Unofficial GWJ Book Club - Thanks, All.

Friendly reminder, tonight is our How We Decide discussion, 8:30 PM EST.

New folks, we meet on Mumble. If you don't have mumble set up, I have a basic guide available here.

I'll be there

I might just listen in to get the flow for the next go 'round.

FSeven wrote:

I might just listen in to get the flow for the next go 'round.

You're welcome to do exactly that. So is anyone else. Please, join us!

What might also help to trigger people, is to start a Steam group. When the chat is about to start, 5 minutes before or so, sent out an announcement

That would be nice. I think I may do that.

Well, once again, only Sparhawk and myself. So here's what we're going to do.

April is a free-read month. That means, pick your own book, give it a read, and come to the next discussion with your impressions. We'll take 10 minutes at the beginning or the end of the next meeting to talk about our books of choice, and spend the rest of the time on How We Decide. So, that gives the rest of you slackers time to pick up the book, or finish it.

Let's make our next meeting May 3 at 8:30 PM EST.

Didn't get free until now. Sorry I missed it.

Eta 30 min for anyone who wants a late discussion

Love the steam idea - I'll do it if no one else wants to. Let me know!

I read the book but your timing conflicted with playoff hockey. I had to make a choice..

Liyana wrote:

Love the steam idea - I'll do it if no one else wants to. Let me know!

I just went ahead and created the group. Will give admin rights to everyone so all the good people of our book club
will be invited asap

I just bought a copy of Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto . That might be an interesting option for our next nonfiction pick.

Just to share the info on this awesome series.

In the Dark Tower Series : The Wind Through the Keyhole

To be published as a mass-market hardcover by Scribner on April 24th 2012.

Also available as Limited Edition Hardcovers from Donald M. Grant Publisher in late February 2012.

Amazon link
$12.99 for the Kindle version.

I love the idea of joining a book club, but for me at least it would be a lot easier to participate if the meetings were on IRC rather than Mumble. Especially since it seems like the meetings are usually held while my kid is still up.

I don't know if any of you listen to Roderick on the Line, but in the latest podcast, John Roderick describes an experience when he was younger of attempting to hitchhike across the Sahara. His story piqued my interest in Saharan crossings, and as such, I sincerely hope someone who still has the ability to suggest a book (I am bowing out until we get more folks besides myself making suggestions) puts this book up as one of our upcoming nonfiction selections.

Friendly reminder, our next discussion is scheduled for May 3, at 8:30 EST.

If you have not yet joined the Steam group, please link your Steam profile and we will get you added.

I am definitely NOT available for this time. I just finished reading Red Scarf Girl, and Slumberland before that, both of which were great, thought provoking books.

NSMike wrote:

Friendly reminder, our next discussion is scheduled for May 3, at 8:30 EST.

If you have not yet joined the Steam group, please link your Steam profile and we will get you added.

I may be able to make that one, dependent on Time Warner getting my internet hooked up before then. I'll know by the end of the day.

However, now that I'm moved, it'll be easier for me to make these discussions, as I'll be staying in the same location as my computer. Before, I was living in two places, which makes things awfully difficult.

Fiction recommendation: A Fire Upon the Deep

A friend recommended this to me awhile back, and though I've known about it for awhile, I just now started reading it. It's a little dense seeing as it's a part of the hard science sci-fi genre, but I've really been enjoying it and think that it would provoke a great discussion.

Amazon description:

A Fire Upon the Deep is the big, breakout book that fulfills the promise of Vinge's career to date: a gripping tale of galactic war told on a cosmic scale.

Thousands of years hence, many races inhabit a universe where a mind's potential is determined by its location in space, from superintelligent entities in the Transcend, to the limited minds of the Unthinking Depths, where only simple creatures and technology can function. Nobody knows what strange force partitioned space into these "regions of thought," but when the warring Straumli realm use an ancient Transcendent artifact as a weapon, they unwittingly unleash an awesome power that destroys thousands of worlds and enslaves all natural and artificial intelligence.

Fleeing the threat, a family of scientists, including two children, are taken captive by the Tines, an alien race with a harsh medieval culture, and used as pawns in a ruthless power struggle. A rescue mission, not entirely composed of humans, must rescue the children-and a secret that may save the rest of interstellar civilization.

A Fire Upon The Deep is the winner of the 1993 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

Friendly Reminder: Our discussion is 8:30 EST tonight. I will send out a notification via the Steam group.

I will say that if no one shows up tonight, I'm declaring the book club a lost cause.

No conflicts this week - see you guys in a few hours!

Good discussion tonight, too bad so many of you missed it.

Our next book is The Windup Girl.

Tentatively scheduling our next discussion for June 7th, 8:30 PM.

See you then!

ALSO, post links to your steam profiles if you wish to be added to the group.

Sooooo sorry I missed it. Work called if I could work, someone stepped out...so was trying to help out there....
damn already heard it was a great meeting! Next time better!

Invite to Steam group please.

I'm in for next month. I just signed up for Steam since my son was interested in PC games. Windup Girl is on my list to-read already. Woo!

walterqchocobo wrote:

I'm in for next month. I just signed up for Steam since my son was interested in PC games. Windup Girl is on my list to-read already. Woo!

If you want me to add you on Steam, please link your Steam profile page. Thanks!

NSMike wrote:
walterqchocobo wrote:

I'm in for next month. I just signed up for Steam since my son was interested in PC games. Windup Girl is on my list to-read already. Woo!

If you want me to add you on Steam, please link your Steam profile page. Thanks!

Found you on my FL, invite sent

Add me as well to the group, please. Steam link is in my sig.