Book Club for June

[devogirl]

Ok, it's not too early to think about the next book club! The consensus seems to be to move the skype chat to a Wednesday night. I'll be out of town in the first part of the month, so the only dates I could participate are June 22 or June 29. Any preferences?

I know the 8 pm EST timeslot is bad for those of you in the EU. Do you all want to start at 6 pm?

Also as I've said before, there can always be a second chat scheduled at a better time for you, but someone else would have to take responsibility for setting the time.

As for the selection, I am in favor of a blind guy romance. (shocker, I know) Unfortunately Miss Ware's Refusal has suddenly become rare--10 bucks on Amazon WTF? I know I didn't pay that much for it 5 years ago. Weird! Anyway Val recommended Chameleon, which I actually bought a few months ago and haven't read yet. I looked at the first few chapters last night and it looks fun (in a cheezy romance kind of way). It's also short, very easy to read, and cheap. But only for those of us in the US.

Here's the link:
amzn.com/0553220152

We need to convince the owner of devoteejournal.livejournal.com/ to post some more books!

We could also choose another selection from that site, although the ones she has posted that I have read (The Viscount in Her Bedroom and Rainbow's Promise) are not good, I can't recommend them. Do any of the others look good?

Any other suggestions?

[ruthmadison]

May 11, 2011 12:25:36 GMT -5 devogirl said:

Ok, it's not too early to think about the next book club! The consensus seems to be to move the skype chat to a Wednesday night. I'll be out of town in the first part of the month, so the only dates I could participate are June 22 or June 29. Any preferences?

I know the 8 pm EST timeslot is bad for those of you in the EU. Do you all want to start at 6 pm?

Also as I've said before, there can always be a second chat scheduled at a better time for you, but someone else would have to take responsibility for setting the time.

As for the selection, I am in favor of a blind guy romance. (shocker, I know) Unfortunately Miss Ware's Refusal has suddenly become rare--10 bucks on Amazon WTF? I know I didn't pay that much for it 5 years ago. Weird! Anyway Val recommended Chameleon, which I actually bought a few months ago and haven't read yet. I looked at the first few chapters last night and it looks fun (in a cheezy romance kind of way). It's also short, very easy to read, and cheap. But only for those of us in the US.

Here's the link:
amzn.com/0553220152

We need to convince the owner of devoteejournal.livejournal.com/ to post some more books!

We could also choose another selection from that site, although the ones she has posted that I have read (The Viscount in Her Bedroom and Rainbow's Promise) are not good, I can't recommend them. Do any of the others look good?

Any other suggestions?

Either of those days is good for me and the book sounds fine!

[Valkyrja]

It´s a cheezy romance LOL!!... but the way the writer describe scenes and feelings are amazing!

[merry]

Huge pity about Miss Ware

I read Chameleon a couple of weeks ago. Found it cheesy and fun (heroine is crackers) but just couldn't love it much. Not sure why. Don't mind giving it another shot though.
Holiday Confessions (despite its unpromising-sounding title) is OK, I thought (and I didn't mind Blind Curve that much despite its rather irritating plot device - ugly heroine who only gets the guy when he's blind ). I have picked them both up again to re-read.

BUT maybe if we're going to do a blind guy romance we SHOULD start with a known good one...
The other possibility is Lynn Kurland's "This is All I Ask". It is available new and used on both Amazon.com and Amazon .co.uk (which might be better for the EU?), and not TOO pricey from what I could see.

Possible other suggestion, depending on how everyone feels about potentially controversial books (and erotic novels):
I recently read an erotic novel featuring a devotee "heroine" and a "para" hero, called "Equal Opportunities" by Mathilde Madden. I hated it. Don't know if it's because I'm too conservative and found the sex too much and too kinky, or if it was the portrayal of devoteeism, or the relationship between the two leads, or what. I don't think it was badly written, so it wasn't that. I'd be keen to know what others who have read it thought (but maybe that could be done just in a thread and not necessarily book club chat). It is widely available (and there is also a Kindle version for non-US/UK-ers). If people are up for the challenge that could also be a possibility...It would certainly give us lots to discuss, but might not be guaranteed to give EVERYONE an enjoyable read...

Merry

(Both 22 and 29 are OK for me. 6pm EST definitely preferable if possible - that's midnight for me here...)

[Emma]

Both those dates work for me. I'm happy with any book we decide on but sort of agree with Merry that maybe we should make sure its a good book before we all read it (remember the issue with the Avatar fan fiction ?). The book to mentioned last Merry, Equal Opportunities sounds interesting while we wait for Miss Ware to come down in price.

