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I'm sure nobody will mind if we start this a day early

Nominations are now open until February 22nd for the April 2019 Open Pick.

Nominating guidelines:
- Fiction (original & translation, if applicable) first published between January 1, 2000 and April 1, 2018. For translations the latter date must be an English edition.
- One nomination per person (please do not nominate or vote for a book unless you are certain you can read and discuss if it wins)
- A book this group has not yet read (see group bookshelf)
- A book that is not better suited to the wild card (genre) category

If you are nominating, please begin your post by stating "I nominate [name with hyperlink to book]"

I will not be nominating anything this time round as I am already leading two discussions starting in March!

I nominate Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan

Thanks Linda

LindaJ^ wrote: "I nominate Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan"

I’m down for this read and won’t nominate. I’ve wanted to read HBB for a couple of years.

Carol wrote: "LindaJ^ wrote: "I nominate Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan"."

Does anyone know how long (page count?) this is. I don't find it on Amazon or Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ?

Lily wrote: "Carol wrote: "LindaJ^ wrote: "I nominate Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan"."

Does anyone know how long (page count?) this is. I don't find it on Amazon or Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ?"

It's here; around 350pp, depending on edition.

Lily wrote: "Does anyone know how long (page count?) this is. I don't find it on Amazon or Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ?"

I have it as approximately 96,000 words, which would normally be fewer than 300 pages, but might get formatted as longer.

LindaJ^'s original post, as well as subsequent others above, all have the hyperlink to the book here on GR. The Amazon link here on GR takes you to a weird version with no image, but it's on Amazon here:
(Kindle version is currently $3.99)

Still three more days to nominate - Linda's nomination is a strong one, but some competition might be nice...

One more day to go and still only one nomination! Any more out there??

I nominate Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.

I nominate People in the Room by Norah Lange

I nominate Dancer by Colum McCann

Navi wrote: "I nominate People in the Room by Norah Lange"

That looks like a great book, Navi (I've TBR'd it), but unfortunately it's original publication date of 1966 disqualifies it. Do you have any others you'd like to suggest?

Also, way to come through at the last minute, everyone!

Whitney wrote: "Navi wrote: "I nominate People in the Room by Norah Lange"

That looks like a great book, Navi (I've TBR'd it), but unfortunately it's original publication date of 1..."

Oh dear - so sorry!
What about The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne

Darn, I was going to vote for People in the Room--it's newly translated and on my shelf.

Navi wrote: "What about The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne"

An excellent choice! So excellent that it was voted our Open Pick for last April! (Discussion is available here: /topic/group...? ) group_id=59543

Any others you'd like to nominate?

Just to confirm where we are, these are the valid nominations so far:

Linda - Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
Jessica - Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Lark - Dancer by Colum McCann

Sorry about People in the Room, and thanks for bringing it to our attention - the 1966 version was so little known that it is arguably a new publication, but rules are rules...

Hello everyone! I would like to nominate Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss.

Peter wrote: "Hello everyone! I would like to nominate Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss."

Peter, sorry - I can't find an edition of that one that was published any earlier than 20 September 2018, so it will not be eligible for an open pick nomination until October under our one-year rule. Feel free to have another go...

Okay, I've got it now. Then I nominate The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar instead.

Peter wrote: "Okay, I've got it now. Then I nominate The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar instead."
Thanks - that one is fine

Whitney wrote: "Navi wrote: "What about The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne"

An excellent choice! So excellent that it was voted our Open Pick for last April! (Discussion is available here: ..."

Oh my goodness - I'm really embarrassing myself here haha! I searched for it on the group bookshelf but wasn't able to find it.

Wicked Weeds: A Zombie Novel by Pedro Cabiya. Third times a charm? :)
This was nominated for the Best Translated Book Award a few years ago - it's been on my radar ever since!

Navi wrote: "Whitney wrote: "Navi wrote: "What about The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne"

An excellent choice! So excellent that it was voted our Open Pick for last April! (Discussion is available here:..."

Thanks Navi - that one is fine.

I should add that this novella looks like it’s more literary than a genre pick but please let me know if it fits the criteria. I can post it in the wild card nominations if not!

