July Nominations

[Kell]

The nominations thread will remain open till the evening of Wednesday 18 June, after which a selection will be chosen for the poll.

Let the nominations begin!

A Note on Nominating and Seconding
If a book has already been mentioned here, then it has already been nominated and you need only second it (books with the most seconds get put through to the poll). To second a book, all you have to do is say, "I second {Name of book}"

Nominating is slightly different. If the book you would like to see chosen has not already been mentioned, you can nominate it. Please give the title of the book, the name of the author and a brief synopsis (usually fromthe back of the book) in this case. It can then be seconded by other members.

Please note this is not a voting thread - a poll will be set up after this one closes.

Thank you.

~~*~~
- Please only make nominations and seconds here, rather than discussing the books nominated or going off-topic.

- Bear in mind that having hundreds of nominations makes it more difficult, so please limit yourself to a maximum of two nominations per person, although you can second as many as you like.

- Please also remember to post a synopsis of the books you nominate as it helps people to know what they're seconding!

- Please make sure the books you nominate are readily available in paperback (as we don't want to make it prohibitively expensive for members to take part in the reading circle).

- If the book you're nominating is part of a series, please make sure it is either the first one or a stand-alone (or the sequel to one already read by the reading circle).
~~*~~

NOMINATIONS:
1. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (nominated by Kell / seconded by Lovesreading, Lilywhite, Spooncat, JudyB, TBain)
2. The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi (nominated by Kell, Eschulenburg)
3. Going Under by Ray French (nominated by Lovesreading)
4. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson* (nominated by Inver / seconded by Madcow, Lovesreading)
5. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzerald (nominated by ii / seconded by Kell, Scottishbookworm, Kylie, Kernow_Reader, Gyre, KBMarsh, FishAndChips)
6. The Woman Who Walked into Doors by Roddy Doyle (nominated by Lovesreading / seconded by Rishikesh)

* Unfortunately, this book is second in a series and, as such, is not eligable for the reading circle (we've had problems with books from part-way through a series before where members haven't read the previous books and backstory can be a problem).

[Kell]

I'd like to nominate the following two:

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne:
The story of "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" is very difficult to describe. Usually we give some clues about the book on the cover, but in this case we think that would spoil the reading of the book. We think it is important that you start to read without knowing what it is about. If you do start to read this book, you will go on a journey with a nine-year-old boy called Bruno. (Though this isn't a book for nine-year-olds.) And sooner or later you will arrive with Bruno at a fence. We hope you never have to cross such a fence.

The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi:
The story opens on the day that the Western Roman Empire collapses finally in 470AD, with the city itself over-run. In the preceeding months a small group of British Roman soldiers, led by a true hero, have journeyed to the city and have arrived just before the final climax. The task they have set themselves is to save the spirit of the empire by rescuing the young son of the last Emperor, Romulus Augustus. Having found him and taken him away they decide to journey across northern Europe as there are strong rumours that an entire Legion of the Roman Army has remained loyal to Rome and has become an independent unit. They hope by finding the Legion and establishing the boy as the legitmate Emperor a stand can be taken and the Empire revived. However, their search is fruitless and eventually the leader and the child return to the Britain of the Dark Ages, where they re-emerge in legend as Merlin and Arthur Pendragon.

[lovesreading06]

I would like to second The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

I would like to nomiaite Going Under by Ray French
From fanfiction

"Can one desperate man — who hatches a most unlikely plan to bury himself alive in a coffin in his garden and declare that he won't come back up until everyone's job has been saved — take on a multi-national corporation?"

[Inver]

I would like to nominate .....'One Good Turn' by Kate Atkinson

It has been a while since I have read any of Kate Atkinson and it is lurking on my shelf unread. I bought this because I thought the background for the story being Edinburgh during the festival would be a good plot for a mystery/thriller.

Blurb:

A brilliant new thriller from the author of 2005's breakout favorite, Case Histories, again featuring the irresistibly reluctant detective Jackson Brodie.
'Two years after the events of Case Histories left him a retired millionaire, former detective Jackson Brodie has followed Julia, his occasional girlfriend and former client, to Edinburgh for its famous summer arts festival. But when he watches a man brutally attacked in a traffic jam--the apparent victim of an extreme case of road rage--a chain of events is set in motion that will pull the wife of an unscrupulous real estate tycoon, a timid but successful crime novelist, and a hardheaded female police detective into Jackson's orbit. Suddenly out of retirement, Brodie is once again in the midst of several mysteries that intersect in one giant and sinister scheme. A triumphant novel filled with wit and surprise and intrigue, ONE GOOD TURN will delight the many fans who applauded Kate Atkinson's first foray into thrillers, and it will win her even more devoted readers as she continues to blur the boundaries that divide literary and crime fiction.'

