Group Read -> November 2019 -> Nomination thread (A book about Railways/Railroads won by Strangers On A Train by Patricia Highsmith)

[Susan]

I will nominate: Night Trains: The Rise and Fall of the Sleeper

Night trains have long fascinated us with the possibilities of their private sleeping compartments, gilded dining cars, champagne bars and wealthy travellers. Authors from Agatha Christie to Graham Greene have used night trains to tell tales of romance, intrigue and decadence against a rolling background of dramatic landscapes. The reality could often be as thrilling: early British travellers on the Orient Express were advised to carry a revolver (as well as a teapot).

In Night Trains, Andrew Martin attempts to relive the golden age of the great European sleeper trains by using their modern-day equivalents. This is no simple matter. The night trains have fallen on hard times, and the services are disappearing one by one. But if the Orient Express experience can only be recreated by taking three separate sleepers, the intriguing characters and exotic atmospheres have survived. Whether the backdrop is 3am at a Turkish customs post, the sun rising over the Riviera, or the constant twilight of a Norwegian summer night, Martin rediscovers the pleasures of a continent connected by rail. By tracing the history of the sleeper trains, he reveals much of the recent history of Europe itself. The original sleepers helped break down national barriers and unify the continent. Martin uncovers modern instances of European unity - and otherwise - as he traverses the continent during 'interesting times', with Brexit looming. Against this tumultuous backdrop, he experiences his own smaller dramas, as he fails to find crucial connecting stations, ponders the mystery of the compartment dog, and becomes embroiled in his very own night train whodunit.

[Nigeyb]

Thanks Val - sounds fab


Nominations so far....

Roman Clodia: Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Judy: Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal
Val: History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys by Sarah Baxter


Who else is nominating? Or thinking they might nominate?

[Susan]

Hmmm, you missed my nomination, Nigeyb. I'll try not to take it personally!

[Nigeyb]

I think we must have been posting at the same time Susan. Thanks for another enticing selection.


Nominations so far....

Roman Clodia: Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Judy: Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal
Val: History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys by Sarah Baxter
Susan: Night Trains: The Rise and Fall of the Sleeper by Andrew Martin


Who else is nominating? Or thinking they might nominate?

[Judy]

I nearly nominated that one, Susan! Very tempting. I’ve never actually been on a sleeper... my husband has though.

[Val]

I have, to and from Inverness, it was a very enjoyable experience and I will be repeating it.

[Susan]

Nigeyb wrote: "I think we must have been posting at the same time Susan. Thanks for another enticing selection.


Nominations so far....

Roman Clodia: Strangers on a Train by [author:Patricia Hig..."

Yes, that happens, Nigeyb :)

Some great suggestions, so far.

[Jan C]

Are the nominations about to close? I will try to look tomorrow.

[Nigeyb]

Great news Jan

[Jan C]

Andrew Martin, who I see Susan has nominated, has an 8 volume mystery series featuring a railroad worker, starting with The Necropolis Railway.

Or there is Gossip from the Forest by Thomas Keneally - a novel about the surrender of Germany on the train in the forest.

My Train to Freedom: A Jewish Boy's Journey from Nazi Europe to a Life of Activism by Ivan Backer who took the kindertransport from Hungary to England.

But I think I would nominate The Gold Train: The Destruction of the Jews and the Looting of Hungary by Ronald W. Zweig. It is currently $4.99 on Kindle here. It sounds adventurous - lots of loot and lots of bad guys pilfering the loot. I haven't read it yet although it looks like I bought it 2 years ago.

[Jill]

Seems I got it back in 2015 free. Maybe others like me did but don't remember like me.

[Nigeyb]

Thanks Jan


Nominations so far....

Roman Clodia: Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Judy: Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal
Val: History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys by Sarah Baxter
Susan: Night Trains: The Rise and Fall of the Sleeper by Andrew Martin
Jan: The Gold Train: The Destruction of the Jews and the Looting of Hungary by Ronald W. Zweig

I think that might be it for nominations

Anyone else thinking of nominating?

[Judy]

Jan, your mention of wartime books reminds me that I've also been meaning to read A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France by Caroline Moorehead. Not a nomination, as I have already nominated, but just thought I would add a mention of it to the thread.

[Susan]

Great nominations - I would like to read all of them.

[Jan C]

Judy wrote: "Jan, your mention of wartime books reminds me that I've also been meaning to read A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France b..."

I listened to this a few years ago and thought it was excellent.

[Nigeyb]

The poll is up....


https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

Vote now

[Nigeyb]

Poll results so far....


Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - 4 votes, 40.0%
Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal - 3 votes, 30.0%
The Gold Train: The Destruction of the Jews and the Looting of Hungary by Ronald W. Zweig - 2 votes, 20.0%
History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys by Sarah Baxter - 1 vote, 10.0%
Night Trains: The Rise and Fall of the Sleeper by Andrew Martin - 0 votes, 0.0%


Still time to vote....

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...


Nominations....

Roman Clodia: Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
Judy: Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal
Val: History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys by Sarah Baxter
Susan: Night Trains: The Rise and Fall of the Sleeper by Andrew Martin
Jan: The Gold Train: The Destruction of the Jews and the Looting of Hungary by Ronald W. Zweig

[Nigeyb]

The poll has closed, here are the the final results...


Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - 5 votes, 38.5%
Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal - 4 votes, 30.8%
The Gold Train: The Destruction of the Jews and the Looting of Hungary by Ronald W. Zweig - 2 votes, 15.4%
History of the World in 500 Railway Journeys by Sarah Baxter - 2 votes, 15.4%
Night Trains: The Rise and Fall of the Sleeper by Andrew Martin - 0 votes, 0.0%

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

Thanks to everyone who nominated, discussed and voted

* * * * * * * *

Here's to a wonderful group read discussion about....

Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

....in November 2019

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We hadn't yet identified a suitable moderators choice read so we have decided to make the second choice in the poll....

Closely Watched Trains by Bohumil Hrabal

...our moderators choice for this theme

* * * * * * * *

[Roman Clodia]

Yay - looking forward to both of those :)

[Jan C]

I think I have Strangers. So I'll probably go back to that.