RCBC: Community Room: Discussing Future Book Nominations

[niki]

Ya know that is a very good idea. Why don't we knock that approach around a bit. You are talking about focusing on one genre a month to narrow the scope of nominations.

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momgee wrote:

How does everyone feel about narrowing down the genre at least, before the nominations begin? or would that be just too much more rhetoric? Like you, Vivian, I am always up for a thriller.

kaye

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vivico1 wrote:

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Well, bear in mind, what we are talking about is just waiting for B&Ns July selections for Aug, and they do those about the 10-13 of the month. So if we put off till the 14th and nominate and vote that whole week, since we are going to be starting these mid month, that still gives everyone a full month ahead to get it or read it all if they want. One month ahead is enough time to even order one and get it and read it. Two months ahead and if you get it and read it, then we will have read July's clubs too and some like me,lol, may have to go back and reread it all over again. Also, if there are those who want to get it from the library, then two months out is too far. When we see whats offered for Aug by B&N, then say, they have a great thriller offered and I really want to do a thriller, well I can do that one and if maybe you dont like thrillers, I will be more willing to do a light book, or historical fiction or something you wanted to do and vote that way and visa versa.

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[niki]

Even though the official list of the next month's book has not come out, there are a lot of clubs that know what future books they are doing and some that never make the list. You have to be an active member to know. Sometimes they are in the planning stage and are just not finalized yet and that holds up the "official" announcement.

Why don't we share the ones we know about with members of the group in this thread header?

[niki]

They have a very interesting August and September plans over in Mystery. It isn't final yet but looks like it is pretty much of a go. Here is what the moderator posted:
--------------------------------

This summer Masterpiece Theater will be airing a new series featuring Elizabeth George's wonderful detective, Inspector Thomas Lynley. It will start on August 10 and run for six weeks. They want to partner with the Mystery Board (that means US), with Elizabeth George and the executive producer of the series, Rebecca Eaton, visiting on specific dates during those two months.
--------------------------------

You will have to hunt for the thread. It is under the header: Really REALLY big news! but above the line. Elizabeth George wrote some 15 books in this series and oddly few people have read the last two. I gather something big happened in #13 and readers don't want to go on. They don't know what books they will focus on yet in those two months. Virtually all of them have already been done as part of the previous BBC series, so I have no idea what they could be using in the new series. I haven't read any. But I intend to join in.

[vivico1]

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niki wrote:
Ya know that is a very good idea. Why don't we knock that approach around a bit. You are talking about focusing on one genre a month to narrow the scope of nominations.

---

momgee wrote:

How does everyone feel about narrowing down the genre at least, before the nominations begin? or would that be just too much more rhetoric? Like you, Vivian, I am always up for a thriller.

kaye

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vivico1 wrote:

---

Well, bear in mind, what we are talking about is just waiting for B&Ns July selections for Aug, and they do those about the 10-13 of the month. So if we put off till the 14th and nominate and vote that whole week, since we are going to be starting these mid month, that still gives everyone a full month ahead to get it or read it all if they want. One month ahead is enough time to even order one and get it and read it. Two months ahead and if you get it and read it, then we will have read July's clubs too and some like me,lol, may have to go back and reread it all over again. Also, if there are those who want to get it from the library, then two months out is too far. When we see whats offered for Aug by B&N, then say, they have a great thriller offered and I really want to do a thriller, well I can do that one and if maybe you dont like thrillers, I will be more willing to do a light book, or historical fiction or something you wanted to do and vote that way and visa versa.

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Altho I would still prefer to get through July's book and see August's offerings before saying one or the other of anything, because as I said, there may be one genre offered in Aug that would make me more willing to go with another someone wanted in here in August, I guess thats not going to happen. Soooo, I am with momgee, if we are going to narrow down genres now too, I vote for a thriller, and thats a thriller, a good suspense thriller,like a Harlan Coben book or a Patricia Cromwell book, not a mystery book from the other clubs mentioned. Now, since Niki seems to be our new leader and heading this all up, thats my vote and before the 10th ok? You are pretty gungho on doing something about August right now and having it "out of the way", so I also vote Niki for our club leader for August, whatever the book.

