Reading the Chunksters discussion

Please post any books you would like to read as Side Reads in this thread. Anyone who is interested in reading together let the original poster know.

Once your group is all together, get your schedule together (if you are going to have one), then post in the Introduction Thread and we will get your book thread posted!

We hope you have a great time with the Side-Reads!!

I would like to read Gone with the Wind, but I'm also planning on reading The Woman in White. In addition, I'm also going to lead the next contemporary novel so I wouldn't be able to lead the discussion for GWTW.

I'd like to do a side read of one of the long Dostoevsky novels, though I'm open about which one to choose. Crime and Punishment would be great, as I've got a copy of it. But if others would prefer reading a different one, that's fine, as long as we get a group of 3 or 4 folks to agree.

Perhaps timing-wise, we could wait till after the holidays? Or maybe at least till after Thanksgiving.

Loretta, I would be interested in reading those as well!

Loretta, I'm also interested; I'm game for any Dostoevsky novel, but I own Crime and Punishment so that would be best for me. After Thanksgiving would be perfect.

Yay, Andrea and Madeline Anne. :)

I believe Kristi was also potentially interested in joining for a Dostoevsky?

I'll wait until the end of this week (Friday maybe?) to see how many people are interested, and to confirm which novel we want to go with, and then post over in the other thread to get the Dostoevsky thread set up.

I am, I'm just trying to figure out how to fit everything in. Count me in and i'll let you know for sure by Friday!

I am game for Crime and Punishment also, so you can count me in too! Might be better to wait till after the holidays though, or at least have smaller readings until the holidays pass.

Oh, ok, it is so hard to resist. I may join in for a side read too...

Looks like Crime and Punishment may be our first side read! Does anyone want to be the leader for the discussion? It would mean that you would need to put together the schedule and then just monitor the discussion. Kristi and I are still trying to work out so thread formatting.

I'd be happy to lead the discussion, though I'm not certain I understand how the threads will be set up... it'll just be two threads for the entire book, right?

Maybe, I think the plan was to have that ironed out in the next week or so. I'll keep you posted!

Great, no rush. I don't think anyway wants to commit to anything else too soon anyway.

Phew! I have way too much going right now so I was hoping this would be in the near future but now right now...lol I think we need to get the regular reads up and running, or at least the classic.

OK, here's my proposal: Loretta, set up a schedule that you think everyone can keep up with...keeping in mind that some of us are slow readers, and are also doing the other group reads. This schedule can be updated if it seems too slow to everyone or too fast, but we need a starting point. Then, post on the Intro thread the book (with a link to the book and author), group members, and schedule, as well as a requested start date (preferably after the holidays is what I am hearing, but you should ask everyone when they want to start, or I can make a poll).

I will workout the Woman in White schedule, and then Andrea and I will iron out the thread format for the side reads. Once we have that worked out I will post whatever threads need posted and we can get started with Crime and Punishment!

How does that work for everyone? Good...great!

Sounds great Kristi! I also just sent you a pm to discuss some of these issues :)

BUmmer!! Just read this last year lol! We had to read it for AP English....ah well guess I'll catch the next one maybe...

: )

I'm in for Crime and Punishment as well. I read this in high school and then also in college, but I'm not sure I got the most out of either of those reads. Looking forward to this read!

I would love to read this also! I'll have to find my copy though...it is somewhere in a box of books in the garage..yikes!! :D

I have Crime and Punishment too - just sitting on the shelf waiting for me!! Count me in!!

I have to buy The Woman in White tomorrow night so I'm just going to pick this one up as well since it looks like it will be our side read!

For anyone interested (or just trying to save some money) Crime and Punishment is available on Project Gutenberg! I found a link that I wanted to share, I was able to download it right to Microsoft Notepad and then I copied it into word because I prefer that format. I've read books like this before and it is therapeutic to delete as you read and have the pages go away.

http://www.fmdostoyevsky.com/ebooks.php

Kristi, I'm going to post the proposed schedule here as well, and then copy it over into the Intro thread, just to be sure everyone sees it.

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

All of the following is tentative and subject to change based on the group's preference.

Start date: January 2, 2011
End date: March 26, 2011

Readers: Loretta, Andrea, Liza, AM10000, Jen, Trisha, Tasha, Kristi, Madeline Anne

I am basing the following schedule on the edition that I own, which is the Vintage TPB, Pevear/Volkhonsky transation. 551 pages of text.

You'll notice that it looks like I'm skipping some pages, but there are a few blank pages peppered throughout the book, which I'm accounting for below.

I also thought it might be useful to start out slowly, and increase the length of the chapters after a bit, so the first 4 weeks are all ~25 pages long and the remaining weeks are all ~50 pages.



