<p>1) the Stockholm Octavo
2) the fever tree
3) behind the scenes of the. Museum</p>
<p>After Ignatius’s link to Ny times article about Zeitoun- it’s off my radar screen.</p>
<p>Not to be a contrarian, but reading about the book Zeitoun made me so curious about it that I checked it out of the library and started reading it. I am about a third of the way in (it’s fairly short). I think its examination of things that happened after Katrina is quite interesting and worthwhile, even if the real guy Zeitoun doesn’t seem to be such a good guy any more.</p>
<p>I also put a request in for Americanah at the library. It seems unlikely to be chosen by the book club, but I plan to read it anyway and would willing to report on it.</p>
<p>^^^ I’m not sure he was a good guy at the time as Ms. Zeitoun testified in court that the abuse started at the beginning of their marriage and continued till the storm and afterward.</p>
<p>Right now I am reaching back to childhood and reading Agatha Christie. Anyone else love Hercules Poirot?</p>
<p>Happy with any of the choices…I gravitate towards mystery/fantasy but like being pushed out of my comfort zone. My picks would be:
- Life After Life
- The Golem and The Jinni
- The Stockholm Octavo</p>
<p>Looking forward to seeing what the egwugwu decides!</p>
<p>Haha psychmom, the egwugwu! :D</p>
<p>NJTheatreMOM, we have Zeitoun on our bookshelves at home and I plan to read it, too. There are many books that we consider, but do not choose, that turn out to be great reading for me during our “off” months.</p>
<p>I did mean to add The Light Between Oceans. (1,489 five-star reviews on Amazon and only 34 one-star reviews. That’s a very good ratio.) Does that change anybody’s vote? If so, please re-list. Eight possibilities:</p>
<p>Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann
Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker
The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman</p>
<p>Mary13 do you care to list your top three?</p>
<p>Mary: No changes for me.</p>
<ol>
<li> The Stockholm Octavo</li>
<li> The Golem and the Jinni</li>
<li> A Light Between Oceans</li>
</ol>
<p>I’ll keep The Fever Tree as my plus one.</p>
<p>I’m least interested in Zeitoun. </p>
<p>Mary: I have trust in your final decision and will read whatever gets the nod. (And as SJCM posted: list your top three. We are curious.)</p>
<p>NJTM: Please do let us know whether or not you like Americanah. (I want to finish The African Trilogy but haven’t found time to start Arrow of God. Maybe after that, I’ll pick up Americanah.)</p>
<p>psychmom: I recently read Murder on the Orient Express and thoroughly enjoyed it. I also read some Miss Marple short stories.</p>
<p>Like most of the rest of you, I would read any of the choices. I’m as far as narrowing it down to five, but after that I’m stuck. In no particular order:</p>
<p>The Light Between Oceans
The Fever Tree
Life After Life or Behind the Scenes at the Museum
The Stockholm Octavo</p>
<p>Under normal circumstances, The Stockholm Octavo probably wouldn’t have made my final cut, but every time this group discusses the next selection, the darn thing keeps turning up like a bad penny, so maybe it’s time to pick it up. :)</p>
<p>FYI, if there are any Kindle users who plan to read The Light Between Oceans no matter what, the kindle edition is only $4.99 – I don’t know if that’s a special or the regular price. (Compare to Americanah, which is $13.99. Kindle prices make me a little crazy sometimes. Fortunately, my library has a good e-book collection.)</p>
<p>The Stockholm Octavo seems to be on everybody’s preferred list but mine. I certainly have no objection to it, although a couple of the other books sound more appealing.</p>
<p>^ Although The Stockholm Octavo is on most lists above, I’m not quite ready to call it a winner because there are several regulars we haven’t heard from yet (sylvan 8798, PlantMom, PATheaterMom, buenavista, etc.)</p>
<p>To make ranking easier for those who have not yet voted, I am cutting the master list in half to reflect a choice from everybody’s lists above. In other words, every one of you who has already voted will see at least one of your choices among these four finalists:</p>
<ol>
<li> Behind the Scenes at the Museum</li>
<li> The Stockholm Octavo</li>
<li> The Golem and the Jinni</li>
<li> The Fever Tree</li>
</ol>
<p>Those who have not yet voted can rank their top three out of four above. Those who have already voted can either re-rank as the spirit moves them, or let their initial list stand and I’ll figure it out. In any case, I’ll make sure we have a choice by this time tomorrow, so that we can all start reading!</p>
<p>I don’t have a preference, being still too overwhelmed to stick my head out from under the ironing pile. I would like to know if anyone here has actually read *The Stockholm Octavo<a href=“I%20don’t%20remember%20who%20nominated%20it”>/I</a>. I would prefer not to wade into a total unknown. Is this a book that someone is recommending from personal experience? If so, then I guess I would put it at the top of my mythical list, since it keeps showing up here :).</p>
<p>^^^^sylvan I agree with you about the Stockholm octavo- has anyone read it? </p>
<p>Just took a look at the " best book in the last 6 months" thread, and several people recommending Life after Life over there.