Also, I know this won't count for anything but let me at least mention this. If we pick a genre, some people may not like that genre and feel there is nothing there to vote for at all that is of interest to them. If we vote for a book instead. It can be any genre and more people will have more choices and thriller could still win, or maybe it will be something else but it will be the book with the most interest. I am willing to try a lot of different thing and these clubs have allowed me to do that. I was not a fiction reader before this year and I stay away from genre threads mostly because I want to try a lot of different things. I have just become a suspense thriller fan but at the same time, when B&N offers several different books, I have read things I wouldn't normally, just because it was something I didnt know and they talked about it and pointed me towards checking it out and also I have some friends in here that many books we could agree to try together. Thats something i really like about the way the B&N bookclub is sent up, lots of different books and types to choice from. In my opinion, thats all I got, if we say a genre, we become what the other threads in here already are and limit the book options to actually vote on and some will just walk away from a month where there isnt even a shot to suggest or offer a book they are interested in because its a decided genre.

[leakybucket]

Also, how do you guys think I found you? Wrighty told me about it and I clicked on her name to see where and go right to this and then floated it myself, because your discussion of doing this was somewhere buried in the pages as you say, but here I am because she mentioned it and I clicked on her thread to it and then put it at the top. Thats what we have to do. Hey we have been in clubs with no more than 5 people even with mods and they were good. Whether this works or not is really up to the participants.

Vivian
~Those who do not read are no better off than those who can not.~ Chinese proverb

========

I think for awhile we will have to spread the word about these groups and their discussions ourselves. I always feel a bit guilty about mentioning one group in another group but then it is all one group. But I have also found good discussions by following what other people have mentioned. I think it makes for a better discussion climate all around.

[leakybucket]

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Oldesq wrote:

I hope we can find some resolution between getting the titles chosen early enough so that people can order the books and get a start on reading (discussion really doesn't work if people don't have the book yet) and the desire to not choose too early so people can plan their reading schedules accordingly. I do think if we have to choose between these extremes that we should lean toward an early selection process. IMHO an early selection process might foster greater participation by newbies- an attractive prospect if we want to revitalize the discussions.

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I know what you mean. I was thinking of joining your "My Early Life" discussion at the beginning of the month but my local Barnes & Noble didn't have it. I would have to order the book online. Now there is no time.

[leakybucket]

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debbook wrote:.

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I think Nadine's idea of having a stop date for nominations at the end of the month and then voting a couple of weeks into the month is a good one. it gives everyone a chance to review the selections before voting. Maybe nominations could end the first week of the month and then vote the second week before discussions start mid-month on the previously chosen book. That gives everyone enough time to decide and vote and have a month before discussions to get and read the next book. That also gives a chance to people that have been discussing a book on other boards at the beginning of the month to join in our discussions.

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This looks reasonable to me.

[leakybucket]

This might make the club too ridged. It is actually quite hard to make nominations when you are trying to find books everyone (or most people) will like, haven't read and are mainly recent but not too new.

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momgee wrote:

How does everyone feel about narrowing down the genre at least, before the nominations begin? or would that be just too much more rhetoric? Like you, Vivian, I am always up for a thriller.

kaye

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vivico1 wrote:

---

Well, bear in mind, what we are talking about is just waiting for B&Ns July selections for Aug, and they do those about the 10-13 of the month. So if we put off till the 14th and nominate and vote that whole week, since we are going to be starting these mid month, that still gives everyone a full month ahead to get it or read it all if they want. One month ahead is enough time to even order one and get it and read it. Two months ahead and if you get it and read it, then we will have read July's clubs too and some like me,lol, may have to go back and reread it all over again. Also, if there are those who want to get it from the library, then two months out is too far. When we see whats offered for Aug by B&N, then say, they have a great thriller offered and I really want to do a thriller, well I can do that one and if maybe you dont like thrillers, I will be more willing to do a light book, or historical fiction or something you wanted to do and vote that way and visa versa.

