Vote for December 2020 BOTM

[Kristel]

I am going to try to post this early. Life in 2020 has been a challenge and continues to be so. I will be very busy the next several days so going to try to get this done tonight. December books are from Michaels to Nabakov. Voting for our BOTM will go through the 23rd of the month with winners announced on the 24th. Book under 600 pages and not a previous BOTM in past two years are included. If you think I missed something please let me know. Everyone gets a free vote but you can use participation points up to 5 total votes including your freebie. Please feel free to try and persuade people to vote on books you really want to read. Send a PM to the Reading 1001 shelf personality or to me. Don't forget to vote.

I can't believe we are almost to the end of 2020. We will be starting to think about our next year plans so be thinking about quarterly reads that you would like to read next year.

Anne Michaels Canadian author, 1958.
1. Fugitive Pieces 1995. 304 pages

Henry Miller NY, US 1891 to 1980
1. Tropic of Cancer 1934, 318 pages
2. Tropic of Capricorn 1939, 348 pages

Yukio Mishima Japan, 1925 to 1970.
3. The Sound of Waves 1954, 183
The Sea of Feritility is > 1450 pages and should be an annual read.

Pankaj Mishra India, 1969
4. The Romantics 1999, 288 pages

Rohinton Mistry India, 1952.
A Fine Balance is >600 pages, could be an option for seasonal read.
5. Family Matters 2002, 500 pages

David Mitchell UK 1969.
6. Cloud Atlas 2004, 509 pages

Gone with the Wind, is > 500 pages

Nancy Mitford UK 1904 to 1973
7. The Pursuit of Love 1945, 192 pages
8. Love in a Cold Climate 1949, 249 pages

Miyuki Miyabe Japan 1960
9. Crossfire 1998 404 pages

Thomas Mofolo Lesotho 1976 to 1948.
10. Chaka akA Chaka the Zulu. 1925 168 pages

Manuel Vázquez Montalbán Spain. 1939 to 2003.
11. Southern Seas 1979, 224 pages

Alan Moore UK, 1953.
12. Watchmen 1987, 416 pages, graphic novel

Lorrie Moore NY, US, 1957
13. Anagrams 1986, 228 pages
14. Like Life 1990, 192 pages
15. A Gate at the Stairs 2009, 430 pages

Alberto Moravia Italy, 1907 to 1990
16. The Time of Indifference 1929, 320 pages
17. Disobedience 1947, 160 pages
18. A Ghost At Noon 1955, 251 pages

I was almost done and lost everything from here. So I am cutting and pasting from 2018.

Karl Philipp Moritz
19. Anton Reiser, 1785, 400 pages

William Morris
20. News From Nowhere, Or, An Epoch Of Rest: Being Some Chapters From A Utopian Romance, 1891, 450 pages.

Toni Morrison
Sula, omitted, botm in 2018
21. The Bluest Eye
22. Song of Solomon, 1977, 350 pages
23. Beloved, 1997, 300 pages
24. Jazz, 1992, 250 pages

Es'kia Mphahlele
25. Down Second Avenue: Growing Up in a South African Ghetto, 1959, 200 pages

Bharati Mukherjee
26. The Holder of the World

The Discovery of Heaven, >750 pages, qualifies for seasonal read

Multatuli
27. Max Havelaar: Or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company, 1860, 400 pages

Alice Munro Canadian author
28. Lives of Girls and Women, 1971, 300 pages
29. The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose, 1978, 200 pages

Haruki Murakami
Omitted, The Wind-up Bird Chronicle and 1Q84
30.. Sputnik Sweetheart, 1999, 200 pages
31. After the Quake, 1999, 200 pages
32. Kafka on the Shore, 2002, 450 pages

Ryū Murakami
33. Almost Transparent Blue, 1976, 150 pages.

Iris Murdoch
34. Under the Net, 1954, 250 pages
35.The Bell, 1958, 300 pages
36 A Severed Head, 1961, 200 pages
37. The Nice and the Good, 1968, 350 pages
38. The Black Prince, 1973, 400 pages
39. The Sea, the Sea, 1978, 500 pages

Gerald Murnane
40. Inland, 1989, 200 pages

Robert Musil
41. The Confusions of Young Törless, 1906, 200 pages
A Man Without Qualities, qualifies for an annual read

Vladimir Nabokov
42. Lolita, 1955, 350 pages
43. Pnin, 1957, 200 pages
44. Pale Fire, 1962, 300 pages
omitted, botm in 2018 Ada, or Ardor: A Family Chronicle, 1969, 600 pages, most editions are less, so am including this here

That's the list and the last of books for 2020. Happy voting.

