Book Club Proposal- 2007

[Scheherazade]

Please vote for the nomination system you would like the Book Club to follow in 2007 by August 31st.


You can choose more than one option.


1. Author of the month: The present system. 12 authors to be chosen and each month we choose a book written by one particular author. E.g. In January we include only Camus' works in the poll and read one of those in February.

2. Genre of the month: Different genres to be selected and we nominate/vote for books belonging that particular genre each month. E.g., March: Month of Sci-fi so only sci-fi books will be nominated for that month.

3. Country of the month: 12 countries to be chosen and each month we read a book from that particular country's literature. The works nominated would not be too obscure (only those are available in English on Amazon maybe?)

4. Trend of the month: Each month we read a book from a different period such as Victorian, Romantic etc.

5. Random nominations: The old system. We nominate the books we would like to read randomly.



Book Club Procedures (http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?p=57103#post57103)

[Pensive]

I vote for Random Nominations! Author of the month is also a good idea but in this case, we will not be able to read author's other books that year.

[cruciverbalist]

Country of the Month could be interesting. That way, we could read literature from various countries and cultures. Though, of course, we would have to ensure that the chosen books be widely available.

[Virgil]

I like the current system of author of the month. I don't think the book club should pick two books by the same author in the same year.

[Taliesin]

We are not so certain, see?
We don't like the author system much, We have to admit. There are so many authors that We can't nominate because they don't have much works and, besides, it might very well happen that We nominate some author this year but the next year we will read a book that we absolutely love by an author that we hadn't read before (We felt that about Pelevin this year) There is not much flexibility in the system.

We don't like the trend one either. There are so many interesting works in the 20th century and we feel that just putting them into one voting would be...unfair.


Country of the month:


That way, we could read literature from various countries and cultures. Though, of course, we would have to ensure that the chosen books be widely available

Well, yes, but we are afraid that there are a lot of small countries with interesting and good literature that will be missed with that method. We doubt whether Czech will be involved despite even Kundera and Kafka.

Genre of the month: There are works of fiction that are hard to categorize (and many of them are very good). That doesn't sound very bad, actually, so we might even vote for that option, but, what genres would those be? (we think that we could name about a dozen speculative fiction genres :p )



Random nominations: Good ol' random nominations! We liked them! They worked so well! They have our vote, when we decide whether to vote for the genre-system or not.

[grace86]

I would like to participate in the book club next year. It seemed like the author of the month was working. Random would be cool, but then you get all the members of the book club each voting for their own book...you end up with a lot of books that way. I don't know, I am not familiar with how you randomly chose it in the past. This is going to take a while.

[Taliesin]

Random system worked very well:
Month A:

Scher: OK, people, everybody, lets nominate some books.
*people nominate books. Some are sad because they were too late*

Month B:

Scher: OK, people, everybody, now, lets vote for the book you want to read.

*people vote for books they want to read and advertise them. People are sad because some book they wanted to read didn't win.*

Month C:

Scher: Ok, folks, lets read the book now!

*silence*
Somebody: OK, i have the book!
*silence*


But that was not the fault of the system!

Of course, people voted and nominated and read something every month, be not confused with the A, B, C system.

[papayahed]

I'm with Tal, it's either the genre system or random system.

This author a month is to confining, plus I'm worried that the same authors we picked this year will be picked next year and that would really stink because this year is pretty bleak!

Country of the month - this could be slightly slanted and what about the more fruitful countries, only one pick?

Trend - that might work, but may be a little restraining as well. How many trends are there?

[grace86]

I think I am going to stick with my better judgement and go with Random.

[Scheherazade]

plus I'm worried that the same authors we picked this year will be picked next year and that would really stink because this year is pretty bleak!I share your worries Papaya that the same authors might be picked (especially the 'classic one', that everyone loves talking about but not reading). So if we decide to carry on with the author of the month system, we will have to make sure that different authors are nominated and voted for.

If we decide to go ahead with the Random Nomination system, I think we will put post number restrictions on posts to ensure that long term and regular members have more say in what we read.

[alshadai]

I'm a little new to the forums and I looked for this answer...sorry if I didn't find it!
Are we allowed to start individual book clubs? I would love to be a member of a group that focused on a certain topic so we could become well rounded in that topic. For example, Japanese Literature, Vietnam War Literature, Post-Modern American Literature, etc...
I have tried joining standard random book clubs but I am always bored to tears because I've never been into European or Russian classics :(

[Scheherazade]

Hello Alshadai,

The Book Club on the Forum aims to share our interests and choices with others; reading the books we would not normally pick ourselves and the result is often pleasantly surprising.

