The Next Best Book Club discussion

Votes are in!

The two December groups reads are:

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

and

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

**Neil Gaiman is the first author to have two novels read by us as a group**

I will be posting threads in the Discussion Folders for these books so you start talking as you read......

I'm really looking forward to this month's read. I'm going to get a collection of Dicken's work at Costco soon. :D

I think it's close enough to December here that I can weasel in a few pages of A Christmas Carol. I'll have to see if I can pick up Stardust before the end of the month. I do have 11 other books already lined up. We'll see how it all goes!

Its not Dec. yet. Nearly though. I've read Christmas Carol and since I don't like Dickens I won't be rereading it. Gaiman I might try but I'm not really into fiction right now.

Well, darn. Two books I've already read. Ah, well. I approve of the choices (especially Gaiman) on principle anyway.

I will try and read A CHRISTMAS CAROL. I have seen around 100 versions of the movie, and love it! Also love the movie STARDUST, so I will read that too!!

Happy first day of summer to all those in Oz, if there are any out there.

Pinch, punch, first of the month!

It's definitely December here :o)

I have never read these two books. I have some ideas for A Christmas Carol and saw various versions of movies but reading the actual book may be diffrent.

As for Stardust, it sounds interesting but I'm not really in the mood for fantasy so maybe I pick the first.

The great thing is that both of them fit nicely into the Winter Challenge. I think.... Is it cool to do that?

I don't see why not...

I will get Stardust from library today and await my copy of A Christmas Carol.

Happy cooooooool, zero degrees december from dublin to all of you!!!!!!

I really hope I can read the two books, they were my two choises!!!!!

Woohoo it's December!

I will read A Christmas Carol as it's on the list for another challenge I'm doing, and also fits the Winter Challenge.

If I can squeeze in Stardust I will as I'd love to read it! I have a lot of reading queued up for December though ...

Fiona, I will join you in it! Will join for A christmas carol!!!

I'm reading A Christmas Carol at the moment! And really want to get my hands on Stardust :)

I'm going to read A Christmas Carol in The Whole Story series of classics. They are unabridged editions with sidebars about the age and setting of the book, with some wonderful illustrations. Oh, also sidebars about the author. I have several books in this series--Call of the Wild, White Fang, Little Women, Hound of the Baskervilles, The Pit and the Pendulum, and a few more. I'm so glad that we are reading A Christmas Carol. I never tire of it. I, also, just ordered and received the Jim Dale (Harry Potter narrator) of A Christmas Carol to enjoy this holiday season. I'm going to try and read Stardust, too, as, after meeting Neil Gaiman, I think he is such an incredible person.

Already read both of these - the Gaiman is quite different from the movie, so beware if you've watched it first.

Snowing in Hoosierville today. Seems WAY too early for the white stuff already. But perfect weather for curling up with a good book!

I'm excited to read Stardust - I did not see the movie or read the book. Though from a face2face group of mine I heard the book is very violent and the movie is very Disney...is this accurate?

Wife of GR author: Michael J. Sullivan | The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

Robin - I've seen the movie, and while I don't know as I'd call it 'Disney', I can't compare it to the book because I haven't read it yet. I do know that it was written to be a sort of fairy tale for adults. I love the movie (I own it and have watched it several times) so hopefully I will enjoy the book and one won't ruin the other for me.

I liked the movie Stardust a lot, also the soundtrack was really good!

will be interesting... I've seen so many versions of Christmal Carol, but never read it. Will I like it more or less? Is it different? I feel I know the whole thing by heart!

I personally think that the book of Stardust is way better than the movie, but I'm sure there are those who disagree with me.

Fiona, you might like Stardust. It's got a totally different feel than any of Gaiman's other work. It's my favorite of his.

I'll be picking up A Christmas Carol when I get back home (I'm visiting family out of town right now). I may re-read Stardust as well. It's been a couple of years since I re-read it.

