Vote: April 2021 BOTM CLOSED

[Kristel]

April authors: Brautigan to Carpenteir

I am posting from Florida, I updated my spreadsheet that I work from so hopefully I won't miss anything. If I do, please, please let me know. Voting will go through the 23 and winners announced on the 24th. How are books chosen? One book is by popular vote and one will be selected by randomizer. Book under 600 pages and not a previous BOTM in past two years are included. 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 and don't forget to vote!

Excluded books: A Dry White Season, Auto-da-Fé, Testament of Youth, Shirley, Camilla, Cicilia,


Richard Brautigan US author (Washington) 1935 to 1984
1. In Watermelon Sugar, 1968, about 150 pages
2. Willard and His Bowling Trophies, 1975, about 150 pages

Bertolt Brecht German, 1898 to 1956
3. Threepenny Novel 1928, 124 pages

André Breton French, 1896 to 1966.
4. Arcanum 17: With Apertures, 1945, 184 pages
5. Nadja, 1928, 160 pages

Hermann Broch, Austria, 1886 to 1951.
6. The Death of Virgil, 1945, 496 pages
7. The Guiltless, 1950 292 pages

Anne Brontë 1820 to 1849
8. Agnes Grey, 1847, 251 pages
9. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, 1848, 576 pages

Charlotte Brontë 1816 to 1855
10. Jane Eyre 1847, 532 pages
11. Villette 1853, 573 pages

Emily Brontë 1818 to 1848
12. Wuthering Heights 1847, 464 pages.

John Buchan, Scotland, 1875 to 1940
13. The Thirty-Nine Steps, 1950, 100 pgs

Mikhail Bulgakov Ukraine, 1891 to 1940
14. The Master and Margarita 1967, 372 pages

John Bunyan 1628 to 1688
15. The Pilgrim's Progress, 1678, 324 pages

Anthony Burgess, UK, 1917 to 1993
16. A Clockwork Orange 1962, 213 pages
17. Inside Mr. Enderby 1963, 207 pages

Frances Burney AKA Fanny Burney UK 1752 to 1840
18. Evelina, 1778, 455 pages

William S. Burroughs, US, 1914 to 1997.
19. Junky, 1953, 208 pages
20. Naked Lunch, 1959, 289 pages
21. The Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead, 1971, 193 pages
22. Queer, 1985, 160 pages

Samuel Butler UK, 1835 to 1902
23. The Way of All Flesh 1903, 315 pages
24. Erewhon, 1872, 272 pages

Dino Buzzati 1906 to 1972, Italian
25. The Tartar Steppe 1940, 198 pages

A.S. Byatt UK, 1936
26. The Virgin in the Garden 1978, 428 pgs
27. Possession 1990, 555 pgs

James M. Cain 1892 to 1977
28. The Postman Always Rings Twice 1934, pgs 116

Erskine Caldwell 1903 to 1987
29. A House in the Uplands 1946, 198 pages

Italo Calvino Cuba, 1923 to 1985
30. The Castle of Crossed Destinies 1973, 144 pages
31. Invisible Cities 1972, 165 pages
32. Our Ancestors: The Cloven Viscount, The Baron in the Trees, The Non-Existent Knight 3 novellas 1952 to 1959, 393 pages
33. The Path to the Nest of Spiders 1947, 172
34. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler 1979, 260 pages

Albert Camus Algeria, 1913 to 1960
35. The Rebel, 1951, 320
36. The Plague; 1947,
37. The Outsider1942, 123 pages.

Karel Čapek Czech 1890 to 1938
38. War with the Newts, 241 pages, 1936

Truman Capote, US author, 1924 to 1984.
39. In Cold Blood 1965, 343 pages
40. Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1958, 157 pages

Peter Carey Australia, 1943
41, Oscar and Lucinda 1988, 515 pages
42. Jack Maggs, 1997, 344 pages

Joyce Carol Oates, NY, US, 1938
43. Black Water1992, 160
44. Marya 1986, 320 pages
45. ThemOne of a quartet, setting is Detroit, 1969, 576 pages

Alejo Carpentier 1904 to 1980, Cuban novelist
46. The Lost Steps, 1953, 296 pages.
The Kingdom of This World, 1949, 186 pages

Well I made it with only losing about 1/2 of them, once. These are the choices for April. How many have you read. Which ones are you really wanting to get too? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Kristel]

I've read 16 of these and I have a few that I would be happy to read.

