Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

HI everyone,
I have sent out invites for our first group read polls.

If you didn't get your invite for the 2012 JULY group read it is because I stuffed some of the invites up. whoops. Sorry about that. Some will get them and some will not.

If you didn't get your invites, you can go to 'polls' in the group menu, or go here;
http://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/54...

Dawn and I have spent a week going back and forth trying to choose two books to represent the Ancient eras of the group and two books to represent the Medieval and later eras of the group.
The poll is for you to vote a winner in for each one, Ancient and Medieval.

Each month we will try picking two selections to go up against each other that will appeal to broad tastes and that are different from the previous months group reads. eg..In this case of July, we tried to make the July suggestions different to the June group read books.
We are also trying to pick at least one book in each poll that can be found in multiple languages.
In JULY 2012, those books are Martyr and Killer of Men. I am not sure how many languages they can be found in, but I know they are available in a few. Martyr more so.


Polls will run for a week and winners will be announced in the middle of the month so this leaves you two weeks to source your book or books for a 1st of the month start. Of course, you can actually start whenever in the month that you like.

Gee, looking at the early votes on our two Group Read polls and they are going to be close I think. especially the Medieval 'or later' poll between

I don't ever read westerns and I put up Congregation of Jackals when Dawn and I were discussing the selections, thinking it will push me out of comfort zone and others may enjoy that too. It also sounds interesting and rates well.
I would still love to read Martyr too.

I don't think it matters which books win, I will happily read whatever two books are nominated by the group out of those four. :)

Both of these selections are pushing me out of my comfort zone but I'm excited to try either one. My library has Martyr and I can get The Congregation of Jackals on kindle so I'm good either way.

The only one I can't get from the library is Taming Poison Dragons .
If that one wins I shall have to buy it. Any of the other three win and I am set and so is Dawn. Her library had all but Taming Poison Dragons also.
We felt that was a good sign that people in the US might have better luck finding the July group reads than they did finding the June ones. :-)

Rory Clement is the only one available from my library, but I have already read it (it was good). So this time I'll take care of my TBR list and I'll follow your comments. If something will emerge as "very good", I'll buy it.

Oh, that's a shame. Dawn and I went with Martyr because it was available in Italian, so you could read it if it won.
At least now we are on each others friends lists so I can see what you've read when we research the books.
Even though your library only has Martyr, is their an Italian edition of Killer of Men?
There were other translations I saw such as Spanish and I thought maybe it was available in Italian too.

Would your library do inter library loan or buy it in for you? Or does it not interest you much? (I won't be offended if it doesn't interest you...:-) ..)

We actually have a sort of inter library, but quite limited. The books in their original version are really few. Our Lady of the Library NEVER buys a books that readers suggest (Itold you, she's grumpy). I didn't find the translation of Killer of Men available, but I plan to buy something on Kindle - Taming Poison Dragons expecially sounds good.

Or maybe I should give a try to this Uthred, to see what this guy has got to make you sound all girly about him!

Hehe. He's got bad boy attitude. :-) Which is a weakness of mine.

YOnly a few more days to vote. I'd say we have our winners though.
Unless there is a sudden rush on the polls, these will be our winners for July.

I think it is safe to call it as the polls are not long off finishing.
Those two mentioned in my last post are our winners for July.

The AUGUST polls are open everyone.

Here are the books this time around.

I knew that the Ancient poll was going to be close, but I never realised it was going to be THIS close. Last I looked it was 12 votes to 13. In fact, they have been neck and neck since I opened the poll.

I will say now that if the one I voted for doesn't win I'll read it anyhow.

You voted for Pressfield's Alexander didn't you? So did I.

My lips are sealed. (But it sounds like a really fine book! Even if it does have a silly cover...)

I wasn't expecting it to be so close either. I voted for Roman Blood but I'd be happy to read either.
I'm actually finding it tempting to read all four books, no matter what wins. :)

Dawn wrote: "I wasn't expecting it to be so close either. I voted for Roman Blood but I'd be happy to read either.
I'm actually finding it tempting to read all four books, no matter what wins. :)"

Lol. If only I didn't have some books on flying to read in August then I may have tried to fit in more than 1 too.

