Suggest fiction books for our June, July & August discussion

[Theomanic]

Hmm.. well Wind-Up is just such a stellar book. I really think it's amazing. So if we're to view it from that angle, I would suggest it. However, Kafka has some interesting allusions to classic works and to some ideas in philosophy, so I thought it would be better to discuss. I'm not certain which is best, but if we're going just for quality I would pick Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. There is a lot to talk about in it as well, I'm certain. It sure is easy to overthink this.

[Suzanne]

It sure is easy to overthink this.

Yes, it is.

However, Kafka has some interesting allusions to classic works and to some ideas in philosophy, so I thought it would be better to discuss.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami. Sounds good to me, my fav so far. I'm sure both are great to read, but we are looking for the best one to discuss, thank you for your input.

[GaryG48]

Hmm.. well Wind-Up is just such a stellar book. I really think it's amazing. So if we're to view it from that angle, I would suggest it. However, Kafka has some interesting allusions to classic works and to some ideas in philosophy, so I thought it would be better to discuss. I'm not certain which is best, but if we're going just for quality I would pick Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. There is a lot to talk about in it as well, I'm certain. It sure is easy to overthink this.

Theomanic,

Thank you for the response to my PM. I went to the library tonight, Kafka was out so I picked up Wind-up. I have read the first 30 pages and will vote my three votes for it when the voting opens. I hope we can discuss this book; as an "excellent example of pomo fiction."

[Taylor]

I suggest: The White Mary by Kira Salak

[bleachededen]

Assuming I'm allowed to suggest more than two books, I would also like to suggest Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

On Amazon:
amazon.com/Neverwhere-Novel-Neil-Gaiman ... amp;sr=1-1

This is one of my most favorite books of ever. It weaves an intricate tapestry of the hidden lives of strange folk and dangerous creatures who exist apart from our reality underneath the city of London. The characters are rich in emotion, subtle, sarcastic humor, and motives that Gaiman shadows to keep us from knowing which characters can really be trusted, and who will sell out the protagonists to serve their own dark purposes. Neverwhere keeps you on your toes, and you'll never have so much fun in the sewers as you will when you read this.

There's also a pretty decent BBC miniseries adaptation which I would definitely recommend watching after reading, as it gives that special second reading understanding along with a live action view of the world you've traveled that, while not being a big budget film, holds true to the original story and characters without too many story betrayals that film adaptations often have.

I love this book and I would be more than happy to read it again with the great minds of BookTalk to keep me company.

Amazon.com Review:

Neverwhere's protagonist, Richard Mayhew, learns the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. He ceases to exist in the ordinary world of London Above, and joins a quest through the dark and dangerous London Below, a shadow city of lost and forgotten people, places, and times. His companions are Door, who is trying to find out who hired the assassins who murdered her family and why; the Marquis of Carabas, a trickster who trades services for very big favors; and Hunter, a mysterious lady who guards bodies and hunts only the biggest game. London Below is a wonderfully realized shadow world, and the story plunges through it like an express passing local stations, with plenty of action and a satisfying conclusion. The story is reminiscent of Douglas Adams's The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but Neil Gaiman's humor is much darker and his images sometimes truly horrific. Puns and allusions to everything from Paradise Lost to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz abound, but you can enjoy the book without getting all of them. Gaiman is definitely not just for graphic-novel fans anymore. --Nona Vero

From Publisher's Weekly:

Gaiman assumes the role of narrator for his latest book, offering an intimate reading that steals one's attention almost immediately and keeps the listener involved throughout. As the story is based in the United Kingdom, Gaiman is a quintessential raconteur for the tale, with his charming Scottish brogue instilling life and spirit into the central character of Richard Mayhew. Pitch perfect, with clear pronunciation, Gaiman invites listeners into his living room for a fireside chat, offering a private and personal experience that transcends the limitations of traditional narration. The author knows his story through and through, capturing the desired emotion and audience reaction in each and every scene. His characters are unique, with diverse personalities and narrative approaches, and Gaiman offers a variety of dialects and tones. The reading sounds more like a private conversation among friends with Gaiman providing the convincing and likable performance the writing deserves.

Reviews from other sites:

CNN Review of Neverwhere:
cnn.com/books/reviews/9902/25/neverwher ... index.html

Neverwhere Review on The 11th Hour Web Magazine:
the11thhour.com/archives/112000/bookrev ... where.html

[wilde]

I couldn't get into "The Help" or "Children's Book" to be honest. HDM has been sitting on my shelf since the movie came out, right next to all the Star Wars books I haven't read yet either.


My nonfiction suggest didn't go through, so I'll try here. So many to choose from! There seems to be a few fantasy suggestions already, so I'll go with historical fiction.


Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.

Amazon link


Publisher's Weekly review:

Starred Review. See's engrossing novel set in remote 19th-century China details the deeply affecting story of lifelong, intimate friends (laotong, or "old sames") Lily and Snow Flower, their imprisonment by rigid codes of conduct for women and their betrayal by pride and love. While granting immediacy to Lily's voice, See (Flower Net) adroitly transmits historical background in graceful prose. Her in-depth research into women's ceremonies and duties in China's rural interior brings fascinating revelations about arranged marriages, women's inferior status in both their natal and married homes, and the Confucian proverbs and myriad superstitions that informed daily life. Beginning with a detailed and heartbreaking description of Lily and her sisters' foot binding ("Only through pain will you have beauty. Only through suffering will you have peace"), the story widens to a vivid portrait of family and village life. Most impressive is See's incorporation of nu shu, a secret written phonetic code among women—here between Lily and Snow Flower—that dates back 1,000 years in the southwestern Hunan province ("My writing is soaked with the tears of my heart,/ An invisible rebellion that no man can see"). As both a suspenseful and poignant story and an absorbing historical chronicle, this novel has bestseller potential and should become a reading group favorite as well.

(More reviews on the amazon page)

This is definitely one of my favorite all-time books. This book is very memorable; it will stick with you long after you've read it. It's both beautiful and heart-breaking. See is of Chinese heritage, and like her other books, Snow Flower takes place in China. She does her research quite well. This book has an amazing plot, character development, and insight into how women in ancient China lived.

It's just... really absorbing. I first read it on vacation a few years back, and I cannot praise it enough.

[Chris OConnor]

We probably have enough suggestions. The key to this process is the feedback we get on the suggestions. If a book is suggested and not a single person makes a positive comment about it, there is little chance it will wind up on the poll. The logic is that this is a book discussion community and if nobody seems interested in discussing a given book it just shouldn't be on a poll.

Fortunately, in this fiction suggestion thread, we have quality feedback. The non-fiction suggestion thread literally had zero feedback and all of those book suggestions were, as a result, discarded. But here in this thread we now have enough for a poll.

Are we ready for the poll!?

[Theomanic]

Sounds good to me!

[bleachededen]

All systems go!

[Suzanne]

Fortunately, in this fiction suggestion thread, we have quality feedback. The non-fiction suggestion thread literally had zero feedback and all of those book suggestions were, as a result, discarded. But here in this thread we now have enough for a poll.

We're special!

Ready for a poll, and ready to defend my favorite!