Nominations for February 2015!

[Candiss]

Hi everyone,

It's time to open nominations for our February 2015 Books of the Month. Each group member can make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination in this thread. If you would like to make a nomination, please reply to this post with the title and author of the book(s) you would like to put forward for the group’s consideration. A couple of suggestions to keep in mind:

1. Telling us a little about the book and why you think it would be a good group read can help get other members interested in reading (and voting for) your nomination.

2. To see if your nomination has already been read by the group, you can check:

a. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month

and/or

b. these threads:
Master List of Previous Books of the Month 2012-Present
Master List of Previous Books of the Month 2006-2011

Books the group has read in the past 2 years are not eligible for current consideration. Being chosen as a past BotM prior to that time is not an automatic disqualification, but be aware that it may hinder your nomination’s chances at the polls.

General guidelines:
• Feel free to re-nominate a book that didn’t win in the polls in previous months!
• For questions regarding specifics such as book formats, books in series, self-nomination and various rules for nominations, please see the group FAQ.
• Seconding isn't necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but let's please keep things civil.

Poll schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Thursday, November 20.
• The first round of polls will open Friday, November 21, and will run through 11:59 PM PST, Tuesday, November 25 (closing Midnight PST November 26.)
• The run-off polls go up Wednesday, November 26, and will be open through 11:59PM PST Saturday, November 29 (closing Midnight PST November 30.)

Thanks!


NOMINATIONS SO FAR:

FANTASY:
The Incrementalists by Steven Brust (Ken)
Kraken by China Miéville (Shel)
The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Kurt)
The Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers (Pickle)
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson (Brenda)
Sarah Canary by Karen Joy Fowler (Nick)
Blood Song by Anthony Ryan (Bob)
The Element of Fire by Martha Wells (Helen)


SCIENCE FICTION:
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (Chris)
The Peripheral by William Gibson (Ken)
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear (Shel)
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (Kurt)
Mockingbird by Walter Tevis (Pickle)

[Chris, Moderator]

I would like to nominate The Three-Body Problem. Apparently a well known Chinese author, the book is just released in English. Premise sounds interesting, and a welcome view of science fiction from a different cultural view.

[Candiss]

Chris wrote: "I would like to nominate The Three-Body Problem. Apparently a well known Chinese author, the book is just released in English. Premise sounds interesting, and a welcome view of scie..."

I've read so many positive articles on this book. The author is a multi-award winner in China, and this is one of the first major Chinese SF works to get an English release. I've read that there is a huge SF market in China, and it's great to see stories crossing borders.

I like translator Ken Liu's own work, too. His story The Paper Menagerie really tore me up.

[Helen]

Oh, I loved that.

[Ken]

Hmmm
ok Fantasy
The Incrementalists

SF
The Peripheral

[Shel, Moderator]

For fantasy, I'll recommend Kraken by China Mieville, because I'm a little bit obsessed with giant squid :)

SF, how about Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear, which I've had sitting on my shelf for a long time and haven't gotten around to reading yet?

[Kurt]

For Science Fiction I'll nominate Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It's one of those must read classics.

For Fantasy I'll nominate The Gunslinger by Stephen King. I've never read a novel by him but I hear that this is a good book.

[Pickle]

Shel wrote: "For fantasy, I'll recommend Kraken by China Mieville, because I'm a little bit obsessed with giant squid :)

SF, how about Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear, which I've had si..."


i'll second Kraken. At first reading i didnt like it but was told to give it another go, which i did and now i love it.

for Sci-Fi i'll nominate my favourite robot story Mockingbird

[Candiss]

If anyone has any more nominations - especially for Fantasy, as we only have 3 - let me know. I'll be putting up the first polls sometime tomorrow.

[Pickle]

how about Drawing of the Dark by Tim Powers

[Brenda ╰☆╮]

I have yet to read this one, though I have had it for a couple years.
I nominate Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson for fantasy.

If we read it here, someone needs to direct me to the topic.
:)

[Nick]

I always like to throw in Sarah Canary by Karen Joy Fowler for a Fantasy nomination. The story of the quiet stranger who wanders into a Western mining town, only this time it's a woman who has some fantastical qualities, has intrigued me since I first heard of it.

[Bob]

I'll nominate Blood Song by Anthony Ryan. Have not read it, but it has been on my TBR list for some time. Consistently high praise from the reviews.

[Helen]

I'll have a final try at the wonderful Martha Wells, The Element of Fire.

[Candiss]

Nominations are closed, and the polls will be up soon.

[Candiss]

The first-round polls are open and will run through 11:59 PM PST, Tuesday, November 25 (closing Midnight PST November 26.)

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

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



Edit: I got my poll dates wrong.

[Candiss]

The run-off polls for February are up and will be open through 11:59PM PST Saturday, November 29 (closing Midnight PST November 30.)

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

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

Vote away!