However, if you would like to discuss other books or subjects, you can create threads in General Literature or Authors Directory section. Those members who are interested will be posting, I am sure. :)

[Nightshade]

:D Well why not genre we did authour of the month this year mind you the problem with genre of the month is after a few monmths youd either be repeating yoursel or arguing on what constitues a genre. :D

[Virgil]

:D Well why not genre we did authour of the month this year mind you the problem with genre of the month is after a few monmths youd either be repeating yoursel or arguing on what constitues a genre. :D
Nightshade is back!!! Hooray!

I agree. What is a genre? Are we going to include as a genre sports novels or travel novels or true fiction novels or war novels or novels on picking your nose? ;)

[alshadai]

The term Genre is a little bit too broad, I believe. But what about having it set up via location/time period like "Modern American Lit of the month" "Renaissance Lit of the month" etc etc... That would not only lead to discussions regarding the book but also the period of literuture itself.

[Scheherazade]

If genre of the month option is chosen, we will have another nomination/poll to decide which genres to read as we have done with authors. The same thing will be done with the countries and trends as well.

[SleepyWitch]

i voted for genre...

If genre of the month option is chosen, we will have another nomination/poll to decide which genres to read as we have done with authors. The same thing will be done with the countries and trends as well.
plus we'd have to make sure what genre means in this context... e.g. stuff like 'science fiction' or 'novel','drama'... can the "book" of the month also be a play etc...?

[Nightshade]

Nightshade is back!!! Hooray!

I agree. What is a genre? Are we going to include as a genre sports novels or travel novels or true fiction novels or war novels or novels on picking your nose? ;)
THanks virg :D ...True fiction isnt that an oxymoron??
:D

[Scheherazade]

Wikipedia offers an extensive list of literary genres:

List of literary genres
-Autobiography
- Biography
- Children's literature
- Constrained writing
- Diaries and Journals
- Essay
-Fiction

--Adventure novel
--Airport novels
--Bildungsroman
--Chick lit
--Crime fiction, Detective fiction
--Erotic
--Fable
--Fairy tale
--Family Saga
--Frame story
--Gothic
---Southern Gothic
--Historical fiction
--Historiographical metafiction
--Hysterical realism
--Hypertext fiction
--Inspirational fiction
--Invasion literature
--Legal thriller
--Mystery
---Cozy
---Hard-boiled
--Nouveau roman
--Psychological novel
--Psychological thriller
--Roman à clef
--Romance
---Historical romance
----Bodice rippers
----Regency romance
---Inspirational romance
---Paranormal romance
---Time travel romance
--Saga
--Satire
--Speculative fiction
---Alternate/Alternative history
---Fantasy (for more details see Fantasy subgenres)
----Epic fantasy
----Science fantasy
----Urban fantasy
---Horror
---Science fiction (for more details see Science fiction genres and related topics)
----Cyberpunk
----Hard science fiction
----Space opera
--Sensation novel
--Slave narrative
--Spy fiction/Political thriller
--Thriller
--Western

-Memoir
-Non-fiction
-Oral Narrative (Oral History)
-Outdoor literature
-Poetry
-Travel literature

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_genre (please click on the link for more information on these genres).

If this option is chosen, we can nominate and vote for the most popular 12 genres.

[Nightshade]

wow I can name at leats one book for each of those genre's...cool :eek:
They dont seem to have sureal fiction there though do they??

[literaturerocks]

i enjoy the current system (author of the month) i think it is effective and i like to read so it doesnt matter THAT much to me..as long as we are reading and discussing! :p

[Virgil]

True fiction isnt that an oxymoron??
:D
Well, it is an oxymoron, but it is a real genre. It's fictionalized account of a real event, like Truman Capote's In Cold Blood.

[Nightshade]

oh like when they write about the brontes and decide that charollet murderd them all off?
I hate that genre.

[papayahed]

ok, that's a lot of genres. I may be swayed.

[grace86]

Same here Papaya, I am a little intrigued by all the different types of genres... bodice rippers?!?!?!

[Nightshade]

ahh the bodice ripper...hummm I think I wouldnt like to read any of those mind you... I once came across a copy of The sheik by e m hull online and my curiosity got the better of me any way that was a bodice ripper as well as problably the most stupid books I have ever come across andI will read anything.

