February Author Nomination and Vote

So, nominate two authors who would be good for February! The authors that get seconded will be pulled together for a vote on January 26th. Feel free to second as many suggestions as you want. The top vote-getter in the final poll is February's focus.

Okay, well I know what I have to read for school in February, so I'll nominate those authors:

Virginia Woolf
Evelyn Waugh
Ford Maddox Ford

Oops, that's three. I hope that's not too large a faux pas.

great idea!

There are some authors at our bookshelves I would like to read, but have not started yet. More than two, but there are more months to come ;-)

Yukio Mishima
Gabriel García Márquez

>2 Nickelini: Joyce, Joyce, *shaking head* ;) Already playing the renegade.

I suggest:

Knut Hamsun
Sylvia Townsend Warner

I also second Mishima and V. Woolf.

I'll second Woolf, Hamsun and Warner and add:

Elizabeth Taylor
Somerset Maugham

Hi everyone and thanks Christina for the invite!

I can tell already this group is going to expand my literary horizons. I like some that are already suggested, so I will officially second Somerset Maugham and Evelyn Waugh as my nominations.

OK, a sucker for punishment :-)

I am sure I will participate in some months and not in others, but I just cannot resist joining in here. Sometimes the author won't be right for me, and sometimes other time commitments.

Thanks, christiguc for the invitation.

Maybe I will second the Marquez; if I find a short one, that might be a fun February read for me.

I'll second Maugham and add Kazuo Ishiguro.

Thanks for the invite Chritina, I'm in the corner of:

Yukio Mishima
Knut Hamsun

As I've never read any of either of their works and would be really interested in dipping in. That said, I'll do my best to join in with anything that's suggested for Feb.

Thanks for the invitation, Christina. What a nice-sized group this is! I second Virginia Woolf (almost bought one of her books today - guess maybe I'll have to go back to the store) and add:
Willa Cather

Glad to join, also. Thank you, Christina!

I'd be happy to flesh out my Woolf reading with some of the extra novels I've bought and not gotten to, but have not touched works by the other three. Which I've already thought omissions worth repairing at some point.... at least in the cases of Yukio Mishima and Knut Hamsun. Both of these would also fit one of my 999 Challenge categories ("20th Century Authors I'm Ashamed Not to Have Read").

Sylvia Townsend Warner I know little about.

Thanks for the invite, Christina.

I'm torn because they all sound good. I'll second Cather and "third" Waugh.

Edited because I misspelled my host's name!

Oh! Waugh would also be good. I've been wanting to read Scoop and The Sword of Honour Trilogy.

(Cather and Maugham I have read a lot of, because I like them both. If she's picked I may re-read one of my two favorite novels; with Maugham, I'll track something down. Don't let me discourage them.)

Thanks for the invite...

My vote would be:

1. Maugham
2. Maugham
3. Maugham
4. Waugh

Thank you for the invite Christina - pleased to be here and ready to join in.

I would like to second Virginia Woolf and Willa Cather.

I would like to nominate Nadine Gordimer.

How about:

Mario Vargas Llosa
Barack Obama

Thanks for the invitation Christina -

I would vote thus:
Willa Cather
Yukio Mishima
Maddox Ford

I have read very little of Maddox Ford but am keen to change that.

Ready to start..

Thanks for the invite, Christina!

My votes:
1) Evelyn Waugh
2) Maugham

Virginia Woolf
Iris Murdoch

- but I'd be happy with any of the authors mentioned!

Thank you for the invitation, Christina.

My votes are:
1. William Shakespeare
or
2. Henrik Ibsen

1. Wilkie Collins
2. Anthony Trollope

So many authors, it's hard to choose. But let me toss out two that haven't yet been mentioned:

Elizabeth Bowen
Oscar Wilde

I woulkd definitely go for

1. Willa Cather
2. Virginia Woolf
3. Edith Wharton

Christina, thanks for the invite.

I vote for:
1) Evelyn Waugh (A Handful of Dust is one of my favourites)
2) Willa Cather (I have 2 books on my To be read pile)

No matter how this turns out, sure to expand my reading horizons. Thanks Christina!

