Wriging

I changed the title of this Note to just "9rules Book Club" in case you decide to go ahead with this and start a "9rules Book Club - June 2007" Note so they are easier to keep track of. I like the idea, won't catch me reading too many books as of late, but this is good motivation to get back on track.

Now you can start another Note and actually list some books. Now are these suggestions you want everyone to read or is everyone picking their own books?

I like the idea. I think it's great. Unfortunately, I'm paddling alongside Scrivs's boat: all the research I'm doing now (for writing a book -- fiction, if you can believe that) is keeping me from making any more commitments at this time. I wouldn't commit to anything, but if there's a discussion starting up on a book I want to read then I'm all ears.

One thing, though: shouldn't the person running the show (say, Shadowsun7 -- just as a random example) be the one to pick the options available, then people vote on it (for the span of 2 days or so), then the book voted on is what's read? My fear is that people will start suggesting their favorite books, and while that's fine, that can also make the pool of people reading more diffuse: too many people wanting to go too many directions and people having already read the books deciding they want to lead the conversation in order to convince everyone the book was good (or whatever). However, if the group leader (say, Shadowsun7 -- just as an even more random example) gives us the choices between:

- The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) (Fiction)
- The Assault on Reason (Al Gore) (Non-Fiction)
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (Mark Twain) (Classic)

Then I won't be tempted to start suggesting things like "I, Jedi" (Michael Stackpole), "Return to the Whorl" (Gene Wolfe), "Long Walk to Freedom" (Nelson Mandela) and "Bondfire of the Vanities" (Tom Wolf) and get get sour at the fact that my suggestions seem to be always ignored.

Even better is to have the leading person or a person very familiar with the book industry pick newer books that no one may have read, or that some may be reading now, like "Einstein: His Life and Universe" (Walter Issacson) or "The God Delusion" (Richard Dawkins), books that would get people thinking and discussions started.

Anyway, my $.02. If I see something interesting, I'll probably join in, though my research has me a bit tied up at the moment with books like "The Singularity is Near" (Ray Kurzweil), "The Notebook" (Nicholas Sparks) and "Characters and Viewpoint" (Orson Scott Card). Still, for a good book and good discussion I'll be sure to make some time.

I like! But I think 3 book suggestions from each person for each month is going to be, put lightly, overwhelming. As far as I understand it, a book club is about all of us reading one book, for one common experience, so that we can have a discussion. Maybe instead of having many different suggestions for a month, we can have a central "pot" of recommended books and pull one (or two) out of the pot every month, to keep it more manageable?

Also, there are several of us that live in non-English speaking countries and I'm one of them... for this idea to work for me, I would really appreciate having the book for July announced in May (2 months in advance) so that I can have sufficient time to locate and/or order the book online.

Just my two cents. :)

Sounds good to me. I agree it should be one book title per month so we can share experience. I just saw today(in the Netherlands) that Mark Haddons "a spot of bother" came out in paperback. Just a suggestion...

How about making it an audiobook and getting Audible to do a deal for 9rulers?

@MyAppleStuff: So long as there are no are bridged books...

@Gnorb - call me Chris, I have asked if I can get that nickname changed :-)

I guess for the ones who want audio of the chosen book for the month could get audio. Bot I for one always read the books and I'm sure more people mostly read instead of getting the audio.

I also like the idea. Shadow7 should select the first books and perhaps randomly pick from people's recomendations after that.

I'm in, if I can find the time to squeeze in another book. And if I can convince a man to read a romance :)

And gnorb, when that book of yours get's published, don't forget us 9rulers with those ARC's ;)

@lisa:

And if I can convince a man to read a romance

Does it count if I've already read romance? (Nicholas Sparks BETTER count as romance.)

don't forget us 9rulers with those ARC's

Not a chance.

@shadowsun: You know my recommendation would be A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini. But, I think that for the month of June it should be up to you to choose, to start the club going.

I do think one book a month is best, two at the most. I think Erin's idea of a "central pot" for choosing a book is a good idea.

This should be fun and interesting!

Alright then - Scrivs was right to change the title of the note (didn't realize there were so many kinks to work out).

So here's my 2nd proposal: I pick the first 3 books, and then name the next person who's going to pick next month. Then we've got the period of a month to read and discuss.

Of those 3 books I'll pick one to concentrate discussions on. That way those of us with busy lives can still have fun joining in - not everyone can finish 3 books in 1 month, especially if one of them is in the vein of (God forbid) War and Peace.

I hope that sounds okay ...

PS: I like Lisa's "And if I can convince a man to read a romance" thing. Makes me shudder.

PPS: Lorrim - you're next. You're probably the most well-read person I've ever known.

PPPS: Book club discussions are going to be SPOILER-FILLED. Read at your own risk!

PPPPS:

I would really appreciate having the book for July announced in May

Oh dear. I've no idea how to fit this in ... guys - some help?

Start a 9rules Book Club - June '07 Note with the 3 books you choose along with showcasing the one that the main discussion will revolve around. I'm not sure if a separate Note should be created for the actual discussion so I will leave that up to you, but in the June '07 Note (and future monthly notes) people could throw out suggestions for books or genres that aren't getting recognition.

Also make sure to provide links to the books (preferably Amazon, non-affiliate) so people have an idea of what they are looking for.

shadow: Seeing as you have me next in line, I am not quite ready to announce the three books for July, right this moment. Obviously the month of May has come and gone.

Depending on what you choose, I will be able to state, in the "9-rules Book Club - June '07 Note, the Primary book, out of the three.

June is here, I say we all get started reading!!

So, wait -- three books on the list, and we all chose one to read (vote on it) or do we read all three and discuss or... *head asplodes*

@Gnorb: Out of the three books, one will be the main book for discussion.

We can still discuss the other two, but the primary focus will be on the main book. You can choose to only read the main book, and not the others, according to your time schedule.

Great idea! My two cents: maybe the three books should have something in common that ties them together.

It might make all of the selections relevant to the discussion instead of just the main one. I know it would help me with suggestions if the chooser of the month had a single theme they were going for.

The common thread could be obvious (all related to piracy) or not obvious... all written by writers living in Paris.