MobileRead February 2012 - Book Club Vote

[WT Sharpe]

Preliminary Voting Poll

Help us choose a book as the February 2012 eBook for the Mobile Read Book Club. The poll will be open for 4 days, followed by a 3 day run-off poll between the two* top vote getters. The vote this month will be hidden.

We will start the discussion thread for this book on February 20th. Select from the following.

Official Choices with three nominations each:

Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
It's available here at MR and here's the Inkmesh

Spoiler:

A partial blurb from Amazon says:

Set on the French Riviera in the late 1920s, Tender Is the Night is the tragic romance of the young actress Rosemary Hoyt and the stylish American couple Dick and Nicole Diver. A brilliant young psychiatrist at the time of his marriage, Dick is both husband and doctor to Nicole, whose wealth goads him into a lifestyle not his own, and whose growing strength highlights Dick's harrowing demise. A profound study of the romantic concept of character -- lyrical, expansive, and hauntingly evocative -- Tender Is the Night, Mabel Dodge Luhan remarked, raised F. Scott Fitzgerald to the heights of "a modern Orpheus."

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
It's available here and on Project Gutenberg. Inkmesh link.

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by Goodreads Summary

Winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, The Age of Innocence is Edith Wharton’s masterful portrait of desire and betrayal during the sumptuous Golden Age of Old New York, a time when society people “dreaded scandal more than disease.”

This is Newland Archer’s world as he prepares to marry the beautiful but conventional May Welland. But when the mysterious Countess Ellen Olenska returns to New York after a disastrous marriage, Archer falls deeply in love with her. Torn between duty and passion, Archer struggles to make a decision that will either courageously define his life—or mercilessly destroy it.

Ripping the Bodice by Inara Lavey
Inkmesh Search

Spoiler:

"If you're looking for a big dose of fun to go along with your romance, look no farther than Inara Lavey's Ripping the Bodice. This story positively sparkles with wit and humor...Along with that humor, Ms. Lavey has given us an absolutely addictive cast of characters who are colorful and well-developed and almost larger than life."--Bookwenches.com "The story was well-written and I enjoyed it immensely."--4-martini review from The Girls on Books "Old school romance daydreams + embarrassing contemporary situations * two potential heroes = exponential fun." --Love Romance Passion "Had me laughing out loud..."--Nixy Valentine "Ripping the Bodice is a classy read that kept this reader's interest from beginning to end. Inara Lavey seasons sexual passion, love, romance and wonderful wit and charm into this delightful tale." --Coffee Time Romance Got sex and romance on the brain? So does Cassandra Devon. She also has hard-boiled private eyes, dashing pirates, jet-setting super spies and other sexy rogues entertaining her in her surprisingly explicit subconscious. All these erotic daydreams make it hard to stay focused on Cassandra's current dilemma: namely, rebuffing the advances of Connor, a wild Irish rascal who wants to play the starring role in her fantasies. Cassandra is only interested in getting together with Raphael, the tall, dark and handsome man of her dreams. May the best romance hero win! Walter Mitty meets Erica Jong in this wickedly funny and sexy hot comedy-romance. (from Amazon.com)

Candy by Maxwell Kenton (pseudonym of Terry Southern)
Inkmesh Search - fictionwise

Spoiler:

Maxwell Kenton's bawdy masterpiece, first published by the Olympia Press in 1958 and the subject of innumerable lawsuits, piracies and bad film adaptations since, is a modern take on Candide (from authors Terry Southern and Mason Hoffenberg in tandem). Candy Christian, a beautiful girl who just happened to be born on Valentine's Day, writes a paper on Contemporary Human Love for her instructor, Professor Mephesto, saying that "to give of oneself--fully--is not merely a duty prescribed by an outmoded superstition, it is a beautiful and thrilling privilege."

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Inkmesh search

Spoiler:

From goodreads: The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon--when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach--an "outlander"--in a Scotland torn by war and raiding Highland clans in the year of Our Lord...1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into intrigues and dangers that may threaten her life...and shatter her heart. For here she meets James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, and becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire...and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Sex on Tuesdays by June Whyte (Erotica)
Inkmesh Search Amazon link not included on Inkmesh: Amazon

Spoiler:

