Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

³¢²â²Ô²Ô’s comments from the Catching up on Classics (and lots more!) group.

New School book nominations will open May 1, 2025. Please review the requirements below for book eligibility.

1. Books that have been featured as group reads in the last three years are not eligible for nomination. New School Bookshelf

In the interest of variety, please wait a month to renominate a book that was in any poll last month:

The Quiet American by Graham Greene (1955) 180 pages
The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain (1936) 116 pages, last read January 2019
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious (1956) 372 pages
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2001) 487 pages
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983) 138 pages
Manhatten Transfer by John Dos Passos (1925) 342 pages
Nightwood by Djuna Barnes (1936) 182 pages


2. Eligible publication dates for books are 1915 - 2005.

3. When making a nomination, please use "add book/author" link to help moderators and others view the book selected.

4. Only seven books, by seven different authors will move forward to each poll. This will be determined by the number of seconds a book receives. (Ties sometimes require an adjustment to this rule.)

5. One nomination and one second per member will be allowed. A nomination cannot be changed once it has been seconded, in fairness to the member making the second.

5a. A second can be withdrawn and placed on another choice. This change must in some way be noted in a post such as, "I am withdrawing my second for book A and placing it on book B." It will be easier to moderator to track changes.

6. Only one book per author; if more than one book by the same author is nominated, only the first one to receive a second will be eligible. The nominator of the ruled ineligible book will be able to nominate a replacement or second another already in nomination.

6a. Same author-multiple categories. The same author may be nominated in multiple categories in a single month as long as the nominations are for different books. In the case of identical nominations, precedence will go to the first one to receive a second.

7. Members nominating for a monthly Group Read will need to check that a copy of the text is reasonably available for members, and is available in English. Moderators may disallow a nomination if a copy is not readily available.

Nominations will remain open until the 14th of the month. Polls will open on the 16th and run until the penultimate day of the month

The poll for our New School Group Read for June 2025 can be found here: Polls Thanks everyone.

The Quiet American by Graham Greene (1955) 180 pages

The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain (1936) 116 pages, last read January 2019

Peyton Place by Grace Metalious (1956) 372 pages

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2001) 487 pages

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983) 138 pages

Manhatten Transfer by John Dos Passos (1925) 342 pages

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes (1936) 182 pages

Thank you Katy. I think I will close the nominations now.

We read quite a few short stories in this group. Short story collections can be organized by a single author or can be anthologies. Anthologies are short story collections arranged around a theme or genre. Do you have favorite collections you could recommend?

Thank you KeenReader and Wobbley, updated above.

Nice reading so far, and I understand about December plans! Congratulations on finishing one of your challenges already.

You have read some nice books so far. I also read Notes from the Underground. I really thought it was well written, and although not a "fun" book, I thought it was a very good book.

It sounds like you got a lot out of Gilgamesh! It does leave an impression. I read it decades ago, but still remember how fascinating it was to read.

Wobbley wrote: "You made a lot of progress in March. I didn't have time to fit in The House on the Strand in March, but sounds like I should prioritize it for later in the year."

I did like it a lot.

This is my third reading of this. I am very slowly moving through the story.

I think Andersen's writing is so good. The best stories have a problem to be solved, or think of it as a limiting factor that forces the main character to make a decision or take an action. The "K" tubes are burning out due to Joe and Ed's contact. Being so far from Earth there is a limited number of tubes. Eventually contact must be broken so Anglesley must make a choice..

J_BlueFlower wrote: "My first big philosophy book I had half year long battle with. I had long discussions with myself in the unusually large margin. I still have that book. It is about 30 years ago. I look forward to ..."

What a great idea for a textbook. The Reader's Notebooks I taught from used margin notes areas. The 9 and 10 year old children answered specific questions in those areas. They were essentially paperback textbooks with poetry, prose and non-fiction stories for children and questions to answer in the book.

Marcus wrote: "Reading the answers here, I’m feeling guilty; I’m feeling sad. I do mark my books, mostly nonfiction. I also write in the margins (with pencil)."

LOL Marcus this was not meant to be a lecture. Please know you are released from any guilt. haha Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ strikes again.

Nominations for the New School selection June 2025. The books with the largest number of supporters will go on to the poll. The top seven (hopefully no ties) will go on to the poll. Nominations end today. Thanks everyone.

