October 2018 Open Pick Nominations

[Hugh]

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

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) first published between January 1, 2000 and October 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]"

[Bretnie]

I'm gonna give The People in the Trees another nomination, only because I know it'll move off my TBR shelf faster if it's picked.

[Camie]

I nominate The City & the City It's the signed modern classic I received for my subscription this month. It looks like it's received many awards and should be interesting though it's a completely new one to me ;-)

[Bretnie]

Camie wrote: "I nominate The City & the City It's the signed modern classic I received for my subscription this month. It looks like it's received many awards and should be interesting though it's..."

Ha, now I want to abandon my own nomination in favor of The City & The City. I read it earlier this year and loved it and had no one to talk to about it!

[Nadine in California]

I have a strange relationship with the Mieville books - I don't particularly like them, but I always crave another. And I've been craving The City for a while.....

[Hugh]

The moderators are currently discussing whether The City & The City is more suitable to the open pick or the wild card category, we will post an update here when we have made a decision.

[Kristina]

I nominate "The Vegetarian" by Han Kang

[Hugh]

Sorry Kristina, we read that one back in 2016. You are welcome to nominate something else.

[Kristina]

No problem, Hugh, i will think about another nomination later.

[Marc]

Camie, a belated welcome to the group from me!
I and the other moderators reached consensus that The City & the City would fit better in our Wild Card group read (and stands a better chance of actually winning in that pick). Our next round of nominations for that will start Sept. 1st (with the actual discussion being in October). Would you like to make another nomination?

As there is frequently some confusion over the Open Pick (held monthly, featuring literary fiction) and the Wild Card Pick (held quarterly, featuring more genre-based fiction), we're working on rewriting some of the guidelines to make this clearer for all members.

[Bretnie]

Marc and Hugh, just remember this decision when the Wild Card picking process starts and you're tempted to tell us it's really general fiction. :)

I support this decision since it puts my original nomination "in the lead" (as the only current nomination).

[Lark]

I nominate The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud which Marc nominated in 2017 but it didn't get chosen. Short enough for us to re-read The Stranger too if we want. I thought it was excellent and would enjoy a re-read.

[Hugh]

I have had a copy of The Meursault Investigation on the to read shelf for almost a year so I second that one!

[Marc]

You can keep us honest if we "forget," Bretnie! ;p

My copy of The Meursault Investigation/i> is still unread, Lark!

My nominations are here to make it look like the moderators don't always get their way. :D

[Carol]

I nominate The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez. *Winner of the 2014 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award.

[Lark]

Carol wrote: "I nominate The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez. *Winner of the 2014 International IMPAC DUBLIN Litera..."

Carol, I could cut and past Hugh's msg right here because I've had this for a year on my shelf and have yet to read it. Thanks for nominating it.

[Carol]

Lark wrote: "Carol wrote: "I nominate The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez. *Winner of the 2014 International IMPAC..."

Yay! you're very welcome. (I don't read nearly as much South American literature as I should, and I always enjoy it when I do. )

[Hugh]

Marc wrote: "You can keep us honest if we "forget," Bretnie! ;p

My copy of The Meursault Investigation/i> is still unread, Lark!

My nominations are here to make it look like the moderators don't always get ..."
Your nominations are always interesting. No idea why mine seem to get so many votes. I am not nominating this time because my next moderator pick will clash with this one.

[Marc]

I appreciate that, Hugh. Honestly, the reason I joined the group was to learn about and read literature I wasn't already familiar with, so I never mind if my nominations don't get votes. It's always convenient if a pick wins that I already own or am planning to read!

[Lia]

Better late than never, I’m back for one last attempt.

I nominate Austerlitz by W.G. Sebald.

[Meike]

I second that, Lia (hey, no one can accuse us of giving up too easily :-)).

[Lia]

Thanks Meike! Will you be reading in German IF it wins?

(I’ve been reading Heidegger lately, and I’m awe-struck by German puns and wordplays and neologism and ... idealism!)

[Marc]

They say the third time is the charm!
; )

[Robert]

I think I'll throw a curveball. I nominate Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was by Sjon

[Meike]

Lia wrote: "Thanks Meike! Will you be reading in German IF it wins?"

