Books on the Nightstand discussion
What do you want us to talk/write about?
Megan wrote: "I do have a suggestion that I would appreciate though I'm not sure how many other people are interested in hearing it in the podcast. I am totally obsessed with all the election coverage and the d..."
There are three books that I have found particularly enlightening in regards to political science: Julius Caesar (play by William Shakespeare); All the King's Men (fiction by Robert Penn Warren) and; Master of the Senate (by Robert Caro.) Julius Caesar is interesting not only interesting in the politics it portrays; but interesting in contrast to the Elizabethan politics of the time and the play's relevance to our own times. All the Kings' Men is loosely based on the career of Huey Long of Louisiana and riveting prose besides. Then there is Master of the Senate which is about Lyndon B. Johnson's career in the Senate: eye opening and a definite must read for those who want to understand the workings of things up on The Hill.
There are three books that I have found particularly enlightening in regards to political science: Julius Caesar (play by William Shakespeare); All the King's Men (fiction by Robert Penn Warren) and; Master of the Senate (by Robert Caro.) Julius Caesar is interesting not only interesting in the politics it portrays; but interesting in contrast to the Elizabethan politics of the time and the play's relevance to our own times. All the Kings' Men is loosely based on the career of Huey Long of Louisiana and riveting prose besides. Then there is Master of the Senate which is about Lyndon B. Johnson's career in the Senate: eye opening and a definite must read for those who want to understand the workings of things up on The Hill.
Mod
Megan, I just picked up a book at the library today that I've been waiting to get for awhile. I heard about it on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. It is Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress--and a Plan to Stop It.
I'll let you know what I think, but it will be at least a week before I can start it.
Michael, I was inspired by your revelation about not having read Charles Dickens. So my "True Confession" is, I had never read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. Now, at 60, I finally read it. Thank you for your courage to speak out!
Robin,I am 57 and I just read Pride and Prejudice last year. I kick myself for waiting so long and am wondering how many other wonderful books I have avoided. I'm not one to think I have to have read every classic but it does reveal some holes in my education that I prefer weren't there.
I just saw this blog on the Guardian website and thought that this could be an interesting little call-in subject for BOTNS. Which books were you unable to finish because you were so appalled by a protagonist's actions or character? Or perhaps you just had to put the book aside and steady your nerves? I know I've had to do that on occasion, just making a cup of tea and taking deep breaths before returning to the book just before something horrific is about to happen.
Anyway, here is the blog post I am referring to:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/books...
Beth wrote: "My husband , daughters (age 12 and 14) and I are driving to Texas for spring break (from Minnesota). I am looking for a good "read aloud" book for the car. I have swamplandia on my shortest "to r..."Lost Army Of Cambyses is a great audiobook, an exciting mystery/thriller set in Egypt with people trying to find this lost army from ancient times. It's plot driven and a light, enjoyable book to listen to, good for younger folk. I've been trying for weeks to remember the name and it just came to me today. . .
I've been listening to many of your podcasts (and I think they are fantastic (and à bit "dangerous" cause my to-read list gets longer and longer)) and I noticed that you often say "well, I haven't read this book and I think I am going to because it sounds great".Maybe it would be fun to see what books Ann has read "because" of a Michael recommendation and vice-versa.
The same way BOTNS influences the readings of your listeners. Maybe you have been influenced by one another.
I love this idea! It would be a fun way to celebrate an anniversary for BOTNS -- things you learned from each other.Julie wrote: "I've been listening to many of your podcasts (and I think they are fantastic (and à bit "dangerous" cause my to-read list gets longer and longer)) and I noticed that you often say "well, I haven't..."
I have an idea that might have been suggested already, so I apologize in advance if you already did it or someone else has already suggested it. Can you do a show that is dedicated to picture books? One part could be a discussion of the kinds of picture books that are out there, maybe. Another section could discuss some your recommendations withing subgenres of picture books. For example, I have seen some wonderful nonfiction picture books recently. Then there are the hidden treasures, the classics, and anthologies or books about picture books that might be fun for adults to read. This might be a fun podcast to do just before summer begins, when parents are shopping for books for a summer road trip. What do you think?
Out of curiosity, do you both work only with bookstores, or do you work with libraries, too?As a librarian, I enjoy compiling lists of books and making them available to the public. The public takes them and hopefully finds some use in them.
From BOTNS, I know that you both get plenty to read in your work, but I wondered if you have any experience making use of bibliographies to find yet more things to read.
