Book Club

Would anyone be interested in starting a Connecticut LibraryThing book club? We may live too far apart, but I'm just wondering if there is any interest...

We can always start one here on LibraryThing. We've started one in The Green Dragon group, and it's gone very well so far. We're still discussing our first book, and will pick our second one soon.

Anyone else interested?

When you say you started one on LT do you mean you discuss the books in a forum somewhere on here?

I'd really love to start a classics book club. I never like the selections from contemporary book clubs, but there are so few people in this group...I also find that few people are ever interested in this type of book club.

Yes, in The Green Dragon here on LT we've already shared one group read and we're about to start another. We discussed the book in sections. Come on in and have a peek, if you want an idea of how we did it.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/thegreendragon

If you start a Classics book club on here for shared readings and discussions I would love to join. Let me know...

I would also be interested in a classics book club. (OK, it's 7 months later, so maybe the two of you aren't anymore, but I thought I'd throw it out there . . . )

I'm in!

Our book discussions in The Green Dragon have gone very well, by the way. We've shared six books already. We discussed Elantris by Brandon Sanderson who is also a member of LibraryThing, and he joined in the discussion and answered all our questions.

Of course, if we're doing the classics, we won't have the luxury of having any authors join in. ;o)

So, what shall we start with? And how does it work in The Green Dragon--how much time before starting, discussions along the way, etc?

Well, we usually nominate choices, then we vote. Once we've picked a book we decide if we want to break it into sections for discussion or not. We usually wait until everyone says they have a copy until we post the discussion thread(s). Sounds a lot more complicated than it is.

How many of us will be joining in?

Any topics in particular? Connecticut-themed fiction (or nonfiction)?

I hadn't checked this group in a long time because I thought there wasn't any interest. So this is exciting!Here's three off the top of my head:

Madame Bovary
War and Peace
Middlemarch

I don't think we need particular theme though other just classics. However, that said, it might be interesting to read A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthurs Court. Since Twain and I are both Missourians and we moved to Connecticut at the same age, I've been meaning to read this!

Nice list. The only one I have read previously is Madame Bovary. I'd vote for Middlemarch, just because the size isn't as intimidating to carry around. War and Peace just seems like a Winter read to me, for some odd reason.

Are you suffering from any culture shock, perlle? I moved to CT from Illinois, but I had no culture shock making that transition, because I'm originally from Long Island. In fact, I had culture shock moving to Illinois from New York. I was there 11 years and I never did adjust.

I would be happy to read Middlemarch. I just finished Silas Marner this morning, and I'm game for another Eliot.

I'm up for Middlemarch as well!

Any particular date we should start? Or finish?

And should our discussion be online or should we meet to discuss? Personally, I'd like to meet at a coffeeshop or something, but online works for me too.

Clamairy, to answer your question, yes, I have had major culture shock. I had no probably adjusting to upstate New York, or NYC, but Connecticut has been very difficult.

I'd love to hear about you Illinois experiences and why it was so difficult to adjust. I always find this topic fascinating...

I just started The Way We Live Now, a rather long book by Trollope, so I think I need a couple of weeks before I hit Middlemarch.

As for meeting to discuss, we may be a bit far apart for that. I'm in Norwalk--what about the rest of you?

I just started a new book yesterday as well. So a bit of time would be good.

I split my time between East Hampton, Waterbury, and Danbury. I'm very mobile, so I don't mind driving if we decide we want to meet.

I need time as well. When I get the chance, perlle, I'll send you a private comment about my experiences in the Mid West. I happen to have a good friend in town here who had the exact opposite experience from me, so I realise much hinges on the neighborhood one moves into, the time year, etc. But I am 1000 times happier up here in the sticks.

What is we started July 9th? That gives us some time to prepare and it's after the holiday.

That works for me.

Start the discussion? Or start reading?

Oh, sorry for the confusion. I meant start reading.

*phew*

:o)

I was looking at Middlemarch and I was thinking since it's such a long book, maybe we should split up the discussion. It looks like we could split it into three "sections" if you guys think it might be a good idea.