---

[leakybucket]

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niki wrote:
They have a very interesting August and September plans over in Mystery. It isn't final yet but looks like it is pretty much of a go. Here is what the moderator posted:
--------------------------------

This summer Masterpiece Theater will be airing a new series featuring Elizabeth George's wonderful detective, Inspector Thomas Lynley. It will start on August 10 and run for six weeks. They want to partner with the Mystery Board (that means US), with Elizabeth George and the executive producer of the series, Rebecca Eaton, visiting on specific dates during those two months.
--------------------------------

You will have to hunt for the thread. It is under the header: Really REALLY big news! but above the line. Elizabeth George wrote some 15 books in this series and oddly few people have read the last two. I gather something big happened in #13 and readers don't want to go on. They don't know what books they will focus on yet in those two months. Virtually all of them have already been done as part of the previous BBC series, so I have no idea what they could be using in the new series. I haven't read any. But I intend to join in.

---

Thanks for the tip. I might drop over and see what they are doing.

[leakybucket]

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vivico1 wrote:

Altho I would still prefer to get through July's book and see August's offerings before saying one or the other of anything, because as I said, there may be one genre offered in Aug that would make me more willing to go with another someone wanted in here in August, I guess thats not going to happen. Soooo, I am with momgee, if we are going to narrow down genres now too, I vote for a thriller, and thats a thriller, a good suspense thriller,like a Harlan Coben book or a Patricia Cromwell book, not a mystery book from the other clubs mentioned. Now, since Niki seems to be our new leader and heading this all up, thats my vote and before the 10th ok? You are pretty gungho on doing something about August right now and having it "out of the way", so I also vote Niki for our club leader for August, whatever the book.

Also, I know this won't count for anything but let me at least mention this. If we pick a genre, some people may not like that genre and feel there is nothing there to vote for at all that is of interest to them. If we vote for a book instead. It can be any genre and more people will have more choices and thriller could still win, or maybe it will be something else but it will be the book with the most interest. I am willing to try a lot of different thing and these clubs have allowed me to do that. I was not a fiction reader before this year and I stay away from genre threads mostly because I want to try a lot of different things. I have just become a suspense thriller fan but at the same time, when B&N offers several different books, I have read things I wouldn't normally, just because it was something I didnt know and they talked about it and pointed me towards checking it out and also I have some friends in here that many books we could agree to try together. Thats something i really like about the way the B&N bookclub is sent up, lots of different books and types to choice from. In my opinion, thats all I got, if we say a genre, we become what the other threads in here already are and limit the book options to actually vote on and some will just walk away from a month where there isnt even a shot to suggest or offer a book they are interested in because its a decided genre.

---

I agree the genre might be too narrow.

I didn't know this:

'You are pretty gungho on doing something about August right now and having it "out of the way"'

I thought we were waiting until the B&N announcements were posted and then starting nominations. Right now we were just knocking around ideas.

You are much too modest vivico1! Maybe you should volunteer to be moderator. You seem to have a lot of good ideas.

But I didn't know we had to nominate and vote for moderators as well. I thought they were just volunteers who were going to initiate the discussion. Now we will have to set dates for nominating moderators and then have cut-ff and votes as well!

[vivico1]

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leakybucket wrote:
This might make the club too ridged. It is actually quite hard to make nominations when you are trying to find books everyone (or most people) will like, haven't read and are mainly recent but not too new.

