March/April Group Read - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

[Becky, Moddess]

Hi all, I'm moving the nominating up to coincide with the start of the monthly group reads in an effort to give us more time to go through the process. It has been a bit rushed in the past.

So, I know it feels like we just did this yesterday, but here we go again! :)

Please nominate the book that you would like to read for March/April. Please be sure to include the title and author (preferrably linking so that we can check out the book easily if we don't know it), and tell us why you're nominating it.

We'll take nominations until February 20, then we'll vote.

Thanks!! :)

[Becky, Moddess]

I'll get the ball rolling by nominating Nefertiti by Michelle Moran. I have been kind of craving something about Egypt lately, and I watched a few episodes of Egypt's Golden Empire, which made me even more intrigued. :)

[ToniS]

I'm going to nominate The King's General by Daphne du Maurier. This one gets a lot of 5-star ratings, has a unique heroine who is a paraplegic, a true story, romance, a little military action and some British history.

And, hello? It's Daphne du Maurier. Can't go wrong with that.

It's also been recently reissued with a pretty cover, so it should be no trouble to find.

[Patrik]

I will nominate by Ildefonso Falcones. critics says that its as good as Ken Follett Pillars of Earth. Let's see if it's true ;-)

[Becky, Moddess]

Oooh, some good nominations so far. :)

[Jayme]

I will have to think on it.

[Jon]

The Hours

I have this down as a re-read and would love to share this little gem, it was a definate page stroker for me, possibly my favourite book ever. The language is just so beautiful you want to re-read every paragraph. And its nice and short too if you have other book obligations!

The Hours is both an homage to Virginia Woolf and very much its own creature. Even as Michael Cunningham brings his literary idol back to life, he intertwines her story with those of two more contemporary women. One gray suburban London morning in 1923, Woolf awakens from a dream that will soon lead to Mrs. Dalloway. In the present, on a beautiful June day in Greenwich Village, 52-year-old Clarissa Vaughan is planning a party for her oldest love, a poet dying of AIDS. And in Los Angeles in 1949, Laura Brown, pregnant and unsettled, does her best to prepare for her husband's birthday, but can't seem to stop reading Woolf. These women's lives are linked both by the 1925 novel and by the few precious moments of possibility each keeps returning to. Clarissa is to eventually realize:

There's just this for consolation: an hour here or there when our lives seem, against all odds and expectations, to burst open and give us everything we've ever imagined.... Still, we cherish the city, the morning; we hope, more than anything, for more.

As Cunningham moves between the three women, his transitions are seamless. One early chapter ends with Woolf picking up her pen and composing her first sentence, "Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself." The next begins with Laura rejoicing over that line and the fictional universe she is about to enter. Clarissa's day, on the other hand, is a mirror of Mrs. Dalloway's--with, however, an appropriate degree of modern beveling as Cunningham updates and elaborates his source of inspiration. Clarissa knows that her desire to give her friend the perfect party may seem trivial to many. Yet it seems better to her than shutting down in the face of disaster and despair. Like its literary inspiration, The Hours is a hymn to consciousness and the beauties and losses it perceives. It is also a reminder that, as Cunningham again and again makes us realize, art belongs to far more than just "the world of objects"

[Jeanna]

I'm going to try the same book again. Cleopatra's Daughter
Whoops! The author is Michelle Moran! I'm nominating it because I am a fan of the author and it's her newest book. Plus I love anything related to Egypt.

[Jeanna]

Fiona wrote: "pssst you forgot the author and essay reson for nominating! pssst!"

Thanks Fiona! I edited. :)

[Becky, Moddess]

Fiona wrote: "pssst you forgot the author and essay reson for nominating! pssst!"

Essay! >_>

You watch it, Miss, I enjoy the taste of roast canary!!

[Becky, Moddess]

But err, thank you. :D

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

I would like to nominate The Temple Dancer: A Novel of India by John Speed. This books is about an area and time that we haven't touched recently, it looks really interesting, and it is on my challenge list.

[ToniS]

Maybe we should have an elimination round.

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

We only have 7 so far. That is not bad. Some months we have a lot more than that to vote for.

[Jayme]

All my suggestions you guys already read like "The Constant Princess", The Virgin Lover, The Queen's Fool" I don't own enough historical fiction. How about "The Luxe". I heard that was really good.

[Becky, Moddess]

I'll just close the windows! Then you'll be trapped! MWAHAHAHAHA!

[Jayme]

So are you the Sylvester Becky?

[Becky, Moddess]

No... She just looks tasty. Like a miniature turkey. Mmmmm. LOL

[Jon]

Fiona wrote: "pssst you forgot the author and essay reson for nominating! pssst!"

oh no!!!! M m m m Michael C c Cunningham for mine..

