Hello, everyone!

Have you finished the book? What do you think of it?

But first... Here is an interview (part one) with the author of The Art of Fielding, which after having read the book might help answer some questions or add some further insight to your thoughts about the book. Thanks to Kurt for making sure I didn't miss the link to it so I could share with everyone.

I anticipate everyone will be really busy for the next few weeks with Thanksgiving, Christmas coming up, other winter holidays, shopping, and any year-end tasks at work and/or final exams at school, so this would be after the new year starts... But does anyone want to read another book after the holidays? January to mid-February or so would take us up until when pitchers and catchers report and the Tigers play their first spring training game in 100 days (give or take), so there is time for one more if anyone cares to. Otherwise we can hang onto interesting titles until next fall when we need something to take the edge off of a time empty of baseball.

Food for thought after the turkey is devoured, anyway.

So, "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach... final thoughts? And thank you all in advance of comments for participating. It was a lot of fun to see so many jump in and comment on the novel, and it really helped to pass the time and was a fun community activity to do together with friends. :)

Edit: For next week, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read to page 330 (end of chapter 51), and then finish the book for the week after that. Then we can concentrate on turkey and family. :)

Everyone still reading? Excellent!

So, what do you think of what has happened so far through page 164? Chat away!

Owen Dunne caught a baseball in the head, we have been introduced to Pella Affenlight, Henry Scrimshander has been told that he will be drafted a lot higher than he ever imagined he might be, and we find out more about Mike Schwartz's background and what has brought him to Westish College and makes him so driven to succeed.

ETA: For next Tuesday the 8th, we're reading up to page 164/the end of chapter 21.

Originally I figured a good page count to start would be 60 pages or the first seven chapters. I actually went a bit farther, to the end of chapter nine, but I don't know how far along anyone else is.

So in the first few chapters we have met a few characters;

• Henry Scrimshander, incredible defensive shortstop
  
• Mike Schwartz, sophomore catcher (and football player) at Westish College 
• Henry's parents and sister Sophie
• Owen Dunne, Henry's roommate
  
• Coach Cox
• Guert Affenlight, president of Westish College

In the story so far, Schwartz has decided that Henry was going to college and he was not going to take no for an answer, even from his father. Henry has become a prospect of some renown after two years in college, and the Harpooners are actually improving and not such a horrible baseball team. We also find out the background of the college president and his frustrations as a young man, and the connection that a small college in the Midwest has to Herman Melville.

So what does everyone think about the book so far? Things you like about the characters, things that remind you of events in your own life, images that really strike a chord with you?

It looks like Tuesday will work out well for the most people as a start day for the discussion posts, so I will go with that. It also looks like most people have the book or will have it shortly, so may as well get started reading.

Remember: the novel is "The Art of Fielding" by Chad Harbach.

First discussion post will go up Tuesday evening 9:00 pm on November 1st, and we'll be covering the first 60 pages. (The first seven chapters if you have a different format than the hardcover.)

If you haven't read that far, don't worry - just catch up when you can. If you aren't very "literary" in discussions, then don't worry - it's interesting to talk about which characters seem realistic and who you just like more also.

So, crack open that novel or rev up your e-reader and get going! :)

Here's the thing.

A few weeks ago some Tigers fans on twitter were talking about the offseason and how abominably long it is until spring training starts, and we were chatting about books in general and sports books in particular. One thing lead to another and we thought it might be fun to read a book together, like a book club. I've never participated in one before, but anything that forces me to read instead of always putting it off because spending time reading a book that has nothing to do with work or class seems so frivolous can't be a bad thing, right? So I said it sounded like fun.

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I WENT TO SEE THE TIGERS PLAY IN GAME THREE LIVE IN PERSON AT COMERICA PARK!

"So, did you have fun? How was it?"

Some questions just can't be answered on twitter, even with serial tweets that ignore the character limits and YELLING IN ALL CAPS. Too much to say, too many feelings and emotions to fit in small spaces or even answer when someone asks me in person. At least in person they can see how I couldn't stop smiling about my experience.

This is one full ballpark. (via Baroque97)

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There are a couple things I wanted to remind the people who will be attending.

First, Jen MacRostie tweeted that hotel reservations need to be made by March 1st for the H2H2 rate, so if you haven't yet... better get your butt moving. She has the details, so if you lost the information contact her at jennyquarx at gmail dot com.

Second, there is some talk about a euchre tournament the Thursday before the game, but I don't know how much interest there would be. Maybe in the evening, so after people checked in and grabbed something to eat they could have some fun on a night the Wings weren't playing. Would anyone be interested in such a thing?

Third, several of us (including me) are going to go to the Henry Ford Museum on Saturday after the game. Anyone still around is welcome to join us - especially if they have a car. I went last year and it is a fantastic place, well worth the trip.

Fourth, I'm getting started on the name tags so we know who each other is. For that, of course, I need to know who you are. Some people have guests along with them and I need those names too.

Last year I did (for most people) first names and also their twitter or screen name. If that's fine, let me know - if you want something else, like your first name and the name of your blog, or some goofy phrase, let me know that. The name tags are 3" x 4" so I can't write a lengthy epistle, but since I'm doing them by hand I can fit pretty much anything on it if you want.

Either give me the information here, or @ reply me on twitter, or email me at zielonka97 at gmail dot com. I will have extra blank tags and pens, but the more people who are pre-labeled the quicker and less congested check-in will be.

I'll mention it a few more times, too, but I wanted to start catching people as they get back on line after the weekend.

(Alright, alright, so it was MORE than "a couple things." I'm wordy! What else is new?)