Nominations for July 2021 Open Pick

[Hugh]

Nominations are now open until May 23rd for the July 2021 Open Pick.

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) first published between January 1, 2000 and July 1, 2020. For translations the latter date must be an English edition.
- One nomination per person (please do not nominate or vote for a book unless you are certain you can read and discuss if it wins)
- A book this group has not yet read (see the group bookshelf or the Index of all Group Reads here)
- A book that is not better suited to the wild card (genre) category

If you are nominating, please begin your post by stating "I nominate [name with hyperlink to book]"

The discussion will start on July 1st

[Sam]

I nominate The Narrow Land, a Walter Scott prize-winning novel that would make a great beach read.

[Luke]

I nominate To the End of the Land by David Grossman (pub 2008, 581 pp).

[Hugh]

Thanks - both of those are fine

[Marc]

I nominate How to Break Article Noun by Carolyn Chun because I can. But seriously, it’s from a small press that focuses on experimental fiction and it won the obscure Kenneth Patchen Innovative Fiction Award.

[LindaJ^]

Marc, how did you ever find the book? It sounds marvelous.

[Danita L]

LindaJ^ wrote: "Marc, how did you ever find the book? It sounds marvelous."

Marc always finds the most obscure books!

[Luke]

Danita L wrote: "LindaJ^ wrote: "Marc, how did you ever find the book? It sounds marvelous."

Marc always finds the most obscure books!"

I'd have to agree with that. He managed to track down and read a copy of Molinaro's Fat Skeletons, which is rather impressive.

[Danita L]

Aubrey wrote: "I nominate To the End of the Land by David Grossman (pub 2008, 581 pp)."

To the End of the Land has been on my to-read list. It was also an "Obama Read".

[Bill]

Aubrey wrote: "I'd have to agree with that. He managed to track down and read a copy of Molinaro's Fat Skeletons, which is rather impressive."

Ha! I should have known Molinaro may have a few fans here. Fat Skeletons was hilarious.

[Marc]

LindaJ^ wrote: "Marc, how did you ever find the book? It sounds marvelous."

Hmm... I went a little crazy during the pandemic last year and let myself order way too books from a bunch of small publishers. I think I was searching "experimental fiction" or "avant-garde" and I came across The Journal of Experimental Fiction (JEF, I find this acronym very funny, like if you chose the acronym first and then made up a full spelling out... e.g., maybe I'll start my own research group and call it Foreign Understandings of Comorbidity Knowledge Engagement Researchers).

Had no idea I had any sort of rep for obscure books. I do have an affinity for experimental fiction which often equals "obscure." Tend to turn to familiar presses (FC2, Serpent's Tale, Softskull, Dorothy) or see what some of my favorite writers are reading.

Wish I could remember how I came across Fat Skeletons... I think it was in a bygone Baltimore bookstore 20-some years ago. Usually, I'm in the wrong place at the right time!

It goes both ways---I believe I've added quite a few books to my TBR shelf from most of you on this thread and they all were new or obscure to me.

Definitely had not heard of Aubrey's or Sam's nominations above, much less the authors.

[Hugh]

Last day for nominations today

[Hugh]

Nominations are now closed. The poll is up and will run until the end of the month - the link is here:
https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

[LindaJ^]

I encourage everyone to vote for Marc's nomination - How to Break Article Noun. It is short and definitely experimental and innovative and I'd love to discuss it in this group.

[Hugh]

After a closely contested poll, How to Break Article Noun has won.

[LindaJ^]

Great! I eagerly await the discussion!

[Marc]

I'm gonna hire Linda as my GR lobbyist!
:D

[Stacia]

Linda's a good lobbyist! I just ordered a copy! Lol.

[Bretnie]

My library didn't have it, so I'll probably order it here (non-Amazon option if people are looking for where to buy it) https://www.spdbooks.org/Products/978...