Group Reads -> May 2024 -> Nomination thread (Wild Card month - won by The Fight by Norman Mailer)

[Brian E]

Jan, my girlfriend when I was in law school in Champaign (1975-1977) loved Buster Keaton and I remember buying her the hardcover of this book for Christmas or her birthday: The Silent Clowns by Walter Kerr. I remember enjoying it. Our cat was named Keaton as in Keaton the kitten.

[Nigeyb]

Thanks for the nomination Brian

[Nigeyb]

Poll going up in a few hours so still time to nip and get a last gasp nomination in.....


tick tick tick

[Roman Clodia]

Keaton the kitten! Aw, 😸

[Nigeyb]

The poll's up



VOTE VOTE VOTE


https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...



Nominations

My Autobiography (1964) by Charlie Chaplin (Nigeyb)
The Fight by Norman Mailer (Roman Clodia)
The Secrets of Grown-Ups (1981) by Vera Caspary (Jan C)
The Fatal Englishman: Three Short Lives by Sebastian Faulks (Susan)
The Prestige by Christopher Priest (SueLucie)
Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang (Sonia)
Young Man with a Horn by Dorothy Baker (Brian)

[Jan C]

Brian E wrote: "Jan, my girlfriend when I was in law school in Champaign (1975-1977) loved Buster Keaton and I remember buying her the hardcover of this book for Christmas or her birthday: [book:The Silent Clowns|..."

My brother went to Champaign in the early '70s to become an accountant. Semi-retired now. I think he does a job a year for the insurance company in DC that he used to work for.

[Nigeyb]

The Fight is out in front 🥊

[Stephen]

Just wanting to check - did Brian nominate The Silent Clowns? I can't see it as an option in the list.

[Nigeyb]

No Stephen, he just mentioned it in passing


Brian's nomination is Young Man with a Horn by Dorothy Baker

[Stephen]

Sorry Nigeyb. My mistook

[Nigeyb]

Very expensive too I notice having not been republished in the recent past

[Brian E]

Nigeyb wrote: "The Fight is out in front 🥊"

But it's not a knockout yet.

[Nigeyb]

About 14 hours to go


Can Ali hold on?

He's taking a lot of punishment

#ropeadope

[Nigeyb]

I've just bought a copy of The Fight off eBay for £2.40 so will be ready to rumble if it wins


Assuming things stay as they are and as Half a Lifelong Romance by Eileen Chang, and Young Man with a Horn by Dorothy Baker, have garnered votes too, we can easily set them up as buddy reads if there is an appetite to do so

[Susan_MG]

I have a copy too. It was a feature for black history month at my physical used book store. But, I plan to read at least 3 of the other nominations. The books this group choose to nominate are always too interesting to ignore.

[Roman Clodia]

Gosh, drama at the top this month!

[Alwynne]

I hope the drama continues for a while, I'm enjoying Nigey's puns, I want to see how many more he can muster! Although I pretty much love Ali, and although Mailer can be a pain I actually liked The Executioner's Song. I've only read biographies of Ali before so will be interesting to get another perspective. Although I imagine that Mailer's likely to be less than nuanced where race is concerned.

[Roman Clodia]

A few hours to go but I would be interested in a buddy read of the Eileen Chang, assuming there isn't a last minute flurry of votes that push it to the top!

[Roman Clodia]

Alwynne wrote: "Although I imagine that Mailer's likely to be less than nuanced where race is concerned"

Apparently so, and not just in relation to Ali and Foreman but also in terms of Africa, generally, and what was Zaire.

So... did Foreman invent the George Foreman grill?! 🤯

[Susan]

I honestly know nothing about either Foreman or Ali, other than their names. I don't know who won either, although I have heard the term, 'Rumble in the Jungle.' I've never read Mailer but have thought have reading him for ages.

My middle son loves boxing but I've never watched a boxing match. In other words, I am undecided about whether to read this. I think it could be either absolutely fascinating or I will just be confused!

[Ben]

I can't bear to watch boxing now, but I loved watching Ali and remember him as Cassius Clay. And I'm also quite excited about finally reading something by Mailer, and I'm expecting something very much over the top, so I'm looking forward to this one.

[Susan_MG]

I have read that Mailer was a huge fan of Ali. Not only is his book about the fight but he places himself in the story. I’m looking forward to this bit of Muhammad Ali history.

[Susan_MG]

Forman certainly marketed the grill which bears his name. I know he was a believer in low fat meals.

