Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 25, 2012 - 10:27am
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce
3% (1 vote)
The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett
41% (12 votes)
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
14% (4 votes)
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
21% (6 votes)
1984 by George Orwell
21% (6 votes)
Total votes: 29

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 25, 2012 - 10:32am

So Dakota and I started talking a couple months ago. He wanted to knock out an older book, but still something cool. I thought it was a really good idea. Dennis gave us the go-ahead. And so we started throwing titles around. Before you know it we had a ton. Most of them, I didn't think would make good discussions becuase they were really long. But we still had a bunch.

And then we narrowed it down to 5 and decided that you guys should pick the one we should do.

So, get to voting!

If you guys like this idea, we'll try and incorporate it every few months. I'm doing whatever I can to try and keep the Book Club fresh.

I'm always open to ideas, so yeah, keep 'em coming.

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 25, 2012 - 5:20pm

And I forgot to mention, this poll is open for 2 weeks. (which I think means 5/8)

These books are all pretty quick reads, so that should give us plenty of time.

 

 

.'s picture
. April 25, 2012 - 11:45am

Could we pin this perhaps?

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 25, 2012 - 11:49am

I didn't want to clog up the top.

But if you think we should, I can message Dennis.

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner April 25, 2012 - 11:58am

"If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever." - 1984

 

I think that says it all. Brilliant book. I even know a place online you can read it free. Plus, I think they are making it a new movie. 

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 25, 2012 - 12:03pm

1984 was the book that started the discussion between Dakota and I.

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner April 25, 2012 - 12:04pm

I love it. It's brilliant, even that whole third chapter where he explains the world view....It even somehow explains the way the world works today.

.'s picture
. April 25, 2012 - 4:24pm

If the April book club selection comes down we could pin it then maybe. Or I could just keep bumping this thread. 

Voting for these books is like picking your favorite kid.

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 25, 2012 - 5:18pm

Jack said: Voting for these books is like pickign your favorite kid.

I agree! I think we put together a hell of a list. I'd be stoked to read any of those books. Even if it is for a 2nd time.

Also, after we start May's discussion, we'll swap this thread with April's. Until then, I really don't want to clog it up with more than 2 stickied threads. But hey, it's only a week away. ;)

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies April 26, 2012 - 12:43pm

tough call between thin man and bradbury. really, they were all good selections. i picked the bradbury though, because i have it, and i don't think i've ever read it.

Bob Pastorella's picture
Bob Pastorella from Groves, Texas is reading murder books trying to stay hip, I'm thinking of you, and you're out there so Say your prayers, Say your prayers, Say your prayers April 26, 2012 - 12:46pm

Richard, you've never read the Bradbury?! For shame. So, so good.

 

Damn, I've got too much to read on my plate right now, but I'm voting for Something Wicked. 

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 26, 2012 - 12:47pm

The Thin Man is one of my favorite books!

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like April 26, 2012 - 1:07pm

I voted Thin Man because it and Red Harvest have been want-to-reads ever since I read the Maltese Falcon.

Richard's picture
Richard from St. Louis is reading various anthologies April 26, 2012 - 10:33pm

i've read a lot of Bradbury, but i don't think i've read THAT one, bob. i know. 

Dorian Grey's picture
Dorian Grey from Transexual, Transylvania is reading "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck April 26, 2012 - 10:43pm

1984 because it's the only one I already have...

Jay.SJ's picture
Jay.SJ from London is reading Warmed and Bound April 27, 2012 - 1:27am

1984. I haven't read it and feel that I should have

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. April 27, 2012 - 1:39am

I think there could be a dual pick to the book club every month. A contempory and a classic. Two seperate threads.

Sure, it will end up a lot of reading for people if they want to keep up with them all, but there's no time limit right? Plus it won't be hard to find a 'classic' per month. You'd already have us covered until autumn with that list up there. It might encourage me to read more of the books I should be ashamed I haven't read. Plus if people aren't feeling any given month's contempory pick they will have an option.

Also, there should be a Philip K Dick bookclub pick somtime. Palmer Eldritch maybe, or UBIK, or The Man In The High Castle. Or A Scanner Darkly. So many good ones to choose from.

