u/thebochman

This is the discussion thread for July’s book of the month: The Whisper Man by Alex North

If you’ve made it this far without reading the book be warned that this discussion includes spoilers.

For anyone that didn’t catch the book selection post, the book for the month of August is Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman.

After Earth’s buildings are suddenly destroyed, surviving humans are forced into an enormous underground dungeon operated as an intergalactic reality show. Carl enters alongside Princess Donut, his ex-girlfriend’s pampered show cat, and must battle monsters, collect equipment, level up, and keep a bloodthirsty alien audience entertained. It is violent, absurd, fast-paced, and much funnier—and more emotionally substantial—than its premise initially suggests.

Dungeon Crawler Carl edges out Red Rising by a vote for August’s book of the month. Running the Light came in third with Mistborn and Endurance tying for 4th.

The discussion thread for The Whisper Man will follow on 8/1.

Hey guys, the book selection form is officially live for August.

Feel free to pick as many options as you like, the one with the most votes wins.

Also, meant to post a halfway thread for The Whisper Man, unfortunately missed the boat on then, but you can expect a thread for the full discussion on 8/1.

Thanks for participating!

So I’ve been working east coast hours on the west coast, and find it exceedingly difficult to manage to get enough sleep and be alert all day with the early starts (first meeting at 6 am, I need to be actively engaged).

It’s had ripple effects throughout my day, I struggle to want to do anything after I log off at 2. Anyone else in a similar situation / advice?

This is the discussion thread for June’s book of the month: The Art Thief by Michael Finkelstein

If you’ve made it this far without reading the book be warned that this discussion includes spoilers.

Also, mentioned in the previous thread but for everyone that didn’t see it, the book for the month of July is The Whisper Man by Alex North.

Plan is to break the discussion in half, with the first discussion being held on July 15, ending through chapter 31 / the start of part 3.

The Whisper Man by Alex North will be July’s book of the month.

After moving to a quiet English town in hopes of starting over, a widowed father and his young son find themselves unsettled by local legends surrounding a notorious serial killer known as the Whisper Man. When another child disappears, old fears resurface, and the community begins to wonder whether the past is truly gone. Atmospheric, suspenseful, and emotionally driven, the novel blends psychological thriller and crime fiction while exploring grief, parenthood, loneliness, and the bonds between fathers and sons.

The Whisper Man narrowly edged out all the heavy hitters in the poll. A film adaptation is going to be released end of August as well, will be interesting to see how that compares.

I was a little disappointed / surprised with the lack of turnout for this month’s poll, I know a lot of people had been clamoring for blood meridian / east of Eden in previous polls so was hoping we’d finally cross one off the list.

Anyways planning on putting more of the frequently recommended books in the August poll, also planning on holding off on including the longer/dense books we had in this poll for the remainder of the year, planning on giving them another go once the nfl season ends so people can really dive into them.

There will be a discussion thread for The Art Thief on July 1, and based on previous feedback I think it would be a solid idea to try and break the discussion threads in half for the first/second half of books moving forward, with the first half of The Whisper Man being discussed on July 15.

Thanks for participating!

This is the discussion thread for May’s book of the month: Replay by Ken Grimwood.

If you’ve made it this far without reading the book be warned that this discussion includes spoilers.

Discussion questions:

If you were Jeff, what would you do differently during your first replay? Would you chase money, fix relationships, change history, or something else?

How does Jeff’s attitude toward life change across his replays? At what point does he seem the most fulfilled, and at what point does he seem the most lost?

Do you think Jeff becomes wiser through repetition, or just more exhausted?

The book gives Jeff chances to correct mistakes, but not full control over life. What does the novel seem to say about fate vs. free will?

Which of Jeff’s lives felt the most meaningful to you? Was it the one with wealth and success, the one with love, the one with family, or another?

How did Pamela change the story once she entered it? Did her presence make the book more hopeful, more tragic, or more complicated?

Would immortality or repeated life actually be a gift, or would it eventually become unbearable?

What do you think the ending means? Is it optimistic, ambiguous, frustrating, or satisfying?

What is the book ultimately saying about how to live a good life? Does Jeff find an answer by the end, or is the point that there may not be one perfect answer?

What direction would you have liked to see a sequel take?

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel is this month’s book selection.

A true-crime story about Stéphane Breitwieser, a Frenchman who became one of the most prolific art thieves in modern history. Over several years, he stole hundreds of paintings, sculptures, and rare objects from museums and churches across Europe—not for money, but because he wanted to privately possess beauty. The book follows how he pulled off these thefts in plain sight, the psychology behind his obsession, and the increasingly risky double life he built around his stolen collection.

The Art Thief narrowly edged out East of Eden by a single vote, rounding out the top selections are Blood Meridian and Say Nothing.

This will be the first nonfiction book so far, a little changeup from the sci-fi the last 2 months. Will be sending an email thread out to those who signed up.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the form and we’ll see you in the Replay thread on the first.

Is there anything like the Hillstone we used to have in Faneuil hall? Looking for places for my mom’s 60th birthday