08-01-2020, 04:11 AM | #1 |
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The Zodiac • August 2020
Help select what we'll read and discuss next!
The topic is The Zodiac. This is wide-ranging and could be any plot, character or word in a title having something to do with the zodiac. This might be a western zodiac sign (Libra, Leo, Gemini, Aries, Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Pisces, Capricorn, Sagittarius, Cancer) or one of their associations (scales, balance, lion, twins, ram, bull, virgin, maiden, scorpion, water bearer, fish, goat, archer, centaur, crab), or a Chinese zodiac animal (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig). It could be a zodiacal element (air, fire, water, earth, metal, wood), a direction associated with the Chinese zodiac (west, north, east, south) or the concept of yin and/or yang from the Chinese zodiac. It might concern a more enigmatic association with astrology, horoscopes, divination, mysticism, fortune telling, tarot, cusps, the heavens, constellations, celestial bodies, planets, stars, sun, moon, etc. There's also more esoteric zodiacs (Hindu, Vedic, Greek, Celtic, etc.) that could be inspiring. Detailed nominating and voting guidelines can be found here. Basically, nominations are open for about four days and each person may nominate up to three literary selections which will go automatically to the vote. Voting by post then opens for four days, and a voter may give each nomination either one or two votes but only has a limited number of votes to use which is equal to the number of nominations minus one. Any questions, feel free to ask. We hope that you will read the selection with us and join in the discussion. * Nominations are complete. First round voting is complete. Run-off voting is complete. Final results-
Last edited by sun surfer; 08-12-2020 at 12:03 AM. |
08-03-2020, 10:05 PM | #2 |
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I was tempted by some science fiction but in the end chose these, none of which I have read:
The Hour of the Star - Clarice Lispector https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hour_of_the_Star https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...ur_of_the_Star Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry (1986 Pulitzer) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonesome_Dove https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/....Lonesome_Dove The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sun_Also_Rises https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...Sun_Also_Rises If wondering about the connection of Lonesome Dove to the month's theme, the story starts in The Lone Star State and finishes in Big Sky Country. I think that The Sun Also Rises is the only Hemingway novel I have not read, if I have it was so long ago that I cannot remember the story at all. There are two (at least) translations of The Hour of the Star around but maybe does not matter which one read. |
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08-03-2020, 10:31 PM | #3 |
languorous autodidact ✦
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Great nominations. I was also considering the Hemingway so that’s one less book for me to have to decide between nominating, heh. I’ve heard of Lispector off and on (she has a distinct, memorable name) and the book looks intriguing. I’ve never read Lonesome Dove (nor have I seen the mini series) but I’ve heard it’s good.
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08-05-2020, 12:07 AM | #4 | |
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My first nomination is Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk. The protagonist in the book writes horoscopes.
From Booklist: Quote:
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08-05-2020, 12:11 AM | #5 | |
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My second nomination is Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Katherine Porter.
From Amazon US: Quote:
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08-05-2020, 12:30 AM | #6 | |
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My last nomination is Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi and translated by Marilyn Booth.
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08-05-2020, 12:33 AM | #7 |
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This topic was even more fun than I anticipated. Interesting nominations. I’m looking forward to sun surfer’s selections.
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08-05-2020, 11:13 AM | #8 |
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Thanks Bookworm_Girl. Your nominations are grand. I'm glad you ended up enjoying the topic. When I first began searching it seemed hard but then it was as if there were a rush and suddenly I had far too many options, even compared to my usual many. It was a hard task to whittle to three but on the plus side I think I added more books to my tbr this month while searching than any other month before and probably won't be topped again.
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08-05-2020, 11:27 AM | #9 | |
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My first nomination is My Name Is Venus Black by Heather Lloyd. This fits in a trio of ways, having the main character named Venus a planet associated with astrological signs, having another main character named Leo an astrological sign, and having the character of Venus being fascinated by astronomy and the night sky as a focal point.
Goodreads . Preview . 384 Pages . 2018 . U.S. Quote:
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08-05-2020, 11:54 AM | #10 | |
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Second is The North Water by Ian McGuire. While the story itself doesn't have any overt astrological ties in the plot description, both words of the title do. Each sign of the Chinese zodiac is associated with one of the four cardinal directions including north, and each sign of the western and the Chinese zodiac is associated with one of four or five elements including water. The setting is also near/in the arctic circle which many people associate with stars, constellations and night since certain times of year night can last for a long time and with phenomena such as aurora borealis. This book was nominated for quite a few awards including the Booker.
Goodreads . Preview . 325 Pages . 2016 . England Quote:
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08-05-2020, 05:18 PM | #11 | |
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Last is On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. Earth from the title is an element in both the western and the Chinese zodiac. The narrator/main character is named Little Dog and dog is a Chinese zodiac sign. And the author's first name Ocean is reminiscent of mystical New Age and is a major form of water, another element.
Goodreads . Preview . 246 Pages . 2019 . U.S. & Vietnam Quote:
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08-05-2020, 05:58 PM | #12 |
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Nominations are complete and voting is now open!
Voting will close exactly four days from this post. Each person has EIGHT votes to use. |
08-07-2020, 07:16 PM | #13 |
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My votes are:
2 Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry 2 The Hour of the Star - Clarice Lispector 2 My Name is Venus Black - Heather Lloyd 1 Drive Your Plough Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk 1 The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway |
08-08-2020, 03:16 PM | #14 |
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I've sampled them all now and, what can I say, I enjoyed them all as per usual. I thought about trying to list my votes in some kind of order but it keeps changing from minute to minute. The one constant is I think I might have a slight preference for The Hour of the Star over the others, but it's only slight as I'd enjoy any of them winning and also I wonder if it might even be a bit on the short side for a discussion. However the preview intrigued me, from the interesting dedication to the 13 or so alternate titles to the opening pages of the story.
On the other side I must leave off voting for at least one book, and in lieu of any other reason to eliminate I've gone for Lonesome Dove not because I have less interest in it but because of its formidable length. I don't think I could read an ebook of it in time to properly discuss, but I did already check Audible and there is a nice unabridged audio version and I really liked the narrator. Though it'd be one of the longest audiobooks I've ever listened to (almost 39 hours... the only one I know was longer that I've listened to was Les Miserables), I'm up for it if it wins and am fairly confident I'll finish the audio in normal time since I've been zipping through audiobooks lately. I found the audio preview quite entertaining. For the others, I'd love to read the Tokarczuk; I love the combination of literary and mystery and it looks like some dark fun, and from a Nobel winner too. Celestial Bodies seems like a very interesting look into Oman and a culture I'm less than familiar with. I'd love to finally read a Hemingway novel; I read the short story of his My Old Man that we selected years ago for this club but still haven't read any of his novels. The Porter also is very intriguing; dark and gothic stories from an old America and Mexico, and she won the Pulitzer for her short stories. And of course the ones I nominated are very appealing to me. So it's not any bombshell to say that I'll be delighted with any of the nine winning. My votes in the order they were nominated: -1 to The Hour of the Star -1 to The Sun Also Rises -1 to Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead -1 to Pale Horse, Pale Rider -1 to Celestial Bodies -1 to My Name Is Venus Black -1 to The North Water -1 to On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous |
08-09-2020, 11:38 AM | #15 |
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About six hours left to vote!
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