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My quandry -- how to lobby for a few more votes for The Flamethrowers? How about the possibility that it will win the 2013 National Book Award for fiction, to be announced Nov. 20? How about, despite the Italian subtheme, it's basically about New York City in the 1970's and what happens to a small town girl from Nevada who moves there? How about all the interesting historical tidbits to be learned, such as the history of the film term of art "China girls?"

And, please don't make me try to finish The Children's Book? I promise I will some day but just not now!

Linda wrote: "My quandry -- how to lobby for a few more votes for The Flamethrowers? How about the possibility that it will win the 2013 National Book Award for fiction, to be announced Nov. 20? How about, des..."

Linda, I do not know whether my nomination wins eventually in two days, but I also think it is not right that The Flamethrowers come second and very close. I have been toying with the idea of a buddy read if there are other people who are willing to join and the mods will not be against this idea. I believe this book deserves to be read after two very noble attempts. Buddy read or side read, anybody, if it does not come first in the poll?

If not this month perhaps next

It is very frustrating to see a book come in second by only a couple of votes two months in a row. This has happened with other books, such as "Life After Life," which was nominated several times before it rose to the top. As Deborah says, if not this month perhaps next.

I'm looking forward to it as a group read.

I'm just lobbying for my candidate! If it's like some recent presidential primaries, by the time the candidate I lobbied for becomes the selection, its time may have passed for me!

We do need a more effective way for people to lobby once the poll is up. This is one disadvantage to closing the nomination thread when the poll goes up. But if we did not do that, people would keep trying to nominate.

Linda wrote: "My quandry -- how to lobby for a few more votes for The Flamethrowers? How about the possibility that it will win the 2013 National Book Award for fiction, to be announced Nov. 20? How about, des..."

Maybe we should contact the people who voted for the not-so-popular books and ask for their votes. Since Po! and Hunger Angel can't win anyway ... :)

I loved Rachel Kushner's book about Cuba, and am not a big Byatt fan. Crossing my fingers!

Casceil wrote: "We do need a more effective way for people to lobby once the poll is up. This is one disadvantage to closing the nomination thread when the poll goes up. But if we did not do that, people would k..."

Good point. The only reason I see messages from the poll comments is because they show up as status updates from my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends. I'm sure there are many who won't have that advantage. Perhaps next month we can consider opening a separate thread specific to lobbying for the open poll.

We can do that.

I didn't get my vote in on time, but I would have voted for The Children's Book. I'm just finishing it now--it's wonderful, but also historical. There is a lot to this book concerning Fabian philosophy, art, and the stirrings of Modernism in England. A very worthwhile read.