[Jay]

"A bodice ripper is variant of romantic fiction, often historical fiction, in which the heroine often loses her virginity by force. They are typically full of unrestrained romantic passion. Usually the cover depicts a large-breasted female whose bodice is being ripped by a muscular, often shirtless man. Often she first resists him, but is later overcome with passion."

more (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodice_ripper)

sounds... somewhat weird

[grace86]

The woman in the picture didn't look too forced...so in other words it is chick lit to the extreme right?! Didn't mean to start a conversation on it, it just sounded a little weird in the list of genres. Tehehe :lol:

[Shea]

I'll go with genre, I think that could be interesting.

[SleepyWitch]

"A bodice ripper is variant of romantic fiction, often historical fiction, in which the heroine often loses her virginity by force. They are typically full of unrestrained romantic passion. Usually the cover depicts a large-breasted female whose bodice is being ripped by a muscular, often shirtless man. Often she first resists him, but is later overcome with passion."

more (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodice_ripper)

sounds... somewhat weird

oh it's them books... is it the ones that talk about huge.... eh, symbols of male fertility? heheh :) the advantage is they are only 10 cents or something... so everyone can afford them.... hehehhehe :) it's probably the cheapest way to get sick.. fags and booze are expensive by comparison ...oh hang on, there's always sticking your finger down your throat if you wanna be thrifty :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Taliesin]

Oh no!
The Authors are winning!
Stop this heresy! It is binding and byrocratic! Random nominations or genre would be much, much better!

People, unite against Authors!

[superunknown]

I like the author of the month system.

[Pensive]

Oh no!
The Authors are winning!
Stop this heresy! It is binding and byrocratic! Random nominations or genre would be much, much better!

People, unite against Authors!
Count me in, count me in! Go for Random Nominations, everybody!

[Virgil]

Hahahaha, hehehehe. The evil authors of the month fanatics are winning. :p

[papayahed]

Count me in, count me in! Go for Random Nominations, everybody!


I agree. Don't let the author's win!!!! you see what a dismall year this has been!!!!

[Nightshade]

BOOO why are we being democratic about this??
cant we just say righ weve done authours and random before well do genre this year??
:bawling:

[papayahed]

BOOO why are we being democratic about this??
cant we just say righ weve done authours and random before well do genre this year??
:bawling:


Exactly!!!!!! And shouldn't long termers get more of a vote???? Some of these new people voting probably won't even stick around. How many yahoo's voted for Doestoevsky - gazillions. How many people are reading doestovesky - not gazillions.

[Nightshade]

Exactlty!!
:D

[Scheherazade]

BOOO why are we being democratic about this??
cant we just say righ weve done authours and random before well do genre this year??
:bawling:I am so glad you have brought this up... I was also beginning to think that being democratic does not always pay. And setting up all these polls and keeping a track of things... phew!

Why don't I simply choose a book every month and we all read that one? That way there would be no worries about authors, genre, or trends and it would be quite exciting for everyone since no one would know which book I would pick! :banana:
And shouldn't long termers get more of a vote???? I have to admit this is a worry of mine too. Maybe we will give long term members more say in future.

[Virgil]

BOOO why are we being democratic about this??
cant we just say righ weve done authours and random before well do genre this year??
:bawling:
It would make sense if every year we rotated to a different methodology. But unfortunately we've gone down this road now for this year, and for the sake of legitmacy we should stick to the results of this poll. Otherwise what is the point on voting on anything if some dictator will impulsively decide not to abide by the results.

So I propose for the future we list the methods for book selection and set up an annual rotation system.

[papayahed]

Why don't I simply choose a book every month and we all read that one? That way there would be no worries about authors, genre, or trends and it would be quite exciting for everyone since no one would know which book I would pick! :banana:

But we ALL know how to bribe you, it will just be a question of who has the deepest kit kat reserve.


If authors wins can we exclude the authors we read this year?


It would make sense if every year we rotated to a different methodology. But unfortunately we've gone down this road now for this year, and for the sake of legitmacy we should stick to the results of this poll. Otherwise what is the point on voting on anything if some dictator will impulsively decide not to abide by the results.

So I propose for the future we list the methods for book selection and set up an annual rotation system.


The problem is that we could vote for more then 1 option, so it's not really about what everybody wants most it's what everybody doesn't mind doing.

[Virgil]

If authors wins can we exclude the authors we read this year?
I think that's fair.

[Nightshade]

If authors wins can we exclude the authors we read this year?

I second and third that :nod:

[Scheherazade]

If authors wins can we exclude the authors we read this year?I think that is unfair especially to those authors who have written more than one good book. I wouldn't mind reading other books by Hemingway or Faulkner, for example. Or I wouldn't mind reading Middlemarch by George Eliot even though we read The Mill on the Floss by her this year.

