Chris

The Idle Book Club 1: The Sense of an Ending

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The Idle Book Club Episode 1:

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The Sense of an Ending

by Julian Barnes

The Idle Book Club kicks off with discussions of the impermanence of memory, the importance of perspective, and what it means to be telling someone else's story, through the lens of Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending.

Missed this month and want to catch up?

Looking to discuss next month's book?

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I've no idea how Amazon-referrals work, but if you can get referrals for the same book on German Amazon, I'd buy it thusly.

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Any idea when the cast will happen? Just asking in case it happens around the time of finals(early may), so I would know to read before that ramps up.

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We don't know yet. We're planning on launching the book podcast at the same time as the return of Idle Thumbs, and all that has to coincide with our new site, which has a fair amount of development left still. We're hoping it won't be too long but we don't have a date.

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This book club podcast is probably my favorite thing about the Idle Thumbs resurrection. I've bought the book, just finished reading American Gods for the first time, and it's now next on my list.

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Looking forward to this. Trying to find a booker prize freak to lend me the book. I'm glad it's a shorter one, I have a horrible backlog of half finished books after some months of being totally off reading as a result of my dissertation.

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that has to coincide with our new site, which has a fair amount of development left still.

Wait, you mean the relaunch date of the podcast is in my hands? In that case...

I'm pleased to announce the launch of my own Kickstarter to fund getting the Idle Thumbs website done faster. I'll need to raise $120,000. At each tier, Mike and I name an increasingly above-the-fold element's class name after you.

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Wait, you mean the relaunch date of the podcast is in my hands? In that case...

I'm pleased to announce the launch of my own Kickstarter to fund getting the Idle Thumbs website done faster. I'll need to raise $120,000. At each tier, Mike and I name an increasingly above-the-fold element's class name after you.

Does that mean that with the top tier you get the <body> tag? Or maybe you could name the css file after me and I would get in the header!

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Oh, I thought you were talking about the periodic table: From Alkaline Metals to Noble Gasses, that sort of thing. :shifty:

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Just finished reading the book. I hope the cast isn't too far away, or I'm likely to misremember the events which took place.

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So I just finished, lots to think about. Will be sure to start writing down a number of notes so that I can hopefully send in something of worth.

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Okay so I just got this for my Kindle, I don't know anything about the book other than the title, I didn't read the synopsis and I don't know what genre of book it is, but that will be part of the fun I guess.

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If you're the kind of person who doesn't mind reading a book on your iThing, it's available in the iBooks app.

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Just finished reading the book. I hope the cast isn't too far away, or I'm likely to misremember the events which took place.

Which would be all the better, considering the themes!

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What would you say is subtle about THG? I'm honestly curious - I thought everything was pretty much shouted at the reader: "NO SERIOUSLY GUYS. KATNISS IS LIKE THE SAVIOUR BUT SHE'S NOT YOUR TYPICAL TEENAGE GIRL HEROOOOOO"

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Any chance of you guys doing the entire The Hunger Games? It has a subtle nuance that is worthy of expounding on.

Nope!

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Even though I don't think it's worthy of discussion, I'd still likely recommend you at least check out The Hunger Games (not its sequels) if you're ever looking for a light read, Chris. It's easily finishable in a couple sittings, and it's a very easy read. It's a fun romp; rather like watching an action film, you can just switch off and watch your mind imagine the world.

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Even though I don't think it's worthy of discussion, I'd still likely recommend you at least check out The Hunger Games (not its sequels) if you're ever looking for a light read, Chris. It's easily finishable in a couple sittings, and it's a very easy read. It's a fun romp; rather like watching an action film, you can just switch off and watch your mind imagine the world.

Thanks for the recommendation, but it's unlikely. That's not so much what I look to books for. I don't really watch action movies either. Nothing wrong with doing so, but I get my full allotment of brain-turned-off stuff from goofing around on the internet.

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Even though I don't think it's worthy of discussion, I'd still likely recommend you at least check out The Hunger Games (not its sequels) if you're ever looking for a light read, Chris.

I dunno, if you're going to read young adult fiction (people know thats what the hunger games is right?), go for Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials. A lot more to discuss in there, and far less tedious. Personal opinion of course!

Anyway, ABOUT the book podcast. I know you guys haven't worked out the whole money thing yet, but doesn't this just beg for an Audible.com sponsor? I know they sponsor a ton of podcasts, and what better than a book cast?

I only mention because I am pathetic and listen to audiobooks far more than reading. I'm in the midst of downloading the Barnes book now, looking forward to it.

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Really looking forward to the bookcast. This news actually came at a very opportune time for me, as my resolution this year is to eliminate more paper from my life in general, and my reading habit had all but dried up due to literally not having space for a bookshelf.

So, this was the first book I bought on my brand new Kindle that I got myself as a present for a recent promotion, (Yay QA becoming game designers, Steve knows, represent!) and I've just finished it.

Saving impressions and questions for when we have a more formal Sense of an Ending thread or other place that will feed more directly into the cast...

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Bastards. Could you pick some books that are already in my backlog, rather than adding to it? Here's some suggestions:

Mason & Dixon

Foucault's Pendulum

Evolution as Fact and Theory

Spook Country

Just kidding (mostly). I've never ordered a Kindle book through the web site before, and it's neat to be able to push the download to a specific device.

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I dunno, if you're going to read young adult fiction (people know thats what the hunger games is right?), go for Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials. A lot more to discuss in there, and far less tedious. Personal opinion of course!

I agree with this.

As for the post above me , the book is less than 200 pages so it's should be a quick read, though I personally haven't started reading it yet.

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