Discussion leading: technical problems. Help!

[Ophelia]

First two problems:

1- I have decided on 9 headings and postings in (somewhat) logical order.
As I started I realized that if I wanted posting 9 to appear at the bottom, not the top of the list, I would have to write my posts in reverse order.

How do other leaders deal with this?

2- I find I am allowed to "edit" a posting, but not "get rid of" (hence the "mistake" headings).
Do you know if this can be done?

[Chris OConnor]

This has always annoyed me too. There doesn't appear to be a way to make the threads appear in the correct order without starting with creating the last chapter thread first and then working in reverse creating each of the next chapters. So start at the end and create them in reverse order such as 10, 9, 8, 7, 6... This is how I have always created the chapter threads.

[Chris OConnor]

Personally, I would delete the Roman numerals as they lead people to believe that they correspond to chapters or sections that are labeled with those Roman numerals. And in my copy of the book there are no Roman numerals to be found.

Then again this could be a cultural difference. I believe you're in France and you may be more comfortable with Roman numerals than I am. I have to pause and think before I know which Roman numeral comes before the next. But you are the discussion leader and I am but one person sharing his opinion. If you would like to use Roman numerals continue to do so. There are no rules and you're doing a fine job. I am sharing my opinion because you seem genuinely interested in feedback.

Also, please note that this book isn't getting much attention on the forums. I selected it myself in an effort to quickly reintroduce fiction to BookTalk. Months and months ago we discontinued offering fiction book discussions. I felt recently that we ought to reintroduce fiction, but it would be too time consuming to initiate a discussion of the idea on the forums, wait for feedback, then ask for fiction book suggestions, then construct a poll and take a vote. I wanted to get a quality book discussion up and running quickly and A Thousand Splendid Suns was my choice and decision. Hopefully, we see some activity in that book discussion forum. If we don't please don't take it personally.

The next fiction book scheduled is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I've asked the community for fiction book suggestions and am still waiting for our existing members to get excited by the reintroduction of fiction. Wicked is a highly rated good read, but as of today I haven't seen much excitement by that choice. But I also haven't seen much excitement by fiction in general.

[Mr. P]

The next fiction book scheduled is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I've asked the community for fiction book suggestions and am still waiting for our existing members to get excited by the reintroduction of fiction. Wicked is a highly rated good read, but as of today I haven't seen much excitement by that choice. But I also haven't seen much excitement by fiction in general.

I read fiction more than anything right now...but it is a specific fiction...mostly sci-fi. I have little interest in "real-life" fiction type books, like the current selection, and I just will not read it. I was going to try to read "wicked", but I am not too hot over the whole "let's re-write what someone else wrote" type of thing. But I would at least try to read it.

"Ender's Game" was a great selection for fiction and I think the best convo we had with a fiction book. Fiction is a very personal thing...we have to find out what the concensus is here for fiction preferences and try to gear a choice based on that.

Mr. P.

[Ophelia]

Chris:

Thanks for answering my questions, this is very helpful.

Then again this could be a cultural difference. I believe you're in France and you may be more comfortable with Roman numerals than I am. I have to pause and think before I know which Roman numeral comes before the next.[quote]

Interesting; I had no idea!

I get uncomfortable with RN in the hundreds, and I could never work out whether BBC Videos writing what seems to be the date in RN was a little arrogant or just plain old-fashioned.

I don't need the RN for Splendid Suns, so they can go.

What you write about fiction and Booktalk is also very useful and gives some perspective. Also I'll know it's not my fault if things don't work out with this book. I have no idea whether discussions of literary works can work on the forum format, but in the case of Splendid Suns the discussion need not be literary, so perhaps there is a chance. I had noticed there was little enthusiasm on the site about this book, and I didn't feel much myself to start with. (continued on e-mail).

Wicked: This is entirely new to me, I never saw the films or read anything about Oz before, I had no idea there even was a Witch of the West!
I'm enjoying the style and the humour, but now that I am getting more familiar with Booktalk I can see how there might be a problem with discussion.

[George Ricker]

The next fiction book scheduled is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I've asked the community for fiction book suggestions and am still waiting for our existing members to get excited by the reintroduction of fiction. Wicked is a highly rated good read, but as of today I haven't seen much excitement by that choice. But I also haven't seen much excitement by fiction in general.

I read fiction more than anything right now...but it is a specific fiction...mostly sci-fi. I have little interest in "real-life" fiction type books, like the current selection, and I just will not read it. I was going to try to read "wicked", but I am not too hot over the whole "let's re-write what someone else wrote" type of thing. But I would at least try to read it.

"Ender's Game" was a great selection for fiction and I think the best convo we had with a fiction book. Fiction is a very personal thing...we have to find out what the concensus is here for fiction preferences and try to gear a choice based on that.

Mr. P.

Like Mr. P., I generally prefer science fiction to most of the more general interest fiction being written. I did read A Thousand Splendid Suns but wasn't all that taken with it. I won't read Wicked because it just doesn't appeal to me.

I read Atlas Shrugged, along with most of Rand's other work, years ago and might have gotten involved in that discussion but now it appears that isn't going to happen anyway.

These days, I find myself more likely to be reading non-fiction than fiction, but if a work of fiction catches my eye, I'll snap it up. However, most of what makes the "best seller" lists just doesn't appeal to me.

People's likes and dislikes are very idiosyncratic when evaluating what fiction to read. I think it's probably going to be very difficult to find something that has the kind of broad appeal you seem to want. This isn't meant as criticism, by the way, just an observation.

I wish I could offer some constructive suggestions, but the books that most appeal to me probably wouldn't appeal to most of the rest of the group. For example, I'm a big fan of John Brunner and think a discussion of Stand on Zanzibar might be very interesting. In more mainstream fare, John Fowles' Daniel Martin might be worth considering. Neither book meets the criteria that seems to apply here, and I doubt either one would have enough appeal to be selected.

George

[Chris OConnor]

I'll create some new threads in the fiction and non-fiction sections for us to discuss and select some new books to replace the current upcoming selections. Everything is negotiable.

[Ophelia]

Then I'lll go back to "We need to talk about Kevin", by Lionel Shrivner.
(I wrote about it in "Additional fiction").

It's not literary, its length makes it easy to read, and it does raise questions which can help make a discussion feasable.