Literary Exploration discussion

Marlene wrote: "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI7wMW...

for everyone who wants to laugh..."

That's even better that what I had going through my mind. We even have a Rama (L)lama theme song to go with the book "Llama, Llama Mad at Mamma" now if we find a movie, we'll have a complete set!

This is what I had in my mind on the speaker that won't turn off..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYgOlq...

Hugh (A.K.A. Hermit the Curmudgeon) wrote: "Marlene wrote: "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dI7wMW...

for everyone who wants to laugh..."

That's even better that what I had going through my mind. We even have a Rama (L)lama theme son..."

I think this thread has lost the plot you know. And it seems to be catching! Everyone is coming down with random bouts of insanity.

For my part I'm just going to claim Friday-Afternoon-It-Is.

Seeing all this dull, cold english weather I would like to suggest a theme of books sent in hot/humid countires.

Suffering from F-A-I-I I can't actually think of any particular suggestions at the moment. Although I'm sure plenty will come to mind as soon as I close down good reads. I think this theme though could provide an interesting insight in to different cultures and way of like though.

Perhaps Purple Hibiscus would be a good fit for this category?

I would suggest a horror theme.

I've been following everyone's suggestions. There's not a bad one in the bunch. I'll be happy with whatever the majority chooses.

Regarding Everitt's suggestion of literature resulting from the Vietnam War, those are some wonderful suggestions. I have read "Matterhorn." It is stunning. I would add Tim O'brien's "The Things They Carried," Winston Groom's "Better Times Than These," James Webb's "Fields of Fire," and for non-fiction, Robert Mason's "Chickenhawk." Oh, yes, and Tim O'Brien's "If I Die in a Combat Zone."

Everitt wrote: "I was reading through the suggestions list and saw the geographic suggestions relating to the Middle East and thought I would throw out a few for two other areas not yet listed here.

An old profe..."

That's interesting. I haven't read any of those but would like to.Except of course Graham Greene's The Quiet America, which I loved. ( I have reverence for Greene,Have read most of his novels.)

Everitt wrote: "I was reading through the suggestions list and saw the geographic suggestions relating to the Middle East and thought I would throw out a few for two other areas not yet listed here.

An old profe..."

Everitt, I'm definitely a fan of Russian lit. Like you said, many people in college will complain about having to read lengthy novels like Crime and Punishment, The Brothers Karamazov, Anna Karenina, but I really loved the experience of reading these in college, and would love to read these again. Crime and Punishment is one of my favorite novels, definitely.

Suggest espionage, something by - John le Carré
- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- Smiley's People: A Novel
- The Honourable Schoolboy

how about or perhaps the Alexandre Dumas series about D'Artagnan

Flash Beagle wrote: "Suggest espionage, something by - John le Carré
- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- Smiley's People: A Novel I have wanted to read the book, so this sounds like an interesting theme.

Mike wrote: "I've been following everyone's suggestions. There's not a bad one in the bunch. I'll be happy with whatever the majority chooses.

Regarding Everitt's suggestion of literature resulting from the ..."

Matterhorn was amazing!

Yeah, I just finished Matterhorn. I've been reading The Things They Carried in bits and pieces. I could do more war.

Deborah wrote: "Yeah, I just finished Matterhorn. I've been reading The Things They Carried in bits and pieces. I could do more war."

Deborah, what did you think about Matterhorn?

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I loved it.

Is there a theme being planned by our esteemed mods for March yet?

Haven't picked on yet

New theme picked and poll up now :)

Knowledge Lost wrote: "New theme picked and poll up now :)"

hahaha I love it! :D

it seemed to be a popular topic

Indeed and should definately be a bit of a break from dystopia!

Lets hope so, its also why Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is not on it

I'll suggest two themes:

A general mystery theme (could be that we pick various time periods or genres for this: locked room mystery, Victorian mystery, contemporary mystery, etc).

Another is a supernatural or ghost novel, which could be from various time periods.

sounds good, also with all those Russian novels in the other thread we may want to do a Russian literature theme soon

I don´t know this genre yet; any books from Southern Gothic I might know nevertheless?

Southern Gothic sounds good to me too. Flannery OConnor and Carson McCullers are two interesting writers, although O'Connor is known more for her short stories (love her short stories).

Everitt wrote: "Marlene wrote: "I don´t know this genre yet; any books from Southern Gothic I might know nevertheless?"

In a strict definition it usually encompass books that deal with the 'Old South' and it's ug..."
I like those books and therefore I guess the genre as well, some of those are already on my shelf! So I like the idea of reading Southern Gothic.

Would be interesting. I have to admit I just added a few books as well. (Thanks again everyone!!!) :)

Philosophical fiction/novels?

The Stranger/The Fall or anything by Albert Camus
Most novels by Stanisław Lem
Nausea by Sartre
Notes from Underground or most works by Dostoevsky
War and Peace by Tolstoy
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
Steppenwolf by Hesse

Justin wrote: "Philosophical fiction/novels?

The Stranger/The Fall or anything by Albert Camus
Most novels by Stanisław Lem
Nausea by Sartr..."

Sounds good, but The Name of the Rose would be crossed off that list because we have already done it

Ghost theme. Please & thank you!

Agness wrote: "Ghost theme. Please & thank you!"

what type of Ghosts? like A Christmas Carol or more Horror themed stories?

Or Caspar the Friendly Ghost?

Knowledge Lost wrote: "Justin wrote: "Philosophical fiction/novels?

The Stranger/The Fall or anything by Albert Camus
Most novels by Stanisław Lem
[book:Nausea|2..."