Nominating these two, to stretch the pool:
D.H. Lawrence
Anne Rice

Seconding these, to advance their case:
Evelyn Waugh
Virginia Woolf

Thanks for the invitation, Christina -- I may have to dip in and out as time allows -- but I am interested. This month, I think I'll just go with the flow and pick up on whatever author the group chooses.

Thanks for inviting me, Christina! I may not be able to participate every month, but this is too interesting to pass up!

So many good suggestions, too. Madox Ford and Virginia Woolf and Waugh are great choices. And I love Maugham!

I would like to second Evelyn Waugh and Kazuo Ishiguro and Shakespeare.
--BJ

BTW, thanks for the invitation, Christine. Again, a lifetime of great reading on this thread!

You can never read too much Willa Cather in my world, so I will "sixth" her nominations and "third" Ishiguru (if I counted correctly).

I don't think I saw these on the list:
1. J. M. Coetzee
2. Jose Saramago

So many great authors....this should be fun.

Hello everyone and thanks to Christina for the invitation! I'll cast my vote for Virginia Woolf.

I'm happy to join in Christina, and many thanks for the invite!!

I second Iris Murdoch & Anthony Trollope and add A.S. Byatt

blast! Why are the touchstones so daft!

Hi all, thanks Christina for the invite: one can never join too many groups that recommend good books... (Well, one probably can when one can't fit in one's house any more due to all the good books that were bought on people's recommendations.)

May I second Willa Cather because I only heard her name mentioned for the first time last year (on Group Reads: Literature) and I feel that this should be rectified, given how positive everyone seems to be about her. And Maugham because I've never read any of his books either. Call me a heathen. Oh, and Kazuo Ishiguro because I've got Remains of the Day ever so close to being started, only I keep on getting distracted by either books first...

May I suggest (as new ideas, I do love all the names mentioned above, I'm drooling in sheer anticipation of all these new horizons already!): Graham Greene (my current all-time favourite author, who I never really noticed before starting the "1001" booklist, but All My Assorted Deities, he is brilliant); and Shirley Hazzard, a wonderful Australian author. (Okay, I've only read one of her books, but this would be a great excuse to chase down others!)

I'll nominate Robertson Davies and Alistair MacLeod.

I'll also throw my support behind the nominations for Sylvia Townsend Warner , Elizabeth Bowen and Nadine Gordimer.

My votes:

Evelyn Waugh - because he's on my unofficial TBR list for this year & I might as well start earlier rather than later!
Yukio Mishima - because an unofficial "category" for me in all years is "more Japanese lit"!
Jose Saramago - because I loved Blindness and want to read more

Thanks to Christina for inviting me!

Sylvia Townsend Warner is a marvel. Each of her books is different from the others. I hope you will get acquainted with her either now or at a later date.

Great suggestions so far! I like a lot of them ... particularly the ones I've already read. ;)

I'd love to join in, but am not sure how much I'll be able to contribute. I really want to read a lot of the stuff already on my bookshelves. So if the author of the month matches up with what I already own or have already read, then great!

I'll put in a vote for Ford Madox Ford. My book club just did The Good Soldier last week (it was a re-read for me) and it inspired some really great discussion.

I would go for James Joyce. I have had Ulysses for years and it's about time i gave it a go.

2. David Mitchell

3. Hemingway

I'm going to break Christina's rules and vote for three authors:

1. Kazuo Ishiguro - I have An Artist of the Floating World just waiting to be read.

2. Willa Cather - I may use this as an excuse to buy The Song of the Lark, and/or to reread either The Professor's House or Death Comes for the Archbishop.

3. Toni Morrison - I've been in the mood for some Morrison for awhile, and her books are so great for discussion.

Edited to add numbers

Oooo, Talbin, you rebel ;)))

I think you're okay Talbin. Christine said we can only nominate two, but we can second as many as we want (Cather and Ishiguro had been previously nominated).

Willa Cather and Lawrence Durrell.

I'm not a dictator! I just thought guidelines might help keep the list manageable. . . . :)

Thanks for the invite.
I'm going to second A.S Byatt and Kazuo Ishiguro as I have both on my tbr pile.

Seconding Iris Murdoch, Toni Morrison, & Kazuo Ishiguro!
So many great choices ... how are we going to decide?

My nominees are as follows:

Per Olov Enquist
Jean Stafford

And the winner, by a landslide of course, is

Per Olov Enquist

LOL LOL LOL

Aaaah, I see now, "he tells the story of Struensee, the personal physician of the Danish King Christian VII"

You meant THAT Per Olov Enquist, now I understand the results of the vote. Well, no wonder.

Of course Per Olov Enquist will win by a landslide; however, I confidently predict that the Supreme Court of this forum headed by the able legal skills of it founder will find some way to overturn the vote. Further, I'm expecting the Waugh and Woolf supporters of ballot box stuffing. I think they may be creating false persona, who enter invalid votes.

I have The Story of Blanche and Marie (by Enquist) in my TBR pile, so, while not my top choice, I wouldn't mind him.

Of course I cast my vote for
Per Olov Enquist and
Jean Stafford

>46 lauralkeet: I was thinking that on the 26th, we would take the names that had been "seconded" and have a vote off from those, each of us able to choose our top three preferences. ?

Seems fair enough, though it might be easier on you if we were allowed to vote for just one author in the final reckoning.

>40 Talbin:, ooops! I need to read more carefully. I saw others had voted for more than two, so I just assumed we could do three!

Can I give specially warm seconding for Evelyn Waugh, Robertson Davies, Graham Greene, Jose Saramago, or Virginia Woolf? Three of these are authors I love, by whom I have additional, unread books lying like a weight on my TBR piles' heart. ;) Waugh I wish to read more of; Saramago, I've been eager to try.

(I haven't nominated any, I think, because there are too many good things on offer, already. Surely this gives me leave to second a great many? ;))

Several others would find me happy, either because they are favorites already (as Cather, Maugham, Bowen; with Ford Maddox Ford likely to be) or authors I mean to read, and in some cases have unread books by (Mishima, Knut Hamsun, A.S. Byatt, Iris Murdoch, Toni Morrison, and others).

>55 Eurydice:

If that does not speak of my native enthusiasm and indecisiveness, what does?!

So many great authors already mentioned, so I'll just keep the seconding going... Woolf, Anthony Trollope, A.S. Byatt and Kazuo Ishiguro.

I have read most of Maugham's novels and short stories... this group should definitely choose this author for February or another month -- you can travel to many continents reading Somerset Maugham. A man who wrote great female characters. Virginia Woolf said in her lecture A Room of One's own that you need to be both male & female mentally to write a good novel; Maugham is a prefect example of this!

I just started reading Count of Monte Crisco, 1200 pages plus - so I won't be upset if you choose Maugham for February -- I'll be busy reading my French Literature.

I'm seconding - again! - for Robertson Davies

bleu,

I like Robertson Davies too, but ask yourself WWVDD (What Would viragodiva do)? ;-)

She has already spoken. As for Robertson Davies the touchstone has gone awry. My Robertson Davies is here http://www.librarything.com/author/daviesrobertson

cf. #20

I'll second Per Olov Enquist, Anthony Trollope
and Knut Hamsun.

There was an interview with Per Olov Enquist on Norwegian television yesterday. Very interesting.
I haven't read anything by this author yet, but now I will.
Just ordered "The Best of Enquist", and I'll soon receive it and read at least some of it.

Great Ceasar's Ghost!! I vote we vote, already!! This is starting to look like another presidential campaign.

in #52, layronwoman3rd, the almighty and all-knowing christiguc said she would act on the 26th.

I think we need some campaign funds in here. I am now taking accepting contributions to run the Per Olov Enquist campaign.

I will contribute to the fund to NOT elect P.O.E.

LOL

P.,

Have you even read Per Olov Enquist? :-)

I am being silly and unfair. I have not read him, and no doubt would enjoy him. Enough out of me.

I've wanted to try Per Olov Enquist for a while so I'll add him to my vote which included Evelyn Waugh and Willa Cather.

Ah. Sigh. I've voted enough, already. I cannot further endorse even so..... euphoniously named a candidate as Per Olov Enquist.

I am woefully under-read on most of these authors, but want to second...

Virginia Woolf
Evelyn Waugh
Willa Cather
Nadine Gorimer
and Robertson Davies

I have books in Mt TBR by all of them except Nadine Gorimer!

Frankly, The Royal Physician's Visit bored me stiff. But I did enjoy one of Enquist's plays; the title escapes me now, but it was based on the production of Strindberg's The Stronger.

My reaction to The Royal Physician's Visit was much the same as Cariola's. In my case, boredom followed by annoyance, followed by abandonment, ending in eventual listing in my Bookmooch inventory.

>72 cornerhouse: EXACTLY the same here; I confess that I couldn't finish the thing, and it went the way of BookMooch.

Well, I adored The Royal Physician's Visit. My favorite of his books is The Book of Blanche and Marie. I've read four of his novels so far and have yet to find a bad one in the bunch.

Okay, let's vote!! :)

Vote here

Keep an eye on results

Please only vote once (but you can select up to three authors to vote for at once). It'll close at midnight (LT-time) on the 29th.

OK, Urania, after I was silly and irreverent yesterday about P.O.E., today I repented and am getting The Royal Physician's Visit through BookMooch, as long as the person accepts non-US mooches. So no doubt I will become a fervent fan.

Ah, I remembered the Enquist play title: Night of the Tribades.

Thank you for setting this up Christina - I'm done.

I've just exercised my democratic right to vote! I promise not to stuff the ballot box ;-)

I see Willa Cather has a lot of votes, but I can't find books of her translated into Dutch :-(

To look at semi-local libraries (I got your location off your profile page)

Het huis van de professor (The Professor's House)

De strijd van de aartsbisschop (Death Comes for the Archbishop)

Schaduwen op de rots (Shadows on the Rock)

Mijn Ántonia (My Ántonia)

Lucie Gayheart (Lucy Gayheart)

And there are others translated, but they appear to not be held in libraries in the Netherlands. (I don't know how interlibrary loans work in NL). I hope that helps!?

That helps a lot, thank you very much!

I just joined the library in November, I did find out I could get books from other libraries in the province, but have to see how to get them from other libraries.

Edited to add:
How did you find those so quick?

>82 FAMeulstee: I looked in WorldCat for Willa Cather and then filtered asking only for the titles in Dutch. I then used your location to find nearby libraries. This search only covers libraries that are in the WorldCat system--the books may be held in others as well. The search may not be completely comprehensive, but you can know that at least these books are available at at least these libraries.

Since you know these titles, you can search on them--it appears some NL booksites are selling used copies of Het huis van de professor and De strijd van de Aartsbisschop if you don't want to go with the library option.

(Now, the vote isn't over, so we don't know it'll be Willa Cather yet!)

I hope it will be Willa Cather because then I can join in. I have one to read in my 999 classics category. Of course I could also do Woolf or Davies for the same reason.

I've just ordered a box of ten books from a Norwegian internet book shop: "Virago modern classics", and there is one novel (I think) by Willa Cather in that box.

I've read most of Cather already, but I do have a VMC of Saphira and the Slave Girl, if that's the way the vote goes. Do we plan to read a specific book by the author, or can we all read different ones?

I believe the idea is to read whatever you like from the author.

#86 Cariola

And you seem to own the only copy on LT! Now it has to be Cather so you can tell us about that book! I've never heard of it.

#88
Umm, there are 170 copies of Sapphira and the Slave Girl catalogued in LT.

When I typed it in "search" only one came up. That's odd! Oh, I see--different spelling! I usually don't notice things like that.

#87
Yes, I guess that's the idea.

I see from the group description that:
"each month we'll have a book discussion thread and an author discussion thread."

So I believe you can read whatever you like by or about the relevant author (books, on the web etc.) and discuss/comment on it here.

I've just ordered a Cathar book, just in case...(problem with these votes is you get all psyched up to read the earlier vote winner so if it ends up being someone else, I bet we all go.... OH)

OK, I didn't nominate anyone but I did vote...put in my bid for a couple of authors currently residing on my TBR pile. There are so many great suggestions, though! Looks like we have authors for the next year!

I was wondering about the Book Discussion thread - as we're going to be reading a variety of books, how easy will discussion be without verging into, I guess for want of a better term, spoiler territory.

I think there should be one thread for each book. Then the members are able to write final impressions, and discuss/comment on style, characters, etc.

To avoid spoilers (if you'll discuss the story/plot) you have to divide the books into sections, and create separate threads for these sections.

Some books might be discussed in the author thread as well, especially since there isn't much time to write very elaborate messages on the complete works of the author.

My intent on participating here is to learn about authors and books from other members, hoping to contribute with some of my knowledge now and then.

That sounds like a good approach kjellika, kind of like over at Group Reads which I find works really well.

Hey! What's up with the vote? There are 50 of us and 53 votes as of this moment. Is there no honor, even here on LT?

Maybe some people have voted but haven't clicked 'Join' on the group page - I often forget to join groups because I watch 'Talk' on 'All Topics' so membership doesn't make much difference to me (other than having the Group on my Profile page)

*shuffles off to make sure she's actually clicked join on the group page*

>97 Fourpawz2: Perhaps we have a faux pas among us ;-)

All the same, it looks like there's only ONE evident winner.
(Or will there be more voting among the three authors with most votes? If so, I don't see why).

I don't see that there needs to be another vote off. I don't want to be too hasty and declare a winner early as there is another 12 hours left. . . . but I'm eying My Antonia as my next read. :)

Sorry fourpawz--I'm another faux pas! I hadn't planned to vote so didn't join. Then got excited and voted--I'll go join.

#101
February read will probably be My Antonia as this novel is one of the ten novels in the box I'll receive in a few days (maybe tomorrow). Cf. #85

I already have Sapphira and the slave girl, The old beauty, and others, and Shadows on the rock on request at the library. The vote looked pretty overwhelming the other day (and I can't remember which box in the basement contains My Antonia).

I've recently read My Antonia (good book) and Death Comes for the Archbishop (one of my favorite books of all time) but I just was given a beat-up paperback called The Old Beauty and Others which turns out to be the last 3 stories Willa Cather wrote. Since February is a short month and I've got a lot planned to read already that month this will make it possible to join the read and not be swamped. And Cather will fit into my Classics category.

I have A Lost Lady that I got in a bumper Virago buy - hoping to read more Viragos this year so Willa Cather would be a worthy winner ;)

I think I'll stick to short stories by Cather -- whatever's anthologized in the great many anthologies that weigh down my shelves and help keep doors open.

All is forgiven MusicMom (and everybody else). I was just being super protective of my girl Willa, as she seemed about to be crowned winner.

Oh, I also voted but did not join (which I will do now). So that accounts for 52 of the 53 votes.

Oh, this is fun! I have a couple administrative/logistical questions:

- Where should we discuss what we're planning to read and/or have read? I see a thread with background on Willa Cather but wasn't sure if that was also intended for book discussion.

- I know you'll think I'm nuts, but what about March? It seems there are at least two ways to handle: run a completely fresh nomination & voting process, OR take the 2nd-place author from this vote (which was a tie ... hmmm ...)

- I'm also wondering whether it would make sense to nominate/vote for multiple months i.e.; top 3 for next 3 months or some such ?

Anyway, just stuff to ponder. Perhaps christiguc has it all figured out already, in which case I bow to her wisdom.

Cather's best two books are Song of the Lark and Lucy Gayheart. Since I have read most of Cather already, I will probably reread Song of the Lark.

My favorites were Death Comes for the Archbishop and The Professor's House, but I've always been fond of Lucy Gayheart. - Whereas, I remember Song of the Lark with something like dislike. I'm not sure why.

As it's fuzziest in my memory, I think I'll re-read The Professor's House; and, if other reading allows, return to Death Comes for the Archbishop, or look for short stories I've missed.