---

momgee wrote:

How does everyone feel about narrowing down the genre at least, before the nominations begin? or would that be just too much more rhetoric? Like you, Vivian, I am always up for a thriller.

kaye

---

vivico1 wrote:

---

Well, bear in mind, what we are talking about is just waiting for B&Ns July selections for Aug, and they do those about the 10-13 of the month. So if we put off till the 14th and nominate and vote that whole week, since we are going to be starting these mid month, that still gives everyone a full month ahead to get it or read it all if they want. One month ahead is enough time to even order one and get it and read it. Two months ahead and if you get it and read it, then we will have read July's clubs too and some like me,lol, may have to go back and reread it all over again. Also, if there are those who want to get it from the library, then two months out is too far. When we see whats offered for Aug by B&N, then say, they have a great thriller offered and I really want to do a thriller, well I can do that one and if maybe you dont like thrillers, I will be more willing to do a light book, or historical fiction or something you wanted to do and vote that way and visa versa.

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Too rigid? This is basically what debBook said Nadine had suggested but suggesting the first week, and voting the second week, which IS the week I said here to vote. The only difference is saying, suggest one week, vote the next and I am fine with that because we are not doing all that now like I said and we are still voting the second week, which I said, which is one full month ahead, which I said, which is plenty of time. I just don't want the vote until B&N posts their selection, so this is saying basically the same thing. How is that being rigid? Also, you dont have to try to find a book for everyone or that they may not have read, find one YOU like the sound of, that you would like to read, one or two and suggest them and we can decide if we want it too. Thats what the voting is for, dont worry about that part, just suggest what you are interested in. No rigidity there at all.

Message Edited by vivico1 on 06-26-2008 11:24 AM

[vivico1]

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leakybucket wrote:



I agree the genre might be too narrow.

I didn't know this:

'You are pretty gungho on doing something about August right now and having it "out of the way"'

I thought we were waiting until the B&N announcements were posted and then starting nominations. Right now we were just knocking around ideas.

You are much too modest vivico1! Maybe you should volunteer to be moderator. You seem to have a lot of good ideas.

But I didn't know we had to nominate and vote for moderators as well. I thought they were just volunteers who were going to initiate the discussion. Now we will have to set dates for nominating moderators and then have cut-ff and votes as well!

---

I give up. I am out of here. Good luck on the club and good reading.

Message Edited by vivico1 on 06-26-2008 11:38 AM

[leakybucket]

leakybucket wrote:
This might make the club too ridged. It is actually quite hard to make nominations when you are trying to find books everyone (or most people) will like, haven't read and are mainly recent but not too new.


momgee wrote:
How does everyone feel about narrowing down the genre at least, before the nominations begin? or would that be just too much more rhetoric? Like you, Vivian, I am always up for a thriller.
kaye

=============================

I guess things get misconstrued when the threads are stacked. I was responding to momgee's suggestion on narrowing things down to genre.

Sorry vivco1. I was not commenting on your posting. If I knew more about html I would prune these things but all I know how to do except hit the "Quote Post" button or copy and past!

======================
Too rigid? This is basically what debBook said Nadine had suggested but suggesting the first week, and voting the second week, which IS the week I said here to vote. The only difference is saying, suggest one week, vote the next and I am fine with that because we are not doing all that now like I said and we are still voting the second week, which I said, which is one full month ahead, which I said, which is plenty of time. I just don't want the vote until B&N posts their selection, so this is saying basically the same thing. How is that being rigid? Also, you dont have to try to find a book for everyone or that they may not have read, find one YOU like the sound of, that you would like to read, one or two and suggest them and we can decide if we want it too. Thats what the voting is for, dont worry about that part, just suggest what you are interested in. No rigidity there at all.

Message Edited by vivico1 on 06-26-2008 11:24 AM


Vivian
~Those who do not read are no better off than those who can not.~ Chinese proverb

[Everyman]

By being in this section, we've already narrowed it down to fiction. That already knocks out the majority of books published (eliminates all nonfiction, drama, poetry, essays, etc.) There are separate areas on BN for romantic reads, mystery, crime, fantasy and science fiction, and paranormal, so presumably we should leave those genres to those groups. Do we need to narrow it down further?