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 27, 2012 - 5:34am

The Cult did something like that years ago.

See, I think it's an awesome idea, but our participation is already low. Doing something like that would just divide it in my opinion. I could be wrong though, it's happened before.

After I posted that poll, I realized Dakota and I didn't even discuss Philip K. Dick or Kurt Vonnegut. I know, I should be ashamed of myself.

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 27, 2012 - 6:17am

Here's an NPR article appropriately about Something Wicked - HERE

.'s picture
. April 27, 2012 - 8:32am

I know, I should be ashamed of myself.

 

Ditto.

Andrez Bergen's picture
Andrez Bergen from Melbourne, Australia + Tokyo, Japan is reading 'The Spirit' by Will Eisner April 28, 2012 - 9:25am

Tough call! Went with a dose of Dashiell Hammett, but Ray Bradbury almost held sway.

And you're right, wickedvoodoo - Philip K Dick bookclub pick (A Scanner Darkly) would be ace in the future..

.'s picture
. May 1, 2012 - 9:04am

bump

Howard Litchfield's picture
Howard Litchfield from Bristol UK is reading Jay McRoy - Japanese Horror Cinema May 1, 2012 - 9:16am

My heart said Bradbury, but my head said Hammett 'cos it's the only one I've yet to read.

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner May 1, 2012 - 9:18am

Damn you all! Pick 1984! 

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon May 1, 2012 - 1:46pm

I really thought A Portrait would be more popular. You guys are full of surprises!

Courtney's picture
Courtney from the Midwest is reading Monkey: A Journey to the West and a thousand college textbooks May 1, 2012 - 1:48pm

I'm the lone Portrait vote.

I haven't read Thin Man or Something Wicked, but I loved the Hemingway and (sorry Matt) hated 1984. This is counterintuitive to my socialist nature, but Orwell never did it for me.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters May 1, 2012 - 2:01pm

I've read them all - so I'll be happy to discuss any of them. 

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon May 1, 2012 - 3:18pm

Courtney - I haven't voted yet, but I was going to vote for Portrait. I've only read The Dubliners by Joyce. I loved that book though and have read it a few times.

Courtney's picture
Courtney from the Midwest is reading Monkey: A Journey to the West and a thousand college textbooks May 1, 2012 - 3:24pm

Portrait changed my life in a thousand ways. James Joyce is like a drug for me. I keep Portrait in my car and read random passages whenever I get the chance. It's just so, so good. I haven't read Dubliners yet, but it's on its way from Amazon as we speak.

PandaMask's picture
PandaMask from Los Angeles is reading More Than Human May 1, 2012 - 3:29pm

Dashiell Hammet, nuff said. Red Harvest would have been another great choice.

.'s picture
. May 1, 2012 - 4:55pm

I voted for A Farewell To Arms. 

I picked up Portrait today from the library.

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon May 3, 2012 - 1:23pm

Since we haven't had any votes in a couple days, and we have an obvious winner here, I'm going to call it now.

Next month's book is going to be The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett - one of my favorite books.

Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed a book I haven't read didn't win. But also stoked that this one did.

Chester Pane's picture
Chester Pane from Portland, Oregon is reading The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz May 3, 2012 - 2:52pm

I'm out then.

Besides, when I didn't see any Lovecraft, I pre-decided I was out.

Well that and the fact that the list didn't have Feed or A Canticle for Leibowitz.

Just kidding. All great books. Didn't really want to cry again at the end of FTA.

And Joyce always makes me feel insecure as a writer.

Bradbury is always fun, although his prose gets a bit embellishy and trite at times.

I have read 1984 too many times.

If I have time (which I probably won't since I am going to be watching that Flash column splooshing in its pants all month) I would love to jump in.

I guess we'll just have to see. I love these Pete book clubs.

Andrez Bergen's picture
Andrez Bergen from Melbourne, Australia + Tokyo, Japan is reading 'The Spirit' by Will Eisner May 3, 2012 - 7:39pm

Bloody brilliant. What a read!