Reading the Chunksters discussion

I personally feel that the discussion of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was a big success, but all good things must come to an end.
On the other hand, it is time to regain your reading breath, nominate a new modern door stopper, and read with the group again.

This time it is again a themed read - The Chunkster of the Twenty First Century. The theme is obviously self-explanatory - a big book published in the twenty first century. The nomination thread will be open for the next ten days, and then business as usual - polling, schedule, and reading fun.

My nomination is The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb.

Am I allowed to suggest multiple? Well I will anyway!
The Luminaries
The Goldfinch
The Woman Who Lost Her Soul

Nice nomination, Zulfiya! I loved Wally Lamb's other two novels I read.

Is SCI-FI allowed? If so then I would nominate Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton. If not, kindly ignore this nomination :)

Victoria wrote: "Am I allowed to suggest multiple? Well I will anyway!
The Luminaries
The Goldfinch
The Woman Who Lost Her Soul"

Each member can nominate only one book. Sorry. Please pick the one you want to read the most and make that your nomination.

I will second The Hour I First Believed. It looks very interesting!

Just as a reminder...The nomination rules:

Remember:

1) Only one nomination per member

2) Link to both the book and the author in your nomination

3) This thread will be open for 10 days.

4)Please reference the rules for nominating in the Group Guidelines when deciding on your nomination.

Ok, I will pick The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I haven't finished it yet and I have read the other 2 already.

Hi. I nominate
The Border Trilogy: All the Pretty Horses, The Crossing, Cities of the Plain
I've been wanting to read a Cormac McCarthy for ages - and found this at a book exchange - I don't know, maybe it's not the one to start with for someone new to him.

My modern doorstopper nomination: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Hmm, well since the Luminaries has already been nominated, I will nominate my other choice: Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

I second Outlander.

Lisa wrote: "My modern doorstopper nomination: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon"

Sandra wrote: "I second Outlander."

I'll third :)
That was just recommended to me on Thursday at my real life book club :)

I keep meaning to get around to The Way of Kings by Brandon Sandersonso I'd like to nominate it.

2666 by Roberto Bolano

John wrote: "Hmm, well since the Luminaries has already been nominated, I will nominate my other choice: Anathem by Neal Stephenson."

This is on my TBR. I'll second this. :)

Jerika wrote: "John wrote: "Hmm, well since the Luminaries has already been nominated, I will nominate my other choice: Anathem by Neal Stephenson."

This is on my TBR. I'll second thi..."

Anathem...raising my hand for this one.

The Brunist Day of Wrath

Since Sara and Maureen have already chucked in my other possible selections, I'd like to nominate The Instructions by Adam Levin.

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

Victoria wrote: "Ok, I will pick The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I haven't finished it yet and I have read the other 2 already."

Since Victoria's nomination went to the Luminaries, I will nominate The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I plan to read it this summer.

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I have read the Outlander series (fun, fast read) and I'm half way though Anathem (very slow moving book but good).

I nominate The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber.

Alex wrote: "The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson"

Alex. HeyT nominated the same book five posts earlier than you did:-) Are you seconding the nomination or would you like to nominate another one?

Angie wrote: " I will nominate The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I plan to read it this summer. "

Angie, I am sorry to say this, but we read The Godlfinch as a buddy read in January/February with very good participation. Would you like to nominate something else?

Guys, this is just a general comment. I like hard core sci-fi (Hamilton) and fantasy (Outlander / The Way of Kings)and you are ABSOLUTELY and WHOLEHEARTEDLY allowed to nominate these books, but let's remember that the books you nominate are series, and when we read one, it is somewhat curtailed if others are not read.

Some years ago, we read book 1, A Game of Thrones, and we never read other books of the same series. Besides, the series is not finished yet, and two more books will come, so the same is true about the new series by B. Sanderson. He only published two books out of ten, and although the reviews are phenomenal, there are so many books to write and wait for.

In that aspect, Anathem is a stand-alone book, The Outlander is at least a complete series, and there are only two book in the Pandora's series.

I am trying to turn our buddy read into a series read, and maybe after The Dune, we will some solid fantasy and even sample the series that are incomplete.

It was just a personal comment, and not a binding one, so all the nominations hold and will be included in the poll; what is more, they are all excellent, and I am itching to read all of them, but maybe after the Dune series in the buddy read, if any of the sci-fi/ fantasy does not win the poll this time, we may try to read these books as buddy reads.

I hope you understand my concerns as a moderator. Again, all the books that were nominated, will be included in the poll, no worries here.

I nominate And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. 1184 pages, written in 2000.

A groundbreaking bestseller with two and a half million copies in print, "...And Ladies of the Club" centers on the members of a book club and their struggles to understand themselves, each other, and the tumultuous world they live in. A true classic, it is sure to enchant, enthrall, and intrigue readers for years to come.(

Sorry I missed HeyT's nomination before posting mine. I second The Way of Kings.

Zulfiya wrote: "Guys, this is just a general comment. I like hard core sci-fi (Hamilton) and fantasy (Outlander / The Way of Kings)and you are ABSOLUTELY and WHOLEHEARTEDLY allowed to nominate these books, but let..."