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momgee wrote:

How does everyone feel about narrowing down the genre at least, before the nominations begin? or would that be just too much more rhetoric? Like you, Vivian, I am always up for a thriller.

kaye

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vivico1 wrote:

---

Well, bear in mind, what we are talking about is just waiting for B&Ns July selections for Aug, and they do those about the 10-13 of the month. So if we put off till the 14th and nominate and vote that whole week, since we are going to be starting these mid month, that still gives everyone a full month ahead to get it or read it all if they want. One month ahead is enough time to even order one and get it and read it. Two months ahead and if you get it and read it, then we will have read July's clubs too and some like me,lol, may have to go back and reread it all over again. Also, if there are those who want to get it from the library, then two months out is too far. When we see whats offered for Aug by B&N, then say, they have a great thriller offered and I really want to do a thriller, well I can do that one and if maybe you dont like thrillers, I will be more willing to do a light book, or historical fiction or something you wanted to do and vote that way and visa versa.

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[Wrighty]

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vivico1 wrote:

---

leakybucket wrote:



I agree the genre might be too narrow.

I didn't know this:

'You are pretty gungho on doing something about August right now and having it "out of the way"'

I thought we were waiting until the B&N announcements were posted and then starting nominations. Right now we were just knocking around ideas.

You are much too modest vivico1! Maybe you should volunteer to be moderator. You seem to have a lot of good ideas.

But I didn't know we had to nominate and vote for moderators as well. I thought they were just volunteers who were going to initiate the discussion. Now we will have to set dates for nominating moderators and then have cut-ff and votes as well!

---

I give up. I am out of here. Good luck on the club and good reading.

Message Edited by vivico1 on 06-26-2008 11:38 AM

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Viv,

Leakybucket was agreeing with you. She was saying that she thought narrowing this down to one genre was too rigid, not you. She also thought it was too soon to make nominations and she was giving you a compliment about having good ideas and volunteering for moderator.

(Leakybucket, I'm not trying to speak for you I'm just trying to explain what you said. If I have it wrong please feel free to correct me.)

[momgee]

Obviously we don't. I didn't mean to start such a brouhaha. Let's forget I ever posted the foolish suggestion in the first place. Once again, my apologies.

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Everyman wrote:
By being in this section, we've already narrowed it down to fiction. That already knocks out the majority of books published (eliminates all nonfiction, drama, poetry, essays, etc.) There are separate areas on BN for romantic reads, mystery, crime, fantasy and science fiction, and paranormal, so presumably we should leave those genres to those groups. Do we need to narrow it down further?

---

momgee wrote:

How does everyone feel about narrowing down the genre at least, before the nominations begin? or would that be just too much more rhetoric? Like you, Vivian, I am always up for a thriller.

kaye

---

vivico1 wrote:

---

Well, bear in mind, what we are talking about is just waiting for B&Ns July selections for Aug, and they do those about the 10-13 of the month. So if we put off till the 14th and nominate and vote that whole week, since we are going to be starting these mid month, that still gives everyone a full month ahead to get it or read it all if they want. One month ahead is enough time to even order one and get it and read it. Two months ahead and if you get it and read it, then we will have read July's clubs too and some like me,lol, may have to go back and reread it all over again. Also, if there are those who want to get it from the library, then two months out is too far. When we see whats offered for Aug by B&N, then say, they have a great thriller offered and I really want to do a thriller, well I can do that one and if maybe you dont like thrillers, I will be more willing to do a light book, or historical fiction or something you wanted to do and vote that way and visa versa.