Yes, Lia, I already have a copy in German at home, but I need to actually read it! :-)
You also speak German? Das ist toll!! :-)

Marc wrote: "They say the third time is the charm!
; )"

Haha, I hope so, Marc!! :-)

[Lia]

Oh god I don’t. I’m padding my Heidegger with 20 commentaries books all attacking different awkward translations. I just thought it would be a real treat to have a chance to read Sebald with a German speaker, so I can pester you all day, ALL DAY, about the language!

[Meike]

Robert wrote: "I think I'll throw a curveball. I nominate Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was by Sjon"

No no no no, Robert, not Sjón against Sebald!! How can anyone decide? :-)
I will vote Sebald, and if he wins, I'll play the re-nomination game - Sjón edition - with you. (I love Sjón so much.)

[Lia]

Oh man, this group is tough. Shakes tiny fist at Robert.

[Meike]

Lia wrote: "Oh god I don’t. I’m padding my Heidegger with 20 commentaries books all attacking different awkward translations. I just thought it would be a real treat to have a chance to read Sebald with a Germ..."

Please do - I'm always happy when non-German speakers are interested in our language with its eccentric grammar and edgy sound! :-)

[Marc]

[Meike]

Our Marc, such a humble guy! :-) You're aware that if you also like/speak German, it's mandatory for you to vote for Sebald? :-)

[Marc]

Wait--that didn't look like Lia shaking her "tiny fist?!!"
;-0

I've actually been reading quite a bit lately about Sebald and Austerlitz, so I'm excited.

Count me in the "like" German category, but I don't speak it.

[Lia]

Marc wrote: "Wait--that didn't look like Lia shaking her "tiny fist?!!" "

Not mah fist, Marc, that’s the world’s tiniest moonstone I was shaking:

“I hab za moonstone. Bribe me if you want it back!”

[Marc]

Decisions, decisions, decisions...

[Robert]

Hahaha The Austerlitz/Moonstone polemic.

I've had my copyat home for years and this may give me the push to read it.

I've read Austerlitz.... twice!

[Lia]

Robert wrote: "I've read Austerlitz.... twice!"

But they say the third time is the charm!

[Meike]

Oct: Austerlitz, Nov: Moonstone - that would be something!

I've read Moonstone twice, but I know that's not enough, so I would read it again! (and again and again)
Plus: What Lia said! :-)

[Hugh]

Today is the last day for nominations (I can see that we face a tricky choice already, but there is still time).

[Hugh]

Incidentally 8 of our last 9 group reads have been by male writers. Maybe we need some form of positive discrimination to redress the balance, and that will almost certainly influence my next moderator pick!

[Elaine]

I'd be interested in rereading Austerlitz but would like to suggest a female author, Zadie Smith's N-W, which apparently touches on climate change.

[Hugh]

Sorry Elaine - N-W was discussed by the group way back in 2012.

[Hugh]

Thanks for all the nominations. The poll is now up here, usual rules apply:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

[Hugh]

Thought I should mention the poll again since I have posted to lots of other threads today

[Lark]

this poll is one of those win-win-win-win-win situations

[Elaine]

Here are some other women writers:

Rachel Cusk
Rachel Kushner
Sarah Waters
Jeanette Winterson
Ali Smith

Cusk, Kushner and Smith have recent publications.

[David]

Elaine wrote: "Here are some other women writers:

Rachel Cusk
Rachel Kushner
Sarah Waters
Jeanette Winterson
Ali Smith

Cusk, Kushner and Smith have recent publications."

I read Transit last year. I'm halfway through Outline right now. I could very easily be persuaded to read Kudos this fall. Just saying....

[Hugh]

Don't forget the 12-month rule - Some of those are too new for November. Cusk and Winterson have yet to be chosen by the group for a discussion. I could name many more candidates!

[David]

Hugh wrote: "Don't forget the 12-month rule - Some of those are too new for November. Cusk and Winterson have yet to be chosen by the group for a discussion. I could name many more candidates!"

12-month rule? THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS!!!

:-)

But seriously ... I must have missed that. No worries. I was actually only thinking about books very recently published, so this reminder helps me broaden the range of books to consider.

[Hugh]

The whole point of the 12 month rule is to reduce the cost of participation to those members who don't have access to good libraries, and it also helps to stop new book release hype driving the selection process - there are plenty of other groups that focus more on new releases.

[Hugh]

Austerlitz has won the poll. Lia, are you happy to lead the discussion?