Tournament of Books discussion

placeholder for quarterfinal rounds discussions

QF#1 Round - Fever Dream vs. The Idiot - whodda thought!?
QF#2 Round - Dear Cyborgs vs. ??

Amy wrote: "placeholder for quarterfinal rounds discussions"

Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)

Lauren, I’ve wondered if judges have second thoughts between the time they write the judgement and when it’s published and wished they had picked the other book? It must be hard to wait knowing how things have played out?

Lauren wrote: "Amy wrote: "placeholder for quarterfinal rounds discussions"

Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)"

You're one of us....we will treat you with kid gloves ;-)

Lauren wrote: "
Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)"

Janet wrote: "You're one of us....we will treat you with kid gloves ;-) :)"

Exactly what Janet said Lauren!

Ace wrote: "Exactly what Janet said Lauren! ..."

Me too Lauren--not to worry at all. The only people I've seen the GR TOB folks get angry at were all professional musicians.

Janet wrote: "Lauren wrote: Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)"

You're one of us....we will tre..."

Of course we will be spirited but respectful. I think we were with Ruth Curry, with the one obvious exception, and she more than held her own.

As long as you haven't made a careless comment about abortion, that is. Remember last year? Good times.

carissa wrote: "This is a fun ToB. I woke up this morning excited that I couldn't predict what would happen next!
So glad I zombie votes for White Tears..."

Me too carissa, including the zombie vote for White Tears.

I finally got White Tears from the library. So I'm hoping it'll zombie just so I can "participate" in a little more of its discussion before the end of the tournament!

Also, I'm not sure if I'm excited or depressed that all I care about on this side of the bracket is Fever Dream.

I have figured out how to win the ToB in early predictions. Choose the opposite of what I like and that will be the winner. Seriously, I haven't predicted a single one. In the end, it has to be White Tears and Sing, Unburied, Sing or something is seriously wrong in the world. I guess that means Zombies rule.

Alison wrote: "As long as you haven't made a careless comment about abortion, that is. Remember last year? Good times. ..."

Indeed. That book was a great pick for TOB!

Don’t forget the judge’s link to an alt-right associated “think tank.” Ugh

Oh my gosh--The Mothers! And that judge! And his...rationale. And the commentariat! I mean, WOW. The ToB is nothing if not incredible!

Erin wrote: "I have figured out how to win the ToB in early predictions. Choose the opposite of what I like and that will be the winner. Seriously, I haven't predicted a single one. In the end, it has to be Whi..."

There's nothing to figure out, Erin. It's just been a crazy start. I don't recall a full week of upsets in any previous ToB. I'm 0/5, and that's never happened before.

Lauren wrote: "Amy wrote: "placeholder for quarterfinal rounds discussions"

Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)"

It's just two or three people going on tangents. Mostly, we are a benevolent, albeit passionate community. (You didn't comment on abortion, right?) Oh, I just looked at the brackets to see which books you could have judged. Uh oh.

Brenda wrote: "Lauren, I’ve wondered if judges have second thoughts between the time they write the judgement and when it’s published and wished they had picked the other book? It must be hard to wait knowing how..."

Oh how I want to reply to this... once tomorrow's judgement is out I can :)

Janet wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Amy wrote: "placeholder for quarterfinal rounds discussions"

Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)"

You're one of us....we will tre..."

Janet, that is music to my ears!! I just want a disclaimer that reminds people I'm not a professional like the others!!

Lark Benobi wrote: "Ace wrote: "Exactly what Janet said Lauren! ..."

Me too Lauren--not to worry at all. The only people I've seen the GR TOB folks get angry at were all professional musicians."

Ha!! I'm safe then!

Alison wrote: "Janet wrote: "Lauren wrote: Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)"

You're one of us....we will tre..."

Of course we will be spirited but respectfu..."

YES!!! I would never of course, but even so I tried to keep it as non-political as possible.

