Since Nick and I finally got around to doing the YDS Awards, I started thinking about other features we have neglected/are coming up -- most notably the AudioShocker Book Club. Last year, we petered out in July. This is unacceptable. In fact, it is downright criminal. Book clubs are like the OG social media. You read the book and then you talk about it with people. Boom.
That said, I know the AS audience is nowhere near my level of progress with 2010/11 novels. So, here's what we are going to do. I am going to give you a big list of recent books (emotional, scifi, weird, bad, comedy, prize winning), and every Friday I am going to use this space to host an open book discussion form. Any title. Just start commenting and I will respond. Hopefully Pete will contribute, but I'll do my best to spice it up with brief related edititorial content. Maybe a link to amazon or an alternate book cover or something - I don't know, I'm just winging it here. I may have discussed some of these books on the main podcast, but you probably weren't listening.
The point is, summer is a great time to pick up a book and read - and with plenty of sunshine and weekend reading time ahead of you - you should all be tearing through at least one book a week. For those of you who think books are heavy, cumbersome, or don't provide enough secondary distractions, Kindles & Nooks are cheaper than ever, so there really is no excuse. Hopefully I will see some of you back here next Friday.
And now, without further adieu, the AudioShocker 2011 Open Forum Book Club reading list:
- Room by Emma Donahue (moving to say the least)
- Skippy Dies by Paul Murray (pretty long actually)
- Swamplandia! by Karen Russell (gators!)
- Kraken by China Meiville (last summer we covered The City & The City by China)
- Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart (it's weird)
- Bossypants by Tina Fey (look, its funny)
- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (won the Pulitzer)
- And whatever else I read later this month, perhaps Jim Shepard or this Kyle Smith book on my table.
- Or whatever YOU propose. God knows I'm always looking for a good book recommendation - but NO embossed covers.
I'm not much of a book reader unless we're talking about comics, but I always read at least one book for the Summer Book Club. And this year, I think I'll try Super Sad True Love Story. IT'S ON, NEAL!!! IT'S ONNNNN!!!
sweet. that joint is actually fairly short (as far as novels go), so you shoudlbe good to go fairly soon. exciteddddd
one book a week?!?! there's no way i could ever do that, haha. who's got that kind of time and money?
i think Room is the only book on this list that piques my interest... i read mostly YA stuff so most of these stories don't really seem like my cup of tea or whatever.
and i put a ban on reading any Mieville books since he unknowingly ousted my Swamp Thing revamp! of course then he in turn got ousted himself, ha! that's what you get!
AudioShocker Shoutouts!
hahahahaha MIEVILLE REJECTED!
well whatever the case, i just hope you crazy kats expand your minds this summer and read some good books!
i already told you what i'm reading. why would you act like i better read something when i told you i'd read it. GODDAMN IT NEAL
AudioShocker Shoutouts!
