Book Club Book Club Picks (January 2024)

[LJ Beck]

Hi book lovers!
Checking that our next book club meet is March 17th? The Toymakers by Dinsdale, chosen by Hannah. I popped it into the calendar.
Hannah, any thoughts, questions you have for us to mull for the chat? Oh, maybe I'm jumping the gun! We should wait till Jason puts up a specific thread for it. Just didn't want time to run away from us as it likes to do.

 

[James Charles]

Hi book lovers!
Checking that our next book club meet is March 17th? The Toymakers by Dinsdale, chosen by Hannah. I popped it into the calendar.
Hannah, any thoughts, questions you have for us to mull for the chat? Oh, maybe I'm jumping the gun! We should wait till Jason puts up a specific thread for it. Just didn't want time to run away from us as it likes to do.

Saturday 16th. You have it correct on the calendar, however. I'm about 65% through it. It's starting to be a slog for me now at this point.

 

[Peyton Stafford]

Yes. I usually read stories blind. I avoid looking up backstory, reviews, etc.

 

[LJ Beck]

Saturday 16th. You have it correct on the calendar, however. I'm about 65% through it. It's starting to be a slog for me now at this point.

Ah, of course, it's Sun, 17th for me. But Sat 16th for you. It's on the cal right because I have my cal set to NZ time. ;-)

I agree, there's some pretty slow bits... and you're in one. The ending is worth the slog. Shame it takes so long to get there though.

 

[Hannah F]

I'm trying to think of questions. Here's some to get us going with The ToyMakers:

1. When we write, we need to get the balance right between setting, characters, plot and pace. Do you think Dinsdale managed this? Which were his strongest and which were his weakest aspects?

2. This is a mash-up between urban fantasy and historical fiction. Did the mix work for you? Why/why not?

3. The first half of the book was magical and upbeat until WW1. Once WW1 was over, a new war raged within the Emporium walls and the story became darker and darker. This drew many complaints in Goodread reviews. What do you think?

4. Especially at the beginning of chapters, Dinsdale often broke the fourth wall and spoke directly to you. Did that involve you in or pull you out of the story?

 

[LJ Beck]

Hi, @Jason L. ,
Could we please push @Jonny 's book selection "Piranesi" by a month, from July 13 to August? By Jonny's request.
Thanks!
Lyse

 

[James Charles]

Hi, @Jason L. ,
Could we please push @Jonny 's book selection "Piranesi" by a month, from July 13 to August? By Jonny's request.
Thanks!
Lyse

Have we decided yet?

July 13: Susannah Clarke, Piranesi (Jonny)
August 14: Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn (Pamela Jo)
September 14: P. G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters (Matt)

I need to get cracking because I'm reading this and love it! Especially because Captain James Cook was slaughtered a few miles from my house...

 

[Pamela Jo]

Hi Just wondering if Last unicorn is July's pick then?

 

[LJ Beck]

Hi, I talked to Jason. We're going to take a little break in July. Both Jason and Matt are busy and can't attend and it's a bit too short notice to have everyone read another book.

So it'll be like this:
July 13: BREAK
August 14: Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn (Pamela Jo)
September 14: P. G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters (Matt)
October ?? : Susannah Clarke, Piranesi (Jonny)

Jason will let us know the date for Oct.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Hi, I talked to Jason. We're going to take a little break in July. Both Jason and Matt are busy and can't attend and it's a bit too short notice to have everyone read another book.

So it'll be like this:
July 13: BREAK
August 14: Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn (Pamela Jo)
September 14: P. G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters (Matt)
October ?? : Susannah Clarke, Piranesi (Jonny)

Jason will let us know the date for Oct.

I like that idea. Good.

 

[MattScho]

So, the last unicorn over here is $1 on kindle, but in hardback, $351.
I'm actually going with audible version, which is a credit

 

[Pamela Jo]

So, the last unicorn over here is $1 on kindle, but in hardback, $351.
I'm actually going with audible version, which is a credit

WTF.... It is a classic. I wonder who's narrating. That could make a big difference.

 

[Bloo]

So, the last unicorn over here is $1 on kindle, but in hardback, $351.
I'm actually going with audible version, which is a credit

Priced like a last unicorn, too.

 

[MattScho]

WTF.... It is a classic. I wonder who's narrating. That could make a big difference.

Clare Corbett? I don't know her. She did a Gaiman book, the Graveyard book? I also do not know that, and something called the bedroom window and a bunch of other stuff I also do not know

 

[Bloo]

WTF.... It is a classic. I wonder who's narrating. That could make a big difference.

Clare Corbett? I don't know her. She did a Gaiman book, the Graveyard book? I also do not know that, and something called the bedroom window and a bunch of other stuff I also do not know

I just got the Audible and that introduction is ... something.