Ah, my bad. Pretty new to the group

Justin wrote: "Knowledge Lost wrote: "Ah, my bad. Pretty new to the group "

That's ok

Earth Day is in April, maybe environmental novels or books where the plot occurs all over the world?

Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
Freedom
The Road
Prodigal Summer

Just to name a few...

Jessa wrote: "Earth Day is in April, maybe environmental novels or books where the plot occurs all over the world?

A really great environmental book that I read was

The World Without Us

The April theme has already been decided but there's no reason we couldn't look at doing an environmental theme some other month

An update of the list

Already Done

Book That Became a Film
Post-Apocalyptic
Utopia
Historical Fiction
Booker Prize winner - KL/Barbara - June 2011 Choice
Dystopian - Andi - September 2011 choice
Labyrinth - Booksy - November 2011 choice
Booker Prize loser - Brad - December 2011 choice
Bildungsroman - Victoria - January 2012 choice
Best of 2011 - Philippa - February 2012 choice
Goats - Me - March 2012 choice
Memoir - Mary - April 2012 choice
Classic Detectives - KL - May 2012 choice

Possible Upcoming Themes

Gender Identity - Lola
Middle East - Mary
Period Novel (time period to be chosen first) - Lori
Ocean/Desert - Lori
Holocaust - Kevin
Famous Philosophers - Barbara
Unusual Settings - Barbara
Blindness - Anda
Noir - Franky
Hard-boiled - KL
Hard-boiled & Noir Mix (Pulp) - KL
Victorian - Philippa
Alien - Jessica
Culture Clashing Horror - Jessica
Post-Colonial - Victoria
Any Culture Clash - Anne
Religion-associated fiction - Graham
Medieval/Inquisition - Luana
Set in Specific City - Lisa
Street Lit/Urban Fiction - Angela
GR Author - Me
Indie - Hugh
Banned Books - Jessa
Road Trip/Travel - Franky
9/11 - Jessa
Horror - Flash Beagle
Russian Lit - Everitt
Vietnam War - Everitt
Espionage - Flash Beagle
Mystery - Franky
Supernatural/Ghost - Franky
Southern Gothic - Marlene
Philosophical - Justin
Environmental - Jessa

Idea of maybe moving to two books - Xeni

We could do Vietnam war and Espionage or Victorian and Banned books.

That's a great list of themes we have so far. I'm game for any of those.

Lisa wrote: "Jessa wrote: "Earth Day is in April, maybe environmental novels or books where the plot occurs all over the world?

A really great environmental book that I read was

[book:The World Without Us|24..."

I heard about this just today! What a bizarre coincidence

Jessa wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Jessa wrote: "Earth Day is in April, maybe environmental novels or books where the plot occurs all over the world?

A really great environmental book that I read was

[book:The World ..."

After reading it I definitely changed some of my shopping habits. Very interesting read...

How about Victorian - Charles Dickens - 2012 is the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Flash Beagle wrote: "How about Victorian - Charles Dickens - 2012 is the 200th anniversary of his birth."

That's right. His birthday was last week. 200th, that is. I saw something on google about it.

Knowledge Lost wrote: "Agness wrote: "Ghost theme. Please & thank you!"

what type of Ghosts? like A Christmas Carol or more Horror themed stories?"

Both classics and more recent ones.
Like a list of Dickens and Ann Rice.
I finished reading "The Woman in Black" earlier this month and really enjoyed it. I believe there are a lot of great horror/goth novels out there that need to be picked up.

I would like to suggest a WWI theme. Possible titles:

Birdsong: A Novel of Love and War by Sebastian Faulks

Regeneration by Pat Barker

Flanders by Patricia Anthony

Sherston's Progress by Siegfried Sassoon

Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves

Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Storm of Steel by Ernst Jünger

As Franky said, all great themes. Just throwing another into the kettle.

Everitt wrote: "WWI would be a great theme. May I also suggest Suddenly We Didn't Want to Die: Memoirs of a World War I Marine, The Guns of August as non-fictions additions to the list. ..."

Everitt, I couldn't possibly agree more. And that is a shame.

I love your work Mike; suggesting themes and novels for it makes our job so much easier

I think reading books on World War 1 as well as Vietnam is a great idea but what about books on the Korean War or Iraq War Part One, for a lack of a better term, would that be a good idea or ideas for a Theme?

Knowledge Lost wrote: "I love your work Mike; suggesting themes and novels for it makes our job so much easier"

KL, thanks so much. I'm pleased to do the work. This is one fine group. It was your good work here and on Pulp Fiction that inspired me to start Traveling the Southern Literary Trail. I do hope to hook you into that one when time allows. Since I have begun that group, my personal reviewing has dropped. My reading is determined more by others than my own interest. And it is an amazing ride. I now truly appreciate what you, Kim, Mary, and Melki do here and on Pulp Fiction. It's the cocktail hour. Lifting a rock crystal glass with two fingers of Gentleman Jack in your direction. Cheers!

Brandie wrote: "I think reading books on World War 1 as well as Vietnam is a great idea but what about books on the Korean War or Iraq War Part One, for a lack of a better term, would that be a good idea or ideas ..."

Brandie, you sent me exploring the topic of fiction concerning the Korean Police Action. Hard to believe, but it was never a declared war, despite the body count. So, here are a few random titles...

The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee , which seems to be highly and frequently reviewed.

The Marines of Autumn byJames Brady

Indignation by Philip Roth Which I have read, highly recommend, and have reviewed. Review available at: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker Yep. Good book.

The Bridges at Toko-ri by James A. Michener This is early Michener. Published in 1953, so it's not the veritable doorstop his later novels became.