05-01-2019, 06:52 AM | #1 |
o saeclum infacetum
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Nominations for June 2019 • Into the Labyrinth: The Quest
It's time for us select the book that the New Leaf Book Club will read in June 2019. The theme is Into the Labyrinth: The Quest. Everyone is welcome to join the nomination process even if they'd rather lurk during the voting and discussion; if that is still a little too much commitment, please feel free to suggest titles without making a formal nomination. Also, don't sweat the links. It's helpful to check availability and prices before nominating in order to eliminate anything that's out of the question, but ultimately our global members with different gadgets and preferences will have to check for themselves. The nominations will run through 7 AM EDT, May 7, 2019. Each nomination requires a second and a third to make it to the poll, which will remain open for three days. The discussion of the selection will start on June 15, 2019. Don't forget to show up for the discussion of the May selection, The Graveyard Book, on May 15. Any questions? See below, or just ask! FAQs for the Nomination, Selection and Discussion process General Guidelines for the New Leaf Book Club Official choices with three nominations: The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox. [issybird, CRussel, gmw] Amazon US $14.49 | Kobo US $14.49 | Kobo CA $11.99 | Kobo AU $9.67 | Kobo UK £4.79 Spoiler:
385 pp.
Around The World In Eighty Days by Michael Palin [Victoria, Bookpossum, bfisher] Kobo: $6 US; $6 CA; £6 UK; $17 NZ; $14 AU Kindle: $5 US; $6 CA; £6UK; $5 NZ; $15 AU Spoiler:
217 pp.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson [CRussel, Victoria, Bookworm_Girl] Amazon US $7.99 | Amazon CA $9.99 | Amazon UK £5.49 | Amazon AU $12.99 Spoiler:
320 pp.
The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen [issybird, Bookpossum, CRussel] Amazon US $13.99 | Kobo US $13.99 | Amazon CA $10.99 |Kobo CA $13.99 | Kobo UK £5.49 | Kobo AU $14.99 | OverDrive Spoiler:
352 pp.
The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [Bookworm_Girl, gmw, Victoria] Public domain Spoiler:
272 pp.
Human Game: The True Story of the 'Great Escape' Murders and the Hunt for the Gestapo Gunmen by Simon Read (Subtitle AKA: Hunting the Great Escape Murderers) [Catlady, issybird, Dazrin] Amazon US, $12.99 | Kobo US $12.99 | Kobo CA $13.99 | Kobo AU $8.99 | Kobo NZ $9.99 | Kobo UK £3.99 Spoiler:
347 pp.
The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann [Dazrin, Bookworm_Girl, Catlady] Amazon US $11.99 Spoiler:
352 pp.
Last edited by issybird; 05-06-2019 at 03:28 PM. Reason: Through post #59. |
05-01-2019, 06:53 AM | #2 |
o saeclum infacetum
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Choices with one or two nominations:
**Silverlock by John Myers Myers [Ralph Sir Edward, bfisher] Amazon US $2.51 Spoiler:
384 pp.
*Duncton Wood by William Horwood [gmw] Amazon US $2.51 | Amazon UK £1.99 | Amazon CA $2.99 | Amazon AU $3.69 | Kobo US $2.99 | Kobo UK £1.99 | Kobo CA $2.99 | Kobo AU $4.99 | Kobo NZ $4.99 Spoiler:
730 pp.
*Dangerous Crossing by Rachel Rhys [Catlady] Amazon US $12.99 | Kobo US $12.99 | Kobo CA $13.99 | Kobo AU $12.99 | Kobo NZ $12.99 | Kobo UK £4.99 Spoiler:
410 pp.
**The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho [Dazrin, drofgnal] Amazon US $11.99 Spoiler:
197 pp.
*Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson [drofgnal] Last edited by issybird; 05-07-2019 at 07:17 AM. Reason: Through post #62. |
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05-01-2019, 06:59 AM | #3 |
o saeclum infacetum
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I'm finding this theme challenging, which is rather meta! I've got some ideas, but I haven't settled. I'm focusing mostly on the notion of a quest or a puzzle and not a labyrinth per se.
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05-01-2019, 07:54 AM | #4 |
Snoozing in the sun
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I am in much the same situation, issybird. Still thinking, and on top of that, away from home on a short holiday for a few days. So I shall see how things are going and hope I can come up with a nomination of my own before close of business.
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05-01-2019, 09:28 AM | #5 |
cacoethes scribendi
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The first thing that sprang into my mind for labyrinth was Neverwhere, another Neil Gaiman book; it's almost tailor-made for this theme. But I figure that's out. Every second fantasy book (possibly more) is a quest of some sort, but there must be something more ...
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05-01-2019, 09:57 AM | #6 |
o saeclum infacetum
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I interpret "quest" as meaning any hero's (or heroine's) journey, whether actual or mythical, so I'm considering The Aeneid. Similarly, I think any travel narrative, so long as it had a purpose, could qualify.
I'm also broadening "labyrinth" to include any kind of puzzle-solving process. Obviously, MMV on these interpretations. |
05-01-2019, 10:12 AM | #7 |
cacoethes scribendi
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As long as you don't expect me to read The Aeneid in Latin. No can do!
Mythical, and Neverwhere (which is includes a mix of mythology), had me thinking about the Minotaur, which led me to House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski - but that doesn't appear to have made it to ebook. |
05-01-2019, 10:25 AM | #8 |
o saeclum infacetum
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If it's the Minotaur you want, there's always The King Must Die, which is available in digital at least here.
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05-01-2019, 10:35 AM | #9 | |
cacoethes scribendi
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Quote:
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05-01-2019, 10:48 AM | #10 |
Home Guard
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There's Borges' The Garden of Forking Paths and The Library of Babel but those are short stories.
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05-01-2019, 12:18 PM | #11 |
Grand Sorcerer
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My take on "quest" is a quest for justice. But I haven't quite found what I'm looking for.
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05-01-2019, 12:19 PM | #12 |
(he/him/his)
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My problem with quest books, which are the only ones coming to mind initially, are that they inevitably seem to be trilogies or worse -- hardly appropriate. OTOH, perhaps something like Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods? It's only 320 pages, and is under $8 USD. Oh, and was a quite enjoyable read when I listened to it a couple of years ago.
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05-01-2019, 12:35 PM | #13 |
Wizard
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I'm struggling too. I had one book in mind that is tangentially related to the theme (mostly I'm trying to fit it somewhere) but it is less than a year old anyway and a bit on the expensive side still. I should be able to fit it into one of the new themes after it is old enough (and hopefully less expensive).
For ideas, I am more focusing on the "Quest" part of the theme. Maybe a good telling of the search for the Holy Grail, or the seach for the Lost City of Gold, Shangri-La, or King Solomon's Mines? Something where the protagonists have a definite goal. |
05-01-2019, 01:27 PM | #14 | ||
Grand Sorcerer
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I'm nominating Human Game: The True Story of the 'Great Escape' Murders and the Hunt for the Gestapo Gunmen (2013) by Simon Read. (Subtitle is Hunting the Great Escape Murderers in some countries.)
Quote:
Quote:
Amazon US, $12.99 Kobo US, $12.99 Kobo Canada, CDN $13.99 Kobo Australia, AU $8.99 Kobo NZ, NZ $9.99 Kobo UK, £3.99 Audiobook and e-book available in Overdrive. |
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05-01-2019, 03:06 PM | #15 |
o saeclum infacetum
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It's awfully tempting to nominate this:
The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code It couldn't be a better fit by name, I own it and I'd like to read it. However, it's a little on the pricey side and popular history books haven't worked out that well for us. But I haven't entirely eliminated it from consideration. |
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