Anyone read that one? </p>
<p>I’ve read The Fever Tree, but not sure if there will be enough material for discussion.</p>
<p>Started, Transatlantic - Colum Mccann’s book today.( not recommending it this go round, maybe next time)</p>
<p>I suggested The Stockholm Octavo this time. I don’t remember who suggested it the first time a few months ago. I thought it sounded interesting and it has good reviews. Are we only supposed to recommend books we’ve already read? ;)</p>
<p>SJCM, I’ve read Life After Life. See my post #105 about it on this thread.</p>
<p>BUandBC82, Ignatius initially suggested Stockholm Octavo at the end of the Glass Room thread.</p>
<ol>
<li>The Golem and the Jinni</li>
<li>Behind the Scenes at the Museum</li>
<li>Stockholm Octavo</li>
</ol>
<p>I originally suggested The Stockholm Octavo shortly after its publication based on reviews. I haven’t read it. I also recommended *Life After Life<a href=“originally”>/I</a> and The Golem and the Jinni based on reviews. I haven’t read them either. I tend to suggest new releases, as it gets me reading them while they’re still new releases.</p>
<p>We’ve had some good discussions with newer releases, such as State of Wonder. In general, I’m not a picky reader and tastes vary widely, anyway. Me … I worry if I recommend a book, having read it, and find that no one else likes it.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>No, Ma’am :). Although it can be helpful sometimes to have a scout, I think the goal is generally to pick a book that no one has read, and then we all wade into the unknown together. Of course, there are exceptions, such as when someone is so enthused about a book they’ve already read that they are eager for the club to take it on – such as the way NJTheatreMOM felt about *Cloud Atlas<a href=“one%20of%20my%20favorite%20choices!”>/i</a>.</p>
<p>I am willing to leap into The Stockholm Octavo, but with two reservations. These are not deal-breakers by any means, but things we might want to be aware of:</p>
<p>1) My guess is that The Stockholm Octavo is not a mainstream read. The Light Between Oceans, for example, was published in July 2012 and has 2,596 reviews on Amazon. Life After Life was just published this past April and already has 626 reviews. The Stockholm Octavo was published in October 2012 and has only 71 reviews. This is often an indication that a book is a difficult read or has a limited audience.</p>
<p>I believe we’re brave enough to go off the beaten path, but be aware that it means our crew will probably remain small for the next round. This ain’t The Help. </p>
<p>2) I have some trepidation about this line from a Washington Post review: "The antique etchings sprinkled throughout these pages are a nice touch, too — and a reminder, if any was needed, of a bound book’s sensuous advantages over an e-book.” [Karen</a> Engelmann?s ?The Stockholm Octavo,? reviewed by Ron Charles - Washington Post](<a href=“http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-04/entertainment/35624941_1_engelmann-debut-novel-fortune-teller]Karen”>http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-12-04/entertainment/35624941_1_engelmann-debut-novel-fortune-teller)</p>
<p>This NYT review also mentions the book’s “illustrations and charts”: <a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/books/review/the-stockholm-octavo-by-karen-engelmann.html?_r=0[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/books/review/the-stockholm-octavo-by-karen-engelmann.html?_r=0</a></p>
<p>How many of us are kindle users? The grayscale versions don’t display illustrations with any clarity. Is that important? (Don’t know, just asking.)</p>
<p>On the plus side–and this is always a big plus for me–a more challenging book is better to read with the group. We can enjoy straightforward bestsellers on our own with little need for clarification or insight. It’s the ***? novels that cry out for discussion. (Did I just violate TOS with that acronym? Sorry, I live with too many teenagers.)</p>
<p>I have no idea how Stockholm Octavo would be for discussion. It is set in another time and place, which could be interesting. I know that some of our members really enjoy researching the background of stories.</p>
<p>To my mind, Behind the Scenes at the Museum would be a good choice for discussion because I recently read another book by the same author and found her writing to be engaging and nuanced.</p>
<p>The Golem and the Jinni seems like a good choice for discussion because it is an intriguing-sounding combination of historical novel and magical realism.</p>
<p>Apparently part of The Golem and the Jinni takes place in a part of NY called “Little Syria.” Funny how I keep bumping into Syria lately, in addition to reading about it in the news. The subject of the nonfiction book that I am reading, Zeitoun, is from Syria. At one point in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, his family tells him he should come back to Syria: “Because Syria so much safer than New Orleans!”</p>
<p>I will happily read anything. I do think I am most interested in the Stolkholm Octavio. But again-happy to go with the flow!</p>
<p>I already downloaded The Stockholm Octavo on my kindle. I’m planning to read it whether we pick it or not. I just looked through quickly to check out some of the etchings and charts. The etchings I found are clear and easy to see. I’m not sure what “charts” the NYT review was talking about. I see a timeline in the front of the book. It is very small on the kindle and difficult to read, but is readable. I also see some kind of checkerboard illustration is the back that has names on it. This is also difficult to read, but readable with a good light and eye strain. 
There may be more charts, but I didn’t see any with my quick look.</p>