Splitting sounds good. :o)

Yikes! I feel like I'm back in college--I've procrastinated too much on my reading. I don't think I realized just how long Middlemarch is. Add to that my RL book club and our planned discussion of Gone with the Wind (which I've not started yet, although I have read it MANY times in the past) for July 30, and the fact that I somehow forgot Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows comes out this month (not to mention my plan to reread at least books 5 and 6 before book 7 arrives), and, well . . . when exactly do we plan on starting to discuss Middlemarch?

Not soon, I hope. :o)
I am in two RL clubs, and two here on LT, plus, I too forgot about Harry Potter! I think perlle has suggested we start 'reading' on July 9th, and that would leave the discussion time open.

Also, I am not in favor of a face to face book discussion, due to my kids being home all day, and we like to live by the seat of our pants during this time of year. Let's try this one online and see how it goes. The big plus about doing it in here is that we can each post our thoughts as we read the book, and we don't have to be reading in sync at all.

I think that's a good idea. If we start reading on July 9th (or later if that's better) we can post thoughts as we read. Less pressure that way.

I hadn't even checked this thread until today, and what book did I happen to pick up at B&N earlier this week? Middlemarch. A coincidence like that means that you should all count me in.

YAY!!!!
:o)
The more the merrier!

Excellent! I am looking forward to this (even if I'm looking at my teetering book pile with a bit of concern).

clamairy - I'll second that!

Did anyone get a chance to start the book yet? I was able to get through the first 20 pages (in the version I have) so far...Happy reading!

I had to take my ailing 17 year old cat to the vet last night, so I brought the book with me. I didn't make it very far into it, but I may have to get my hands on a different copy. The font is ridiculously small for my 48 year old eyes, even with my trusty $1 pair of reading glasses. ;o)

This is a Riverside Edition. I do own another copy, but it's 123 years old, and much too fragile to read. What editions are the rest of you reading?

I picked up the Barnes and Noble classics edition. The print isn't too small, but it's still a hefty 794 pages, which I really need to start delving into.

I have the Modern Library Classics edition, and it comes in at 799 pages.

I started it a few days ago, and am about 125 pages in. Mine's a Signet Classic edition from 1964. (No footnotes, alas--I have a love/hate relationship with them in classic books.)

perlle had suggested splitting the discussion into three sections There are 8 parts to the book--should we make it 4 sections, of 2 parts each?

(I hope your cat is better, clamairy!)

That explains it. Mine's only 613 pages... with itty bitty font.
:o

Thanks, cabegley. He's not worse, which is about all I can hope for at this age. I'm afraid his days are numbered, though. So it goes.

I recently read The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope, 779 pages in a teeny-tiny font. I'm convinced the type size was the reason it took me so long to read--too much eye strain. I vote you get a better copy (maybe from the library?).

Sorry about your cat. It's hard when they've been around that long to see them decline.

I'm so not from Connecticut (although I have been there), but if you're reading Middlemarch I'd love to participate. I know clamairy from Green Dragon.

The thing I remember most from Conn. is Stu Leonard's and the fact that there is NO MAJOR HIGHWAY. It took me 9 hours to traverse it once. What a nightmare!

Love the dancing cows. The endless 2-lane highway, not so much.

I vote all are welcome!

From where to where were you going, littlegeek? There are major highways, albeit overcrowded ones, in CT.

We love Stew Leonard's--best produce and meat in town. (The dancing cows, not so much--it's hell getting past all those entranced kids to the food!)

This was in 1992 or 3, I had to stop in several different towns along the way to Cape Cod, picking up various people going to a conference. I started in upstate NY, then through CT, then back up to MASS. The CT section just took so damn long! It usually took me about 5-6 hours to get to the cape using I95.

My other exposure to CT was when my boyfriend's parents lived there. I spent several Christmases going to midnight mass in Greenwich. And I got to go to the super secret private beach there. Wow, do I feel priviledged!

Well, gotta go dig out my copy of Middlemarch....wow, it's been so long, at least 20 years. Yay!

littlegeek - I agree. The more the merrier.

And I so understad what you mean about highways in Connecticut. I'ved lived here for seven years now, and the road system has been a constant point of angst for me. If only some planning had been done before the state got so crowded!