---

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[Wrighty]

Although I think narrowing down the genre is a good idea, I don't think it will work here. We can nominate any book from any genre we want but I would think if we use only one than we are restricting ourselves. It seems that the initial attraction to this club is that we get to pick what we want. That's what makes it different. We are all eager to make this work and we are still in the planning stages so it's great that people are coming up with so many different options. My opinion is that we don't get too far ahead of ourselves just yet until we see how the first club goes. That doesn't mean we can't keep tossing around ideas. That's exactly what we should be doing now. We should probably hold off on too many decisions though. I'm all for knowing as far ahead of time as possible what will be happening in any club here. Sometimes the main selections are listed so late that I can't get them in time to do that club.

 We do have our first book and start date chosen. B&N has stated that they are making a few changes soon. I suggest that we wait to see what they announce for the August clubs. We don't want to have any conflict, especially since many of us participate in more than one club. It would be such a pain if we went through all of the motions and started preparing for the second club and than found out that B&N was offering the same book. Hopefully this will be a great success and we can modify as we go along. These are just my opinions but I don't think we should make it too complicated when we are just getting started. 

[debbook]

I would be willing to put together the list of nominated books for August and then start the thread for voting once the BN  official book club list is out. People can nominate now and if a book is being done with another group, then it just would not be on our list of choices. I'm not sure if I'd be any good as a moderator as I am fairly new to the boards but I would be wiling to give that a try if no one else wants to. So people should put in their nominations and then we will wait to vote once the other club lists are out. What do people think about this? Also, maybe once the book is chosen, someone might decide that that is a book they would like to moderate.

[niki]

momgee wrote:
Obviously we don't. I didn't mean to start such a brouhaha. Let's forget I ever posted the foolish suggestion in the first place. Once again, my apologies.
--------------------------------------

Oh, no! Don't feel bad. This is a discussion. I agreed with you and I think it was a worthwhile idea to at least open it to discussion. Now I've heard what other people had to say and their reasons make sense. But we don't want people afraid of making suggestions or we won't get any good ideas. We are inventing this as we go along. Everyone in this group seems very nice. So keep the ideas coming -- please.

[BarbaraN]

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debbook wrote:

I would be willing to put together the list of nominated books for August and then start the thread for voting once the BN official book club list is out. People can nominate now and if a book is being done with another group, then it just would not be on our list of choices. I'm not sure if I'd be any good as a moderator as I am fairly new to the boards but I would be wiling to give that a try if no one else wants to. So people should put in their nominations and then we will wait to vote once the other club lists are out. What do people think about this? Also, maybe once the book is chosen, someone might decide that that is a book they would like to moderate.

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First I think debbook you would make a good initiator and you don't need to moderate.

No one has to moderate this group. It is full of self-starters and leaders! More than any I have seen on any single board. The housekeeping "initiator" idea is more than adequate to keep the group going.

I can draw on my experience from the Tolkien Group. I may look like the moderator there but I am only an initiator. I volunteered to post the weekly chapters for the "read alongs" and that is all I do -- once a week I post the next three or four chapters. I haven't even participated in any of the group discussions in months! The group has no moderator. In fact it has a whole different group of participants than it had when it started. People can start a thread on anything they want to -- and they do. They just keep going just like the Engergizer Bunny". They have had well over 2,000 posts since they started and most of these are for one book. They have been reading Lord of the Rings for almost six months now!

Anyone can start a thread here just like we do. There are no restrictions like you had when you tried to have a discussion on one thread in the Community Room. If people have something to add to the thread it stays on the top and gets very long. (They managed to pack 144 posts into the thread on "Religion in Tolkien's Works" -- and there is none!) If someone posts something and no one is interested -- it quickly falls to the bottom and is forgotten. The "moderator" is anyone who starts a thread and that is anyone in the group who cares to. Just remember to put your "tag" at the beginning of the thread so people can spot it from the general fiction discussions. If you get too active and overwhelm the regular Fiction board (like we did when we were part of the Science Fiction & Fantasy board) they will probably give you your own board (like they did for us). If you have a good book, everyone will have something to say. If not -- well so what. This won't be the first group to have a bad month.

Don't worry about it. Everything is in place. You have some good ground rules. Have a good time!