What are we going to read in this group?

[Werner]

Since I've been having quite a bit of trouble intermittently with my Internet connection lately, I decided it would be prudent to get the poll up while it's working. So, it's posted, and will open for voting tomorrow --which will actually be in a bit over three hours, Eastern Daylight Time, since Goodreads considers "tomorrow" to begin at midnight. :-) I'll try to broadcast a message to all the group members tomorrow.

[Deb]

Hi Werner,
Can you post a link? None of my searches brought up the poll.

Thanks!
Deb.

[Bionic Jean]

In case Werner doesn't see this for a bit, it's here Deb https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/6...

[Werner]

Thanks, Jean! Deb, you can also access it by clicking on Polls in the embedded links at the top of this page (or any of our group's other pages). It's the first poll, at the top of the Polls page. Hope that helps!

[Bionic Jean]

Happy to help, Werner (and Deb)😊

[Deb]

Bionic Jean wrote: "Happy to help, Werner (and Deb)😊"

Thanks, Jean and Werner. I also received the message this morning (my birthday!) and have already voted. Good choices this year!

[Werner]

Deb, happy birthday to you! :-)

[Bionic Jean]

Happy Birthday Deb! 🎉🎈I hope you can snatch some time to enjoy yourself!

[Georgann]

Happy BD Deb!

[Werner]

Voting on the poll is now complete, and The Jewel of Seven Stars will be our group read in October, having edged The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral with 16 votes to 15. (The latter book made a very strong showing, and I think there might be a good case for putting it in the poll next year as well!) We'll start our read on Oct. 1, as usual, and I'll plan to get a discussion thread up on that day, if not sooner.

[Georgann]

Sounds good! I'll be there!

[Rosemarie]

I'm in!

[Werner]

Great; glad to have you both aboard! :-)

[Deb]

Looking forward to our read!

The book is available for free download on Gutenberg and Kindle, .99 on Nook.

[Werner]

Sorry about my recent absence! From a bit before 10:00 a.m. on Friday until a little before 5:00 p.m. today, both my home and the BU library were without electrical power, because of a widespread power outage in this area caused by the disastrous windstorms accompanying Hurricane Helene. This is my first opportunity to be online since Friday morning. My family and I didn't suffer any injuries or property damage (just inconvenience). My hope and prayer is that others in the affected area also came through all right!

The discussion thread for The Jewel of Seven Stars is now up, here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... !

[Deb]

Werner wrote: "Sorry about my recent absence! From a bit before 10:00 a.m. on Friday until a little before 5:00 p.m. today, both my home and the BU library were without electrical power, because of a widespread p..."

So glad all is well with you and your library, Werner! Must have been scary.

[Werner]

Well, we knew we weren't actually in physical danger (since, thankfully, the weather was warm), but it was big-time inconvenient, and I missed Goodreads sorely!

[Werner]

With October fast approaching, it's again time to begin brainstorming about what book to pick for our annual group read! I suggest last year's runner up, The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral by Robert Westall. It has an intriguing premise, is short enough to be a quick read, and I greatly liked a short story by Westall that I read earlier.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime]

I highly recommend (whether for the upcoming group read or for individual reading) the exceptional Cosmic Horror in Microcosm, The Cold Visitor. Original premise; great characterizations; excellent use of imagery. I found it riveting. (Anyone is welcome to peruse my review.) It is available on both Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

[Werner]

Cobwebs-Iced-in-Space, our group rules (posted at the "Group info" link at the top of the homepage, just below the group name) state that: "Books written by group members, self-published or small press books, and books published in the past year will not be considered for the official group reads, and will not be put in the polls." The Cold Visitor is ineligible on two grounds, being both self-published and very new (just published last month). We have that rule because very new books and self-published/small-press books are difficult for members to get by interlibrary loan if they don't want to buy the book.

[Deb]

Werner wrote: "With October fast approaching, it's again time to begin brainstorming about what book to pick for our annual group read! I suggest last year's runner up, [book:The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral|474..."

August already! Where did the time go? Your suggestion looks good, Werner, especially for people without a lot of reading time as the book is pretty short.

[Werner]

Deb wrote: "...the book is pretty short."

That was a factor in my thinking, too, Deb, since another group I'm in will be doing a group read of a very thick book around that time!

[Werner]

Since The Stones of Muncaster Cathedral is the only suggestion made so far, there's no need for a poll; it's chosen as our annual read for this year by acclamation! I added it to our bookshelf just now, and I'm looking forward to the read. :-)

[Deb]

That's great, Werner! I'm looking forward to it, too!

[Werner]

I've already got my copy in hand! It won't be long now. :-)

[Georgann]

I put mine on hold from my library.

[Werner]

Glad you're in, Georgann!

[Bionic Jean]

I'm not sure how accessible this is, but it is an excellent BBC radio dramatisation for those interested https://archive.org/details/robert-we...

If you don't like blurbs, don't scroll down too far! As with M.R. James, it's all suggestion and the blurb can reveal too much.

[Werner]

Thanks for that link, Jean!

[Bionic Jean]

Just let me know if you'd like it in the dedicated thread (I had misremembered, and thought all the common reads were discussed in this thread.)

[Werner]

Bionic Jean wrote: "(I had misremembered, and thought all the common reads were discussed in this thread.)"

No worries, Jean; at the time you posted, the dedicated thread wasn't even up yet. :-) But if you don't mind, go ahead and cross-post the link to that thread (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... ) too; some people may see it there who wouldn't spot it here. Thanks!