Well, it's not crowded up here at the top of the state, but I'll agree that it's very frustrating that you can't go from point A to point B directly, much of the time.

So, I'm way behind you guys. I had to order a new copy from B&N because I don't want to have to keep taking out my contacts to read the minuscule font on yellowed paper in my Riverside Edition. My reading glasses weren't up to the task. :o) It was supposed to come today, but the UPS man hasn't shown up yet. :o/

I also feel I'm very behind. Reading and planning a wedding just don't go together very well. I'm only about 50 pages in. Ack!

Oh! May I ask who is getting married?
:o)

Me! In 52 days. Our wedding website has that "handy" countdown that never lets you forget how much time you have left. So...much...to do...

Congrats!
How wonderful!
I hope you aren't letting the planning stuff wig you out.

Congrats, perlle!

the last 3 weeks will try your patience. Don't take it out on your fiancee. That's why the wedding planner makes the big bucks.

My Penguin Edition showed up! YAY! It's 800+ pages, and the font is twice the size of the other. Though I'll still need my reading glasses, if I'm wearing my contacts. LOL
And the pages are white instead of amber colored! Heh heh.

Can I just say how much I am loving this book? I am! I haven't read anything of George Eliot's since The Mill on the Floss back in grad school. Many thanks for suggesting we share a book, perlle!

I found it hard going at first, but about the midpoint it started to be easier. I think part of my problem was that I'd allocated 11 days for the book, and there was no way I was going to meet that. But once I accepted that, I relaxed more. At this point (~200 pages from the end), I am enjoying it so much that it's going to be hard to break away from it for HP7. (Not that it's going to stop me, mind you.) Shall we set up a thread for discussion? Or multiple threads?

I'm voting for two threads. One 'Spoiler Free,' where we can just discuss the basics without giving things away, and a second thread for after we are done reading the entire book.

We've shared reads in The Green Dragon since last Fall and the more threads we break the discussion into the more confusing it becomes. Everyone pretty much waits and posts in the final thread, rather than risk ruining the ending for other folks.

(I haven't read this book before, but I watched the BBC production on PBS back in the 80s.)

I was feeling under the weather earlier this week, and with knowing I was going to set it aside anyway for Harry Potter, I decided to just read a Jim Butcher instead (talk about a 180!) I'm looking forward to getting back into it. Such a wonderful book with so many great characters. Oh, Lydgate, you dope!

I vote for 2 threads, no more.

I would also say just two threads would be good. I would definitely appreciate a non-spoiler thread since I'm only at about page one hundred. Anyone else a straggler like me?

Oh, I'm waaaay behind you, perlle! I'm only on page 59. I was snuggled up with Harry for the last two days. :o) Now it's back to Dorothea.

Who wants to start the threads? Make sure one is labeled SPOILER FREE. ;o)

Oh, and I suddenly recall one of the reasons why I enjoyed the BBC mini-series so much.

Threads duly started. I've finished the book, but I won't start posting until you're all a bit further on.

cabegley - Wow, I'm really impressed. You're so speedy! I hope I can get there sometime soon...

Same here. I have a long way to go. I just keep coming back to this thread to look at the picture I posted. ;o)

I have to admit, I was driven. I am not fond of putting down books unfinished, and I really really wanted to read HP7 last weekend. I ended up holed up in the children's section of Barnes & Noble during the countdown to midnight, trying to block out all the excited chatter as I read the end of Middlemarch (and ultimately read the last 15 pages when I got home around 12:30 or so, before reading HP until my body insisted on going to bed around 3:30).

(And it's a lovely picture, clamairy!)

I'm rereading Harry...missed too much detail because my husband was itching to get his hands on it. I'll be back to Dorothea soon.

I'm at around pg 200 or so. Again, I am moved to say, "Lydgate, you fool!"

Is that Rufus Sewell? He's hot!

Yes, that's Rufus!

*turns on desk fan*

;o)

I'm not sure how successful our attempt at this was, but would anyone be up for another book?

If so, I'd suggest we go with a short book or one that we can discuss in sections.

What do you guys think?