[Leni]

Ooh, exciting. I've only read eight of these, and there are almost a dozen that I own and would love to read.

My absolute preference would be for The Master and Margarita. But also Evelina, A Clockwork Orange, Invisible Cities, Vilette, Erewhon.

On the other hand, these are all books that I will eventually get to on my own, whereas The Plague and The Pilgrim's Progress are books I own but would need a bit of a push and some company to actually read.

[Diane]

I have read 38 of them plus 5 of the excluded books, but there are still a few I would really love to read, including:

The Rebel
Threepenny Novel
Nadja
Evelina
Naked Lunch
Them
The Virgin in the Garden
Possession

[Patrick]

I have read 20 of them, and have currently 5 of my TBR shelf:

Threepenny Novel (Brecht)
Villette (Bronte)
Queer (Burroughs)
The Tartar Steppe (Buzzati)
The Virgin in the Garden (Byatt)

I'll wait and see before voting.

[Gail]

I have read 10 of these and unfortunately The Plague and The Pilgrim's Progress are in that 10. I have also already read Invisible Cities. However, everything else on Leni's list, all of Diane's list and all of Patrick's list I would be open to. Will wait to see what other's would like to read before deciding.

[Amanda]

There's 8 I haven't read and I'm up for any of them. Out of the ones already mentioned I'm down for:

-Threepenny novel
-Them
-Possession
-The Tartar Steppe

Also haven't read:

- House in the Uplands
-Jack Maggs
-The Death of Virgil
-Our Ancestors

[Jamie]

I've read 9 of these books, and Threepenny Novel is my TBR book this month. A couple of the books eligible for April are also on my TBR list. I'd love to finish some more Joyce Carol Oates, but until Interlibrary Loan is working again, I already read the one I could find here. The ones I have access to and would like to read as a BOTM in April are:

8. Agnes Grey, 1847, 251 pages
9. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, 1848, 576 pages
11. Villette 1853, 573 pages
14. The Master and Margarita 1967, 372 pages
28. The Postman Always Rings Twice 1934, pgs 116
38. War with the Newts, 241 pages, 1936

[Tracy]

I’ve read all but three- I’ll sit this one out, I think!

[Kristel]

The ones I own and would most like to read are;
8. Agnes Grey, 1847, 251 pages
9. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, 1848, 576 pages
41, Oscar and Lucinda 1988, 515 pages
42. Jack Maggs, 1997, 344 pages

[Tatjana]

I’ll vote for The Rebel. It is the only Camus from the list I haven’t read so far. Diane also mentioned it in her list. Maybe others would like to join?

[Diane]

Tracy wrote: "I’ve read all but three- I’ll sit this one out, I think!"

Which 3 do you have left?

[Kristel]

Tatjana wrote: "I’ll vote for The Rebel. It is the only Camus from the list I haven’t read so far. Diane also mentioned it in her list. Maybe others would like to join?"

I haven't read The Rebel so that kind of works. I don't own it but it should be accessible.

[Tracy]

Diane wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I’ve read all but three- I’ll sit this one out, I think!"

Which 3 do you have left?"

The Broch books and Them by Oates. I still have Camilla by Burney left, too.

[Amanda]

Tracy wrote: "Diane wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I’ve read all but three- I’ll sit this one out, I think!"

Which 3 do you have left?"

The Broch books and Them by Oates. I still have Camilla by Burney left, too."

Cool- Well "Them" is also on mine and Diane's lists, and most of the books being suggested I've already read. I'd be down to potentially vote for that one.

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

The Tartar Steppe and The Death of Virgil have been on my TBR for a long time.

