Old Books, New Readers discussion

For May 2021 BOTM, we are going to switch things up a bit.
Any Classic book we have not read as a group qualifies.

Theme: Madness in May
Championship bracket structure like March Madness but with books!
Current Round Poll links in comment 44

- Nominations total of 16 books that meet criteria of any unread BOTM Classic (listed below in rules).
- For 4 weeks, members will be invited to vote in the Battle of the Classic books.
- I will update this thread when new polls are listed, so make sure to keep notifications on.
- Once all books are nominated, I will create our own bracket image to see the progression and keep track.
- Have fun and may the best unread Classic win!

Rules:
1. Nominate 1 Classic book.
2. Check your nomination has not been BOTM before.
List of the previous books we have read for BOTM: Past BOTM's
3. Book must be a Classic (50+ years/prior to 1971).

WEEK 1: March 28 - April 2
Sweet 16 - 16 books (8 polls)

WEEK 2: April 3 - 9
Elite 8 - 8 books (4 polls)

WEEK 3 : April 10 - 15
Final 4 - 4 books (2 polls)

WEEK 4: April 16 - 21
Championship - 2 books (1 poll)

1) Of Human Bondage (1915)
2) House Made of Dawn (1968)
3) The Plague (1947)
4) Don Quixote (1605)
5) The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896)
6) Dune (1965)
7) The Bell Jar (1963)
8) Fathers and Sons (1862)
9) The Moonstone (1868)
10) The House of Ulloa (1886)
11) The Financier (1912)
12) Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852)
13) The Baron in the Trees (1957)
14) Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937)
15) Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family (1901)
16) Musashi (1935)

Of Human Bondage

House Made of Dawn

House Made of Dawn
Novel by N. Scott Momaday
1st Published in 1968

I'd like to nominate The Plague, by Albert Camus
The Plague

I would like to nominate Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It is one of these books that everyone (including me) wants to read, but never finds time for. :-)

Ian wrote: "I would like to nominate Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It is one of these books that everyone (including me) wants to read, but never finds time for. :-)"

I've only read parts, would love to read in its entirety.

I've looked all the past books this group has read and so many are still on my "to read" list, I'll let you guys decide but here is a suggestion anyways: Blindness by José Saramago

Richard wrote: "I've looked all the past books this group has read and so many are still on my "to read" list, I'll let you guys decide but here is a suggestion anyways: Blindness by José Saramago"

First published in 1995. To be classified as classic in this group has to be 50+ years ago/before 1971.

Elizabeth wrote: "Richard wrote: "I've looked all the past books this group has read and so many are still on my "to read" list, I'll let you guys decide but here is a suggestion anyways: Blindness by José Saramago"..."

True! I forgot... Sorry...

How about then The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells?

I don't remember seeing it among the already read books of the group...

Richard wrote: "Elizabeth wrote: "Richard wrote: "I've looked all the past books this group has read and so many are still on my "to read" list, I'll let you guys decide but here is a suggestion anyways: Blindness..."

That works, thank you. Added!

Im going to nominate Dune since the film is coming out later this year. If it doesn't get pushed back again.

I would like to nominate the Bell jar. I don't think I saw it on the list of read.

Carla wrote: "I would like to nominate the Bell jar. I don't think I saw it on the list of read."

Added!

I'd like to nominate Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev (1862).

I'd like to nominate The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. (1871) Romance, Theft and murder , something for everyone.

I would like to nominate
The House of Ulloa (1886) by Emilia Pardo Bazán
quite cheap on the kindle

Richard wrote: "I've looked all the past books this group has read and so many are still on my "to read" list, I'll let you guys decide but here is a suggestion anyways: Blindness by José Saramago"

José Saramago is an excellent author and Nobel Laureate, you should have chosen Skylight written by him in 1953, i am reading that book for my Nobel Laureate Challenge!

All added up until this point.

