December Open Pick Nominations

[Whitney]

It's time to nominate for our open pick for December. Nominations will be open for a week, then the poll will be open for a week after that. The usual rules apply, nothing overly genre, book should be generally available. You are also encouraged to write a little bit about why you are nominating a particular book.

Happy nominating!

[LindaJ^]

I just finished a book that was one of the 5 finalists for the 2008 National Book Award in fiction. The author was also an author picked by the New Yorker in 2010 as one of the 20 under 40 authors. I really enjoyed the book and thought it might be one the folks here would enjoy.

So I nominate The End by Salvatore Scibona.

At its heart, this is an Italian immigrant story. But it is also the story of the children, grandchildren, and parent of Italian immigrants. In large part, it takes place in Cleveland, Ohio. Some reviews will say it starts and ends in 1953 at an Italian holiday celebration, but that requires one to ignore the final chapter. For a debut novel, I thought it was stunning.

[Whitney]

So far, looks like "The End" is our top contender!

[[deleted user]]

Hahaha. Well then, I'd like to nominate Robert Galbraith - The Cuckoo's Calling. Yesterday I saw that the new book is out, so this could be a good time to read the first.

[Raymunda]

I'd like to read Patrick Modiano, the 2014 Nobel Prize winner. I was thinking about Missing Person

[LindaJ^]

Giorgia wrote: "Hahaha. Well then, I'd like to nominate Robert Galbraith - The Cuckoo's Calling. Yesterday I saw that the new book is out, so this could be a good time to read the f..."

I liked The Cuckoo's Calling. It's a interesting mystery novel featuring a down on his heels detective. I wonder, however, if it falls in the "overly genre" mode that Whitney mentions in her opening message?

[Casceil]

The moderators have been discussing that very question--whether The Cuckoo's Calling is "overly genre" and thus outside our group's parameters. Giorgia, in case you are wondering what the question is about, our group tries to focus on literary fiction, with an eye toward discovering "hidden gems" that many of us would otherwise not read or know about. There are plenty of other groups out there that discuss mysteries, or science-fiction, so we generally don't. I looked this morning, and there are already 18 Goodreads discussions of "The Cuckoo's Calling." Giorgia, it would be better if you could nominate something else instead. Are there any current Italian or European authors whose work you would recommend?

[Kirsten]

I'd like to nominate We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. I've heard really good things about it.

[Casceil]

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves is an excellent book, but the group has already read it, last March. Please try again.

[[deleted user]]

Thanks Linda and Casceil for explaining!
I could nominate Ocean Sea by Alessandro Baricco.I don't know if this qualifies as a hidden gem though... let me know if it's a valid nomination :)

[Casceil]

Giorgia, Ocean Sea looks like a good book and it might well qualify as a hidden gem, but unfortunately it was first published in 1993. This group reads books first published no earlier than January 1, 2000 (thus the "21st Century" in the name. Please keep trying, though. I am adding Ocean Sea to my "to be read" list.

[Kirsten]

How about Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan, author of Loving Frank. It's the story of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife. She was interviewed last January by Diane Rehm: http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/201...

[Maureen]

Linda wrote: "I just finished a book that was one of the 5 finalists for the 2008 National Book Award in fiction. The author was also an author picked by the New Yorker in 2010 as one of the 20 under 40 authors..."

I agree with Linda's pick for December. Let's read The End by Salvatore Scibona. I don't think we can go wrong with a National Book Award finalist, and the critical merit of the piece seems in keeping with the spirit of this book group.

[[deleted user]]

In Homer Simpson ' s words : D'oh! ( I know, very cultural reference). I'll keep looking ;)

[[deleted user]]

Ok. I think I got it. Quiet Chaos by Sandro Veronesi , published in 2005. It has won a few awards, including the Premio Strega.

[Zulfiya]

I would still like to repeat my previous nomination - Fourth of July Creek

[Whitney]

Giorgia wrote: "Ok. I think I got it. Quiet Chaos by Sandro Veronesi , published in 2005. It has won a few awards, including the Premio Strega."

This one seems to fit all the criteria :-)

[[deleted user]]

Great, thanks!
And... thank you for your patience :)

[Whitney]

Nominations closing, get any last minute noms in now.

[Casceil]

Last minute nomination: Someone by Alice McDermott.

[Whitney]

Poll is up and the nominations are closed. As usual, some great suggestions. Poll is available here or from the group homepage.

Voting will stay open until the end of the month. Do not vote for a book unless you will read it and join in the discussion, should it win.

[Whitney]

Taide, it was pointed out to me that Missing Person was originally published in 1978, and is therefor not eligible (which is too bad, it looks really good). It's too late for December, but if you have another book you'd like to nominate, please offer it for our January open pick when those nominations open up.

[Raymunda]

Whitney wrote: "Taide, it was pointed out to me that Missing Person was originally published in 1978, and is therefor not eligible (which is too bad, it looks really good). It's too late for December, but if you h..."

Oh, that's true, sorry! I'll try and think of another book for January.
Thank you!

[Whitney]

The winner for the December open pick is Fourth of July Creek, proving again that persistence can eventually pay off!

Zulfiya, as the nominator, would you like to moderate?

[Victoria (RedsCat)]

Super-excited to read this one!

[Zulfiya]

Whitney, I will be honored.

[Whitney]

Zulfiya wrote: "Whitney, I will be honored."

Awesome!

[Lily]

Whitney wrote: "The winner for the December open pick is Fourth of July Creek, proving again that persistence can eventually pay off!...."

I don't know how long this offer will stand -- it doesn't seem to be a "daily deal", but FoJC is currently available in Kindle format @ $1.99 on Amazon!

Posted 11/13/14

[Katy]

Score, thank you Lily.

[Whitney]

Ooo, good find! Thanks, Lily.

[Maureen]

Thanks, Lily. I just downloaded it, so at least, for now, the price is still valid.

[Zulfiya]

Thank you, Lily.