I haven't read A Christmas Carol in years and will start it after I finish Stardust. I have only seen the movie, which I love...and am now about a third through the book. They are already very different, but I can appreciate both. Stylistically, this does seem very different than other Gaiman novels. We'll see.

Couldn't get Stardust from library. I refuse to pay £7.99 at WHSmith.

Yay. Thanks for joining us Jon!

Welcome Jon...I think you will enjoy being here. I'm definitely going to watch the movie after reading Stardust. I lkie to compare/contrast the two. I've not read Neil Gaiman before but he has been on my TBR list for ages so I'm glad this is giving me the added incentive to finally do this. I also started reading another new author for me Brandon Sanderson - Mistborn - it is early yet but I'm enjoying it.

Wife of GR author: Michael J. Sullivan | The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

I read A Christmas Carol last Christmas and then watched the movie that features George C. Scott as Scrooge. Both were excellent!

We have a copy of the Alistair Sim version of Scrooge lol.

Cool I was planning on trying to fit in A Christmas Carol anyway.

Heather, I know - George C. Scott is awesome.

I don't believe that I've ever seen the Muppets one; it must have been pretty interesting. I may need to check it out.

starting A christmas carol!!!!!!

Finished A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Guess I'm the only one whose favorite version of A Christmas Carol is Scrooged with Bill Murray.

awww.. i liked that movie!

I loved the Bill Murray one!!

Jill, Scrooged is my favorite version too. Our family tradition is to watch it Christmas eve night! We've been doing this since the movie came out on VHS.

I love that movie as well. I loved Carol Kane, she was hillarious as the ghost of christmas present. "What's this Frank? It's a TOASTER!" *Hits him in the head w/toaster* LOL!

Yay! I'm glad I'm not the only Scrooged fan. It's one of my Christmas traditions. And yeah, Carol Kane is just brilliant as the Ghost of Christmas Present. She stole every scene she had. :)

I only know the film with Bill Muray and saw it for the first time less than two months ago. KNow I just see the Disney cartoon while reading it, which isn't fun. Dodn't realize it was that story! It is so weird to be reading a classic and see Donald Duck in your head!

Count me in as a big fan of Bill Murray's Scrooged, a must for holiday movies. And, I agree that Carol Kane is absolute perfection in her role. My favorite version of A Christmas Carol is still the Muppet's Christmas Carol, but Scrooged is a close second.

Hmmmm All good choices - but I think I'm going to have to rank Muppets #1. I love the music in it as well.

I do love Carol Kane so I'll go with Scrooged as #2.

No disrepect to George C Scott he was excellent but someone has to come in last.

Surprised no one is mentioning the original "Mr. Magoo" cartoon though.

Wife of GR author: Michael J. Sullivan | The Crown Conspiracy (10/08) | Avempartha (04/09)

Scrooged is the first by far!!!
Then I will go with the Muppets
After those two nothing really compared.

BTW I saw A Christmas Carol live here in NYC and I can't say that I enjoyed it. It was sorta dull, I didn't hate it but it was an expirenece.

Robin said: Surprised no one is mentioning the original "Mr. Magoo" cartoon though.

Oh, I remember that one!! Haven't seen the bill murray one, but love him. (Groundhog day one of the best)

hayes, saw that one too!!! It was so funny but had something annoying too...

I too saw A Christmas Carol on Broadway... it was really good! I would love to see it again with the boys if it ever came around again.

Also liked Mr Magoo.... he was a silly ole man....

I really hope I can get to these - Work is busy so maybe not...but I'm going to try.

Jane.

I am still lookin for Stardust - Neil Gaiman. So I might have topay £1 to order from library (grrrr)

I started trying to read Stardust about a year ago but got lost half way through. I just really couldn't get into it. Maybe I will try to finish it this month. Besides I deliberately held off watching the film until I had finished the book so still haven't seen it! I was planning to read Christmas Carol this month and have it on my book case ready and waiting - funny how I think I know the story so well but have never actually read it!

COOL