1. The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain (1936) 116 pages, last read January 2019
Nominated by Katy: Heather L., Janelle

2. Peyton Place by Grace Metalious (1956) 372 pages
Nominated by Bob: Terry, Sam

3. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2001) 487 pages
Nominated by EvenB: Cynda, Shaina, Dave,

4. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill (1983) 138 pages
Nominated by Nike: Chris, Floor,

5. Manhatten Transfer by John Dos Passos (1925) 342 pages
Nominated by Kimberly: Neer, Klowey, Terris,

6. The Quiet American by Graham Greene (1955) 180 pages
Nominated by Marilyn: Ruth, Sara, Wobbley

tied for 7th

Nightwood by Djuna Barnes (1936) 182 pages
Nominated by Darren: KeenReader,


The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig (1942) 455 pages
Nominated by J_Blueflower: Lynn,
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Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins (1984) 342 pages
Nominated by Sam:

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin (1953) 256 pages
Nominated by Wobbley:

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (1997) 337 pages.
Nominated by Spoko:

KeenReader wrote: "I second The World of Yesterday"

KeenReader you have seconded two books, but the rules say you may only second one book. If you like I can move your second from Nightwood to The World of Yesterday. As of now the original second should stand. Thanks for participating!!

I know people talk about the Mandela effect (in real life) but I have yet to actually remember any of the "famous" false memories that come up when this is discussed. It seems to happen to some people, but perhaps is not as widespread after all. In the book Winston does remember accurately, having the advantage of having seen the changes at his work. I think the people in the book are just so exhausted they tune out. It was probably easier for them to live in a world just accepting the false items. Perhaps this is how the Mandela Effect false memories happen.

I also think that in society the pressure to fit in causes people to jump on bandwagons. Perhaps as readers (who might go look things up) we wont' jump on false bandwagons. At least that is one of the premises for why we have schools for children and teach them to read.

Just a reminder there is time for you to second a book if you haven't done so yet.

Darren wrote: "I would never harm a book, but do occasionally mark favourite quotes with little mini post-its"

I have used post-its as well. I sometimes look in an book I read years ago to find a note card or piece of lined notepad that will have notes. One memorable thing I looked up last year (related to a book I was reading) was the known history of everyone who had controlled the area that is now Iraq. There have been multiple Empires that controlled that land over the last 5000 ish years. This research/note taking will sidetrack me sometimes.

For 20,000 Leagues under the sea, I located multiple reference websites on geography and ocean wildlife. I bookmarked those and would frequently refer to them while reading.

There are similarities with the movie Avatar, but in Avatar the blue body is never "awake" unless controlled by a human consciousness. We do not have this clear situation in "Call Me Joe".

Wobbley wrote: "I just finished this story. I enjoyed it. As others have mentioned, it's a very clear influence on the film Avatar.

My favourite part was not the interactions between Ed and Joe, but the conversat..."

Wobbley wrote "I kind of like that there is no single answer to the question "Is he still human?". The answer changes based on which definition of human you use. This seems appropriate for a thinking sci-fi story. "

I agree, there's no clear answer is there? One reason this story made me think of the question though is found in the opening of the story. We meet Ed Anglesey on the surface of Jupiter when he is Joe. Joe has worked hard all day but without the proper tools. Joe has built a ride home and found food, but he lies down to sleep thinking, "Give him a few years and he'd be living as a man should." There is the idea of recreating a human civilization on Jupiter. It should be like Earth, but with a different environment and suitable bodies to withstand the elements.

Earlier Annette mentioned Desertion by Clifford D. Simak where living as a man should is not thought of in the same way.

Oh fun fact. Did anyone notice that the Space Control Station circling Jupiter is called "Jupiter 5"? This is also the name of the Robinson's space ship in the 1960s show "Lost in Space". It was a deliberate tribute to the story "Call Me Joe".

Sara wrote: "The initial question you have put to us, Lynn, is what is it to be human? This story seems to conjecture that we are only our thoughts and feelings. Ed is able to transfer himself to Joe by transfe..."

Nice responses Sara. I often wondered if it was ethical for Ed to "take over" Joe's body. Was it a willing merger on Joe's part? Was Joe a sentient being that deserved autonomy? Did the human created body of Joe have a personality or a soul? I think that if there is a weak point in this story it is that Joe as a character is barely explored. Does Joe just stop to function when Ed is not controlling him?

When Anglesey returns to the control room he still has a sense of Joe's sleeping brain that is separate from his own consciousness.

There are other Science Fiction books/stories that toy with this idea of "body snatching". Examples might be The Host by Stephenie Meyer, a Young Adult series called The Animorphs The Invasion by K.A. Applegate, the short story Passengers by Robert Silverberg.