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Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 3:45 pm
I mentioned that I had been trying to get back into Lovecraft, especially with the podcast I had been listening to, in another thread, but I was wondering if anyone would be interested in starting an informal "book club" over G+ in which we explore other short story authors. I want to expand my literary horizons, but anything longer than a novella is beyond my grasp at the moment - even short books are proving tough to get through with my work and school schedule (and spring rolling over NC like a tidal wave).
At any rate, I already have a couple people from a skeptic e-mail list I belong to who would be interested. I enjoy reading things with a group of people, as discussion lends itself to better understanding of the story itself, the author and the time period it was written in. I will admit, I wanted to start with older stories - Poe or thereabouts - because most stories from authors around that period are easily found in electronic format on Project Gutenberg or a nearby used bookstore for less than a dollar. However, I'm willing to compile a list of books we'd like to get to, and I'd like it to range through a variety of genres and time periods.
I'd also like to have the discussions on threads on G+, as it's easy to create a "circle" of people there and share a post only with them, creating your own discussion thread. All you need to join G+ is a gmail account, and one gets set up automatically for you, and you can change your privacy settings so that you only participate in the discussions and don't have to share any information with anyone else in cyber space.
So. If anyone is interested, let me know. If not, I'll take my nerdy self elsewhere and piss off. 
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 3:47 pm
(This post was last modified: March 12, 2012 at 3:52 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Count me in, and read yourself some Richard Matheson.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Matheson
(Philip K Dick for those nights when you have more time..lol)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick
I suggest the first simply because he was a prolific author of short stories, and both because of the success that worthless movie adaptations of their stories have had. If you even got a minor gigle out of any of the flicks, the books are likely to seem brilliant by comparison, as always.
(ah, also, piss off nerd-anything for you.)
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 3:48 pm
(This post was last modified: March 12, 2012 at 3:52 pm by thesummerqueen.)
Awesome. Once I get a few more people I'll start compiling a list of books.
https://plus.google.com/109248592768575424151/posts
My G+ profile, by the way, so you can circle me up. Just let me know who you are when you do.
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 3:56 pm
(This post was last modified: March 12, 2012 at 3:57 pm by downbeatplumb.)
Have you discovered terry pratchett I can't recomend the mans books enough.
Even his shortish childrens books are inventive delights, but the discworld books are my all time favourites.
I also liked the many colored land books. (ooh I'll have to read hem again) inventive science fiction with psychic abilities after reading one of these books you'll be trying to move furniture with your mind I assure you.
On a related note i have just aquired an e-book and would like to fill it with good free scifi and humour any ideas where I can obtain these gems.
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Sweetheart, Good Omens is one of my favorite books. Of course I know of Mr. Pratchett, but I'd be willing to add him to the list depending on story length.
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 3:59 pm
(This post was last modified: March 12, 2012 at 4:00 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
Lets not Forget "The Little Engine That Could", "The Little Red Hen", and "Exit To Eden".
(various children's authors)
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 4:01 pm
I wish I had the time, dear. I have a ton going on at the moment. However, I will try to participate as often as possible. If I have extra time, I will have to spend it on Tiberius. The poor man has to deal with me being entirely unavailable 90% of the time.
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 4:02 pm
(March 12, 2012 at 4:01 pm)Shell B Wrote: I wish I had the time, dear. I have a ton going on at the moment. However, I will try to participate as often as possible. If I have extra time, I will have to spend it on Tiberius. The poor man has to deal with me being entirely unavailable 90% of the time.
But that 10%........ 
You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.
Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 4:04 pm
That other 10% is 1% oo-la-la and 9% sorry, gotta go. 
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RE: Would you be interested? (The Book Nerd Edition)
March 12, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Short story authors I'd recommend:
J. D. Salinger
Etgar Keret
Raymond Carver
Ernest Hemingway (he really did his best work for short stories)
E.A. Poe
Nathanael West (Four novella-length books, none longer than 50,000 words, and most shorter)
Isaac Babel
Flannery O'Connor
Comparing the Universal Oneness of All Life to Yo Mama since 2010.
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