I found The Rebel very tedious. Not sure why it even made it onto this list anyway, as it's not a novel. As much as I value his fiction, I've yet to find his essays anything but a slog

[Leni]

Kristel, you left out Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Unless he is sorted under R?

[Jen]

Of those mentioned I'm most interested in The Master and Margarita and Villette. I'd also love to read Oates but not Them - it's part of a quartet of books. But Black Water would be great. Not sure yet but I'll vote for one of those three.

[Diane]

I've narrowed my options down to:

The Rebel
Them
Threepenny Novel

Help me make the right choice...

[George P.]

I've read 14 of these, a little more than my usual.
There are six that I'd like to read, none of which I own, but because I'm really trying to read more women writers at the moment, I'm going to endorse Oates' "Them". https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
It's part of a four-book series but I think they are linked thematically and are not sequels of one another.

I want to read Tartar Steppe soon but used copies start at $20- I don't have access to it at any libraries at the moment- until the university lets non-students/faculty back in their library.

[George P.]

Leni wrote: "Kristel, you left out Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Unless he is sorted under R?"

Probably he is, because Joyce Carol Oates is listed here among the Cs, even though Carol was just her middle name.

[Amanda]

I'm going to vote for Them as well

[Kristel]

George P. wrote: "Leni wrote: "Kristel, you left out Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Unless he is sorted under R?"

Probably he is, because Joyce Carol Oates is listed here among the Cs, even though Caro..."

Yes, you're right. The person who made the app has several quirks in his choices but I've chosen to stick with them to save me a whole lot of work sorting it all out. Thanks for that info, George. I always wonders if she had two last names cause Carol seems like a middle name to me. Also Rice Burroughs for a man is an odd name too.

[David]

I would like to read one of these
1. In Watermelon Sugar
2. Willard and His Bowling Trophies
3. Arcanum 17: With Apertures
4. Nadja, 1928

[Leni]

I'm not keen on Them, so I'll be voting for The Master and Margarita since that seemed to be of interest to a few others.

[Valerie]

Since I just saw David's message, I took the plunge and voted for In Watermelon Sugar .

[Jessica]

I have read 16 of these. Of the ones that I haven't read, I am most interested in:

The Wild Boys: A Book of the Dead
The Virgin in the Garden
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Our Ancestors: The Cloven Viscount, The Baron in the Trees, The Non-Existent Knight
The Path to the Nest of Spiders
Jack Maggs
Black Water

[Judith]

I've read 29 of these titles. There are several more on this list I would like to get to this year. Particularly interested in In Watermellon Sugar since I enjoyed Willard and His Bowling Trophies.

[Kristel]

Those of you who have indicated interest you need to send me a private message. Me or the shelf personality.

[George P.]

Last day to vote...

[Kristel]

Voting is closed.
The Randomizer choice is Black Water and
Popular Choice is Them

The books receiving votes in order of numbers were Them, The Rebel, Master and Margarita, Threepenny Novel, Watermelon Sugar, Jack Maggs, and On a Winter's Night a Traveler.
It is a Joyce Carol Oates month.

[Valerie]

I hope to slot Black Water in.

[Leni]

So... the library has no fewer than 19 different books by JCO, but none of them are these two. There's no Kindle edition. The paperback of Them is an unusual £14, and Amazon has one single new paperback copy of Black Water for... £148.84 LOL!

I'll browse for used copies on Abe Books and see what I can find. Black Water looks interesting at least. Just not 150 quid worth of interesting.

[Kristel]

Black Water was previous BOTM a while back so I've read it. It is short one. Them is not available except through Amazon. No library has it. And no audible available. And I am not excited to read a 575 page book. I may be possible reading Black Water as a reread as audible has that has a free book in its Audible Play. But maybe April will be a month I concentrate on other options.

[Gail]

Or maybe a good month for a buddy read. I would be up for a buddy read for any of these: The Master and Margarita, Threepenny Opera or Jack Mags if others would be also.