If it doesn’t work, I’ll be voting for Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock. I’ve had that book on my TBR for some time now:)

Navi wrote: "Wicked Weeds: A Zombie Novel by Pedro Cabiya. Third times a charm? :) This was nominated for the Best Translated Book Award a few years ago - it's been on my radar ever since!:..."

I LOVED this little book! I think it is definitely genre - the zombie aspect is front and center to the story, but it tells the story in a literary way.

Nadine wrote: "I LOVED this little book! I think it is definitely genre - the zombie aspect is front and center to the story, but it tells the story in a literary way.."

Did you?? That's great! Did you read the entire longlist or shortlist?

Navi wrote: "Nadine wrote: "I LOVED this little book! I think it is definitely genre - the zombie aspect is front and center to the story, but it tells the story in a literary way.."

Did you?? That's great! Di..."

I didn't discover it through the awards lists, so no. I found it through a strong recommendation from someone (I wish I could remember who! ) in a GR group.

The poll is now up in the usual place. Can't do the link from the phone but will add it when I can

Thanks, Hugh. I'm at the computer now, so here's the link to the poll:
/poll/show/184628-what-will-be-our-april-2019-open-pick-remember-if-you-vote-for-a-bo

Jessica wrote: "I nominate Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward."

Just a question about this choice: Since this book is nominally the second in a series, I wanted to raise a possible concern about reading this before the first book, which is Salvage the Bones, and which I, for example, haven't read.

Jerry wrote: "Just a question about this choice: Since this book is nominally the second in a series, I wanted t..."

I have read Sing, Unburied, Sing and was unaware it was part of a series. I can't think of anything in the book that seemed to refer to an earlier work. It made sense to me as a stand-alone book (and it's great, too!)

Jerry wrote: "Jessica wrote: "I nominate Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward."

Just a question about this choice: Since this book is nominally the second in a series, I wanted t..."

Just a question about this choice: Since this book is nominally the second in a series, I wanted t..."

The series designation must be new, as it did not exist when I read this book. And interestingly, GR list the third in the series as a book written in before either of the two designated ##1 and 2. Sing, Unburied, Sing is definitely a standalone novel and a very good one.

LindaJ^ wrote: "The series designation must be new, as it did not exist when I read this book."

Yeah, I noticed that too. I believe the books are a "series" in the sense that they all take place in the same location, but that's it.

LindaJ^ wrote: "Jerry wrote: "Jessica wrote: "I nominate Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward."

Just a question about this choice: Since this book is nominally the second in a seri..."

I haven't read it, yet, but I got the idea they are similar to Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha books. I.e that they exist in the same world, inform and enrich each other, but aren't sequels or part of one continuous story so can be read individually without issue.

I have noticed before that some librarians like to make GR series out of loosely linked books, for example Sebastian Barry's McNulty family, and having read all of those they all work as self contained novels. Quite how David Mitchell's ubernovel concept fits is not clear, but very few people read his in order...

Thanks for adding the link Marc. Looks very close so far...

David wrote: "LindaJ^ wrote: "The series designation must be new, as it did not exist when I read this book."

Yeah, I noticed that too. I believe the books are a "series" in the sense that they all take place i..."

Yeah, I believe it's as David says, the link between the stories is the fictional town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi. This book definitely works as a standalone.

This poll is one of the closest I have seen - all five books are within 1 vote! Still plenty of time for voting (tactically or otherwise).

Hugh wrote: "This poll is one of the closest I have seen - all five books are within 1 vote! Still plenty of time for voting (tactically or otherwise)."

I wonder how the results would look under one of the alternate voting systems that were recently suggested....

:-)

You don't have to be coy, David--you can tell us all the books you're willing to read from this poll!
; )

Marc wrote: "You don't have to be coy, David--you can tell us all the books you're willing to read from this poll!
; )"

I already did on the poll page.

Still too close to call with a day to go - we could be heading for a run-off!

The poll was won by The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock. Peter, are you happy to lead the discussion? If so I am sure the moderators will give you whatever support you need.

Peter has not replied. Any volunteers to lead this one. I would but I don't yet have a copy...