[ruthmadison]

May 11, 2011 13:11:54 GMT -5 @merry said:

Huge pity about Miss Ware

I read Chameleon a couple of weeks ago. Found it cheesy and fun (heroine is crackers) but just couldn't love it much. Not sure why. Don't mind giving it another shot though.
Holiday Confessions (despite its unpromising-sounding title) is OK, I thought (and I didn't mind Blind Curve that much despite its rather irritating plot device - ugly heroine who only gets the guy when he's blind ). I have picked them both up again to re-read.

BUT maybe if we're going to do a blind guy romance we SHOULD start with a known good one...
The other possibility is Lynn Kurland's "This is All I Ask". It is available new and used on both Amazon.com and Amazon .co.uk (which might be better for the EU?), and not TOO pricey from what I could see.

Possible other suggestion, depending on how everyone feels about potentially controversial books (and erotic novels):
I recently read an erotic novel featuring a devotee "heroine" and a "para" hero, called "Equal Opportunities" by Mathilde Madden. I hated it. Don't know if it's because I'm too conservative and found the sex too much and too kinky, or if it was the portrayal of devoteeism, or the relationship between the two leads, or what. I don't think it was badly written, so it wasn't that. I'd be keen to know what others who have read it thought (but maybe that could be done just in a thread and not necessarily book club chat). It is widely available (and there is also a Kindle version for non-US/UK-ers). If people are up for the challenge that could also be a possibility...It would certainly give us lots to discuss, but might not be guaranteed to give EVERYONE an enjoyable read...

Merry

(Both 22 and 29 are OK for me. 6pm EST definitely preferable if possible - that's midnight for me here...)

I've heard some things about Equal Opportunities that makes me not want to read it. I'm afraid the portrayal of devotees is going to upset me.

[merry]

That's exactly why I said it's controversial, and also why I'd like to chat with others who have read it. Her portrayal of devs is pretty stereotyped, but yet the dev is still the "heroine" in the book, so it's not all black and white. And though I don't like to admit it, there were still some parts that the dev bit of me found incredibly hot and delicious, although I HATED myself for feeling like that . I think above all it made me look again not only my own devo-tendencies, but also the perception in the world-at-large of devoteeism (and again wonder what can be done to correct that). I would value the opportunity to discuss it with others - I can work things out better in conversation than on my own (I think in circles and knots when left to my own devices!).
But as I said before, we could also just start a thread for those who are interested to discuss the book if it's going to be too "uncomfortable" a read to be a book club selection...

[ruthmadison]

May 11, 2011 14:24:35 GMT -5 @merry said:

That's exactly why I said it's controversial, and also why I'd like to chat with others who have read it. Her portrayal of devs is pretty stereotyped, but yet the dev is still the "heroine" in the book, so it's not all black and white. And though I don't like to admit it, there were still some parts that the dev bit of me found incredibly hot and delicious, although I HATED myself for feeling like that . I think above all it made me look again not only my own devo-tendencies, but also the perception in the world-at-large of devoteeism (and again wonder what can be done to correct that). I would value the opportunity to discuss it with others - I can work things out better in conversation than on my own (I think in circles and knots when left to my own devices!).
But as I said before, we could also just start a thread for those who are interested to discuss the book if it's going to be too "uncomfortable" a read to be a book club selection...

It does seem like a book like this is one of the reasons the book club was created. How can we ignore a book specifically about devoteeism? (or at least featuring it). I should get past my fears and read it. Maybe we can get in on the list as a possibility for July?

[Enid]

I definitely can't do June 29. The 22 works for me.

[dolly]

this will come as no surprise, but i'm very much hoping that we can keep the chat at the 8pm EST start. it seems to have worked well for everyone in the past, with many participants joining in quite a bit later anyway (even the non-north americans!). historically, the later start and running late seems to have been successful for everyone involved.

either way, 6pm EST seems kinda crazy early for most people, even the ones who have a 9 to 5 life. i'd request that if it does get moved earlier that 7pm EST might be the earliest time to consider.

(it's awesome (!!!) to have people from all over the world join the chats, but the option of scheduling an 'non-north american time-zoned chat' is *always there* if people want to....)

if the time is moved earlier, could the book discussion be scheduled first? that way the latecomers (like me) could skip the book club part if we have to (boo!) and still hopefully arrive in time to hear the updates from the other devs. those conversations are a big part of why we are all there and i, for one, would hate to now have to miss them. even last night, when we started at 8pm EST some of the latecomers were wanting to hear everyone's updates and were disappointed to discover they'd missed a bunch of them.

depending on the start time, if i am able to make it for the book club portion, equal opportunities sounds like a very interesting one to read and discuss. i'm intrigued. so my vote would be for that. i may read it anyway even if i can't make it to the chat for the discussion.

as far as dates go, i'd prefer june 29th but will try to work with whatever people decide.

