Brandon's Nominations round2

1. The Ministry of Fear - Graham Greene I haven't read this, but Graham Greene is one of the best writers of last century, and this is supposed to be a really great spy-conspiracy-thriller kind of thing set in post-war england.
2. Tortilla Flat - John Steinbeck Always eager to try out some Steinbeck that I haven't read yet.
3. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Susanna Clarke One of my favorite books from the last few years. This is kind of if Jane Austen had written a fantasy book.
4. Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoevsky What can I say, I'm hooked on this guy. Plus, it'll be summer by the time we read any of these, right?
5. Lake Wobegon Days - Garrison Keillor Keillor's history of the town of Lake Wobegon. MN. Really funny stuff.

Extra copy of "Left Hand of Darkness"

I snagged two copies of our next book from the BYU library (one is still on the shelf as well). Let me know if you want to borrow it.

FYI - It was settled that we'd next meet on Thursday, Dec. 17.

Karamazov

Gents,

I suppose there are 2 different days floating around for the Karamazov discussion. The 17th or the 24th. Any preference? Either way, the meeting will be at my home-761 E 200 S @ about 7:00 p.m. I will serve Borshd and black bread for your enjoyment. Let me know.

My next nominations (I couldn't wait)

I'm not trying to butt in line, I just couldn't help myself from putting together my second list of MMBC nominations. I think after Karamazov, we've still got Brandon's first book choice before we even begin Round 2.

Here goes anyway. The theme is hobbies, which lends itself easily to a club meeting activity or outing:
The Colossal Book of Short Puzzles and Problems

Learn Chess

The Far Side Galleries

Rockhounding Utah

Birds of Utah Field Guide

A Manly Trip to Hell and Back

Gentlemen,

I propose that we meet at my place at 7:30 on Tuesday, then carpool up to the Oak Hills Rock Castle. It's about a 10 minute hike up the mountain, and it'll be hard to find without me, so it's better if we go together. Bring a flashlight.

I'd suggest we eat MRE's but I don't know where to get them . Or maybe we should find a live chicken and pluck it and make a stew? Or maybe hotdogs? I'll bring the dogs and buns and condiments. You guys bring any snacks and drinks. Does anyone have a big water tank we could use for hot chocolate? Or a small portable stove for boiling water?

If it rains, (20% chance, I guess), then lucky us, we'll make Audie Murphy proud. Or maybe we'll make him not proud and stay at my house.

Does this work for everyone? Let me know if we need to change it around.

Colonel Brandon

Loaner copy of "To Hell and Back"

I'm finishing the Audie Murphy book that we'll be discussing in October (remember Karamazov got postponed one month).

It's a BYU library copy that I've got checked out for a few months. Anybody want it when I complete it tomorrow?

Meeting times

I heard through the grapevine that Dean's schedule is going to change. Let's come to this meeting prepared to discuss alternate times.

A place to sound our barbaric yawps

The next manly book meeting is set for Tuesday, September 8.

Time. Official start time will be 8 o'clock. An optional pre-meeting fishing experience will occur at 7 o'clock.

Tangent. I tend to think in terms of rivers and streams. Provo River is close and Diamond Fork is not so close. Normally I'd pick Diamond Fork hands down for the beauty, solitude and a better prospect of hooking a real nice fish. It's just kind of far for a weeknight.

Grub. Let's gather round a fire for tin foil dinners. I'll bring the meat, foil, seasonings and tongs. That leaves potatoes, carrots and drinks. If any first-timers plan to attend (as opposed to the three second-timers), perhaps the menu could grow to include s'mores.

Location. Let's go to Upper Falls on the Provo. It's just upstream from Bridal Veil Falls. Get off at Bridal Veil Park and you'll see a parking lot and a secondary road headed up the canyon parallel with (and below) the highway. Take that road and keep going when you see the parking stalls near the foot bridge going to Bridal Veil. The next site is Upper Falls. We may get kicked out at 10 o'clock since it's a day-use only site.

Yesterday's meeting was a success. We enjoyed Bratwurst, chips, Henry Weinhard's root beer and black cherry cream soda.

As a nod to Fosco, we indulged in lime tarts.

We're reading Zen (Myles' pick) for next month, and Karamazov (Joe's pick) in October.

Let the Voting Begin!

Gentlemen,

I like Myles' suggestion of voting like the AP coaches do. We vote for each persons choices at a time. So for Aaron, since he nominated 5 books, my top choice of his would get 5 points, my second pick would get 4 points, and so on down to 1 point. I say we post all our votes as a comment on each persons list of options. Then once everyone's voted we'll read the winner from each group of nominees. Sound good?

Aaron's Favorites

No "man" can go wrong with these choices:

1. To Hell and Back - Audie Murphy (WWII hero) writes about his real experiences during WWII

2. Band of Brothers - Stephen Ambrose writes about the 101st Airborne during WWII

3. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseni writes about his experiences in Afganistan

4. The Screwtape Letters OR The Great Divorce - C.S. Lewis

5. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln - Doris Kearns

Justin's Picks

1. Bleak House. Charles Dickens.
2. Crime And Punishment. Fyodor Dostoyevsky
3. Major Barbara. Bernard shaw. I know this is a play but it is worth a serious read and discussion. It is very relevant to our day.
4. The Varieties of Religious Experience. William James

Joe's Five

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Christopher McDougall

Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico’s deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder.

Outliers: The story of success

Malcolm Gladwell

Why do some people succeed, living remarkably productive and impactful lives, while so many more never reach their potential? Challenging our cherished belief of the "self-made man," he makes the democratic assertion that superstars don't arise out of nowhere, propelled by genius and talent: "they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot." Examining the lives of outliers from Mozart to Bill Gates, he builds a convincing case for how successful people rise on a tide of advantages, "some deserved, some not, some earned, some just plain lucky."

The Happy Isles of Oceania

Paul Theroux

Despite the euphoric title, Oceania as Theroux experienced it was only occasionally a carefree paradise. In the Trobriand Islands, celebrated by anthropologists for their supposed sexual freedom, the novelist and travel writer found prostitution and fear of rape. Samoa struck him as noisy, vandalized, with American-style conspicuous consumption. The intrepid Theroux discussed world politics with the king of Tonga, encountered class consciousness in Honolulu, mingled with street gangs in Auckland, and lived in a bamboo hut in Vanuatu (formerly New Hebrides), where he investigated a cargo cult and rumors of cannibalism. In Australia he braved the Woop Woop (remote outback) to camp with Aborigines. This exhilarating epic ranks with Theroux's best travel books. It is full of disarming observations, high adventure and memorable characters rendered with keen irony.

The Brothers Karamazov

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

This brilliant work by one of Russia's foremost novelists teems with greed, passion, depravity, and complex moral issues. Three brothers, involved in the brutal murder of their despicable father, find their lives irrevocably altered as they are driven by intense, uncontrollable emotions of rage and revenge.

The Great Brain series

I read these books as a kid and would love to read them all again.