[madcow]

Think I'll have to second One good Turn sounds like my kinda read :)

[Lilywhite]

I'm going to second The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne as I already have it on my shelf to read. I picked this one up a while back and just haven't got around to reading it yet. Perfect opportunity.

[ii]

I would like to propose The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzerald for the Official Month of Weddings and approaching holidays.

The blurb, in case someone doesn't know this book...

The parties at Gatsby's Long Island mansion were legendarily glamorous affairs.

Yet amid the throng of guests, starlets and champagne waiters, their host would appear oddly aloof. For there was only one person Jay Gatsby sought to impress. She was Daisy Buchanan: married, elegant, seducing men with a silken charisma and 'a voice... full of money'.

As Gatsby pursues shady deals and his doomed obsession with Daisy, F. Scott Fitzgerals distills the essence of the Jazz Age, and probes to the empty heart of the American Dream.

[Kell]

I'll second The Great Gatsby - it's a wonderful read!

[lovesreading06]

I would like to third "One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson"

[scottishbookworm]

I would like to third "The great gatsby" as it's a favourite story of mine:)

[eschulenburg]

I would like to second "The Last Legion" - I've wanted to read it.

[Kylie]

I'll go with The Great Gatsby. Excellent book, and I would like to read it again.

[kernow_reader]

I also opt for The Great Gatsby. Great era and I love Fitzgerald's novels.

[Gyre]

'The Great Gatsby' for me too:D

[ii]

*ii feels smug*

[Kell]

*ii feels smug*
LOL - it's not been chosen yet, but I'd certainly be hard-pushed not to vote for this one if it makes the poll, as I loved it so much when I read it at school...

[Spooncat]

I'l second the boy in Stripped PJs - sounds fun!

[JudyB]

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas gets a vote from me - I've still not got round to reading it.

[FishAndChips]

I'l second the boy in Stripped PJs - sounds fun!

I'm not sure fun would be the right word. The description at the beginning of the thread was deliberately ambiguous but people should probably know its set against the backdrop of the holocaust.

[lovesreading06]

I would like to nomainted this book

The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle
From fanfiction

Prize-winner Roddy Doyle's novel is the story of an ordinary woman from Dublin and her stormy relationship with her husband Charlo.

[Spooncat]

I'm not sure fun would be the right word. The description at the beginning of the thread was deliberately ambiguous but people should probably know its set against the backdrop of the holocaust.

Oh that puts a different slant on things:readingtwo:

[ii]

Rather gloomy books getting suggested... I always thought summer reads were meant to be fun and on the lighter note...

[Kylie]

Rather gloomy books getting suggested... I always thought summer reads were meant to be fun and on the lighter note...

Hmm, I don't remember The Great Gatsby being all sunshine and happiness either ;) But I know what you mean, and TGG is a light read and is definitely fun in parts as well. Got a bit of everything hasn't it? The perfect reading circle choice <plug, plug>.

[ii]

No, Kylie, it isn't and I was rather anxious over suggesting it. But it's about love so I thought it would do well (see the Month of Weddings comment I made with the suggestion).

[NiceguyEddie]

I've never read The Great Gatsby (http://www.audiobookbargains.co.uk/f-scott-fitzgerald-the-great-gatsby-cd-unabridged-audio-book-933-p.asp), but I have a couple of copies spare. If the first two that want a copy to listen to PM me with an address I'll send it to them with no postage cost as long as when they've listened to it pass it on to someone else on here.

[kb.marsh]

I like the idea of the Great Gatsby. I read it a few years ago and am listening to it now

[Rishikesh]

I second The Woman Who Walked into Doors.

Rishikesh

[FishAndChips]

I second The Great Gatsby

[tbain]

I nominate The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne

[Kell]

Last chance to nominate or second the book of your choice - this thread will close tomorrow evening and the poll will go up with the most popular three books...

[Kell]

And we're closed. You can cast your vote in the July poll...

Unfortunately, just as I was about to post the poll, I realised one of thebooks up for inclusion is actually part of a series and is not the first one in it and so is disqualified (sorry, Inver - I wish I'd checked up on that earlier). However, if you wanted to nominate the first one in the series next time round, I'm sure some members would like to see it picked.