June 2019 Open Pick Nominations

[Hugh]

Nominations are now open until April 22nd for the June 2019 Open Pick.

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) first published between January 1, 2000 and June 1, 2018. 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)
- A book that is not better suited to the wild card (genre) category

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

The discussion will start on June 1st

[LindaJ^]

I nominate Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan - let's see if it can get better traction this time.

[Hugh]

Thanks Linda

[Laurie]

I nominate The Tuner of Silences by Mia Couto.

[Hugh]

Thanks Laurie

[Hayley]

Hi. I nominate City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg, or if that is too long, Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson.

[Tamara]

I nominate The Black Book by Orhan Pamuk.

[Whitney]

Tamara wrote: "I nominate The Black Book by Orhan Pamuk."

Unfortunately, that was originally published in 1990 (which is too bad, I have a copy on my shelf waiting to be read). Any other books you'd like to nominate?

[Tamara]

Whitney wrote: "Tamara wrote: "I nominate The Black Book by Orhan Pamuk."

Unfortunately, that was originally published in 1990 (which is too bad, I have a copy on my shelf waiting to be..."

Sorry, I didn't check the date of publication. I really enjoyed his My Name Is Red and am looking forward to reading this one.

I'll have to think about a different nomination. Thanks for letting me know.

[Hugh]

Thanks for stepping in Whitney, and Tamara, you are not the first person to make this kind of mistake (and I agree that the Black Book is interesting)! There are several other Pamuk novels which are eligible, but some of them are rather long.

Hayley - I am happy to accept City on Fire as a valid nomination, but you are only allowed one.

[Hugh]

Still thinking about whether to add one of my own...

[lark]

I nominate The Human Stain by Philip Roth.

[Hugh]

Thanks Lark.

These are the valid nominations so far:

Half Blood Blues (Linda)
The Tuner of Silences (Laurie)
City on Fire (Hayley)
The Human Stain (Lark)

[Hugh]

I nominate Border Districts by Gerald Murnane

[Kathleen]

Hugh wrote: "I nominate Border Districts by Gerald Murnane"

Oh my. This looks fantastic!

[Bretnie]

Dangit this is one of those months where I want to read ALL of these! It'll be hard to vote!

[Lesley]

Hugh wrote: "I nominate Border Districts by Gerald Murnane"

I tried to read this , last year, but DNF. Will be interested once you guys have read it. Perhaps people who raved about 'Milkman', might have a treat.

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

I lucked into a copy at a thrift store of Half Blood Blues, so I picked it up in the off-chance it wins the poll. I don't know anything about it, other than being a Booker finalist, which (after attempting and discarding Vernon God Little in the first dozen pages) doesn't necessarily mean as much as it used to. Still, I'm willing to give it a try.

[Tamara]

I nominate Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo.
I checked your list and couldn't find it. So I don't think you've done it as a group read yet.
I just finished reading it. An absolute delight with brilliant characterization and dialogue. I would love to discuss it as a group read.

[Marc]

Tamara, that sounds like a wonderful choice, but unfortunately, that one was also published in the '90s. Anything published between 2000 and now (that we haven't yet read as a group) is fair game.

[Tamara]

Tamara wrote: "I nominate Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo.
I checked your list and couldn't find it. So I don't think you've done it as a group read yet.
I just finished reading it. A..."

Well, it seems I screwed up, again. I just checked and Nobody's Fool was published in 1994. So it is ineligible. Oh, dear! I seem to keep missing the boat. I promise to get the hang of this--eventually :)

[Tamara]

Marc wrote: "Tamara, that sounds like a wonderful choice, but unfortunately, that one was also published in the '90s. Anything published between 2000 and now (that we haven't yet read as a group) is fair game."

Thanks, Marc. I realized my mistake and was in the process of composing my sort-of apology while you posted your message.

[Marc]

Tamara wrote: "Marc wrote: "Tamara, that sounds like a wonderful choice, but unfortunately, that one was also published in the '90s. Anything published between 2000 and now (that we haven't yet read as a group) i..."

No worries. I feel like 5 out of every 6 picks I personally want to recommend to the group fail to meet the 21st century publishing requirement (I don't tend to pay much attention to when books are published, in general).

[Tamara]

Marc wrote: "(I don't tend to pay much attention to when books are published, in general)..."

Apparently, neither do I--a fact that has become blatantly obvious to me and to all and sundry :)

[Marc]

As long as we're both finding books to love, that's all that really matters!

[Hugh]

We'll have to do another no rules round at some point...

[Lily]

Laurie wrote: "I nominate The Tuner of Silences by Mia Couto."

Laurie -- I was so delighted to see a nomination of a book by Mia Couto, who has been on my to-be-read list for so long it is embarrassing to myself, if even not publicly! Sorry to see it among so many other strong contenders. It will get my vote, if I remember to vote...

His country, Mozambique, is only too sadly in the news:
https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...

https://www.worldliteraturetoday.org/...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mia_Couto

[Hugh]

Nominations are now closed. Here is a link to the poll:
June Open Pick Poll

[Hugh]

Last day for the poll. Border Districts is currently in the lead, but it is not too late to change that.

[Hugh]

Border Districts has won the poll. I am looking forward to reading and discussing this one.

[Lesley]

Hugh wrote: "Border Districts has won the poll. I am looking forward to reading and discussing this one."

I will follow with interest. One of my rare DNF.

[Hugh]

To be honest, I know little of Murnane beyond his critical reputation, and I have not yet read the book, but it has been on the shelf since January, and I am keen to discover what the critics saw in it.

[Lesley]

Hugh wrote: "To be honest, I know little of Murnane beyond his critical reputation, and I have not yet read the book, but it has been on the shelf since January, and I am keen to discover what the critics saw i..."

Fair enough, I also DNF "Lincoln in the Bardo" and "Milkman"... I am thrilled that last year, I picked , as a Masterpiece, "The Overstory".. Just won Pulitzer for Fiction. Each to their own.