*backs out quietly*

[Jackie]

Fiona wrote: "*staples bear tail to floor*"

Awww, mean bird! *stuffs bird and mounts her on wall*

My book was already nominated, but I just had to defend my favorite Koala. Let the noms continue....

[Jon]

((J))

[Jeane]

I suggest The Book Thiefby Markus Zusak.
Because everyone seems to talk soooo good about it, somebody on Good reads is totally in love with the author! and because I have it on my bookshelf and it made me first think it wasn't interesting but some reviews and so make me very curious about it. It seems a good book to be discussed by many together.

[Becky, Moddess]

No problem Karen. :)

[Chris]

How about Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry.

It's a book I've always wanted to read, since I've heard such great things about it. Then I saw the mini-series and loved it.

[Becky, Moddess]

Last day to nominate - be sure to get yours in (with title and author) if you want it counted.

Jayme, can you please list the author for your nomination?

Here's what we have so far:

Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
Good Night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian
The King's General by Daphne du Maurier
Cathedral of the Sea by Ildefonso Falcones
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
The Temple Dancer: A Novel of India by John Speed
Helen of Troy by Margaret George
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

[Lyn (Readinghearts)]

Wow, some great choices. I can't wait to vote!

[Jayme]

those are all by Phillppa Gregory-"The Constant Princess" "The Virgin Lover", "The Queen's Fool".

[Jayme]

Okay "The Luxe" is by Anna Godbersen. "The Constant Princess", "The Virgin Lover", and The Queen's Fool" are all by Philippa Gregory

[Becky, Moddess]

Which one Jayme?

[Jayme]

Let's go with "The Luxe".

[Leslie]

The Temple Dancer sounds really interesting.... thanks for the idea--even if we don't pick it, I think I'll get it on my list!

[Allie]

hmm I am really interested to vote and see what the winner is! I have been wanting to participate in a group read for some time now and I really want to read a few books ya'll have nominated!

[Becky, Moddess]

Oh, sorry! Bad Mod! I will put up the poll when I get home from work... =\

[Becky, Moddess]

OK! So it looks like The Book Thief won by a couple votes. We'll be reading this one starting March 15th. Everyone get your copy! :)

[Chris]

Or you could, in being book-theme-oriented, steal a copy.

[Becky, Moddess]

Haha! Whatever works. I love this book, so whatever allows more people to read it is fine with me.

Don't get caught!

[Jayme]

I like Chris's idea. :) My school library has a copy. I also plan on reading it for the Spring challenge.

[Jeane]

Becky wrote: "OK! So it looks like The Book Thief won by a couple votes. We'll be reading this one starting March 15th. Everyone get your copy! :)"

Oooooh, again my book won!!!!!!:-)))))

[Felina]

Chris wrote: "Or you could, in being book-theme-oriented, steal a copy."

Oh my gosh that was hilarious! I laughed for 5 minutes. If i'd had a beverage in my mouth I would have spewed it all over my desk.

[Jon]

back to back picks Jeane! well done Miss popular-pants :)

p.s i know you speak every language known to man, but i learnt the German for witch today ...'hexe' arnt languages interesting, Hex is another word for spell for us, so must be same source

[Jeane]

Thanks!

You know that witch in dutch is 'heks'? not that different from hexe.

[Jon]

interesting..

[Jeane]

:-) sarcastic koalino

[Allie]

Just got my copy of The Book Thief today. I will start as soon as I finish The Greatest Knight!

[Lisa]

My daughter is hopefully getting this from the intermediate school library for me today. My first time reading the group read!

BTW Cathedral by the Sea was really good. I haven't read the Ken Follet books yet but it was a good story!

[Kimberly]

Is anyone else reading the Book Thief yet? I'm a little past page 150 and I'm having a hard time really getting into it. I like it okay, but I guess I had super high expectations with all the praise I've heard about it. Anybody else in the same position?

[Jackie]

Kimberly, I read this last year. I don't know what page it was that I actually got into it, but I had a hard time getting into it too. I had high expectations and didn't really see what the big deal was. But there was a certain chapter where things turned around for me.

[Jeane]

Kimberly wrote: "Is anyone else reading the Book Thief yet? I'm a little past page 150 and I'm having a hard time really getting into it. I like it okay, but I guess I had super high expectations with all the pra..."

I am almsot finsihed and really enjoying it. I thught it was a pretty fst and not depressing book to read.

[VMom]

I will confess I have had this book for several years and have never managed to get past the part where she goes to school. I was hoping this group read would inspire me to slog through.

[Kimberly]

I'm glad to hear that I'm not the only to not think it's completely fabulous right from the start. I do have hope for it to pick up though from what you said Jackie. I'll keep with it...