Hi 1book140 readers, it's Nathan here, and I'm excited about our first month together. December is high season for books as escapism. Reading seems a gentle way to nurse wounds from NaNoWriMo, cool off indoors (hi, Southern Hemisphere!) or lament the disappearing bounty of Movember.

This month's book won't be a warm blanket of sentimental comfort. Wikipedia classifies The City & The City (2009) by China Miéville as "Crime, Weird Fiction." The novel has won an armful of awards, including the Arthur C. Clarke Award, and has tied for the 2010 Hugo Award for best novel.

Can't get enough of Miéville? Read his atmospheric photo-essay on last November's public-sector strikes in London, or his 2012 novel, Railsea.

Here's our discussion schedule for The City & The City:

• Week One: Chapters 1-5, using #1b140_1 as a hashtag for your tweets
• Week Two: Chapters 6-11, using #1b140_2 for discussion
• Week Three: Part Two, "UL QOMA" #1b140_3 for discussion
• Week Four: Part Three, "Breach", using #1b140_4 for discussion