[Amanda]

There's 16 total I haven't read, which is a nice amount. Out of those, the ones I'd be most intereste din voting for, based on knowing I can get them for free are:

1) Tropic of Cancer
2) Tropic of Capricorn
3)Family Matters
4) The Bell
5) The Time of Indifference
6)A Ghost at Noon
7) Ada

[Pip]

And there are 24 I haven't read yet

[Patrick]

I have read 18 of these and currently have 4 on my TBR shelf:

- The Romantics (Mishra)
- Lives of Girls and Women (Munro)
- The Sea, the Sea (Murdoch)
- Pnin (Nabokov)

Generally, December means group members trying to catch up and finish their quarterly/yearly reads and whatever BOTMs/challenges remain to be completed. So, my advice about voting for December BOTMs: VOTE SHORT! Shorter reads in December should increase participation in BOTM discussions.

Based on my TBR, a consequential choice would be Pnin by Nabokov, followed by The Romantics by Mishra. Somebody would have to bribe me to vote for Munro (I hated The Beggar Maid).

[Tracy]

I haven't read ten. I’d be up for most any of those- I’d like to clear Murdoch off my shelf, and Moravia. They’re pretty dusty.

[Gail]

Of those mentioned I could support The Sound of Waves, The Ghost at Noon, The Sea,The Sea and Pnin....I have only read 12 of those listed.

[Kristel]

I've read 18.
These are the ones that I am interested in
A Gait at the Stairs
A Ghost at Noon
Under the Net
The Sea the Sea
Inland

[Valerie]

I could get behind The Sea, The Sea

[Amanda]

Well it wasn't on my top list, but I haven't read The Sea, The Sea either and since almost everyone mentioned it, I'm down to vote for it too.

[Diane]

FYI: There is another post for this topic. I was on the the wrong one.

I have read 33 of these. I desperately want to read Family Matters.

Other books on my radar are:

The Ghost at Noon
The Romantics
The Time of Indifference
The Bell
Tropic of Capricorn
Sputnik Sweetheart
Southern Seas

[Kristel]

From Bookworm. These were posted on the other thread.
Excluded from the Randomiser will be:

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
The Wind-up Bird Chronicles - Huraki Murakami
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

[Jessica]

Of the ones that I haven't read, the one's that I'd like to read are:
The Sound of Waves
The Pursuit of Love
Like Life
Jazz
Down Second Avenue: Growing Up in a South African Ghetto
The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose
A Severed Head
Pnin

[Diane]

Hello group members. Book and I are running BOTM this time as Kristel is out of town. I am awaiting the response of one of our members who did not indicate how many votes to use. We have a tie for first place and I am awaiting fellow Admin to reply to me on a ruling. So be patient and results should come some time today or tomorrow. Thanks:)

[Gail]

I messaged Kristel directly with my vote....would you have gotten that vote Diane? Thanks

[Diane]

Gail wrote: "I messaged Kristel directly with my vote....would you have gotten that vote Diane? Thanks"

Hi Gail, yes I received your vote. Kristel sent me all the voting she received.

[Diane]

And the winners are:

Popular is The Sea The Sea
Randomiser is Pale Fire

Happy Reading.

[Amanda]

Cool: I voted fro The Sea, The Sea and haven't read pale fire either.

[George P.]

Dang, I've already read both the choices this month. I read Pale Fire just a year ago, so will probably be able to contribute to that discussion. They are both good books- the Sea, The Sea is very moody and Pale Fire a very unusual style.
My first choice would have been Like Life or Watchmen.

[Pip]

I haven't read either, so plan to, if time permits.

[Tracy]

Pale Fire is one of my favorites from the list. I hope it generates some great discussion!

[Jen]

The two books chosen for December are among my favourites. I won’t reread but will follow the discussions. Enjoy!