

"In addition to seeking out books with literary merit, our secondary goal is to encourage lively, challenging, stimulating and thought-provoking discussions. If you are interested in going beyond bland and superficial discussions about the hottest book of the month, this could be the group for you. " (hide spoiler)]

[Marc]

I feel like 50 years from now Doug will still be hating on Reservoir 13! :p

(It's on my TBR list, but so is The Nix.)

Looks like we're already facing a tough round of voting!

[Doug]

Lily wrote: "Doug wrote: "...it DOES fit the criteria... since there is nothing about QUALITY in the guidelines! :-) ..."

(Chuckling...) "Rather, our passion is to explore those works of fiction which stand a ..."

Ah ... I was just going by the guidelines in Marc's FIRST post ... didn't know there were other 'hidden' criteria! :-) ... and though longevity runs in the family (both my parents lived beyond their mid-90's), I'd be 114 in 50 years ... but then again, I MIGHT still be hating on R 13 from beyond the grave! :-)

[Dan]

Doug wrote: "As counter programming, I will nominate the REAL best book of the past decade, and one equally polarizing: The Nix by Nathan Hill."

Looking at my GR friends' reviews of The Nix, I think that it's actually much less polarizing than Reservoir 13.

[Meike]

@Dan: YES! :-)

Oohhh, The Nix AND Days Without End - it's impossible to decide!!!

[Lily]

Doug wrote: "Ah ... I was just going by the guidelines in Marc's FIRST post ... didn't know there were other 'hidden' criteria! :-)..."

(chuckling again) Doug -- I'd hardly refer to the comments on the top of the first page of the board as "hidden."

Since I was okay with Reservoir 13 (particularly the writer's ability to subtly change the descriptions as the seasons reappeared year-after-year, but also by using them as a technique to reveal the stories of the inhabitants of the region), but also have been suggesting to friends to read The Heart's Invisible Furies, I'll continue to listen to both you and Hugh for reading suggestions, even if I can only get to a few of them. And, will continue to enjoy the sparring! (view spoiler)[ (Unfortunately, my eyesight is not really supporting a lot of comfort in reading right now, so my tables tend to be strewn with abandoned reads -- books must meet some unspoken criteria of being good enough for the effort.) (hide spoiler)]

[Nadine in California]

Meike wrote: "@Dan: YES! :-)

Oohhh, The Nix AND Days Without End - it's impossible to decide!!!"

While I'm a fan of both books, I'd have to say Days Without End. For me, Nix was a great book for an author's first, but Days is the work of a master.

[Hugh]

This is going to be an interesting vote. Perhaps it is too soon to have a rational debate about Reservoir 13, but in purely structural terms I think it is very original. I did enjoy Days Without End, but last year's longlist was so strong that it was only fifth on my list (above four of the eventual shortlist, including the winner! I still haven't got round to reading The Nix, so I won't comment on that. Another think to bear in mind is that this year's Booker longlist discussions will be underway in August, so fitting in another 600 page doorstop may be difficult for some of us.

[LindaJ^]

I loved Reservoir 13 and liked Days Without End, but since I've read them, I won't be voting for them. That won't make the decision any easier as each of the other three are ones I would like to read. And since the nominations to date are all excellent, I'll pass on nominating anything.

[Whitney]

LindaJ^ wrote: "I loved Reservoir 13 and liked Days Without End, but since I've read them, I won't be voting for them. That won't make the decision any easier as each of the other three are ones I would like to re..."

Linda, if you have a preference as to which one you'd prefer to discuss, you are certainly still welcome to vote!

[LindaJ^]

I have no particular preference at this moment but am sure that when the voting starts I will vote and maybe will change my vote depending on how the voting goes!

[Vicky]

So glad I'm not the only person who didn't like Reservoir 13!

I nominate The Fire Gospel by Michel Faber, about an academic who discovers a fifth gospel from an eye witness to Jesus' last days.

[Hugh]

Last day for nominations today

[Hugh]

Lost track of this one, but I will set up the poll now.

[Hugh]

The poll is up now here (I suspect that seven books will lead to tactical vote switching later in the week!):
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

[Kristina]

I am so happy that The Nix made it to this list. I have an Kindle edition waiting for me to read it and this would be a good opportunity.

[Marc]

I thought I knew which way I was voting, but somehow I missed seeing the A.M. Homes nomination before the poll went up! Decisions... decisions... decisions...

[Hugh]

Marc wrote: "I thought I knew which way I was voting, but somehow I missed seeing the A.M. Homes nomination before the poll went up! Decisions... decisions... decisions..."
It's a tough decision - I would be very interested in discussing Austerlitz and Days Without End too.

[Lia]

We've got 4 books with 4 votes each. I suspect some "arranger" up there is having a laugh.

FWIW, I'd be equally happy to read Austerlitz, Reservoir 13, Days Without End, and The Nix. If anybody wants to bribe me... ;-)

[Marc]

Feels like we can hardly go wrong!

[Carol]

Lia wrote: "We've got 4 books with 4 votes each. I suspect some "arranger" up there is having a laugh.

FWIW, I'd be equally happy to read Austerlitz, Reservoir 13, Days Without End, and The Nix. If anybody w..."

That's the way to play the game!

[Hugh]

Last day to vote today, and it is still too close to call.

[Hugh]

Reservoir 13 has won the poll (sorry Doug!)

[Lily]

Hugh wrote: "Reservoir 13 has won the poll (sorry Doug!)"

I ordered The R13 tapes last night. (My library system has enough copies of R13 that I am undecided whether to order it. I used their copy the first time through.)

And Nix sits started on my night table (next time around?). For Days Without End, I need either an interlibrary loan or to stop at another favorite library in the system -- in a direction I haven't traveled for a couple of weeks. But then there are all the scattered books partially read at the moment.... Sigh....

[Doug]

Hugh wrote: "Reservoir 13 has won the poll (sorry Doug!)"


No problem! I ALMOST switched my own vote to R 13, so I would have the month free for the Booker marathon (I have a feeling there will be quite a few surprises there, unlike last year where I'd already read 7 of the 13 - and I'll need to catch up). Maybe I'll re-nominate The Nix for Sept. or Oct.! :-)

[Beverly]

FYI - For those who live in the US, if your library subscribes to Hoopla, Reservoir 13 is available for immediate download as an ebook or audio book.

[Marc]

Thanks for the tip, Beverly!

[Hugh]

Thanks Beverly. I have just created the background thread for this discussion and will start the spoiler threads tomorrow.