SIX MORE NOMINATIONS NEEDED

Can someone explain this in detail to me please

"Theme: Madness in May
Championship bracket structure like March Madness but with books!"

"- Once all books are nominated, I will create our own bracket image to see the progression and keep track."

I don't understand it at all. I feel like I'm reading a foreign language 😂

Jazzy wrote: I don't understand it at all. I feel like I'm reading a foreign lan..."

March Madness is a sports tournament. They use a bracket system at the end of the season to announce a Champion. We are substituting sports teams with books.

Here are photos to better help understand.

Thank you. I see it's an American College Basketball game.
But since books cannot play basketball, and we'd probably only read them once, I'm not sure how we play this. How will the books be chosen?

Jazzy wrote: "Thank you.
I thought it might be a foreign game ahaha.
But since books cannot play basketball, I'm not sure how we play this. How will the books be chosen?"

There will be polls for each. The dates are listed above in the first post including how many polls. I will announce when all polls go up on this thread & send messages to all group members.

Okay I'm sure it will make more sense later. I hope!
Thank you ❤️

This is a neat idea Elizabeth . Already lots of great choices so It will be fun to see which one wins,

Larry wrote: "This is a neat idea Elizabeth . Already lots of great choices so It will be fun to see which one wins,"

Thank you Larry! Wanted to do something a little different.
Im interested to see the result.

Jazzy wrote: "José Saramago is an excellent author and Nobel Laureate, you should have chosen Skylight written by him in 1953, i am reading that book for my Nobel Laureate Challenge!"

So many books, so little time... Am I the only one feeling overwhelmed by my ever growing "to read" list?

SIX NOMINATIONS LEFT

Richard wrote: "Jazzy wrote: "José Saramago is an excellent author and Nobel Laureate, you should have chosen Skylight written by him in 1953, i am reading that book for my Nobel Laureate Challenge!"

So many book..."

oh just go 'round once in a while and delete a lot of books from it!

So is everyone reading all the books? I guess we'd have to or else no one could tell which one was better than another.

I've read six so far and there is one that sadly, I absolutely HATE! ahaha

Jazzy wrote: "So is everyone reading all the books?"

No. Each week books will go in a poll versus another book until there is one winner.

Example:

Week 1 (left side of bracket)
Dune vs. Bell Jar
Plague vs Don Quixote

If Don Quixote wins vs Plague, Don Quixote moves on to the next round. So if Dune won vs Bell Jar, the next week Dune would go in a poll vs. Don Quixote.

There is one winner.

It will make sense once polls start.

I would like to nominate “The Financier” by Theodore Dreiser.

Paul wrote: "I would like to nominate “The Financier” by Theodore Dreiser."

Added! Thank you

I'll nominate Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe.

Kristin wrote: "I'll nominate Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe."

Added. Thank you!

I'll nominate The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino.

I'll nominate Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family

Ian wrote: "I would like to nominate Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. It is one of these books that everyone (including me) wants to read, but never finds time for. :-)"

Ian i've read it a few times, and there are parts of it that are absolutely hilarious!

Michelle wrote...Hannah wrote...Eva wrote: "

Great picks! All added, thank you!

ONE NOMINATION LEFT!

I'll suggest Musashi again. Because I'm predictable

Akuma wrote: "I'll suggest Musashi again. Because I'm predictable"

Added. Thank you!


NOMINATIONS CLOSED.
Locking thread until polls are up on the 28th!
Progress can be checked in comment #2.

Round 1 polls are up!
Links down below or click Polls on the top right of the Group Home page.


One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight

Round 2 polls are up!
Links below.

One
Two
Three
Four

SORRY EVERYONE! Had a family emergency.
New polls are up!

1) Fathers & Sons vs. Of Human Bondage
2) Their Eyes Were Watching God vs. Don Quixote

Championship is live!!!

Championship Poll

The winner is....


DON QUIXOTE!!!


Depending on reader activity, for the time being we will be dedicating May and June to read this classic.