For the Love of Books!: Looking for a good read?

[Clownbot]

Vote: To Kill a Mockingbird

It does say voting for September.

I'm reading the book for school already, so this would be pretty easy for me. It's a great read so far, too.

 

[Tom]

Another suggestion similar to the CB's: One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest.

i vote one flew over the cookoo's nest because i want to read it and haven't before :]

 

[CRASHiC]

so the score now is 1:1:1
Great hahaha.

 

[Tom]

virgilijus surprise tiebreaker!!

 

[DtJ Jungle]

wait
yay new book!

i'll be apart this time

 

[Wiscus]

Omygawd my connection is actually up today! Just in time!
Well since no one wants to read Kafka on the shore *squints*

vote: one flew over the cookoo's nest.
I don't want to read To kill a mocking bird again and I haven't read cookoo's nest in a while...

I hope the connection is up when discussion time rolls around.

 

[Virgilijus]

Vote: One Flew East
One Flew West
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

 

[DtJ Jungle]

i'm down fro that too

I've never read it but apparently its amazing.

 

[Clownbot]

Since the book of the month is obviously going to end up being "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest", I think I'll sit this one out. I mean, I'd certainly enjoy reading it, I imagine, but based on what I've heard, it's not the book for me right now.

 

[Lore]

I might do the book, I might not.

However, I have a suggestion for a book that should be done eventually. It's called The Lies of Locke Lamora, and its really rather good.

To quote Wikipedia: The Lies of Locke Lamora is a fantasy novel by Scott Lynch. It follows the adventures of a group of con artists known as the Gentlemen *******s. They live in a city called Camorr, heavily based on late medieval Venice. The book is divided into two interspersed stories. In the present time, the Gentlemen *******s must contend with the Grey King, a powerful figure terrorizing Camorr's criminal community. Every other chapter, however, delves into the history and mythology of Camorr, the Gentlemen *******s, and especially the protagonist Locke Lamora.

It's simply a suggestion for future reading, you may do what you wish with it.

 

[Lythium]

I have my laptop back, and just in time!

As you all may have guessed, the book for the month of September is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

When's our due date

 

[Lythium]

We start discussing around the middle of the month. Usually the 14th or 15th.

I have just finished it (for the second time!) and I look forward to discussing it with all of you.

EDIT: Alrighty, guys! Let's get down to it. My eye is still a little cranky, but hopefully, I'll have some discussion questions up before the end of the day.

 

[Lythium]

Oops, double post.

 

[CRASHiC]

I think its a cynical look at today's society, saying that those who don't fit in we try to change instead of adapting to them. It uses an extreme case in a concentrated area of a place that its sole purpose is to change how people think. The claim he is dangerous, but how? He shows little acts of aggression. He is dangerous because he thinks different than they do.
I just woke from a nap. Sorry if this doesn't make sense.

 

[Wiscus]

My computer went "lol, no you don't leave a long post hehehe"

I'm not up to typing it again but I will just say that: Cuckoo's Nest always leaves my with a feeling of rage and sadness. McMurphy tried his best to make the other patients strong enough to leave the hospital, scarf icing himself yet only one was able to do so.
It's a very strong message to me, despite what you may do for the others, the doors that you open for them, it...dosent always happen. One of my favorite points of the book is that McMurphy slowly becomes a hero, in the beginning he didn't realize what a powerful effect he had on the other patients.

Also McMurphy shows a few signs of being a bit of a psychopath (even though that sentence is too harsh) He doesn't care about the general morals or rules of society, and he is somewhat self-absorbed in the beginning ....did any of that make sense?

Sorry I am posting very,very,very late, I haven't had a stable connection in a long time. I really did enjoy reading this again. Plus I....I just felt like sharing

 

[CRASHiC]

Also McMurphy shows a few signs of being a bit of a psychopath (even though that sentence is too harsh) He doesn't care about the general morals or rules of society, and he is somewhat self-absorbed in the beginning

And in here we see the issue being proposed.
The thing that always struck me odd about psychology was it was based on the idea that there is a 'norm,' and that this norm is what is considered healthy. In order for someone to be considered insane, you must first claim that there is a base, and that his mind is set different than that base. So, is being labeled as insane nothing more than saying that you don't conform to societies ideals? What if I were to take you out of your culture, and into another one far different from your own, do you become considered insane then, since your way of thought and life goes directly against the norm? Are the Japanese sexually insane because of their cultures different views on sexuality, that stem as small as boob jokes in their most successful children show to the legal age of consistent being 13 years old? Are our customs insane, in that children are to be sheltered and not ever suppose to acknowledge sex until they are considered an adult, where then they are left to find mostly for themselves, as our culture sees nothing wrong with intense sexuality in the 20s to 30s range?