[Roman Clodia]

Susan wrote: "I honestly know nothing about either Foreman or Ali, other than their names. I don't know who won either, although I have heard the term, 'Rumble in the Jungle.' I've never read Mailer but have tho..."

You'll be a newbie like me, Susan! I've never watched boxing either and don't know who wins the fight. I know a bit about Ali's activism and conscientious objection to the Vietnam draft, and civil rights more generally. No pressure but Mr RC is convinced I'll be blown away by this book.

And I have a George Foreman grill! 😋

[Susan_MG]

RC, have you read any Norman Mailer? I haven’t and I can’t imagine why not.
He was controversial in his day.

[Roman Clodia]

Susan_MG wrote: "RC, have you read any Norman Mailer? I haven’t and I can’t imagine why not.
He was controversial in his day."

I haven't and don't know much about him. I tend not to be the greatest fan of mid-century male writers - though that's a bit of a sweeping statement!

[Susan]

I will give it a try and see how I get on. It is certainly very out of my comfort zone.

[SueLucie]

Roman Clodia wrote: "A few hours to go but I would be interested in a buddy read of the Eileen Chang, assuming there isn't a last minute flurry of votes that push it to the top!"

I’d be up for a buddy read on the Eileen Chang too.

[Roman Clodia]

Susan wrote: "I will give it a try and see how I get on. It is certainly very out of my comfort zone."

Mine too! It really was a wild card nomination and I'm surprised it won the poll. We'll venture out of our comfort zones together 😊

[Roman Clodia]

SueLucie wrote: "I’d be up for a buddy read on the Eileen Chang too."

Excellent, let's do it. Who else is interested? It's a short book so we could slip it into May - or later if people are over-committed.

[Nigeyb]

The Fight has won the poll



https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/2...

[Susan]

I have downloaded it and am ready to embark on something very new to me.

[Susan_MG]

Susan, I’ve never watched a fight, followed the sport or read any Norman Mailer. This is completely out of character for me.

[Sonia]

I am up for a buddy read of the Eileen Chang. May would also be good for me.

[Nigeyb]

Amazing how so few of you know about the fight or Ali


Ali was a regular visitor to Britain and was often on TV on Parkinson and the like. A total icon.

Boxing is a brutal sport and hard to watch but Ali transcended it in so many ways.

The Rumble in the Jungle was extraordinary. I’d heartily recommend the When We Were Kings documentary about the fight

[Susan_MG]

I think most Americans in my generation know the name Muhammad Ali. What surprised me was how little I know about George Foreman. I think most know him for the Grill but he has a remarkable history too.

[Judy]

I'd like to buddy read Eileen Chang. There was a lot about her in the poetry collection Magnolia, 木蘭 by Nina Mingya Powles and I've been meaning to read some of her work since reading that, but haven't actually done so yet.

[Stephen]

Hope my library has a copy of the Fight. If so, I hope to join.

[Roman Clodia]

Fabulous, I'll set up the Chang buddy for May - there's still time to adjust the timing if that doesn't work for anyone. So me, Judy, SueLucie and Sonia - anyone else is welcome, as always.

[Roman Clodia]

Nigeyb wrote: "Amazing how so few of you know about the fight or Ali"
It seems so unashamedly brutal as a sport but my interest has been piqued recently since Joyce Carol Oates writes about it - and Nicola Adams was so fab on Strictly a couple of years ago!

Edit: On Boxing is JCO's book which includes an essay on Ali - I haven't read it.

[Susan_MG]

Joyce Carol Oates writing about boxing is interesting.

[Stephen]

Hugh McIlvaney also has a book on boxing McIlvanney on Boxing. Nigeyb - thought you might be interested?

[Ben]

There was the Rumble in the Jungle and also The Thrilla in Manila, another heavyweight boxing championship fight, this one Ali vs. Joe Frazier.

[Nigeyb]

Stephen wrote:


"Hope my library has a copy of the Fight. If so, I hope to join."

Mine doesn't but I got it for less than the price of a coffee on eBay


https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_fr...

[Nigeyb]

Stephen wrote:


"Hugh McIlvaney also has a book on boxing McIlvanney on Boxing. Nigeyb - thought you might be interested?"

Thanks. Not much of a boxing fan but I do like HM so will investigate

🫶🏻

[Jan C]

I knew about Ali first as Cassius Clay before his draft problems. I haven't been able to watch boxing for years. Haven't liked Mailer for years either.

I forgot to come back and vote.