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You can't choose the same book twice
This poll is closed.
Aquarium 8 21.05%
Wolf in White Van 8 21.05%
The Buried Giant 7 18.42%
Solaris 8 21.05%
Man's Search for Meaning 7 18.42%
Total: 28 votes
[Edit Poll (moderators only)]

 
  • Locked thread
Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound
You should be able to vote for more than one book, but if you vote and a book you voted for is selected, please participate in the thread when we read it. Thanks!


1) Aquarium by David Vann

quote:

David Vann’s new novel, “Aquarium,” about a lonely young girl who meets an old man at the Seattle Aquarium, begins on a deceptively light note. Its cinematic quality is due largely to a series of lovely, well-curated fish photographs that accompany 12-year-old Caitlin’s observation of the exotic fauna. But the momentary lightness of these early pages soon unspools into psychological darkness — and the intricate, colorful pictures diminish — as Caitlin moves away from the tranquillity and beauty of the aquarium and into the more dangerous spaces of a world populated by humans.


2) Wolf in White Vann by John Darnielle

quote:

Wolf in White Van is the first novel by the American author and singer-songwriter John Darnielle. Wolf in White Van tells the story of Sean Phillips, a reclusive game designer whose face has been severely disfigured. One reviewer characterizes Sean as someone "steeped in video games, bad sci-fi movies, and Conan the Barbarian comic books".[1] The plot, which is told non-chronologically, alternates between Sean's childhood, adolescence, and adulthood to describe the circumstances surrounding the incident that disfigured him. A fictional play-by-mail role-playing game called Trace Italian figures prominently in the novel.

The novel has been described as a "meditation on the power of escape,"[2] exploring the escapist qualities of fantasy fiction and role-playing games, particularly as a way to cope with trauma. Wolf in White Van received positive reviews on release and was nominated for the 2014 National Book Award.[3]


3) The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

quote:

Kazuo Ishiguro is a remarkable novelist, both for the quality of his work — because his novels share a careful, precise approach to language and to character — and because he does not ever write the same novel, or even the same type of novel, twice. In “The Buried Giant,” his seventh and latest, he begins with clear, unhurried, unfussy language to describe the England of some 1,500 years ago, in a novel as well crafted as it is odd. Some of the oddness comes from the medieval terrain: This is a novel about an elderly couple going from one village to the next, set in a semi-historical England of the sixth or perhaps seventh century, in which the Britons and the Saxons have been at bloody war. The Britons have been driven west and the Saxons control the east of England, but Saxons and Britons live side by side in a post-Arthurian twilight, in a mythical time of ogres, sprites and dragons — most of all the dragon Querig, who dominates the second half of the book, in which one character needs to kill her as badly as another needs to keep her alive. Other oddities come from the characters, many of whom navigate their way through the story as if asleep and uncertain whether they will like what they find if they wake up.


4) Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

quote:

Solaris is a 1961 philosophical science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanisław Lem. The book centers upon the themes of the nature of human memory, experience and the ultimate inadequacy of communication between human and non-human species.

In probing and examining the oceanic surface of the planet Solaris from a hovering research station the human scientists are, in turn, being apparently studied by the sentient planet itself, which probes for and examines the thoughts of the human beings who are analyzing it. Solaris has the ability to cast their secret, guilty concerns into a material form, for each scientist to personally confront. All efforts of human probing into the secrets of Solaris proved to be futile. As Lem wrote himself, "The peculiarity of those phenomena seems to suggest that we observe a kind of rational activity, but the meaning of this seemingly rational activity of the Solarian Ocean is beyond the reach of human beings".[2]

First published in Warsaw in 1961, the 1970 Polish-to-French-to-English translation of Solaris is the best-known of Lem's English-translated works.[3]

5) Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

quote:

Man's Search for Meaning is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positively about, and then immersively imagining that outcome. According to Frankl, the way a prisoner imagined the future affected his longevity. The book intends to answer the question "How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?" Part One constitutes Frankl's analysis of his experiences in the concentration camps, while Part Two introduces his ideas of meaning and his theory called logotherapy.

According to a survey conducted by the Book-of-the-Month Club and the Library of Congress, Man's Search For Meaning belongs to a list of "the ten most influential books in the United States."[1] At the time of the author's death in 1997, the book had sold over 10 million copies and had been translated into 24 languages.[2][3]

Hieronymous Alloy fucked around with this message at 14:59 on Oct 26, 2017

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Safety Biscuits
Oct 21, 2010

Man, I missed my chance to nominate.

If we're going to read Solaris, I believe the ebook has a new translation from the Polish, while print books all have the old Polish>French>English translation.

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound
what you guys just like all of them? Pick one

someone has a preference

USMC_Karl
Nov 17, 2003

SUPPORTER OF THE REINSTATED LAWFUL HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT. HAOLES GET OFF DA `AINA.
Yikes, Aquarium is actually a book I really, really want to read while Solaris is one of those books that I feel guilty for never having read.

What to choose, what to choose...

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound
goddammit
poll should be open through today now

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

So how about a BOTM where we have to read all of the books :v:

Peel
Dec 3, 2007

just so long as its not aquarium because i voted for that but won't have time to read it

Franchescanado
Feb 23, 2013

If it wasn't for disappointment
I wouldn't have any appointment

Grimey Drawer

Peel posted:

just so long as its not aquarium because i voted for that but won't have time to read it

I am an incredibly slow reader and finished it in two sittings.