[Valkyrja]

"This is all I ask" is great too, Merry.
I think it was the first I read and I really enjoy it.

[Dee Dee]

Recently someone suggested that I read "Equal Opportunities" by Mathilde Madden and as I want to read it, I am in favour of that one too.

However - discussing books and other subjects from 2.00 to 6.00 AM - makes for a very tired person the next day .

Also, since the chats go on for hours, it will be quite late for those Americans and others who have to get up early the next day.

I would like to start an earlier chat for devotees from Europe, Africa and maybe Australia(?). We could start and others could join in as it suits them - that way there would always be someone around and no one misses the discussions .

We cannot find the perfect time for everybody but instead we can stretch out the chat. Otherwise it is always going to be the same people who have to be flexible.

[dolly]

instead of watering down one chat to accommodate everyone, why not have two *separate* chats running, on different days.


~ one at a date and time convenient for north americans.

~ one at a date and time which is convenient for the members on other continents.

and

.... anyone would be free to join either one, or both.

hopefully there would be a lot of crossover between both. but there would be at least one chat that works well for pretty much everyone. and if you are busy one day, you could make the other.


the problem (which i referred to as the 'watering down') with one long open-ended early chat is that if things are discussed early, such as the book or personal stories/updates, they are not going to then be re-shared and re-discussed later when other people arrive at later times. this will leave some members of the core group of participants, who have been attending and participating in the chats to date, out of the loop, and will make discussions choppy and disjointed.

the point of the chat nights for me is that it's nice to log in at a given time and settle in for the night with friends. that's what makes it worth booking the evening off. a loosely scheduled drop-in with people coming and going and people missing key aspects of discussions, conversations (and each other!) is not quite so ideal.

if we had two chats going based on different time zones people could attend whichever works best for them, or plan for both. the european folks (and others) can choose a time that works best for them, the north americans can do the same, and then everyone is happy. and there are more opportunities provided for people everywhere to converse.

and hopefully a number of people would still choose to attend both. talking to dev sisters from around the world is really cool!

with two separate chats everyone would have more opportunities for an optimal chat experience, across the globe. isn't that a win-win?


staying up late is not a problem for me but getting home early sure is. i'd be much more likely to make it to a 2am or even 4am chat than a 6pm chat.

the 8pm EST start seems to be working well for a lot of people. 6pm EST seems really freakin' early. i'm not the only one who already arrives late in my time zone. it's usually 9ish by the time things get really cooking. that has been true for every chat thus far, no matter the location of the members involved.


(i suggest starting the north american time-zoned chat at 7pm EST at the very earliest. don't people need to get home from work and stuff??)

[Enid]

May 12, 2011 1:27:52 GMT -5 dolly said:

hopefully there would be a lot of crossover between both. but there would be at least one chat that works well for pretty much everyone. and if you are busy one day, you could make the other.

I get the feeling that scheduling the American chats is hard enough as it is. I don't think many would make it to the "non-American" chat. So we're left with a bunch of non-native speakers and Merry, who seems awesome, but I'm gonna confess that I watched the video of the girl with her accent and I was having issues trying to make out what was said.

May 12, 2011 1:27:52 GMT -5 dolly said:

the problem (which i referred to as the 'watering down') with one long open-ended early chat is that if things are discussed early, such as the book or personal stories/updates, they are not going to then be re-shared and re-discussed later when other people arrive at later times. this will leave some members of the core group of participants, who have been attending and participating in the chats to date, out of the loop, and will make discussions choppy and disjointed.

I joined late, people got in even later, I didn't feel it was much of a problem... What about what happens in the chat you don't attend? That's being a lot more "out of the loop".

Or are there two types of participants, "core" and "non-core"?


Look, I'm "between jobs" and never had a proper circadian rhythm, so I honestly don't care about the time, but I don't think splitting into two different groups is what I'd call a "win-win".

[Cake]

I agree with Enid.
I don't care about the time and whether I miss the beginning or the end or whatever. But the division into two chats, an American and a non-American one would make me feel somewhat... excluded. I also agree that the chance of "missing" something is even bigger when there are two chats.