Schedule
Week 1, January 2 - January 8: Part One, Ch. I-II, pp. 3-27.
Week 2, January 9 - January 15: Part One, Ch. III-IV, pp. 27-52
Week 3, January 16 - January 22: Part One, Ch. V-VII, pp. 52-86
Week 4, January 23 - January 29: Part Two, Ch. I-II, pp. 89-117
Week 5, January 30 - February 5: Part Two, Ch. III-VI, pp. 117-174
Week 6, February 6 - February 1: Part Two, Ch. VII - Part Three, Ch. 2, pp. 175-222
Week 7, February 13 - February 19: Part Three, Ch. III-VI, pp. 222-278
Week 8, February 20 - February 26: Part Four, Ch. I-IV, pp. 281-331
Week 9, February 27 - March 5: Part Four, Ch. V - Part Five, Ch. I, pp. 331-378
Week 10, March 6 - March 12: Part Five, Ch. II-V, pp. 378-436
Week 11, March 13 - March 19: Part Six, Ch. I-V, pp. 439-497
Week 12, March 20 - March 26: Part Six, Ch. VI-End, pp. 498-551

What does everyone think?

Love it!

Yay!! Great start date and pacing (considering it is a side-read). :)

This is a great schedule Loretta. Great job!

Andrea and I have discussed how we will structure the thread and have decided that one thread for the book will work. My sugestion to you (Loretta) is that each week you post in Bold what week you are on and what chapters you are reading. That way everyone will be able to scroll through the thread and see exactly where you are in the Side Read.

Example:

Week 1, 1/2-1/8: Chapters 55-10000

This will just be another post in the thread, but will help keep track of where you are.

*************************************
If you have read ahead, please mark any spoilers with a header like this:

***SPOILER***

That way eveyone will know that you are talking about a part of the book that they haven't gotten to yet.

********************************

It will be assumed that if you are posting in the thread, and you are posting about the chapter for the scheduled week, that you can post anything, even if it would normally be a spoiler, because the group is all at the same place...does that make sense?

Here's an example: say a character has an affair in this weeks scheduled set of chpaters. I can post that and not have to label it as a spoiler, because eveyone else in the group *should* be reading the same thing.

But if I have read ahead, I MUST label anything like this as a spoiler because the group may not all be there and I wouldn't want to ruine it for them.

****************************

Disclaimer: We, as your moderators, have not atempted anything like this before, so bear with us as we work out all the kinks. I know there will be parts that work wonderfully, and other parts that are not so great, as this goes on we will try to improve the process and make it all absolutly wonderful. If you see anything that you think would be better another way, please PM either Me or Andrea and let us know, it's always great to have feedback!

I hope you all enjoy the First Chunksters Side read!!

Loving the disclaimer Kristi!...lol

lol...I had to put it in, I want it all to go really well, but there are always snafus and things that can be improved on! And I love hearing what everyone thinks.

I will join in on Crime and Punishment

Yay!!! We are growing!

I've downloaded it and am ready to go!!

I'm really excited too! :) Just five more weeks...

I'll post the thread for it in mid-december!

Hey everyone, AM1000 and I are thinking about reading The Crimson Petal and the White Anyone else want to join us??

I already read this one and I have to say I loved it! It really draws you in and shows the reader a very different London. I remember some parts being a little slow, but I gave it 5 stars!

While I really want to read both Crime and Punishment and The Crimson Petal and the White, I just don't know if my schedule will allow it. I can barely keep up as it is...

I'd like to try this one :)

I know what you mean Amy, I would be in the same position if I hadn't already read this. We also have the Woman in White, The Stand, and now Lord of the Rings about to start. It's not easy to pick what you want to read with the group!

Well, both The Stand and TLOTR are re-reads for me. I'll have to wait until after finals to start The Woman in White.

Actually, I think I'll just stick to the Crime and Punishment side read. I would rather just read one chunkster at a time :)

Right now I have so many books going I feel like it's a part-time job!

I want to read The Crimson Petal and the White sooo bad. I am thinking about reading this book after LOTR and Crime and Punishment. Around the March month.

I feel the same way...I want to read them all, but don't think I will be able to keep on track reading them all at the same time!

I'm used to reading multiple books at a time now and I prefer it because it keeps me from hitting a clump when one book is not working for me. However, it can become confusing. The worst is when you have names that are the same for people in different books. When I'm old, my brain better be sharp as a tack for all the work I give it...lol

I'd be down for a March read! If you guys do The Crimson Petal and the White around then, you can count me in! Two chunksters is about all I can handle at a time though (Woman in White & Crime and Punishment).

LOL, Andrea hasn't there been research proving that very point? Mental exercise preventing dementia? It's why I try to do crossword puzzles every now and then.

All: The Crimson Petal and the White is a FABULOUS book, but I will probably not be joining in (other than to pop in every now and then to give general thoughts) as I have already read it. I may skim along a teeny bit though.

So I'm hearing that everyone wants to do it in March right?

Sounds good to me, Kristi!

I would be game on reading The Crimson Petal and the White, as well! I've wanted to read that for awhile! :)

I am in for March, YEA!!