Mod
I am an English teacher at an incredibly rural school with no funds for books. Any suggestions on where I can find class sets of books cheaply? Our department consists of two newbies, and we are trying to update and establish a new curriculum. We are even starting AP classes next year!Thanks for any advice!
Ashley wrote: "I am an English teacher at an incredibly rural school with no funds for books. Any suggestions on where I can find class sets of books cheaply? Our department consists of two newbies, and we are ..."Try World Books online.
Mod
Betterworldbooks.com
We're expecting a new little bundle of joy in the family, so I was excited to find this blog post about books to start Baby's library. I don't know much about babies or books for babies, although of course I recognize some of the suggestions from my own childhood. I'd love to hear a podcast about books that are essential for a baby's bookshelf. http://blog.hpb.com/hpb-blog/2012/3/2...
I have noticed on goodreads that, on average, non-fiction books have higher ratings than fiction books. Most of the non-fiction books on my to-read list are >4.0 and most of the fiction ones are between 3 and 4. I wonder why that is and if it's just my sample. . .
Becky wrote: "I have noticed on goodreads that, on average, non-fiction books have higher ratings than fiction books. Most of the non-fiction books on my to-read list are >4.0 and most of the fiction ones are be..."I think it may be your sample. I just looked at my list and they seem to all be in the high threes and into the fours regardless of fiction/non-fiction. You'll just have to look for some high rated fiction books!
I have a good friend who is in two book clubs that each meet monthly. But she's also busy with work and other pursuits. So she is constantly telling me that she has 'read' her book club book but has really only read 1/2 of it before book club meets and may ultimately not finish it at all. I tease her that she hasn't really 'read' the book. But has she? How much of a book do you need to complete before you consider it 'read'? For me, a book that has been 'read' has been completed. But perhaps my standard is too strict.
Your thoughts?
Carol wrote: "I have a good friend who is in two book clubs that each meet monthly. But she's also busy with work and other pursuits. So she is constantly telling me that she has 'read' her book club book but ha..."I am with you on this. A book is read once you get to that last full stop. On the very last page. Anything else is an attempt at the book. Two members of my book club do this all the time. And when I called them on it, they said that they add value to the discussion even though they have not read the book! Sigh.
Carol wrote: "I have a good friend who is in two book clubs that each meet monthly. But she's also busy with work and other pursuits. So she is constantly telling me that she has 'read' her book club book but ha..."I totally agree with you, Carol. I belong to 2 book clubs ( one monthly and one every other month ) and the 2 books I never finished were classics, a Hemingway and The Last of the Mohicans. I tried to be quiet and respectful of the discussion. On the other hand, the eldest member of the group long retired, never has time to finish the book and then we get bogged down explaining things to him. It annoys more than a few of us and now he occasionally brings a guest and she doesn't finish the book either!
Oh, and to be considered "read" you have to finish the whole book, either listening or reading :)
Carol wrote: "I have a good friend who is in two book clubs that each meet monthly. But she's also busy with work and other pursuits. So she is constantly telling me that she has 'read' her book club book but ha..."I'm with you, Carol; to be considered 'read' it must have been completed to the very last page. There's a lot that happens in the last half (or quarter, or chapter, or page) of many books, so I don't understand how anyone could claim to have read them if they quit before the finish.
Now let's talk about skimming; I know there are people who can do this and maintain a sense of what the book is about, but as a writer, I consider this a tremendous disservice to the author who labored over each word, sentence, and chapter in order to convey the story to the very best of his or her ability. It breaks my heart to think of someone skimming, in a few minutes, a chapter that took someone weeks or months of research, initial writing, editing, re-editing, etc. I have a dictionary and thesaurus on my desk, and I consult them frequently to find the perfect word for what I'm trying to say. I don't want anyone to miss those gems I worked so hard to create!
I agree that "read" means the whole thing. Often, however, I try really hard to read a book that I don't like and just can't. So I will go and explain why I didn't like it and enjoy learning what happened and why other people did like it without holding up the discussion.We also get people who "just couldn't get hold of the book" (which means they put a hold on the one copy at our local library instead of ordering one through interlibrary loan) or couldn't finish it do to circumstances beyond their control. I don't mind if they don't mind spoilers!
What bugs me the most are members who read the book long enough ago that they've forgotten most of the details, but didn't reread the book! I reread anything I've previously read.