Safety Biscuits
Oct 21, 2010

Can two people vote for Solaris please

e: Thank you someone

Safety Biscuits fucked around with this message at 06:41 on Nov 1, 2017

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat

Peel posted:

just so long as its not aquarium because i voted for that but won't have time to read it

it is barely 250 pages long

e: lol it's gone from a three way tie to a four way tie. good work everyone

Mahlertov Cocktail
Mar 1, 2010

I ate your Mahler avatar! Hahahaha!

Safety Biscuits posted:

Can two people vote for Solaris please

e: Thank you someone

YOU'RE NOT EVEN MY REAL DAD

(just voted for it)

Enfys
Feb 17, 2013

The ocean is calling and I must go

guess we're reading all these books this month

Peel
Dec 3, 2007

well gosh i suppose i can squeeze aquarium in if it comes to it

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

Does no one want to read about Man's Search for Meaning? It's really good!

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound
I hate all of you

now *I* have to make a decision

dammit

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat
you know in your heart what the right choice is, alloy

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

I hate all of you

now *I* have to make a decision

dammit

What you should do is do each book for the next four months so we're all happy

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat

StrixNebulosa posted:

What you should do is do each book for the next four months so we're all happy

its back to being only a three way tie now. it's just a different three way tie than it was like two days ago

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

chernobyl kinsman posted:

its back to being only a three way tie now. it's just a different three way tie than it was like two days ago

I'm on mobile so I can't see the poll

Which one lost, pick that one

hooked on Fauxnics
Dec 23, 2013

StrixNebulosa posted:

I'm on mobile so I can't see the poll

Which one lost, pick that one
It's also a tie for who lost

StrixNebulosa
Feb 14, 2012

You cheated not only the game, but yourself.
But most of all, you cheated BABA

hooked on Fauxnics posted:

It's also a tie for who lost

:rip:

Safety Biscuits
Oct 21, 2010

Choose Solaris, then do the other four next month.

USMC_Karl
Nov 17, 2003

SUPPORTER OF THE REINSTATED LAWFUL HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT. HAOLES GET OFF DA `AINA.
Let's just do a double feature, Solaris and Aquarium. I'll stop reading The Expanse series (which is quite good, I might add) and do both of 'em. Come on, you know you wanna.

Hell, toss in Wolf in White Van, too. Those are the three tied right now, and if you add up all of their page counts it's still less than Blackwater.

USMC_Karl fucked around with this message at 04:14 on Nov 2, 2017

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound
Ok, I'm gonna call it AQUARIUM because the people pushing it have been really vocal for a long time and if I pick something else I suspect they'll never shut up about it

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat
that's the spirit

Mel Mudkiper
Jan 19, 2012

At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

Ok, I'm gonna call it AQUARIUM because the people pushing it have been really vocal for a long time and if I pick something else I suspect they'll never shut up about it

I think I have clearly established I am more the passive aggressive type thank you very much

Groke
Jul 27, 2007
New Adventures In Mom Strength

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

Ok, I'm gonna call it AQUARIUM because the people pushing it have been really vocal for a long time and if I pick something else I suspect they'll never shut up about it

Very good book -- I read it earlier this year, so won't be rereading it just yet.

Bilirubin
Feb 16, 2014

The sanctioned action is to CHUG


Hieronymous Alloy posted:

what you guys just like all of them? Pick one

someone has a preference

Voted checkmark

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat
dante's inferno would be a good one for next month, imo

anilEhilated
Feb 17, 2014

But I say fuck the rain.

Grimey Drawer

chernobyl kinsman posted:

dante's inferno would be a good one for next month, imo
Tie-in book for a videogame? Shame on you.

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound

anilEhilated posted:

Tie-in book for a videogame? Shame on you.

I think he means the anime, but there's a different forum for that.

USMC_Karl
Nov 17, 2003

SUPPORTER OF THE REINSTATED LAWFUL HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT. HAOLES GET OFF DA `AINA.
Started reading The Aquarium in anticipation of the BoTM thread and... hoo boy. I like fun reads and this book is not that. Not to say that the book isn't good, I can't put it down, but man I just feel low grade tension throughout the entire story thus far.

chernobyl kinsman
Mar 18, 2007

a friend of the friendly atom

Soiled Meat

USMC_Karl posted:

Started reading The Aquarium

USMC_Karl posted:

I like fun reads

lol

USMC_Karl
Nov 17, 2003

SUPPORTER OF THE REINSTATED LAWFUL HAWAIIAN GOVERNMENT. HAOLES GET OFF DA `AINA.

Yeah, I usually do my reading either in the morning or the evening after everything is done. Light and fun is usually what I like best, but this book is good.

Hieronymous Alloy
Jan 30, 2009


Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!




Morbid Hound
Yeah sorry I've been slack in getting the thread up. It'll happen ASAP.

Mahlertov Cocktail
Mar 1, 2010

I ate your Mahler avatar! Hahahaha!
Just picked up Aquarium so I'll get into it after work today. Lookin' forward to the not-fun book

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Groke
Jul 27, 2007
New Adventures In Mom Strength

Mahlertov Cocktail posted:

Just picked up Aquarium so I'll get into it after work today. Lookin' forward to the not-fun book

Dehumanize yourself and face to emotional pain and suffering.

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