Tina wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Amy wrote: "placeholder for quarterfinal rounds discussions"

Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)"

It's mostly just two or three p..."

Let's just say I took it very seriously. I had some friends who are even more PC-passionate than I am take a look, just in case some insensitivity leaked out...

Ace wrote: "Lauren wrote: "
Comment sections have been crazy!! I hope you will all take mercy on my judgement!! :)"

Janet wrote: "You're one of us....we will treat you with kid gloves ;-) :)"

Exactly what Ja..."

Thank you Ace!!! Also sorry for all the comments; I didn't realize my GR notifications were such that I didn't get notified of replies. Clearly new to this!

Uh oh

Lauren wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Lauren, I’ve wondered if judges have second thoughts between the time they write the judgement and when it’s published and wished they had picked the other book? It must be hard to ……

Oh how I want to reply to this... once tomorrow's judgement is out I can :).."

Ok, spill :)

Ace wrote: "Lauren wrote: "Brenda wrote: "Lauren, I’ve wondered if judges have second thoughts between the time they write the judgement and when it’s published and wished they had picked the other book? It mu..."

Okay! So, I'm completely confident in my decision. I had already read both of my titles prior to ToB so I re-read both of them. TBH at this point never want to touch either one again since I spent so much time thinking about both, ha. Totally tired of them.

To address your question, both of my books mean so much to so many. So the stress has come from watching the fans express their thoughts on them in the earlier round, because I know there are a lot of feelings coming for my judgement either way!

The championship match-up was much harder to choose as the finalists were very even to me. But less pressure since it's by a vote!

Fun! Looking forward to seeing your write-up!

Lauren wrote: "To address your question, both of my books mean so much to so many. So the stress has come from watching the fans express their thoughts on them in the earlier round..."

Looking at what you're judging...Uh-oh.

One of the books was my favorite in the tournament, and of the year.

Round 1 Fever Dream v The Idiot is up! https://themorningnews.org/tob/2018/f...

Aww. Sad to see The Idiot go, but I know it was probably the most-hated book still in play. At least I no longer have to listen to people dump on poor Selin. ;-)

I liked Fever Dream a lot, so no real beef here.

Lauren, I love the insider scoop. Thanks for sharing a bit of your experience!

Thanks for sharing Lauren. What a nightmare reading Pachinko twice. Looking forward to seeing SUS progress ;)

So far, Fever Dream has taken down:

Temporary People
The Night Ocean
Lincoln in the Bardo
The Idiot

I'm sure he knew about it already, but I wouldn't say I was completely innocent of pointing out to Gabe Habash that he'd made the tournament.

Jason wrote: "I'm sure he knew about it already, but I wouldn't say I was completely innocent of pointing out..."

good on you! Go Stephen! I'm not even sure now if I'm cheering for it because it's my favorite or because I love it's underdog-ness SO much! (March Madness indeed!)

This is me:

"John: The judgments on Fever Dream in the Tournament thus far makes it sound like a great book and yet I have yet to read an account of it that makes me want to pick it up and start reading it."

Me too...When I decide whether to read a book, I look ask whether it'll show me something new about life, about myself, and if not whether it might inform or inspire my own writing. From what I've read, it doesn't look like it'll do any of those things, that all it will do is make me panic and want to follow my daughter to school every day. It sounds brilliant in its own way, but not for me.

Amy wrote: "Jason wrote: "I'm sure he knew about it already, but I wouldn't say I was completely innocent of pointing out..."

good on you! Go Stephen! I'm not even sure now if I'm cheering for it because it's..."

I cheer because it just might be my favorite, but also because I haven't gotten over the decision - not that it lost, but that the judge gave such a flat description of it as a campus novel about a boy obsessed with wrestling. Absolutely no mention of any of its many strangenesses and undercurrents, which made it so fascinating and complex.