Mod
I agree with you, Carol. But I don't know where my dividing line would be, I'm pretty sure it would be wa-a-a-ay more than 1/2. So often I don't even have a clear idea until 80-90%.
Joanne wrote: "I agree that "read" means the whole thing. Often, however, I try really hard to read a book that I don't like and just can't. So I will go and explain why I didn't like it and enjoy learning what h..."I absolutely cannot read a book more than a week or two in advance of a book club meeting because I simply don't retain enough details to allow my participation in discussion, and what's the point of going to all the trouble to suggest it/read it if I don't get to put in my two cents' worth?!?
Bobbi wrote: " I absolutely cannot read a book more than a week or two in advance of a book club meeting because I simply don't retain enough details to allow my participation in discussion, and what's the point of going to all the trouble to suggest it/read it if I don't get to put in my two cents' worth?!?"I agree with you, Bobbi. I'm a pretty fast reader, so I can usually get away with waiting until the weekend before to start the book. So far, this has only burned me once on a book that I did attend the discussion for, and I hated not being able to answer all of the questions.
That's another thing- we usually get the questions ahead of time, so I like to make notes and put in post-its as I go, so I can refer back during the discussion, but I seem to be the only person in my group who does this. Is getting the questions ahead of time and noting the answers a common occurrence for others?
Callie wrote: "Bobbi wrote: " I absolutely cannot read a book more than a week or two in advance of a book club meeting because I simply don't retain enough details to allow my participation in discussion, and wh..."I don't know if getting the questions ahead of time is common; my book club has never done that. We often use the Reader's Group Guides as jumping off points to get the discussion flowing, but then we go off on tangents as our answers/comments bring up other points.
We often get the questions ahead of time, too, but I refrain from reading them until I've actually finished (and that means *finished*, not read half or 95%!!) the book because they sometimes contain spoilers.
Callie wrote: "Is getting the questions ahead of time and noting the answers a common occurrence for others?"My book group does not send out questions early either. Occasionally we may use a reader's guide or other pre-existing questions, but usually the discussion is prettly free flowing.
i just saw that j.k. rowling's next book after the harry potter series will be released in september of this year. i thought this might be an interesting topic. when writers have such a popular series, or work, and then they make a transition to a new genre or look towards publishing a second book. in this case rowling is changing genres from YA to adult fiction. i imagine there is tremendous pressure on her to find a new audience. or does one assume she will have a built in audience with the number of people, adults and teens, that read the harry potter series.
anyway, i thought it might be a good topic for conversation.
I suspect that her new publishers will sell thousands of copies on September 27th on the strength of her success in the past. Earlier today, the book had overall 5 star ratings from users on Goodreads.... even though nobody has read it yet. Absurd. What galls me is that the retail price for the e-book in the UK is going to be a ludicrous £12.99 - they are obviously looking to rake in the profits as quickly as they can, just in case the book isn't as good as people expect it to be...
"What galls me is that the retail price for the e-book in the UK is going to be a ludicrous £12.99..."/i>Sorry, make that £11.99.
Books on my Re-Read List:With so many books on our reading lists, and so little time to read for most of us, why on earth would we spend precious reading time re-reading a book? The fact of the matter is that there are some books that offer us such pleasure, delight, or sense of wonder that once is just not enough. Here are my lists:
Books I have re-read:
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
Books on my Re-read list:
Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray
The Pleasure of My Company by Steve Martin
Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor
Anyone else have this "problem"?
Tawny
I seldom reread these days because tempis fugit and so much great writing is still out there to be discovered. However, a few books call out to me to open them again and again:James Hilton, Lost Horizon
Betty MacDonald, The Egg and I and Onions in the Stew
Elizabeth von Arnim, The Enchanted April
Dashiell Hammett, The Glass Key
Jack Finney, Time and Again
Bel Kaufman, Up the Down Staircase (Why this one? I don't know, but something about the narrator's interoffice-mail battles with her school's "Admin Ass" resonates with me.)
Tawny, I agree with you about Excellent Women, which makes me smile but has puzzled other people I know who don't recognize the satire.
the only books i've re-read i've read because i'm teaching them or i encountered them more than once in college.it's a short list:
The Scarlet Letter
The Grapes of Wrath
The Things They Carried
that's it! i just don't have the time to re-read items.