Diana wrote: "My lips are sealed. (But it sounds like a really fine book! Even if it does have a silly cover...)"

Diana wrote: "My lips are sealed. (But it sounds like a really fine book! Even if it does have a silly cover...)"

Your lips maybe sealed, but you vote wasn't. :D
One only needs click on each poll to see the members and their votes in the right hand column.

Really? I didn't see that. Must go back...

And the cover IS silly.

I checked the Ancient poll. 21 votes for each book! This is going to be fun to watch.

It was at 18 each about 5 hours ago so it's staying really close.

It's like watching a race! :D

I think it may have been my vote that broke the tie...at least for now...

Terri wrote: "Your lips maybe sealed, but you vote wasn't. :D
One only needs click on each poll to see the members and their votes in the right hand column..."

That only works for mods...

Works for everyone, you have to click on either the votes beside the book or total votes under the list of books and it will tell you who voted and for what. :)

(Quivering voice)

Is nothing sacred?!

Tasha wrote: "I think it may have been my vote that broke the tie...at least for now..."

I saw that. Lol. :-)

Diana wrote: "(Quivering voice)

Is nothing sacred?!"

No secrets here.... :)

Yep, so you can drop the towel. :-)

Still so close, but I think two winners are starting to squeek away into the lead.

It could still change with a few days left to vote, but I think these will be our two August group Reads.

I'm just excited that my library has all the book choices so I'm in with any winners.

Although I prefer the two in the lead....

I prefer one of the two in the lead. :-) I voted for Ratcatcher.

If those two stick then I'll be on Virtues of War and Dawn will be on Sleepwalkers. Although, Dawn did say she may fit in both.

The library had three of the books and I've got Roman Blood on order from ILL.
I'm pretty excited about Sleepwalkers, I think it's gonna be a good one. If anyone wants to do a buddy read of Ratcatcher I'd be up for that later in August.....or vice versa if the polls go the other way. :)

I'd be up to reading Ratcatcher at some stage. Probably after august though. :-) August was extremely booked for me and it is probably for the best that it didn't win in the poll.

Dawn wrote: "The library had three of the books and I've got Roman Blood on order from ILL.
I'm pretty excited about Sleepwalkers, I think it's gonna be a good one. If anyone wants to do a buddy read of Ratcatc..."

I enjoyed Ratcatcher when I read it and went on to read the second and third in the series as well. I'm looking forward to reading the forth,which is sitting in one of my bookcases, but I keep getting distracted by other good books. So far I think the third has been the best in a good series.

Unfortunately Ratcatcher lost in the group read poll. :( It'll be a while before I get to it now.
Group Reads are sometimes the push in the back that I need to read books that aren't on my immediate hitlist.

These are our winners for August!

I've just finished and found it better overall than the first in the series . Have requested from the library, but should really do some work reading till it arrives.

I'll be starting Killer of Men tomorrow morning (Australian time). :-)

will be my read as I read and really liked .
My library has it and I just put it on hold.

Glad to have you along with me on Virtues, Anne.

I don't know why I never thought of this before, but I have finally added an Ancient & Medieval shelf (named it A&M Group Read) to my profile to put the group reads in.
Been doing one or two of our group reads every month since earlier this year, and I have only NOW added a bookshelf to my profile??

No-one can call me slow. :)

Funny. :)

Got 4 good and diverse books lined up for the September Group Read Poll. Dawn and I have spent much time agonising, researching, suggesting, eliminating.
The final four are looking reallllly good. :) they may not all be something you would read, but they still look interesting and should be fun to vote on.

Of course, you have to wait until approx the 7th of August before we put the two polls up to vote on for September.

Just thought I'd drop in and mention that the 4 books have been decided on. And soon it will be up to all of you to give us our winners for September.

Can't wait to see what you guys have in store for us!!

I am busting at the seams to tell. But I shall hold my tongue! :D

:P

Standing by!!