Improving the group

[Diane]

I agree Serafina. With another group, I forced myself to read Burial Rites which I would not have read - too depressing and grisly sounding. It wound up being my favorite book so far this year.

[Paul]

Cathleen, it was such a popular book id imagine there is a lot of reasonably priced copies out there. :-)

[Cathleen]

Paul wrote: "Cathleen, it was such a popular book id imagine there is a lot of reasonably priced copies out there. :-)"

I just ordered it, so it should be here by the weekend. Now you all have me curious about this book, so I'll be keen to start it.

[[deleted user]]

Off the top of my head, two books I never would have read are: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and The Butterfly Cabinet. I loved both and I'm so glad to have found them through the group.

[Paul]

Cathleen, honestly it is an amazing book that has everything, Angels and Demons, witches and witch hunters, Antichrists and there loyal pet dog, The four bikers of the Apocalypse and its all so well written, witty and funny with fantastic popular culture references its hard not to live it all .

[Paul]

You're gonna love the dog ;-)

[Paul]

Id never vote for a book if I knew the dog gets it. :-)

[Colleen]

Paul glad to know that sometimes I worry about a dog or a cat getting it though the whole novel because it seems pets always get it.My daughter for summer reading has to read Until Tuesday: A Wounded Warrior and the Golden Retriever Who Saved Him and the first thing she did was go on line to find out if the dog dies.

[Paul]

Dogs can be too expendable in books these days ;-)

[[deleted user]]

@Cathleen. I can see a TV3 special in the making. It's sounds like the kind of day-time movie my ma loves.

Re. dogs: I am Legend gets me every time. If you haven't seen it, don't watch it. It'll make you feel down for week.

[Paul]

I've seen it and now you've reminded me of it so I'm bloody depressed for the day

[[deleted user]]

It was the first thing I.thought of when the conversation turned to dogs. It's a real heartbreaker, for sure.

[Paul]

Isn't it funny how the loyal dog death can get to you so much more than a persons

[Seraphina]

Avoid Marley and me at all costs then. I'm still not over it

[[deleted user]]

And Old Yeller!

[Paul]

You can watch the Phoebe version safely enough

[[deleted user]]

And the Phoebe cut of Bambi.

[Allan]

On our way to Vegas in 2009, I made the mistake of watching Marley and Me, and really couldn't help myself when the dog died. I've no idea what the passengers around me must've thought was wrong, as I'd already been in floods watching that documentary where the lion that was brought up in captivity in London was released into the wild in Africa, but greeted his old owner with a big hug a year later, when the owner returned to see how it was getting on.

I'm not really someone who shows emotion in that way, but I'm a sucker for sad animal stories!

[[deleted user]]

@Allan. We've all been there. I remember watching Monsters Inc. with my brother and sister when they were kids, in the cinema. I had to restrain myself from jumping up with my fistsraised and shouting 'hit the p****!' when Boo started hitting Randal. It still gets me.

@Emma. You don't like dogs!!?? SMH!

[Allan]

There's a short summary of the subject of the documentary off YouTube in case anyone thinks I dreamt the whole thing! :)

http://youtu.be/rqhJuwUukX8

[[deleted user]]

It's a famous clip, Allan, and you have our absolute trust at this stage.

[Paul]

Randell was quite the shit Declan ;-)

[[deleted user]]

He got what he deserved! :)

[Paul]

I Am Legend should be right up your street. Post Apocalyptic Vampire book with lots of gore.

[Diane]

Ha! Me too, at least of mid to large size dogs. I never admitted it to anyone until several years ago when I met a decorated veteran of both Vietnam and Desert Storm at a party who expressed his fear of dogs. He was over 6' and still fit as could be. I figured if he could admit it, I could also. I came out of the closet.

[Susan]

Diane, I often find the larger dogs to be the friendliest. I have a chihuahu daschund mix, a chiweiner, and he barks and can be ankle biter. As a small dog he has that Napoleon complex. I love him but he's very protective of me and can try to bite people who come too close too me. When I go to the library I leave him tied to the scooter when I run inside. When I come out he is often sitting on the scooter's seat to protect it. I love him but... My postwoman says little dogs are often the worst.

[Susan]

My son's dog is part rot/part chow and is lovable as can be.

[Seraphina]

I agree Susan, small dogs have an inferiority complex. We have a Weimaraner who is 30+kg and is constantly having to fend off yappy small dogs trying to challenge her.

[Susan]

My dog thinks he's the same size as the big dogs. He has no perspective.

[Seraphina]

The big dog sounds like mine JL, a big chicken. Lol. But a loveable one.

[[deleted user]]

I had a Border Collie/Labrador who weighed 29kg and thought he was a little puppy. He'd walk around on my lap in a circle (as I groaned) and the curl up into a ball, there. I miss him a lot.

[Susan]

Our improvement has gone to the dogs. Gotta love them. I'm telling you that big dogs can be dolls. Do you know how much 29 kg is in pounds, Declan? You know we silly Americans run in terror from the metric system.

[[deleted user]]

It's about 65 lbs, Susan. He was pretty big.

[Susan]

Thank you, Declan. I shouldn't have been so lazy as to not look it up myself. I see metrics and go into cardiac arrest. Sorry.

[[deleted user]]

No worries, Susan. It's why I'm here. :)

[Seraphina]

Sounds like some great dogs

[Sara]

Did we ever make a decision on whether or not to change our voting rules to allow for a runoff? I fear that discussion may have gotten lost in the midst of all the dog talk.

[[deleted user]]

@Seraphina. Well, mine were certainly great dogs. :)

@Sara. Next time around I'll be giving extra time so a second poll can be arranged. If the second poll ends in a tie I'll be casting a deciding vote.

I'll be casting a vote in the initial poll for the first time since I became moderator, which I'm looking forward to.

[Allan]

So am I right that there'll only be a runoff if there's a tie, or will there be a runoff of the top two books, no matter what?

I'm sure it'll be refreshing to be able to have a say in the polls as a matter of course, Declan. :)

[[deleted user]]

In the event of a tie, Allan. It keeps things running smoothly easily, I think.

I can't even remember the last book I voted for. :-/

[Paul]

not even if they're cute friendly dogs :-)

[[deleted user]]

Well, you've brought nothing but good things, Jamielynn. :)

[[deleted user]]

Thank, Jamielynn. :) It wouldn't be much of a group, though, if it was just me organising folders.

[Susan]

Well don't forget your pithy remarks.

[[deleted user]]

Witty banter needs more than one person, Susan. A good group needs plenty of people adding their bit.

[Susan]

Yes, I think our group has so improved from when I first joined. Last summer was when it really started when Allan and Sara joined us. Then it was just improved person by person. Still I know what a terrible moderator is and I am so grateful we have you.

[[deleted user]]

Well, thank you, Susan. I always appreciate compliments. :)

[[deleted user]]

Nah! I like it here just fine, Jamielynn. :) I don't need other groups.

[Paul]

I thought it was stated on the intro text that you couldn't but it's a little vague.
I suppose the voting process weeds out books the group don't want to read. but I'm not mad on the idea that all the interaction we get from a member is ,First post- I've wrote(or am promoting) a book/ 2nd Post I nominate said book / No third Post.
My understanding is that if you nominate or vote for a book you are undertaking to read it and discuss it with the group

[Seraphina]

I don't really mind it as long as the said book doesn't get voted as the monthly read, which it generally doesn't because it puts off alot of people when authors do that. If the book was good enough it would have been nominated by an actual member and not the person trying to sell it.