The story proper is read by Orlagh Cassidy and Joshua Kane.

 

[LJ Beck]

I just got the Audible and that introduction is ... something.

The story proper is read by Orlagh Cassidy and Joshua Kane.

Yeah, I didn't get that it was an intro at first. I was listening to the sample, so it cut into that intro, and I was like, what is this? Is this part of the story being all meta, talking about the brilliance of the story?? Weird! And then I caught on.

The one I got is read by Clare Corbett. Audible.com. I had to buy it as my acct is with audible.ca, and that one doesn't have it. I hate how they have separate accounts for different regions. Such a racket! Like you can't just get an acct with Audible, and the go to the various regions (ca, com, au) and use your credits. Grrrrr. Anyway, it wasn't that $$$ - under $20.

 

[Pamela Jo]

Yeah, I didn't get that it was an intro at first. I was listening to the sample, so it cut into that intro, and I was like, what is this? Is this part of the story being all meta, talking about the brilliance of the story?? Weird! And then I caught on.

The one I got is read by Clare Corbett. Audible.com. I had to buy it as my acct is with audible.ca, and that one doesn't have it. I hate how they have separate accounts for different regions. Such a racket! Like you can't just get an acct with Audible, and the go to the various regions (ca, com, au) and use your credits. Grrrrr. Anyway, it wasn't that $$$ - under $20.

There is a hack around it-I mean hacking w a VPN is somewhat blocked, but another way. My son knows how to do it. There are directions online if you rummage around a bit on reddit.

 

[LJ Beck]

There is a hack around it-I mean hacking w a VPN is somewhat blocked, but another way. My son knows how to do it. There are directions online if you rummage around a bit on reddit.

Or there’s the skip forward button?

 

[Bloo]

Yeah, I didn't get that it was an intro at first. I was listening to the sample, so it cut into that intro, and I was like, what is this? Is this part of the story being all meta, talking about the brilliance of the story?? Weird! And then I caught on.

The one I got is read by Clare Corbett. Audible.com. I had to buy it as my acct is with audible.ca, and that one doesn't have it. I hate how they have separate accounts for different regions. Such a racket! Like you can't just get an acct with Audible, and the go to the various regions (ca, com, au) and use your credits. Grrrrr. Anyway, it wasn't that $$$ - under $20.

There is a hack around it-I mean hacking w a VPN is somewhat blocked, but another way. My son knows how to do it. There are directions online if you rummage around a bit on reddit.

Or there’s the skip forward button?

Hehehe...I think PJ was responding to your second paragraph, not the first

Audible US sold me the Cassidy/Kane version for just under eight bucks. The reader's voice sounds a bit Polly Purebred to me. I hope the maple leaf version is better.

Anyhoo...I didn't expect to run into Leopold Bloom in chapter one

 

[LJ Beck]

Hehehe...I think PJ was responding to your second paragraph, not the first

hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!

Yes, that makes much more sense.

 

[Bloo]

February 17: Jonathan Evison, Lawn Boy (Bloo)
March 16: Robert Dinsdale, The Toy Maker (Hannah)
April 13: Robert McCammon, Boy's Life (Jason)
May 11: Martha Wells, All Systems Red (Lyse)
June 15: Francine Prose, Blue Angel (Peyton)
Break for July
August 14: Susannah Clarke, Piranesi (Jonny)
September 14: Peter S. Beagle, The Last Unicorn (Pamela Jo)
October 12: P. G. Wodehouse, The Code of the Woosters (Matt)

Does the Piranesi Book Club really fall on a Wednesday?

Otherwise, is there a transcription error between August 2024 and The Eighth Month in The Year the Albatross Came to the Southwestern Halls?

 

[LJ Beck]

@Jason L. Is there a book club tomorrow an hour after Huddle? If so, which book is it?

 

[Jason L.]

Okay, it was supposed to happen on the August 17th. Shall we push it back to September, then, since we're all in confusion? Sorry, I have so much going on that I am dropping every ball that's not related to The Immediate Conflagration. Jonny? Lyse?

 

[Hannah F]

I'm not around August 17th.

 

[LJ Beck]

Cool with me. Maybe you could do another schedule with dates and the books to those dates as it’s gotten a little confusing?

We have 3 books left for this year. Would be great to complete our list. So if we push to Sept, then we have no more wiggle room. Sept, Oct, Nov. (I’m guessing no book club in Dec?)

 

[Jason L.]

Nope, we take December off because it's Christmas and I'll be sick of the lot of you.

 

[Bloo]

So no book club on 17 August, right ?

 

[Pamela Jo]

Whose on first?

 

[Bloo]

Whose what is on first

Or is it on second ?

I dunno.

 

[Pamela Jo]

No what's on before who.