Here are my humble suggestions1. Indie Books 2. Trilogies 3.Motivational/Inspirational Books 4. Best selling and worth reading Biographies/Autobiographies 5. Up and coming new authors
That's all for now I will add anything else that comes to mind later.
Hope you received my email about weird,unusual,unique,original books as another podcast topic.I am your number one podcast fan-I love it that you guys keep it concise and to the point-it never gets too tedious, boring or overwhleming.Thank you! ;)
I'm curious about how books get classified into different genres. Am I the only one who gets really annoyed when I search for historical novels, and find that much of the resulting list are bodice rippers? I love historical novels, and while not opposed romance, I simply do not understand how many books gets this tag. In your opinion, what constitutes a historical novel?
Maybe this belongs under another topic,but I would like some help. I , like all of you, have many books in my library. I only keep those that I think I may read again, are signed by the author, or have some sentimental value. I have never labeled them in any way, but am considering doing so now. What are the pros and cons of bookplates, embossers, etc. I'd like it to be classy and identifiable, so I'm looking for suggestions.
Anita,Are you asking for this to be a show topic or just looking for consensus?
Janet wrote: "Anita,Are you asking for this to be a show topic or just looking for consensus?"
I don't know that there is enough for a show topic. I am just looking for suggestions and ideas from the group. Although, since I know so little, maybe there are enough different ways to be a short segment.
I'd be interested in a podcast topic on "Ghost-writers": - who chooses them / does the (named) author get to pick?
- does the ghost-writer write a memoir in the name of the author following a series of interviews (as in the eponymous movie) or does s/he work as a simultaneous editor of anything the (named) author cobbles together?
- how much credit does a ghost-writer get for their contribution (I mean acknowledgement rather than financial rewards)?
- how can the reader find out whether or not an auto-biography/memoir has been written by a ghost-writer? Is there anything mentioned in the book's details that would hint at that?
- are there any well-known (in the publishing world) ghost-writers, or are they just, well, ghosts?
- are there any ghost-writers who have successfully published any novels or non-fiction in their own name?
- how do writers get into ghost-writing? What's the "career ladder"?
I am sure there are some other interesting details around the subject of ghost-writing that I haven't even thought of, so hopefully you agree that it could make an interesting subject matter for one of your segments.
Mod
I'll bet there are many of us who could use more information on this topic.
Carol wrote: "Nice idea Kats...are you thinking of a new career? :)"
Haha, hardly! I struggle composing "readable" book reviews, so forget writing an entire book!
Hi Elizabeth, perfect timing to post this question. Library Journal just posted an article that comments on the question, and it also features links to a couple of additional discussions on the issue. Here's the link to the LJ article on historical fiction:http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/201...
I would also recommend the history book club at Goodreads. You might find some resources there in learning where to find the literary historical fiction? Good luck!
Elizabeth wrote: "I'm curious about how books get classified into different genres. Am I the only one who gets really annoyed when I search for historical novels, and find that much of the resulting list are bodice ..."
Kristen wrote: "Hi Elizabeth, perfect timing to post this question. Library Journal just posted an article that comments on the question, and it also features links to a couple of additional discussions on the iss..."Thanks!
I'd like to know if you've ever heard of a site that can help you track down a book whose title and/or author you can't remember. I've read a couple of superb books by a particular author, but I absolutely cannot remember either a first or last name or the title of any of the books, just some details about the plots. I last read one several years ago, so she's probably published more since then. I'd love to find a discussion group or something like that where you could post what you remember in hopes that someone else would recognize the book and help you out.
Mod
There used to be a list called stumpers_l. It was succeeded by Project Wombat. You can join and post your question.
http://project-wombat.org/faq.shtml
In addition you could start a new thread and give more details and some great reader here might come up with your book.
You could also ask your favorite librarian who could post your question to fiction_l, a listserv for readers' advisory questions.
Loganberrybooks.com will charge you a fee to post your question.
Hope this helps!
Loganberry Books does charge a low fee to post a question, but its website also includes the responses to other people's queries over the years, one or more of which might match up with yours.I only found out about ABE's Forums page a few days ago (through the aforementioned Project Wombat, my favorite discussion group). As at Loganberry, users can describe forgotten books and provide input on other people's queries, but ABE's service is free. Go to http://forums.abebooks.com/abecom and click on "BookSleuth Forum."
Kathy
Books on the Nightstand
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Mark Helprin (other topics)
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Thanks Linda! I will definitely check this out next! I look forward to any other recommendations you or others have!