Hard to believe, but R&BLers is 10 months old. Looking back at where we were in February brings a smile to my face. Do you remember the angst around here? The naked fear some Kossacks expressed over the switch to DK4; the outright hostility; the resistance to the idea of Groups by a few who thought they would isolate and divide the community, even create an elite register of Kossacks who would be invited to join groups vs. those who wouldn't be.
Seems to me now that most of that rough response to change and the new is smoothed over now. Guess that means we're ripe for more change and something else new? We're all pretty comfortable in our easy chairs. Maybe too comfortable? Let's think about what we can do around our publishing house to freshen up the R&BLers experience.
Please turn the page.
Announcements
One small change to the schedule: Look for Monday Murder Mystery at its new time, 8 PM (ET). Still Mondays, fans.
Because it's important to include different people who will add to the vision and broaden the scope of R&BLers. I'm soliciting volunteers to add to the Admin level of membership. What kind of Kossack is suited to be an R&BLer Admin? Easy. Someone who can't live without books, who feels that s/he know the ins and outs of groups sufficiently to help newbies with writing diaries, queuing them and is available to perform scheduling tasks, and who spends enough time on Daily Kos to "surf" the diaries for material suitable for republishing here. Finally, we're looking for that person who has a vision or direction that they'd like to apply to this group in terms of content, attracting new writers, and creating new series.
No special talent is required to be an R&BLers Admin. You're an ordinary User who just likes books, can occasionally hold a nervous newbie's hand, and who has enough free time to commit a portion of it to helping this group run smoothly.
Does that sound like you? Does it sound like someone you know? If so, I'd love to hear from you by PM. So, please be in touch. Thanks in advance!
I see my role changing in relation to the Group starting around February next year, and over the next two months, I'll have more to say about that.
Sadly, I will not be able to post THU e-Readers & Book Lovers installment. There was an unexpected and sudden death in our extended family. The Laotian branch is extensive and people are coming from all over the world for the funerary rituals and observances that will take place this weekend. Since I have to be on the other side of the state Friday AM, I won't be here to diary. I hope to be able to pick up the reins the THU before the New Year.
If you have ideas for changes that you think would invigorate and interest our Followers, please post them in comments.
Susan from 29 made a bold proposal in her latest diary, that I think is a good idea. Maybe we can talk about how it should be done. Or, entertain other thoughts on what can make R&BLers more user-friendly.
Here's what she suggested:
Although the search engine helps, what we needed was a comprehensive listing of all our books. Such a list would be so very helpful, not only to avoid repetition, but also as a resource for any member looking for a good read. Or perhaps trying to remember who it was that wrote that gawd awful book about the exploding turkey.
So I decided to start one for us. Here is the current list of those books that have been written about in the Monday Murder Mystery series and links to their diaries. I will maintain this list for as long as the series continues, adding new titles and links as the diaries are published.
(As time allows, and if there are no objections, I may root around back in the archives and gradually catalog all of the books that have made their way into Readers & Book Lovers.)
If you'd like to help Susan from 29 in this endeavor, please PM her.
If you have an idea for a new series, let us hear about it in the comments below.
For starters, I'd like to see two new series on our weekly schedule:
Contemporary Fiction Review: Weekly book reviews of recently published noteworthy fiction by various Contributors.
Pol-Lit: Discussion/book club of works of political nature. This can include bios of politician;, historical analysis of political events; analyses of political campaigns; policy, both domestic and foreign; books on issues, current and bygone. After all, this is a political blog and 2012 is an election year. So, interest ought to be high.
My Favorite Books/Authors: A favorite former R&BLers series initiated by billssha that, IMO, needs to return to our weekly line-up. If you think so, too, and think that you can be instrumental in resurrecting it, let's "make it so"!
If these topics interest you enough to "host" them on a regular basis, please PM me and let's discuss your concept, bring it to fruition, and add it to the regular features of R&BLers.
Until next time, may each and every one of you enjoy the blessings of family and friends, joy and merriment, good drink and good food shared with whomever you love most. Try not to look like this when the holidays are over!
I leave you with fond good wishes that a new book, traditional or e-book, that you've been lusting after finds its way into your hands, and with the hopes that you fulfilled someone else's wish for a little literary lump in their stocking. Remember, books make the best gifts. No matter how hard you shake them they never rattle or break.
Peace and good will to all, and to all a good night.
Readers & Book Lovers Series Schedule
DAY |
TIME (EST/EDT) |
Series Name |
Editor(s) |
SUN |
3:00 PM (intermittent) |
The Magic Theater |
ArkDem14 |
SUN |
6:00 PM |
Young Reader's Pavilion |
The Book Bear |
SUN |
9:30 PM |
SciFi/Fantasy Book Club |
quarkstomper |
MON |
8:00 PM |
Monday Murder Mystery |
Susan from 29 |
TUE |
8:00 PM |
Readers & Book Lovers Newsletter |
Limelite |
WED |
7:30 AM |
WAYR? |
plf515 |
WED |
8:00 PM |
Bookflurries: Bookchat |
cfk |
THU |
2:00 PM (bi-weekly) |
eReaders & Book Lovers Club |
Limelite |
THU |
8:00 PM |
Write On! |
SensibleShoes |
FRI |
9:00 AM |
Books That Changed My Life |
etbnc, aravir |
FRI |
10:00 PM (first of month) |
Monthly Bookposts |
AdmiralNaismith |
SAT |
9:00 PM |
Books So Bad They're Good |
Ellid |
Other than that, nothing's happening.