Mod post: theme suggestions
May. 30th, 2009 03:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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readingthepastPlease suggest themes you'd like to see covered here! Cut and paste the following into a comment:
ETA: please put your theme in the subject of your comment!
Theme:
Are you prepared to run it? Yes/No
Suggested books, if you have them already:
What does it mean to run the theme?
1. At least one month in advance, you'll let everyone know about the theme and your suggested reading for it. You need to suggest at least 3 works of fiction.
2. On the first of the month, you will post a welcome/introduction/kickoff for the theme.
3. Throughout the month, you'll take an active part in discussion of the theme.
You do not have to be an expert on the theme to run it. You just need to have an interest in it.
ETA: please put your theme in the subject of your comment!
Theme:
Are you prepared to run it? Yes/No
Suggested books, if you have them already:
What does it mean to run the theme?
1. At least one month in advance, you'll let everyone know about the theme and your suggested reading for it. You need to suggest at least 3 works of fiction.
2. On the first of the month, you will post a welcome/introduction/kickoff for the theme.
3. Throughout the month, you'll take an active part in discussion of the theme.
You do not have to be an expert on the theme to run it. You just need to have an interest in it.
Jacobite Rebellion
Date: 2009-05-30 11:16 pm (UTC)Are you prepared to run it? Yes
Suggested books, if you have them already:
I don't know the period well, but here are three widely variant ones I know of:
* Diana Gabaldon, Outlander -- modern (1990s?) time travel novel/historical romance, kind of trashy but fun.
* D. K. Broster's Jacobite Trilogy -- early 20th century, rather slashy
* Sir Walter Scott, Waverley -- available as ebook, considered to be the first Historical Novel.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-30 11:55 pm (UTC)Theme: Roman Britain
Run it: Um, sure.
Suggested books: Sutcliff (Eagle of the Ninth), Finney (The Crow Goddess), Bradshaw (Island of Ghosts), not sure what else. Is Finney even still in print? I'd have to look around to see what's available via Gutenberg. There's nothing available movie-wise that I'm comfortable with recommending.
This would explicitly be not an Arthurian thing, which I think of as more fantasy, but we could talk about the intersections with that myth, both within and external to the novels.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-30 11:58 pm (UTC)Are you prepared to run it? Depends on my school schedule.
Suggested books:
Off the top of my head...
Flashman at the Charge by George McDonald Fraser
Jack Archer by G.A. Henty
...and I suppose it wouldn't be the Crimea without The Charge of the Light Brigade.
(Ha, the Crimean War also sneaks into Sherlock Holmes as the place where Dr Watson was shot.)
no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 12:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 12:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 12:37 am (UTC)It's not Nightingale but it might fill the niche. My local library has it - I'm going to check it out.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 12:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 12:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 01:00 am (UTC)Are you prepared to run it? Uh, I guess, depends on when.
Suggested books, if you have them already: Fiona Buckey's Ursula Blanchard mysteries, Philippa Gregory (I find her work rather annoying and she tends to run with some weird hypotheses, but hey, discussion fodder!)...I'd have to look around for more, I think.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 01:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 01:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 01:16 am (UTC)Are you prepared to run it? No, but someone else totally should.
Suggested books, if you have them already:
An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer
Vanity Fair by Thackery
A Close Run Thing by Alan Mallinson
Sharpe's Waterloo by Bernard Cornwell
no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 01:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 04:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 04:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 04:15 am (UTC)US Civil War
Date: 2009-05-31 04:24 am (UTC)Prepared to run it? Maybe, but would want help
Suggested books:
Geraldine Brooks, "March"
(Which means reading or at least looking at Little Women, too.)
Plagues and pandemics
Date: 2009-05-31 04:24 am (UTC)Prepared to run it: guess so
Suggested books:
Geraldine Brooks, "Year of Wonder"
Connie Willis, "Doomsday Book"
Nelson's Navy
Date: 2009-05-31 04:27 am (UTC)Prepared to run it: WHY YES I AM
Suggested books:
Patrick O'Brian, "Master and Commander"
C. S. Forester, "Beat to Quarters"
Frederick Marryat, "Mr Midshipman Easy"
Colonial-era Africa
Date: 2009-05-31 04:34 am (UTC)Prepared to run it: not my period/area, but don't mind doing it
Suggested books:
Joseph Conrad, "Heart of Darkness"
C. S. Forester, "The African Queen"
Gold Rushes
Date: 2009-05-31 04:39 am (UTC)Prepared to run it: sure
Suggested books: don't know any yet, but could find some
I think it would be interesting to cover eg. the California, Victorian, and Yukon gold rushes, if we can manage it.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 05:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-31 05:15 am (UTC)