We cannot exclude authors but, I think, we will exclude those works which have been read during this year (which I have been trying to do this year anyway) to make sure that the same works don't get voted again and again merely because they are more known/popular than the others.

If any of the authors whose works we have been reading gets nominated this year, you have the option not to vote for them, as always. :)

[papayahed]

I think that is unfair especially to those authors who have written more than one good books. I wouldn't mind reading other books by Hemingway or Faulkner for example. Or I wouldn't mind reading Middlemarch by George Eliot even though we read The Mill on the Floss by her this year.

We cannot exclude authors but, I think, we will exclude those works which have been read during the this year (which I have been trying to do this year anyway) to make sure that the same works don't get voted again and again merely because they are more known/popular than the others.

If any of the authors whose works we have been reading gets nominated this year, you have the option not to vote for them, as always. :)



*The Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man

[Scheherazade]

*The Portrait of an Artist as a Young ManThe Portrait was read in November 2004 for the first time and then in May 2006, which means it was never read in two consecutive years. We cannot exclude books we have read from the polls forever as it wouldn't be fair on the new members.

[Nightshade]

can we have a you cant vote unless youve joined in at least once system?that way the regulars wield more power?

:D

[Virgil]

can we have a you cant vote unless youve joined in at least once system?that way the regulars wield more power?

:D
How about your vote gets weighed by the number of posts you got!!!! :D :D :D

No, I'm only kidding around.

[Basil]

Yay, trends!

[Virgil]

We have 58 people who voted, and we know that 58 people don't participate in reading the books.

[Pensive]

We have 58 people who voted, and we know that 58 people don't participate in reading the books.
Yep, but maybe sometime they will. I myself also don't participate in every book we read in Book Club but there were a few in which I participated; East of Eden, re-reading Mill on the Floss and Mort. And I am looking forward to Bronte's poll now.

[Scheherazade]

As of today, only members who have 50+ posts can take part in the nomination/voting processes in the Forum Book Club.

[Nightshade]

What 50+ post count or 50+ post in the Forum book club section???
And if so is there a way of getting a counter to tell us how many weve got??

:D

[Scheherazade]

50+ post count in general.

[Psycheinaboat]

Okay, what is with the "Grovers?" I know I've missed something special.

[Shea]

It's Papaya's birthday, so we're all dressing up like her! :D

[papayahed]

Sooooo Does that effect this poll?? And if so will it help anything other then "author of the month" to win??

[grace86]

I know that I voted, and I never participated in the book club. But that is because I have only recently started to figure out how it is run. I also have had so many books to read and it so happened that the books I have never end up in the book club. But I hope to participate later on...maybe if that is the case (where I don't own the book) I could just go out and borrow it from the library.

My time is also very limited as of late because of school...to finish a book in a month is a luxury most of the time. :D

[Scheherazade]

Going once...

[Taliesin]

Come on, people! Just one vote for Random Nominations and then we will pass the judgement to Wise Fate.

[Nightshade]

Oh no!! I accidently voted for author of the month I have an excellent excuse too! A dadday longleggs got into the house and the 6 year old went into serious hysterics and tried to get on my knee and the dining table and pull the computer off just as I was voting.

So can we discount my vote for the author of the month please:D

[Virgil]

Oh no!! I accidently voted for author of the month I have an excellent excuse too! A dadday longleggs got into the house and the 6 year old went into serious hysterics and tried to get on my knee and the dining table and pull the computer off just as I was voting.

So can we discount my vote for the author of the month please:D

Yeah, and the dog ate my homework too. No I don't think so.:p

[Scheherazade]

Going twice...

[Pensive]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Not author of month, pleaseeeee...

[Nightshade]

Yeah, and the dog ate my homework too. No I don't think so.:p

hey I swear its the truth she has a phobia of the things and was all over me as I was trying to vote.

[papayahed]

For the love of all that is good NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Not author of the month.

[Virgil]

For the love of all that is good NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Not author of the month.

:lol: :lol: :lol: Yes, yes, yes.

[papayahed]

:lol: :lol: :lol: Yes, yes, yes.


Great :flare:

[Taliesin]

Yeah, and the dog ate my homework too. No I don't think so.:p

When we fall into the trap of not allowing Night to replace her vote because it went there only accidentally, then we are falling into byrocracy because we are not doing what people want or meant to do, but what the offiial papers say!

[Virgil]

When we fall into the trap of not allowing Night to replace her vote because it went there only accidentally, then we are falling into byrocracy because we are not doing what people want or meant to do, but what the offiial papers say!

Byrocracy? What's that?