Fever Dream is one of those books where the less you know the better, hence it does the opposite of improve with added time and perspective. I don't remember what brought it to our attention but we read it together in the newest litfic group the month it was first published in English. It was great to go in cold, when it was a strange little book no one had read yet. Since then I've been continuously surprised at its staying power.

Elizabeth wrote: "From what I've read, it doesn't look like it'll do any of those things, that all it will do is make me panic and want to follow my daughter to school every day. It sounds brilliant in its own way, but not for me."

I wrote out a very sarcastic, dark response that was funny in my head until I typed the words.

So instead I'll say I loved the book, and that love increases with every discussion about it, but I feel like a monster recommending it to friends, especially friends with kids.

Ace wrote: "Thanks for sharing Lauren. What a nightmare reading Pachinko twice. Looking forward to seeing SUS progress ;)"

LOL. I do think these two books are a bit of either/or!!! Going to piss off half the crowd, lol

Round 2 Dear Cyborgs vs The End of Eddy https://themorningnews.org/tob/2018/d...

Memoir ToB event in May!! Yes, please.

Really excited about the Memoir Event...I'm making big plugs for Hunger and Educated, which both were intensely difficult to read but rocked my world.

Can't make myself read Dear Cyborgs yet, but it's alive for one more round. And am trying to get Stephen Florida in case it makes it all the way through as a Zombie, but am hoping one of the right side books knocks it out.

Peebee wrote: "Really excited about the Memoir Event...I'm making big plugs for Hunger and Educated, which both were intensely difficult to read but rocked my world."

I can recommend the Cantu book....here is my review....https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death is sitting on my nightstand waiting to be read.

I enjoyed reading Educated but I felt there were some problems with it.....I don't want to say any spoilers but my review is here.....https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

memoir event? wut. link?

jo wrote: "memoir event? wut. link?"

At the end of today's commentary, there's a poll so we can pick three titles for a memoir event in May.

Janet wrote: "Peebee wrote: "Really excited about the Memoir Event...I'm making big plugs for Hunger and Educated, which both were intensely difficult to read but rocked my world."

I can recommend the Cantu boo..."

Thanks for the recommendations Janet! That is very helpful. I read so little non-fiction so I really have no idea what to choose. I am looking forward to this TOB sideline for sure, however, to make me read more NF!

Sunita wrote: "Interesting judgment. I gave The End of Eddy 3.5 stars and DNF'd Dear Cyborgs. It wasn't even a close call for me. I thought TEoE was far from perfect, but I saw a lot more in it th..."

Agree. I thought the judge did a good job of judging two books he didn't gel with. But a hard yes to that there is more to TEoE than Judge Alam read into it. Bryn commented on it on the TOB site and I concur: I know people like Eddy's family and neighbors. I did not see them as "superficial suppositions".

The memoir thing is cool. I just read one that comes out in April that I wish could be included, but I know it isn't an comprehensive list of all memoirs. It is Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting-Pot Cuisine by Edward Lee, and I was so impressed by how beautiful the writing was that I contacted the publicist to make sure it wasn't a ghost-writer. Really stellar stuff. And all about immigrant communities and their food in America.

Lauren wrote: "Ace wrote: "Thanks for sharing Lauren. What a nightmare reading Pachinko twice. Looking forward to seeing SUS progress ;)"

LOL. I do think these two books are a bit of either/or!!! Going to piss o..."

Could have been worse, you could have got todays matchup. That was a tough one, I quite "liked" Eddy but don't think I would have enjoyed Cyborgs so much and looking at peoples comments it probably would have felt like a chore/assignment and I would have resented the book.

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "The memoir thing is cool. I just read one that comes out in April that I wish could be included, but I know it isn't an comprehensive list of all memoirs. It is [book:Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s ..."

Edward Lee is amazing! His cookbook, Smoke and Pickles, is also beautifully written. It fared very well in The Piglet, the cookbook tournament modeled after the TOB: https://food52.com/the-piglet/2014