I'm thinking of a book: my BAFAB contest #2 REVISED

I'm thinking of a book

Your job is to figure out what book it is. Ask yes or no questions in the comments to try to narrow it down. Everyone who leaves a question in the comments will be entered in a drawing to win a copy of the secret book.

Because I'd like participation to be broad (as opposed to one person, say, figuring things out after a spate of questions), please ask no more than two questions each. Your first question will win you one entry in the contest; your second question will win you a second entry.

In addition to asking two yes or no questions, anyone who's asked at least one question may take as many guesses as they'd like about the book, by providing the author's name and the book title in the comments.

The contest will be closed when the identity of the book has been discovered, after which I'll hold a drawing (using a random number generator). The winner of the drawing will win the book in question. The person who guesses the book correctly (providing author name and title), will win an extra three entries in the drawing (for a possible five total entries).

Got that? Okay, I'm thinking of a book. Ask me a question....

ADDED 4/9/2008: Because you people are having such trouble identifying this book (ahem), here's what I've decided to do:

I'll allow you to ask as many yes or no questions as you'd like. However, as before, you can only earn a maximum of two drawing entries for your questions. Anyone who's asked at least one yes or no question can make guesses about the book's author and title.

Comments

[Valentina]

Cool, this is fun.
ok, question: Is it a children's book?

ANSWER: NO

(I'm glad you're enjoying this! I am too.)

[Tom]

Is it fiction?

ANSWER: YES

[Eva]

Was it published in the twenty-first century?

ANSWER: NO

[Marg]

Is it a YA book?

ANSWER: NO

[gautami tripathy]

Is it women oriented?

ANSWER: NO

[Marg]

Does it have a historical setting?

ANSWER: NO

[Melissa]

Was it written in the 19th century?

ANSWER: NO

[valentina]

is it written by a man?

ANSWER: YES

[stephanie]

Is it a Romance book?

ANSWER: NO

[Tom]

Is it a mystery novel?

ANSWER: NO

[Megan]

Was it published after 1950?

ANSWER: YES

[Medbie]

Was it published before 1990?

ANSWER: NO

[Stoney]

Is the author American?

ANSWER: NO

[Medbie]

And for my second question *insert drum roll here*

Has it ever been made into a movie (TV or cinema)?

ANSWER: NO (98% sure; a Google search, etc., turned up nothing)

[anne]

Is the novel historical fiction?

ANSWER: NO

[Susan]

Is it a mystery novel?

ANSWER: NO

[Susan]

Aha! Is it "Deja Vu", by Ian Hocking?

Ooh, good guess. But no.

[Susan]

I know! I know! That sometimes-cranky guy...Bill something...Liver...?sidge?...

NOPE! Keep 'em coming.... It's sitting here on my desk, waiting for someone.

[valentina]

wild guess:
is it The wind-up bird chronicle by Murakami?

ANSWER: NOPE!

[anne]

IS it a family saga?

ANSWER: NO

[Tom]

Is the author British?

ANSWER: YES

[Tom]

To summarize what we know...

It is adult fiction written by a non-American man between 1990 and 2000. It is not a mystery or historical fiction or romance. It is not a family saga. It has not been made into a movie.

It is not "Deja Vu", by Ian Hocking
It is not The wind-up bird chronicle by Murakami
It is not anything by Bill something...Liver...?sidge?...

[Nicole]

Is it an adventure novel?

ANSWER: NO

[Debra Hamel]

Thanks for the summary, Tom! That's very handy.

[Megan]

Has the author (or book) won any sort of prize?

ANSWER: YES

(Rather an open question, that.)

[Susan]

Is it any one of the thousands of books written by Alexander McCall Smith?

ANSWER: NO

[Susan]

Is it "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"?

ANSWER: NO

[Susan]

"Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About" by Mil Millington? Hope so, and hope I win...I'd like to read that one...

ANSWER: NO!

You *should* read that one. He's so good. I know, our Ian is madly jealous of Millington, seethes at the thought of *another* English writer, but you should still read him.

You have, I believe, another regular question coming to you, no?

[Medbie]

Okay, it's a prize winning adult fiction written by a British male between the years 1990-2000. Not mystery, romance, historical fiction or family drama and hasn't been made into a movie.

And bother, I just thought of a question I should have asked you! Poo.

Anyway. . .
Is it one of my favorites:
Gideon Defoe's The Pirates! in an Adventure with Scientists? (I LOVE this book!)

ANSWER: NO!

By the way, I never said the book was prize-winning....

[Tom]

Is it something by Jeffrey Archer?

ANSWER: NO

[Terri]

Is it Ian McEwan?

ANSWER: NO

[Tania Hershman/The ShortReview]

Is it science fiction?

ANSWER: NO

[Terri]

Is the author Kazuo Ishiguro?

ANSWER: NO

[Kimmy]

Is it written in the first person?

