Literary The MR Literary Club • Welcome, Information & General Discussion

[HomeInMyShoes]

I would trust the selections the regulars would come up with. Having watched both clubs I believe most people would also give a pretty diverse list of options in each month as well.

Sounds good to me. I hope that we will continue the time period and regional categories as before though. It's just about to get interesting for those in my opinion.

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by sun surfer

(...)
For various reasons, I’d like us to try something a bit different. The plan is to try alternating months, where one month will be a normal category and then the next month will be sort of a “rotating” selections category. In these rotating months, we’ll take turns choosing the selections to be put to the vote. So, for instance, one month one member will choose a selection of nominations (...)
The idea is for these months to be comfortable, fun months for members; I want everyone to feel like it’s simply part of the club to have a turn at some point, and no big deal since everyone will have a go, and trust that the atmosphere in the club will be to treat each person’s rotating selections nominations with positivity and respect.(...)

How many selections would a member of the bookclub have to come up with? Do the selections have to have a 'theme' ?

Most important is the fun, the satisfaction of discovering and reading new books, so I'm all for it.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^I would think at least two, but hopefully four or five. As far as theme goes that could be up to the nominator. If anyone needs help with themes I've been thinking of many for my own personal reading challenges.

[sun surfer]

Thanks for the comments so far; glad to hear interest!

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

Sounds good to me. I hope that we will continue the time period and regional categories as before though. It's just about to get interesting for those in my opinion.

I like those categories too. I'm fond of keeping Poetry but besides that I'm not sure exactly which we'll keep yet. The lottery will be gone so that's one done.

Originally Posted by desertblues

How many selections would a member of the bookclub have to come up with? Do the selections have to have a 'theme' ?

Most important is the fun, the satisfaction of discovering and reading new books, so I'm all for it.

It'll be up to the person to decide how many they want to nominate their month, but I was thinking at least say three? Or maybe four? And on the other end, maybe at most say ten? After awhile we'll be able to get a feel for how many selections people usually like to nominate on their go.

The selections won't have to have a theme; you'll essentially have your own "open" month.

[Bookpossum]

I think that sounds a really interesting change. We shall each have time to think up some books, and decide whether we want a theme or a random selection.

And I think the honour of doing the first one should go to sun surfer as he's our Fearless Leader and he thought of this!

I have had a look again at the current list of themes and while it's just about impossible to decide which to drop and which to keep, here are my suggestions - not worrying about which month each would be in:

Drop:
Highly Challenging
Lottery
Open
Contemporary
Region (because there are two)
Poetry

Keep:
Plays
Region
Time Period
Non-Fiction
Obscure
Short

But I would be just as happy with any other configuration. And of course if someone's pet theme was dropped out, he or she could always reinstate when it came to her/his turn.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

I have had a look again at the current list of themes and while it's just about impossible to decide which to drop and which to keep, here are my suggestions - not worrying about which month each would be in:

Drop:
Highly Challenging
Lottery
Open
Contemporary
Region (because there are two)
Poetry

Keep:
Plays
Region
Time Period
Non-Fiction
Obscure
Short

But I would be just as happy with any other configuration. And of course if someone's pet theme was dropped out, he or she could always reinstate when it came to her/his turn.

I think the way you've broken out the topics is eminently reasonable. I'd offer one tweak: change Plays to Plays/Poetry and then we've lost nothing.

I also take Hamlet's point that Region and Time Period are just getting interesting.

[caleb72]

Sounds like an interesting idea. I'm happy to go with the flow.

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by issybird

I think the way you've broken out the topics is eminently reasonable. I'd offer one tweak: change Plays to Plays/Poetry and then we've lost nothing.

I also take Hamlet's point that Region and Time Period are just getting interesting.

Yes, making it Plays/Poetry definitely works well.

[sun surfer]

Glad to see more interest. This is looking feasible now!

issybird, the combo category suggestion is a good way to keep more categories but I'm hesitant because there will be only one winner each time. Maybe we can keep single categories but switch out some from year to year?

Bookpossum - interesting list; thanks for taking the time to come up with it. Lottery, Open and the second Region - it's safe to say that those are all out. Besides that I waffle over the others; the list I was playing with looks a little different, though it was unfinished. I'm going to sleep on it.

Originally Posted by Bookpossum

And I think the honour of doing the first one should go to sun surfer as he's our Fearless Leader and he thought of this!

Aw, thanks! I'm up for it - I could be the test pilot in case there turns out to be any kinks to work out. But if anyone else wants to go first then that's fine too.

[fantasyfan]

Originally Posted by caleb72

Sounds like an interesting idea. I'm happy to go with the flow.

I agree.

[paola]

sounds good to me, too, but I'd love to keep plays in, too, again as it broadens my horizon.
On the main proposal, that is fine with me, too, though I'd suggest giving a range centred around hte 5 or 6 we nominate, e.g. 3 to 8 - I just wonder whether 10 may be too many, in the sense of spreading the vote too much, but either way I don't have strong feelings on this.

And sunsurfer, thanks for keeping this going with great energy!

[fantasyfan]

Originally Posted by paola

And sunsurfer, thanks for keeping this going with great energy!

I echo that.

[Bookpossum]

Originally Posted by fantasyfan

I echo that.

And so say all of us!

[Bookpossum]

It sounds as if everyone is enthusiastic to give sun surfer's suggestion a go. Here are a couple more suggestions of how to work out which set themes to have.

1. We all vote on the 12 themes (multiple choice of course) and the six that get the highest number of votes are the ones for the year.

2. We keep most of the themes, but spread them over two years. We could replace Open and Lottery with, say, Biography/Memoir (fantasyfan's suggestion) and something else which would also be open to suggestion and if necessary, voting. Then the only stipulation would be to have one Region in each year, and one Non-Fiction in each year for those like caleb who don't enjoy it.

And finally because I missed commenting earlier, I agree with Billi's suggestion from a while back that an extra day for nominations and voting could be helpful, especially for people who might be travelling for work or pleasure, or even just have houseguests for a few days and don't get to the computer.