A Winner at Last!

After two rounds of voting, it looks like we're all reading Persepolis. Go get your copy today!

Maybe next month we should consider these guaranteed book club hits suggests by the folks at NPR

Holiday Gift Giving Guide

In case you haven't figured out what you're getting me for Christmas, I'd like to suggest one of the following:

The Book of Intimate Grammar by David Grossman

Orlando by Virgina Woolf

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

I'm cutting the nominations off early to prevent a 6 way tie.

You may choose from:
	Intimate Grammar
	Orlando
	Potato Peel Pie
	Persepolis
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Cold Comfort Farm

I'll buy tea on Friday for the person who writes a nice review of Cold Comfort Farm.

Someone We Liked

I think Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" was pretty popular. Maybe when it comes out in paperback we'd like to consider his latest, "At Home". I've heard a review on NPR and read one in the Chronicle.

Such Choice

What do we think?

Japanese Satire or English?

I am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki

or

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons


Polls close Friday, 5pm

What do read, what to read....
	I am a Cat
	Cold Comfort Farm
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The Trial

I missed the discussion and most of the book. Somebody's going to write a new review, right? And post it here?

Whaddya Think?

The proposals for our next read have generated almost as much discussion as some of the books we've read. Polls close Monday at 5pm. Meeting in 6 weeks.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Trial by Kafka

I am a Cat by Natsume Soseki

Soul Made Flesh: The Discovery of the Brain and How it Changed the World by Carl Zimmer

Next up?
	Chronicle of a Death
	The Trial
	I am a Cat
	Soul Made Flesh
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Kafka on the Beach (or Shore)

Insert review here.

Barbara Kingsolver

Did you notice Barbara Kingsolver won the Orange Prize for Fiction this year?

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

I really liked parts of Everything is Illuminated. Other parts, well, I could have done with out. Jonathan Safran Foer has a new book out, Eating Animals. Judging by the trailer, I could do without it as well. The clip just won a Moby award for worst trailer. It's sure no Pride and Prejudice and Sea Monsters!

But can we do better this time?

Here are the suggestions for our next read. Vote once! And do it by Friday, 5pm.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf by Edward Albee

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

A really good book would be:
	Kafka
	Virginia
	Unit
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It's Shocking

Absolutely unbelievable! How could I have forgotten to add Arrowsmith to our list of universally hated book club choices? Somehow, I'm sure it was a vast right wing conspiracy. Vote early, vote often:

Most Hated Book Ever
	Driving Mr. Albert by Michael Paterniti
	Birds of America by Lorrie Moore
	American Gods by Neil Gaiman
	Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
	Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis
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The Pickwick Papers

Well, I suppose I could write a review of Dickens' "The Pickwick Papers". I think though, that a review of our discussion would be more instructive. We're going to have a vote for worst book club choice ever. Vote as often as you wish.

What's the most hated book ever?
	Birds of America by Lorrie Moore
	American Gods by Neil Gaiman
	Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
	Driving Mr. Albert by Michael Paterniti
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The Hand Trailer (1981)

Who is Michael Caine??? Surely you remember him in "The Hand", an early masterpiece of Oliver Stone! I think he's been in a few other movies too. One hundred and forty was it, Holly?

Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Remeber Shadow of the Wind? Zafon's got a new book out, The Angel's Game.

Sounds kind of familiar. Check out the reviews.

There's No Stopping Them!

A trailer? For a prequel? To a rip-off? Of a classic? When can we expect the IMAX 3D version starting Woody Harrelson? Will he utter the immortal line, "They may be dead dammit...."

Required reading for TC types!

Ever wonder where those HeLa cells came from? I just picked up a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It sounds like quite a story. If you've finished Pickwick Papers, I'll happily lend you my copy.

Check out the NPR interview with the author, Rebecca Skloot.

Important Book News

The countdown is on. "Get ready for the most exciting 61 hours of your life", says Barnes and Noble. Today, you can pre-order the new Jack Reacher novel "61 Hours". Got any plane travel coming up? Stuck in Israel? You're going to need a copy.

The Chronicle is running a poll for best local bookstore. Go here to vote for your favourites. Give your local independent a plug!

Anybody done Pickwick Papers yet?

Margaret Atwood Wins Dan David Prize

I've never heard of it, but it's worth $1M. Maybe our absentee Israeli can provide a few details.

Check out the announcement.

Three book suggestions. Think we'll have a 3 way tie?

Independent People by Halldor Laxness

The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens

84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff


Voting closes Wednesday, 5pm. Then we'll see you April 28.

Which one will we ALL read?
	Independent People
	Pickwick Papers
	Charing Cross
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It'll only take 5 minutes

That's all it takes when only 3 people show up and one of them hasn't even read the book. Of the two remaining, 1 was not impressed and the other is constitutionally required to be a fan.

Indie Bookstores

Check out IndieBound, a website for independent bookstores. Looking at their map, there are quite a few close to the lab.

Austen Alert!

Yup. All Austen, all the time.

Masterpiece Theatre is showing Northanger Abbey again tonight. You can catch it on KQED at 9pm.

And it's not too late to watch Emma on line. It plays till March 9.

Important Movie Update

I know we're all on tenterhooks, waiting for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. In the meantime, I guess we'll have to make due with the faux trailers.

While the Keira Knightley version has its merits the other version has Colin Firth !

Or maybe you can get your Austen fix watching the newest Emma from Masterpiece Theater.

Let's plan on 4 weeks.

That'd make February 27th for your choice of:

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

February's Book
	Dragon Tattoo
	Strange Land
	Blind Assassin
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Polls close Friday, 5pm.

Neil Gaiman

There's an interesting story on Neil Gaiman in the latest New Yorker. Those of you (Susy) who finished American Gods may want to check it out:

Neil Gaiman's fantasies

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

The minutes of our meeting, discussing "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies":

Q: Did you like it?
A: It was fun. I really like that the Aunt got her butt kicked.

Q: Did you hear there'll be a movie? Do you think it'll be better than "Pride and Predator"?
A: Guys'll watch Zombies. It'll be a good date movie. Predator will suck.

Q: Seen the new ipad?
A: Awesome! The name sucks.

Q: How about Avatar?
A: Awesome! The plot sucks.

Q: And Inglourious Basterds?
A: Awesome. But the ending sucks.
Q: Are you crazy?
A: Hey! There's Ryan!