Subjects: Fiction, Romance, Crime & Thriller
Description: When the Tribute's sex-therapist chokes to death at her desk, Danielle Summers takes over the woman's daily Sex On... column. Dani, unlike her predecessor, Daisy Mae, has no qualifications or background knowledge for the job. Instead she procures her answers from the Internet, self-help books and Megan, a retired prostitute who's had sex with thousands of guys. About to turn 50, Dani yearns for more than one toothbrush in the bathroom, more than one car in the garage and definitely more than a greyhound with flatulence sharing her bed at night. The solution, she decides, is to start dating. Meanwhile, one of Dani's readers (known only as Distinctly Frustrated) has written in asking her for advice. He complains his wife is not concentrating during sex, so Dani suggests foreplay using chocolate sauce and dress-ups. However, much to Dani's horror, a saboteur changes her reply to 'Shove something hot down the bitch's throat.' The following morning, Distinctly Frustrated discovers his wife dead. Someone has indeed followed Dani's advice and 'shoved something hot' down the wife's throat. A red hot poker. After first suspecting Dani due to evidence in her handbag and her sabotaged column suggestion, the police take the husband in for questioning. Could the killer actually be Jack Rivers, sleazy bad boy from Gape, a rival newspaper? Did he really pretend to be Dani's blind date just to get her in an uncompromising position so he could publish photos of her rolls of fat and cellulite in his trashy magazine - or was it all to do with slipping incriminating evidence into her handbag while she was otherwise engaged? Or what about Alice? The Tribute's spaced-out receptionist-cum-tea-lady, who was Daisy Mae's stepsister. When Daisy Mae died, Alice thought she'd get the job of writing the Sex On... column. Jealous of Dani's success, she adds salt to her tea, spills hot coffee on her lap and sticks pins in a Dani Summers lookalike voodoo doll. But would Alice take such a giant step forward and kill DF's wife to frame Dani for murder? While chasing a killer, Dani discovers Mr. Right is slap bang under her nose. He's the guy who's been looking out for her all along. The guy who's there for her when her blind dates turn dangerous. The guy who shoves her out from under a lethal four-wheel drive intent on leaving its tire prints straight down the middle of her body. Can Dani survive investigating the murder long enough to find true love? A new romantic mystery from the acclaimed author of CHASING CAN BE MURDER. (Some scenes in this novel are inappropriate for readers under age 18.) (from Diesel eBook Store)

Remember When By Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb
BooksOnBoard.com (audiobook), Amazon

Spoiler:

A perfect marriage of sensuality and suspense, this sparkling new offering from Roberts (Birthright, etc.) and her alter ego, Robb (Imitation in Death, etc.) takes readers on a two-part journey-first to the quaint burg of Angel's Gap, Md., and then to New York City, 56 years in the future. A multimillion-dollar diamond heist connects the two halves and fuels the first story, which focuses on the romance between sexy PI Max Gannon, who's working for the company that insured the diamonds, and smalltown antiques dealer Laine Tavish, daughter of a notorious thief. Laine has worked hard to overcome her heritage, but when her father's best friend is killed outside her shop, she becomes the target of a ruthless killer who thinks she has her father's share of the take. Because the story skips ahead in time, Max and Laine have little time to explore their affection for each other, but Roberts still manages to make their whirlwind romance both believable and charming. A nerve-shattering encounter between Laine and the villain shows Laine to be as capable and crafty as Lt. Eve Dallas, who's the driving force behind the novel's second half. Set in the year 2059, the continuation finds Eve on the trail of a murderer who's after the diamonds that were never recovered from the decades-old heist. Though the identity of the criminal is apparent midway through, Eve's charismatic personality and colorful crew-including her former thief husband, Roarke, and her partner, Peabody-keep the energy level high. A true master of her craft, Roberts has penned an exceptional tale that burns with all the brilliance and fire of a finely cut diamond.

I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith
BooksOnBoard (Unavailable in eBook format in the USA.)

Spoiler:

I Capture the Castle tells the story of seventeen-year-old Cassandra and her family, who live in not-so-genteel poverty in a ramshackle old English castle. Here she strives, over six turbulent months, to hone her writing skills. She fills three notebooks with sharply funny yet poignant entries. Her journals candidly chronicle the great changes that take place within the castle's walls, and her own first descent into love. By the time she pens her final entry, she has "captured the castle"— and the heart of the reader— in one of literature's most enchanting entertainments.

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
Inkmesh search

Spoiler:

Now hailed as an American classic, Tropic of Cancer, Henry Miller's masterpiece, was banned as obscene in this country for twenty-seven years after its first publication in Paris in 1943. Only a historic court ruling that changed American censorship standards, ushering in a new era of freedom and frankness in modern literature, permitted the publication of this first volume of Miller's famed mixture of memoir and fiction, which chronicles with unapologetic gusto, the bawdy adventures of a young expatriate writer, his friends, and the characters they meet in Paris in the 1930s. Tropic of Cancer is now considered, as Norman Mailer said, "one of the ten or twenty great novels of our century."

Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie
Inkmesh search ( Since it is a Harlequin novel it might be available from your local public library)

Spoiler:

For Nina Askew, turing forty means freedom—from the ex-husband whose career always came first, from their stuffy suburban home. Freedom to have her own apartment in the city, freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed—a puppy. A bouncy puppy to cheer her up. Instead she gets…Fred.

Overweight, smelly and obviously suffering from some kind of doggy depression, Fred is light years from perky. But for all his faults, he does manage to put Nina face-to-face with Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger downstairs neighbor.

Alex looks great on paper—a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor who shares Fred’s abiding love for Oreos—but a ten-year difference in age, despite his devastating smile, is too wide a gap for Nina to handle. Ignoring her insistent best friend, some interfering do-gooders and the ubiquitous Fred—not to mention her suddenly raging hormones—Nina thinks anyone but Alex would be a better bet for a relationship. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it’s the young dog-loving doctor she wants to sit and stay!

The fine print:
*Should the first vote produce a 3-way or more tie for first place, or 2-way or more tie for second, the second poll will have more than two choices.

[Synamon]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

The vote this month will be hidden.

*pouts* That's no fun, now we can't heckle.

[Nyssa]

I find it interesting/odd there have been 150+ views but only 5 votes.

[issybird]

I voted for Fitzgerald (go, Scott!), but I'm on board for Wharton, Kenton, Smith, or Gabaldon. I'm done with Miller.

[jgaiser]

One of the viewers. Not going to vote. Not interested in any of the books. But it'll be interesting if "Ripping the Bodice" wins.

[JaneD]

I am not a fan of hidden polls. Just putting that out there.

I understand that it's supposed to promote honest voting, but I like the sport of watching the votes tally.

[sun surfer]

For a category I wasn't particularly looking forward to, I think the nominations have turned out to be pretty diverse and interesting. It's hard to decide which to vote for!

BTW, this is my one year anniversary with the club! I started participating last year in February's noms.

[Asawi]

Adding to the view count, but no vote so far. Can't say I'm really keen on any of the books. Have to think some more about it.

[caleb72]

Originally Posted by issybird

I voted for Fitzgerald (go, Scott!), but I'm on board for Wharton, Kenton, Smith, or Gabaldon. I'm done with Miller.

Also voted for Fitzgerald and would be quite happy with Wharton. Not that interested in anything else there though.

[drofgnal]

I voted for Outlander, I nominated it so I'll stick with it.

Considering that I thought nothing in the romance category would interest me I find myself surprised at being in a quandary over how to vote. I too hate this hidden polling and having to fly blind as to what potential selections that do have some appeal to me may actually have a chance at winning.

There is the out-of-left-field choice of Ripping the Bodice; I just can't get that expression out of my mind. Unfortunately I can't see going to the extent of actually buying it and it is not available from my library system, even in paper.

The Age of Innocence is on my list of books to read sometime in 2012 so that's its great advantage if I thought it would win.

Then there is Tender is the Night and it seems to be really in the running as far as can be discerned from comments. I would not mind reading another book by Fitzgerald.

Candy I figure has not chance and the others really do not do anything for me. One read of Tropic of Cancer in a college literature class many years ago is sufficient.

. . . . . Tender is the Night it is!

[Synamon]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

The Age of Innocence is on my list of books to read sometime in 2012 so that's its great advantage if I thought it would win.

I plan to read it this month whether it wins or not.

Candy I figure has not chance and the others really do not do anything for me. One read of Tropic of Cancer in a college literature class many years ago is sufficient.

Candy looks fun and it's short, so I'd be up for reading it.

. . . . . Tender is the Night it is!

Wagon-jumper.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by JaneD

I am not a fan of hidden polls. Just putting that out there.

I understand that it's supposed to promote honest voting, but I like the sport of watching the votes tally.

Toward the end of 2012, we can revisit that issue if you like for 2013. Because of the split vote last year, 2/3 of the votes in 2012 will be hidden.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by Synamon

Wagon-jumper.

Better to jump on a reasonable-looking wagon than to get stuck in steerage with Remember When! Especially when it's not even the first book in the series....

[WT Sharpe]

I haven't looked at the vote tally, so I guess it's safe to say that I wouldn't be surprised to see Tropic of Cancer make a pretty good showing because of the folks who remember that episode of Seinfeld where the Library Police came after Jerry for a copy of it that he'd borrowed in high school.