Scott's Nominations

Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin
One of my favourite books of all time. Kind of what you might call an urban fantasy. "THERE was a white horse, on a quiet winter morning when snow covered the streets gently and was not deep, and the sky was swept with vibrant stars, except in the east, where dawn was beginning in a light blue flood."

My Antonia by Willa Cather
One of the great books by one of the great writers of American fiction, in my opinion. Embodies much of what help build this country. Check out the Amazon listing http://www.amazon.com/My-Antonia-Willa-Cather/dp/1438242905/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261255765&sr=1-1

Pebble In the Sky by Isaac Asimov
The is SF giant Asimov's first novel. I've never read it, but have always been curious about it. How can you go wrong with Asimov?

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Armageddon has never been so funny. This book actually made me laugh out loud; not something that happens often.

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
One of the few Dickens novels I have never read. With the degree in English, I couldn't pass up listing a classic.

Jude The Obscure by Thomas Hardy
OK, make that two classics. Hardy's masterpiece, in my opinion. Also his last book, thanks to the small-minded critics of his day who condemned the novel out-of-hand due to it being a bit too realistic for Victorian society. It is a masterful novel, though not a light, happy read by any stretch.

Aaron's Choices

My nominations for this round are a bit more lighthearted and focusing on fatherhood. If there are any objections, I will not take offense at all, and can certainly suggest a new list. Here they are with a link for your enjoyment:

How to Feel Manly in a Minivan, by Craig Boreth


Fatherhood, by Bill Cosby

My Kid's an Honor Student, your Kid's a Loser: A Pushy Parents Guide to Raising a Perfect Child, by Ralph Schoenstein

Zen and the Art of Fatherhood, by Steven Lewis

Family Man, by Calvin Trillin

December's Meeting (The Left Hand of Darkness)

Pioneer Book's cafe was closed, but the Sensuous Sandwich didn't let us down. Next time I think Brandon's going for the 24-inch sub in under 30 minutes T-shirt.

The discussion was good, even if a little rushed. Next month we'll be reading Jordan's pick and let him choose where to meet.

Myles' Picks

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

Iracema (Classics of Brazilian Literature) ~ José de Alencar

Common Sense, The Rights of Man and Other Essential Writings by Thomas Paine


Change We Can Believe In by Barack Obama (or any of his three books.)

Fifty Great Short Stories by Milton Crane

Nominations

Hello - glad to be joining the group (Thanks Brando).

Here's my nominations:

A Wild Sheep Chase - Haruki Murakami

Eternal Man - Truman G. Madsen

Them: Adventures with Extremists - Jon Ronson (author of 'Men who stare at goats')

Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Three Cups of Tea - Greg Mortensen