But, despite this problem, what answer does the book offer? McMurphy is the answer. Though he may not be a typical man, arguably insane by the standard I had set above, he attempts to not change the way these people are, nor shelter them from the world, but instead improve on what they already have, achieving a middle ground by allowing their train of thought while attempting to teach them to function socially with other individuals.

This book was just Okay. If I wanted to read a book that was heavy handed and full of implied messages, I'd rather read Lord of the Flies.

 

[Lythium]

I think CRASHiC makes a good point about the norms of society, but we have to remember that the setting of the novel is a place that is both within and outside society. An asylum cannot really have the same basis of norms that we give to society.

Truthfully, I didn't much care for this book. This is my second time through, and I just did not like it.

On a completely unrelated note, I'm not sure what to do with this book club. It seems like people are too busy to participate. If you guys want to keep it going, I will certainly do it. Let me know.

 

[Tom]

I've only started reading Cuckoo's Nest. Life happened and stuff.

I'm not going to be able to participate in November because I've got too much on my plate with my normal responsibilities and NaNoWriMo. I'll be back in December. :]

 

[DtJ Jungle]

NaNoWriMo......the hell

 

[Virgilijus]

National Novel Writing Month.

It's a month where people sit down and write a novel but don't.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

..People can sit down and write a novel in a month? 0.0

 

[Virgilijus]

You didn't read the last part of my post.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

reworded

People can trick themselves into thinking they can write a novel in a month?

 

[Lythium]

If they have a month for it, then yes.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

hey, just a suggestion

it might be easier to do short stories instead of books.

 

[Lythium]

That is an excellent suggestion actually. I'm down with it, if you guys are.

 

[DtJ Jungle]

I could totally read a short story in my free time.

 

[Lythium]

Sounds good to me. Do you guys have any suggestions?

 

[DtJ Jungle]

I just whipped out an old anthology and found Rat by James Patrick Kelly

I think i liked it.

 

[Lythium]

You think?

Okay, I'll peruse my library for short stories, and see what I can come up with too.

 

[CRASHiC]

Actually, http://www.sheilaheti.net/middlestoriestoc.html

my favorite female writer has her first book, a collection of short stories up online. Any chance we could read some of these? Most are really short.

 

[Fuelbi]

I would join this but...... I can't buy books due to high prices and (my parents forgot about this already and still is happening) I have a debt to the library for forgetting to turn some books in... DO'H

 

[Dodongo]

If you are doing short stories (easily found ones) I'd definitely like to participate. I would have joined in on the collective book reading before now but I am still trying to read through the massive pile of books I got this year.

 

[Wiscus]

I'd love to keep going, Wah!, I just have internet issues. /complain

I love short stories too, I'd be willing for whatever you guys put up. Hopefully I can find a sew things and actually post them at a reasonable time for a change, I apologize guys I keep coming in knowing that my internet is unstable, if I start to annoy you just tell me to go away.

You make a very good point Crashic! I still don't know how I feel about this book, maybe I need to read it again in a few years.

 

[Dodongo]

Man, this book club sure is fun

 

[TheSundanceKid]

I'd like to join this book club, lol.

So, we're done with Cuckoo's Nest?

 

[#HBC | Mac]

**** short storiess

novels please.

i actually want a new novel to read, any suggestions?

 

[Lythium]

I've been thinking of ways to revive the book club for a while guys. Life has just been throwing a lot of curveballs at me. Also, I'm sorry for the sports metaphor.

If you're still interested, I'm looking to start this up again after Christmas, when I have a life again.

Macman, I'm reading Fables right now, it's an excellent series of graphic novels.

 

[TheSundanceKid]

I just finished reading Moby-Dick a while ago. I'd reccomend that...

I'm currently reading The Things They Carried.