[Kristel]

Can’t start a buddy read unless you’ve read both born and I haven’t. If anyone has then they can and I can join.

[Gail]

Yes, same here. I can not start the buddy read but I am hoping someone else can.

[Gail]

Also, I just checked. My library has both of the Joyce Carol Oates as physical books. No ebooks or audio.

[Amanda]

Excited that Them won...I had slim pickings. And it's available as an ebook from my library....nice. Already read Black Water so I'll sit that one out.

[Jamie]

I've been focused on reading Joyce Carol Oates over the past year, but I am down to the ones I don't own and that the library doesn't have. So, I may be skipping BOTM for April too. I'll maybe read Oates's Raven's Wing, a non-list book I've had for a while, and whatever else I con find at the library that I haven't finished yet. I would also join an April buddy read for Master and Margarita, if one is posted.

[Patrick]

Considering I'm still waiting for the copy of Super-Cannes I ordered last month from Amazon, I don't think I will risk the same thing with either Oates. Besides, I am not willing to add another near-600-pages brick into my reading schedule. So I will skip that month and focus instead on my TBR pick and on the next quarterly (Byatt).

[Bryan--The Bee’s Knees]

I may have a copy of Them at home, though I won't be there to look and make sure till the middle of March or so. If I do have it, I'll stick it somewhere in the stack of other good intentions group reads I've committed to.

[Diane]

I like Joyce Carol Oats so I am hoping to read one of these.

[George P.]

Abebooks.com has a used hardback of Them starting at $3.90 w/ ship, Betterworldbooks.com: used, mass market paperback for about $4.50 w. free shipping. Amazon $5.40 used incl ship. A Kindle edition was released a few yrs ago for $13. Ebay has an autographed copy for $31 last time I looked, which is tempting. These are all US websites.
My public library has three paper copies, all available, so I'll be reading one of "them" ;)

Them is 3 or 4 times as long as Blackwater, so that will decide some folks which to read. Them has higher avg rating on GR though, 3.71 vs 3.54.
The only work of Oates I've read was a short story titled "Heat", which I liked. I have her short "Where are you Going, Where Have you Been?" in an excellent anthology, The Art of the Short Story (with a bit of paper marking the place), but haven't read that one yet.
Oates has been extremely prolific. The Portland library has 110 listings of her books in various formats, (though not "Blackwater") Confession: I occasionally use a family member's acct there for ebooks.

[George P.]

Leni wrote: "So... the library has no fewer than 19 different books by JCO, but none of them are these two. There's no Kindle edition. The paperback of Them is an unusual £14, and Amazon has one single new pape..."

It's weird that sometimes Amazon has a Kindle book available to the UK and not the US and sometime vice-versa, and they won't let you order them through the other county's Amazon website. There is a Kindle of Them for the US Amazon site ($13). I would send you a paperback if the shipping weren't so darn high for non-commercial pkgs (though not 150 quid).

[Amie]

Much like Leni, my library has 42 listings for Oates, but none are the ones we chose.

[Jen]

Same issue with my library and Oates' collection. But I found a copy of Black Water locally so I picked it up and will read it in April.

[Leni]

Thanks George, but yes, cross-Atlantc shipping costs are a bit mad. And between Covid and the the new Brexit regulations shipping times are a bit mad too. I'll get a used copy of one or the other through Abebooks UK.

And it is crazy, isn't it, that I could buy a paper copy of a book from anywhere in the world and have it shipped. But not an e-book.

[Pip]

I have ordered a copy of Them from Fishpond, arrival date mid-April, but I doubt I will get it in time. I read Black Water last June. I will probably re-read it if I have made good progress with The Man Without Qualities.

[Michael]

I’ve read 20 of those, but unfortunately none of the remaining ones are on my TBR. I am focused on Pulitzer winners and having finished the 1920s laureates, am exploring literature of 20s like Dos Passos, Drieser, Fitzgerald, and Anderson. My favorite discoveries so far have been Sinclair Lewis (especially Elmer Gantry and Dodsworth) and the unforgettable Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson.