RYL Book Club March - April Book

[Feel_Good_inc.]

That time again. Over the next couple of weeks we can vote on which book the book club will be reading over the March and April period. The voting will close on the 21st, giving you all time to find and buy a copy of the book chosen by you.
Those who haven't seen anything of the book club before and want to be a part of it, it's simple. Buy the book chosen, look out for the review thread, which will be made on the first of March and write down your thoughts and feelings on the book as you read it. Plot, characters, twists, everything.

You have six to choose from. Two Classics, two from the TV Book Club best reads of the last few years, the runner up of the last vote and one wild-card; a book chosen by me out of the stacks I own but haven't read yet.

And as always if you have any recommendations that you think the book club will like just PM me and I'll include it in the next vote.

Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist is born into a life of poverty and misfortune in a workhouse in an unnamed town. Orphaned almost from his first breath by his mother’s death in childbirth and his father’s unexplained absence, Oliver is meagerly provided for under the terms of the Poor Law. Oliver is brought up with little food and few comforts. Around the time of Oliver's ninth birthday, Mr. Bumble, a parish beadle, removes Oliver from the baby farm and puts him to work picking oakum at the main workhouse. Oliver, who toils with very little food, remains in the workhouse for six months. One day, the desperately hungry boy tremblingly comes forward, bowl in hand, and makes his famous request: "Please, sir, I want some more."


20,000 Leagues under the sea, Jules Verne
A huge sea monster has attacked and wrecked several ships from beneath the sea. Professor Arronax bravely joins a mission to hunt down the beast. He goes aboard the Nautilus, a secret submarine helmed by the mysterious Captain Nemo. At first, the mission is exciting, as Nemo takes the ship on a voyage around the underwater world. But when things start to go wrong, Arronax finds there is no escape from the Nautilus -- he is now Captain Nemo's captive, 20,000 leagues under the sea!


Tiger Hills, Sarita Mandanna
The year is 1878, Devi is the first girl to be born to the Nachimandas in sixty years. Devi befriends Devanna, a gifted young boy. Their futures are seemingly linked until the night they attend a 'tiger wedding'. Devis glimpses Machu, the celebrated tiger killer and hunter of great repute. Devi vows she will marry him, sewing the seed of a heartbreaking tragedy that will have consequences for generations to come.


The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold
My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighborhood. My mother liked his border flowers, and my father talked to him once about fertilizer. This is Susie Salmon. Watching from heaven, Susie sees her happy, suburban family devastated by her death, isolated even from one another as they each try to cope with their terrible loss alone. Over the years, her friends and siblings grow up, fall in love, do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But life is not quite finished with Susie yet...


The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
Mary Lennox, a bitter and spoiled upper-class child, orphaned in India, is sent back to England to live with her reclusive uncle Mr. Craven at his manor. At first, Mary is "quite contrary" and a scourge of the household, until the gentle magic of the countryside and those who work the earth begins to have its effect on her. Since her uncle is mostly away on travels, Mary begins to run wild, and makes many discoveries on the estate grounds, including a secret walled-off garden that has been locked up and forbidden for anyone to enter. She finds the key by accident when watching the antics of a wild bird, then discovers the hidden door, and starts exploring. But the garden is not the only secret in the household. The crying at night that Mary occasionally hears in the manor belongs to a mysterious young invalid boy Colin, locked away not unlike the garden itself. Spring is coming. Mary and Colin meet, their tempers collide and explode in vital bloom as does the garden, and at last, oh-so many things are brought back to life. A life-affirming, beloved classic for all ages.

The Night Watch, Sergei Lukyankenko
Walking the streets of Moscow, indistinguishable from the rest of its population, are The Others. The Others are magicians, possessors of supernatural powers and capable of entering the Twilight, a shadowy world that exists in parallel to our own. Each Other owes allegiance either to the Dark or the Light. The two factions, having long before realised that open struggle can only create chaos and disaster, coexist in an uneasy truce, each keeping a close eye on, the other's activities around the city. Their aim is not mutual destruction, but rather the maintenance of the precarious balance between good and evil. Anton, a young Other who owes allegiance to the Light, is a Night Watch agent, newly seconded to patrol the streets and metro of the city, to protect ordinary people from the vampires and magicians of the Dark.

[The War Doctor]

I think it's pretty clear which book is going to win this one.

[Feel_Good_inc.]

Really? this early I think it's always too early to tell.

[Bleeding Angel]

With some of them i may cheat and watch the film instead :P

[Sefka]

Eh, I kind of hope the results change.

I pretty much discarded Oliver Twist, The Lovely Bones and The Secret Garden cos I've already read them.

20,000 Leagues is one of those 'always been meaning to read it,' classics so I'd be happy with that. The other two both look okay. I went for The Night Watch, just cos it's set in Moscow and I used to live in Moscow so I'll be able to picture it.

Looking forward to seeing what wins :)

[SavingGrace]

Super Keen to read The Night Watch! =]

[risenfromperdition]

The night watch sounds cool :) read the others already

[Feel_Good_inc.]

Bump.
for the hell of it.

[~phoenix~]

can I join the book club? voted for the lovely bones, but only because I already have it. Did have the others at some point, but they've been misplaced/sold/left behind over the years

[Feel_Good_inc.]

Joining the book club is easy. Just wait for the poll to close, buy the winning book and read it over march and April while writing down your feelings and impressions in the review thread which will open March 1st.

[Feel_Good_inc.]

bump.
a few days left.

[Feel_Good_inc.]

bump. last few days for voting.
looks like The Lovely Bones is going to win.

[SavingGrace]

Bumpity so people know what book won. =]

[crazykat]

Ooooh I already have this book willl have a read

[Feel_Good_inc.]

just ordered mine.
They have fantastic deals on pre-owned copies on Amazon.
1p + 2.10p&p
So I bought the book for £2.11

[CallmeFrankie]

Wow! This is an excellent idea! I'm new to the forums and I've not comne across an online book club before so this thread got me pretty excited!! I've read The Lovely Bones and thoroughly reccommend it! It's way better than the film and definately a worthwhile read! I had a read through the book descriptions and I think I might actually go out and buy The Night Watch as it sounds pretty cool and I'd not previously heard of it so thanks for that! :)

[resurrecting]

so i finished the book. I want to watch the movie now. Does anyone have any thoughts on this book? did you like it? what was your favorite part?

i was shocked at end about Mr Harvey and icicle... I find it interesting how Susie just relays information and does not really give her perspective on life

[Feel_Good_inc.]

I'm afraid I abandoned the book. I wasn't in a good place at the time and it was stirring up too much negativity.
I'll have to go back to it in the future. I liked most of what I read when it wasn't a problem for me. So I'd like to know how it ends.

[Leni]

I read this years ago, but I seem to remember it being quite emotionally draining. Not the best read when you're depressed.