Summer Reading Poll Open for All

The poll to select our summer reading pick is now up. You'll notice a couple of additions, one at the behest of Jackie, who suggested Lamb by Christopher Moore, and, much to my chagrin, Bonnie's suggestions of Twilight and Sophie Kinsella, as well as Jackie's other suggestion of Charlaine Harris. Who said democracy was easy? Poll closes in a week.

Summer Reading

For the next book selection, I thought we'd focus on summer reads - fun reads you can enjoy while sitting under a tree on a sunny summer day. I also thought that we would choose for two months instead of just one, coming back from summer with a new title for September (this has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't finished Cloud Atlas yet). I've compiled a list of summer reads - granted, "summer reads" have different connotations for different people, but I will try my best:

1. A Prayer for Owen Meany - John Irving

2. The Yiddish Policemen's Union - Michael Chabon

3. The Believers - Zoe Heller

4. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers

5. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I've provided five possibilities, but I invite more, if there are any other suggestions. You'll notice that a few of them are familiar, as they have been previous nominees, but I think they fit the category and would be worthy reads for summer. All have great stories told with humour and are relatively short, with, I think, Eggers' book the longest at 375 pages. However, if I'm right, the pages will fly by as we will all have so much fun while reading. Who could ask for more? I'll set up the poll on Thursday with the list of suggestions.

June Selection Poll

I like to use a theme to select potential book club reads, and for June I was drawing a blank, so I decided upon a British writers theme, based mostly on titles sitting on my bookcase that I have yet to read. So, the list of nominees for the June selection are as follows:

Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

I've read Mitchell's Black Swan Green and really enjoyed it, and Cloud Atlas has been up there on my to be read list. Mitchell plays with linearity, telling the story across several generations and through several characters. Its structure is essentially 12 short stories that make up the whole of the novel. Interesting enough to try, anyhow. Here are two views that, in my mind, add to the hype: Reading Matters and this one.

The Believers - Zoë Heller
Zoë Heller is also the author of Notes on a Scandal: What Was She Thinking? that was made into a pretty good movie with Cate Blanchett a few years back. Her latest novel is a "layered and utterly assured study of a family driven by political passion whose personal lives refuse to comply with prescribed ideology." So it's funny and bittersweet and sharp, and brilliant, according to this critic. Sounds interesting!

On Beauty - Zadie Smith
Another modern classic of the British family, Smith's novel was shortlisted for every major award in 2006, winning the Orange Broadband Prize which celebrates female authors. I've read a number of reviews and synopses of On Beauty, and I can only say that it intrigues me more. Her writing is celebrated, the characters are celebrated, the cultural and social issues are celebrated, and, of course, she's celebrated. It sounds delightful.

So there's the three. After researching these three I feel that it is not a question of if I will read them, but in what order. Which will be first? You decide. Poll opens tomorrow.

May Possibilities

I'm currently reading a book from the Extraordinary Canadians series from Penguin, Mordecai Richler by M.G. Vassanji. The series involves contemporary authors writing about Canadian historical figures. So, Nino Ricci writes about Pierre Trudeau, Adrienne Clarkson about Norman Bethune, and so on. Vassanji's book is far from comprehensive, but it is interesting, and quick. It also provides some insight on the man and writer that was Mordecai Richler. Check out the website for more. I'm excited about Glenn Gould, which comes out in September. Anyway, I'm a little interested in biography of late. As such, for the next book selection, I've compiled a list of cool biographies:


1. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls - for a harrowing tale of growing up rough, it certainly has staying power. It is a perennial book club pick, it was on the bestseller list for something like two years and it continues to sell well. From the Chapters.ca blurb: "What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms."
2. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers - the editor of McSweeney's writes about raising his brother after his parents succumb to cancer. Eggers is funny and poignant, and a sharp critic of our times. From the website: "If you're looking here for a story of tears, inspiration and empowerment, try one of Oprah's lachrymal literary offerings. This is unlike any memoir I have ever read. Eggers' story is funny, absurd, clever, self-indulgent and unexpectedly moving. It's not perfect by any means, but it comes close to fulfilling the audacious promise of its title."

3. Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard - Ballard was another staunch critic of our times, mainly through his semi-fantastical stories that pushed the boundaries of fiction and art. He writes about environmental issues in The Drowned World and Rushing to Paradise, and in Crash, about car-crash fetishists. Empire of the Sun recounts his childhood in a Shanghai prison camp after Japanese forces captured the city in WW2. Ballard recently passed away, so it is timely as well. The other two are still alive, I believe.

There you have it. Three worthy contenders for the May book club selection. Voting closes by Friday midnight, so please get those voting fingers primed.

It's almost May!

I guess we should pick the next book. For once, I am without a theme. Some Dickens to fit a Victoria Day theme? Dostoevsky for May Day? J.G. Ballard? Let's enjoy the Spring air for a few days and ruminate.

March Picks

With only a week left of February, it's time to pick a book for March. What will it be? So far we've read three Canadian books, an American "book", an award winner, and a memoir, so what's next? A classic? Perhaps an Irish pick to celebrate St. Patrick's? Decisions! But not much time: let's get some suggestions in so we can vote and get reading. I'll set up the poll by Friday.

Take Your Pick

Our short read selection warranted two suggestions, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (64 pages) and The Uncommon Reader (121 pages). Don't let the fact that one is twice as long as the other be your deciding factor - I'm sure each book will fly by as I am certain they will be entertaining reads.
Continuing with the short read, the poll is open for three short days. Vote now!

New Month, New Book Selection

Now that December is here, it's time to choose the next book on our reading list. There are no criteria regarding selection, but here are some suggestions: Bonnie reminded me that 3 of the 4 books we've chosen thus far have been by Canadian authors, so we may want to branch out a touch. And with the bevy of "best of" lists and awards in the past month, we might want to look to those. That being said, every book is a contender!
The timetable: we'll take nominations until next Monday, the 8th, and then I will set up the poll to run until the 15th. At that time, we will have our new book and set the target for reviews by the end of January. Get those thinking caps on and, like the Canadian public will be soon enough, we'll take to the polls.

October's candidates

While everyone is still enjoying Spook so much, it is time to choose the next book. We have three worthy contenders: The Flying Troutmans by Miriam Toews, A Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion and Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. It's quite a mix: a tragicomic road trip, a heartwrenching biography and a burn ward love story. Of course, these descriptions are oversimplified. Each promises to be an interesting read. I'll open the voting for an indefinite amount of time - until we are ready to read, I guess. I also invite all non-clubbers vote - which book do you think we should read? To the polls!

June Poll

The process of selecting the next book club title has begun! So far we have three contenders - The Road by Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy and Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie. From what I can tell, all are worthy contenders. Let the voting begin! Everyone is invited to vote on our next selection and leave a comment telling us why we should read that particular book. Also, if there are other titles you feel we should consider, put those forth as well and we will vote. Voting will end next Friday, however, and the reviews will start popping up by month's end.