That is a great point Zulfiya, as I realize Outlander is part of a series. I hesitated in nominating it due to that fact as well. So if you would rather have it as a potential "buddy read" instead of a Modern Chunkster nominee, I totally understand...... Either way, I intend to read the book soon, but it would be more fun as part of a discussion group :-)

Maybe for future "Modern Chunkster" nominations, the group should limit the nomination criteria to "stand alone" books??

If we can nominate non fiction, then I'd like to toss into the fray Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang.

If not, then The Source by James A. Michener.

Only, I can't volunteer to help with leading the discussion until July/August.

Sandra wrote: "I nominate And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. 1184 pages, written in 2000.

A groundbreaking bestseller with two and a half million copies in print, "....."

I would love to read it, it's sitting near the top of my TBR list, but unfortunately it was originally published in I think the 1980s; it's only the paperback that was published in 2000, and I don't think that would count, though maybe the moderators will allow it.

But if they don't, I would love to have you nominate it for a future "Modern Chunkster" read when it fits the criteria.

Wait. How modern is modern??? (Or... How old am I???)
The 80s weren't that long ago. (Denial. Denial. Denial.)

Never mind. 21st Century. I take back The Source

(Not senility. Not senility. Not senility.)

here's are my nomination:


The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Ooh, The Historian is on my TBR list!

Sandra wrote: "Ooh, The Historian is on my TBR list!"

I read this a few years and really liked it, although looking back I only rated it 3 stars. But it seems I liked it more than that. I have a terrible time keeping my ratings consistent!

Linda, you are not the only one! I am sure their name is legion :-) At least, you are a scientist. IMAGINE what the system of rating does to an irrational linguist:-)! What other books by Lamb have you read? I liked She's Come Undone and looved We Are Water.

I've read SHE'S COME UNDONE by Wally Lamb and I Know This Much Is True. I remember really liking I Know This Much Is True, but it was so long ago that I would like to reread it as I don't remember much of what it was about, just that I really liked it! :) According to my ratings, if you can trust them, I gave She's Come Undone 3 stars and I Know This Much Is True 5 stars. Now I must reread it to see if it holds up to actually being a 5 star book! :)

Renee wrote: "Wait. How modern is modern??? (Or... How old am I???)
The 80s weren't that long ago. (Denial. Denial. Denial.)

Never mind. 21st Century. I take back The Source

(Not senility. Not sen..."

I often repeat:"It is not sometimer yet, it is not sometimer yet. It is only once-in-a-blue-mooner :-)

Lisa wrote: "Zulfiya wrote: "Guys, this is just a general comment. I like hard core sci-fi (Hamilton) and fantasy (Outlander / The Way of Kings)and you are ABSOLUTELY and WHOLEHEARTEDLY allowed to nominate thes..."

Good point, Lisa. I do own the whole series and would be happy to read it as our group project, but it is always hard to read one without others. I will talk to Kristi and maybe we will tinker with the rules - let us say - if the first book of the series is nominated as a sample read, the rest might be read as buddy project.
I have heard very good things about The Outlander and The Way of Kings, but it would be a pity to read one and not read the others, like a feeling of being incomplete, a sense of mission not accomplished.

Delmy =^.^= wrote: "here are my nominations:

11/22/63 by Stephen King

or

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova"

Delmy, only one nomination per person. Which one would you like to nominate?

Both Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China and 2666 are in my TBR for this year. So wouldn't mind reading either of them, if they are nominated. :)

Zulfiya- I will delete one of those when I have a chance to get on my PC since I can't edit posts on the App.

They are both nominated and are excellent nominations. Keep your fingers crossed, and one of them can win the poll.

Delmy =^.^= wrote: "Zulfiya- I will delete one of those when I have a chance to get on my PC since I can't edit posts on the App."

No rush. Take your time, Delmy

The nomination process is a double-edged sword for me. No matter what we choose, my TBR list gets bigger because of all the great nominations. Yay, more terrific book ideas... However, I'm going to have to live forever so I can read them all. Where's Ponce de Leon when ya need him?

I second (or third) Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang. I've heard really good things.

Just to put my two cents in about the nomination of series books.

I would say that you can nominate books in a series, and leave doing the rest of the series as a buddy read. That's what we did with Game of Thrones, but the buddy read didn't happen.

If there is interest we can still do a buddy read for that series, but If I remember correctly, the next contemporary chunkster after Game of Thrones was one everyone wanted to read and so we opted not to have the two books going at the same time.

Sandra wrote: "I nominate And Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. 1184 pages, written in 2000.

I had not heard of this doorstopper before but it does sound like an interesting novel, plus it has a high Goodreads rating. Good job!!

So many of the current nominees sound so tempting. I could easily spend the rest of the year just reading the books listed in this thread--

I will have a difficult time making a decision. What a great list!!

Victoria wrote: "Ok, I will pick The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. I haven't finished it yet and I have read the other 2 already."

Hi,

I am new to the group but I second The Luminaries.