I look forward to Urania convincing me I was wrong about The Song of the Lark, all along. ;)

>110 lauralkeet: I was thinking I would start another thread for book talk. (I just needed to get home from work! I can't get away with doing that much when I should be listening to clients. . . ) ;)

As to March, I was going to start a new nomination thread about a week into February (and have a two weeks of nominating/seconding and one week of voting--leading into the next month), but I don't know.

Opinions?

I found Death Comes to the Archbishop to be pretty boring; same goes for Shadows on the Rock. I enjoyed The Professor's House, A Lost Lady, My Antonia and O Pioneers!. I'll be reading Sapphira and the Slave Girl, one of the few Cathers that I haven't read before.

The "Virago modern classics" box didn't arrive today :((, hoping to get it in a few days, and then I'll start reading My Antonia.
Maybe I'll find more about/by Willa Cather in the local library ????

#114, #110

What about voting for two months? I.e. next nominate/vote for March/April (two authors) and then May/June,
July/August, and so on?

The last vote for 2009 will be for the last two months November/December.
We didn't start at January 1st, you know.

Just a suggestion :)

>114 christiguc:: thanks for the thread, christiguc!
>116 kjellika:: I like your idea of voting for two months at a time.

I would have to say that Death Comes for the Archbishop and The Professor's House are my two favorite Cather novels.

It seems that Death comes for the Archbishop is either a love or really dislike kind of book. It's my favorite of Cather's that I've read so far so I'm glad I'm not alone, Talbin! I've seen a lot of positive comments about The Professor's House so I will add that one to my "must read" list--although probably not this month! I hope someone will review it this month, though.

>119 MusicMom41:: I'll be reading The Professor's House, so you can count on me for a review!

I've read A Lost Lady, Song of the Lark, My Antonia, and Death Comes for the Archbishop. So, O, Pioneer it is.

>116 kjellika: & 117

Yes, I like the idea! If there is not an obvious runner-up, then there can be a vote-off for the top five of who gets to follow on the second month in the pair.

Do we want separate threads for each of Cather's books? If so, I'll be happy to set up the Song of the Lark thread.

#123
Yes, and you may even divide them into sections (new threads) if you want to avoid spoilers.
I guess I (or others) will set up a My Antonia thread soon???

> 118, 119, 120

Also glad I'm not alone. :)

> 116, 117, 122

Voting two months at a time is appealing. (Glad it passed the group-originator test. ;) )

I will set up the O, Pioneer thread.

I like the 'voting for 2' idea because having a bit of notice before the month begins is good for those of us that have to acquire books from the local library - mine's small and they need a week or two to get things in sometimes.

I haven't read any Cather before, and I haven't made it to the library yet to see what they have...but I live in Nebraska so I will be pretty disappointed if they don't have a decent selection. Any advice on which one to read first?

128> My Antonia is probably her best known and best loved novel, so I'd start with that one.

Cariola, I've just read My Antonia on Project Gutenberg and I really loved it.

I am trying to choose between Lucy Gayheart and Sapphira and the Slave Girl. Any recommendations?

I am tryimng to choose between Song of The Lark and My Antonia. Any recommendations?

I am trying to choose between Song of The Lark and My Antonia. Any recommendations?

I am trying to choose between Song of The Lark and My Antonia. Any recommendations?

No, no, and no!

Yes, yes, and yes! Everybody should read My Antonia, it's a classic, so if you haven't, that's my recommendation.

geneg and Cariola - thank you and whatever happened to my single post?

Cariola, Lucy Gayheart would get my recommendation, and from what I can see, Urania's. :)

Julie, I'll second My Antonia as the place to start, if you haven't read it, yet.

Well, I think every one of Cather's books that I've read are unique and wonderful. Start whereever your heart desires.

ms urania - you are biased - I have just seen your thread on precisley that book!!!
'Wherever my heart desires' - would that I could share my heart .... having carefully studied the choice I am going to start with ... Song of The Lark. Need to complete my Lark Rise to Candleford first. hemlokgang - your review was really succinct yet gave me all I needed to make my choice. It swayed my ruminating and prevaricating approach!