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November's themes require no nominations. The lists are compiled from the previous 12 months' nominations that either came closest to winning or lost the biggest in the polls. One difference this time around: we'll have a poll for Close Calls, but for Big Losers, we're going with a "Mod's Choice" theme. The Moderators discussed what book was the all-time biggest loser. That turns out to be Starplex by Robert J. Sawyer, which has been nominated 7 times without winning. So Starplex will be the Big Loser for November.

Here's the poll for Close Calls:
/poll/show/3...

The poll for Close Calls is up! Here's the link:
/poll/show/3...

Big Loser book will be Starplex by Robert J. Sawyer

Looks like the poll is pretty much settled, so I've moved up the end to tonight, allowing today for any last minute votes. Winners look to be:

Close Calls: Anathem by Neal Stephenson

Big Losers: Starplex by Robert J. Sawyer

At this rate we won't have any extremely long books left to pick by next August!

I've heard very good things about Anathem, but I don't know if I have a 1000 page book in me this fall.

Im a bit confused on one point... As far as I can remember, Hugo & Nebula awards were for best novel of the previous year only, so how can a novel have been nominated seven times?

Seven times nominated by our group members as a book we want to read together, not in the actual Hugo process itself. Does that clarify?

Kalin wrote: "I've heard very good things about Anathem, but I don't know if I have a 1000 page book in me this fall."

It is good (I've read it twice already, last time this year) but it isn't easy to get into, for the setting is massive... to some extent in scale, it is like KSR's Mars trilogy.

Anathem is indeed long, featuring interesting and accessible philosophical discussion and a story that opens up into something new and different several times. Very good book imo.

Kalin wrote: "I've heard very good things about Anathem, but I don't know if I have a 1000 page book in me this fall."

We still have Dhalgren, so that's something.

It's been an unusual year. I've tackled quite a few books of 600+ pages. Not since pre-2018, when I was reading GoT, Jordan & The Night's Dawn trilogy, have I done that.

I pulled out my copy of Starplex, as I'll be ready to start it in a few days, and discovered it's an unread first edition. Shiny cover, unblemished, crisp pages. I'm almost reluctant to crack it open.

Neat! Mine's an old mm pb so I'm all set. :)

Started on Starplex last night, just got through the introduction, but it's interesting so far.