Nominations for What to Read: February 2012 - Closed.

[William]

Here's the place to nominate books for February 2012!
One nomination per person please!
Nominations will run from now to Jan. 9th.
The poll for these books will run from Jan. 9th-16th.

Already added to the list due to receiving the most votes in the previous month but not enough to win are:
written by J.M. Coetzee
and
written by Steven Galloway

[Mauk]

My Name is Red written by Orhan Pamuk (Nobel Prize 2006)

[Deborah]

Um, not so much a suggestion, as a discussion point, (there isn't a thread that seemed appropriate for this)would you be guys be open to reading a bit of China Mieville?

He is genre, but he's unexpected and I think his writing is beautiful. He's a smart writer, and I think interesting because he's often pushing himself in new directions.

He has a new book. I haven't read it, but it might be good. (Oh, it is a recommendation after all!) Embassytown.

[Adam]

James Howard Kunstler's "World Made by Hand" (2009)

[Logophile]

I'm pretty sure our "charter" says something about "all genres" (and if not, I'll go put that in there!) Some books really transcend genre, and I'm always interested in those--the kind you recommend to friends as a really great book that happens to be [name the genre], and not just a really great [name the genre] book.

[Thom]

Paullina Simons First published in 2000.

[[deleted user]]

I nominate Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. It's a departure from the type of book I usually choose, but sources I trust have rated it highly, and it's loaded with 80's trivia, which might be fun.

[Maggie]

I second the nomination of My Name is Red byOrhan Pamuk. This is a major contemporary writer,

[William]

I think rather than nominate Blankets again (oh, you wait! I will someday!)...I will instead use my bullet this month on something more likely to be accepted...I considered long and hard to nominate Rushdie's Shalimar the Clown, but instead I re-nominate a book someone else nominated last month that looked cool, LA Times fiction award, Stonewall winner, and Man Booker nominee:

The Master written by Colm Tóibín

[Sophia]

I'd like to nominate 'The Blue Book' by A.L. Kennedy

[Jenny]

Will wrote: "I think rather than nominate Blankets again (oh, you wait! I will someday!)...I will instead use my bullet this month on something more likely to be accepted...I considered long and hard to nominat..."

Oh Will thanks, I wasn't really sure whether to just be stubborn and nominate The Master again... I am very glad you did. I guess next month it is my turn then to go on and nominate "Blankets" (which received fabulous reviews in Germany I just realized) I would actually like to give it a go at some point, especially because it's a genre I hardly ever (well: never) read.

[Logophile]

I'm up for a graphic novel. But there are just so many good choices! The Blue Book is another one that wasn't on my radar but looks really interesting. It's going to be another tough poll this month!

[William]

There's certainly a ton of terrible graphic novels, but most readers don't seem to know that there are some without superheros and tights, telling deeply felt human stories with the kind of nuance and understatement that makes even the tiniest phrase cut down to the bone, and is only possible with the format. There might not be any book as isolated and lonely as Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth and frankly they should MAKE high school kids read

I will nominate blankets again someday, never fear!

[Jenny]

I just thought that in case we realize that graphic novels are truly unlikely to win a poll because of the genre, but enough people (which seems to be the case with Blankets, also the one you mentioned above sounds really interesting) are interested in reading it, we could turn it into a little side project, which could run next to the monthly-read. Anyhow, the idea of an occasional theme- or genre-based selection next to, or instead of the regular one might be a posibility.

Mmh...do we have a suggestions-thread? I just realize that I am not really nominating a book but an idea :)

[William]

the administration folder is a good place as any to suggest things, but really here works too. I had considered doing it as a side read, but I was hoping people would eventually give in before the next century. Let it not be said I'm an impatient man.

But really, I think a side read might be a good idea in the future, perhaps when (not if) we get yet more members. I really think this is a great concept for a group (the whole 21st century lit thing) and I'm positive we'll just keep growing.

[Deborah]

Do they exist in digital form? My main objection isn't stigma, but convenience.

[William]

Yes, they are perfect for the digital age. They even have their own file formats and freely downloadable viewers. Very nice and convenient.

[William]

Ok, closing the nominations for this month, poll will be up in a few minutes!