ANSWER: NO

[Susan]

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time", by Mark Haddon?

ANSWER: NO

[Medbie]

Ah, my bad, I misread the question--it was did the AUTHOR OR book win any sort of prize, to which you answered yes. I read too much into it, really!

So, how about The Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk by David Ambrose. I don't really think of it as a mystery, more of an adventure really and given how he's written screenplays, for all I know he could've won a prize somewhere. And besides, I totally dig that book too. :D

ANSWER: NO

You guys need to narrow this down more! So many questions to ask....

I loved that book too, and if I'm not mistaken I owe my knowing about it to you.

[Tom]

Did you write a review of the book?

ANSWER: NO

Good question.

[Susan]

Did Ian Hocking review the book? (Thanks for the question idea, Tom!)

ANSWER: NO (At least, not to my knowledge.)

[anne]

IS this semi- or autobiographical or a memoir

ANSWER: NO

[Rubsey]

Is the author still living?

ANSWER: YES

[Medbie]

Yay Tom, I'm SO glad you asked that! I thought of it the day after I asked my second question!

Okay, another guess and a waaaaaay bizarre one too. . . Hari Kunzru's The Impressionist?

ANSWER: NO

[Medbie]

Oh, duh, that's sort of an historical fiction so I'm betting the answer is no. Sigh. Back the thinking.

[Jessica]

Is the main character a man?

ANSWER: YES

[Jessica]

Author guess: Nick Hornby

ANSWER: NO

[Jessica]

Author guess: Is the author Julian Barnes?

ANSWER: NO

[Jessica]

Is the book considered to be fantasy or science fiction?

ANSWER: NO

[Jessica]

Is the author Christopher Meredith?

ANSWER: NO

[Jessica]

Stephen Baxter

ANSWER: NO

[Jessica]

Harold Pinter MOONLIGHT

ANSWER: NO

[Susan]

Jeffrey Archer?

ANSWER: NO

I wonder if I should change the rules so people can ask another question or two. What do you think?

[Susan]

I think unlimited questioning is in order...You could always later choose to dole out your answers sparingly... I think we need a hint on this one. Who knew the British Isles had so many writers?! I thought it was just a little bitty place :-) arr, arr, arr.

Okay, I'm going to append something to the post above. Hold on a moment....

[Jessica]

I'm not quite clear about the hint -
Is the author from England?

ANSWER: YES

There was no hint, I just changed the rules so people could ask more questions.

[Eric the Blogless]

Is it about a Dad? Or a hamster?

ANSWER: UH...NO.

[Jessica]

Is the author from Ireland?

ANSWER: NO

[Susan]

Does the author have a 'day job'? i.e., is his primary employment something other than writing?

ANSWER: YES

[Susan]

Does the first letter of the author's surname come in the first half of the alphabet ('a' to 'm')?

ANSWER: NO

And let me take this opportunity to share my mnemonic:

Even Juno Ogles The Youth.

It gives you the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th letters of the alphabet for those times when you need to quickly identify the 8th or 17th or 21st letter, say.

[Susan]

Hugh Laurie! "The Gun Seller" ?

ANSWER: NO!

[Susan]

Does the author teach?

ANSWER: NO (At least, not to my knowledge, and certainly not principally.)

[Susan]

Is the author an entertainer?

ANSWER: YES

[Susan]

Is it "The Greedy Bastard Tour of America", by Eric Idle?

ANSWER: NO!

[ruth]

Is it Broken Music by Sting?

ANSWER: NO

[Susan]

Well? Is it? :-)

[ellie]

Is it Families and how to survive them by John Cleese

ANSWER: NO

[Jessica]

Is the author a musician?

ANSWER: NO

[Jessica Johnson]

Is the book written before the year 2000?

I thought someone asked that from above, but I didn't see it when I went back, so I thought it was worth asking.

ANSWER: The clues have narrowed the publication date down thus:

It was not written in the 21st century.
It was not written in the 19th century.
It was published after 1950.
It was not published before 1990.

[Medbie]

Is it Hemingway's Chair by Michael Palin?

[Debra Hamel]

YES! MEDBIE HAS FINALLY DONE IT!

Man, you guys were *so* close--Eric Idle, John Cleese. Unbelievable.

Well, this was fun. I'm off to bed now, but I will hold a drawing in the morning to determine who will get the book! But Gypsi (i.e., medbie) has won herself three extra entries in the drawing. Happy days!

[Susan]

Yay, Gypsi!

[Debra Hamel]

See the results of the drawing here: http://www.the-deblog.com/2008/04/my-bafab-cont-1.html

[Medbie]

Yippee Skippy! That was SOOOO much fun! You should have more "I'm thinking of a book" things without prizes. I totally enjoyed it. :D

[Debra Hamel]

Glad you enjoyed yourself! I did too. This was great.