Any interest in forming a book discussion group?

[stingo]

Well I'll compile all the suggestions and put them into a finalized list, but whomever puts a book on the list is understood to be the discussion leader. This means of course, keeping the discussion alive with comments, questions etc.

Of the examples mentioned so far, I've not read Heart of a Dog, but I have read Master and Margarita (Bulgakov), Confederacy of Dunces (Toole) and Love in the Time of Cholera (Garcia Marquez). The group I belong to read Blood Meridian a while back and weren't too favorable toward it, but as I didn't yet read it myself I can't offer an opinion. (We also did (at my suggestion) Swann's Way (Proust) and that is probably the last the club will see of Proust lol.)

As for genre-skipping I'm all for it - the more variety the better. The idea here is to read things off the beaten path or things otherwise unfamiliar.

[stingo]

If there's no objections, just to get the ball rolling I'll go to BN tonight and pick up something to start things off.

[L'ilJ]

Yay! I'm psyched. I'm going on vacation next week so I may actually have time to READ something.

[stingo]

That being the case - anything I should keep an eye out for?

[L'ilJ]

Originally Posted by stingo

That being the case - anything I should keep an eye out for?

No. Pick away. I'm sure you'll come up with something good.

[stingo]

Well I did get to Barnes and Noble, and picked up a couple of books... These were mentioned by people in the reading group I belong to, and they look great, so I figure we can start with these, til more formal suggestions (nominations?) take place. Each book is non-fiction, looking at the power of the written word and the effects it has on people.

Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

(from the back cover)
Every Thursday morning for two years in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a bold and inspired teacher named Azar Nafisi secretly gathered seven of her most committed female students to read forbidden Western classics. As Islamic morality squads staged arbitrary raids in Tehran, fundamentalists seized hold of the universities, and a blind censor stifled artistic expression, the girls in Azar Nafisi's living room risked removing their veils and immersed themselves in the worlds of Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry James, and Vladimir Nabokov. In this extraordinary memoir, their stories become intertwined with the ones they are reading. Reading Lolita in Tehran is a remarkable exploration of the resilience in the face of tyranny and a celebration of the liberating power of literature.

The Bookseller of Kabul, by Asne Seierstad

(from the back cover)
This mesmerizing portrait of a proud man who, through three decades and successive repressive regimes, heroically braved persecution to bring books to the people of Kabul has elicited extraordinary praise throughout the world and become a phenomenal international bestseller. The Bookseller of Kabul is startling in its intimacy and its details - the plight of Afghan women and a window into the surprising realities of daily life in today's Afghanistan.

For those interested, let me suggest starting with Reading Lolita in Tehran, part one (titled, appropriately enough, Lolita). A week from today I'll post a discussion thread so we can get the ball rolling, for those early birds who get the book right away. A week after the post appears, anyone who reads that thread should only find discussion on Part I. (In other words, you can read as much as you like, but don't spoil the book for others if you've read ahead.) The week after that it will be Part II and so on. In subsequent weeks, I'll be posting in that thread where the next stopping point will be for the following week.

If you have questions, comments, etc please feel free to share.

[Alcoholiday]

will this be like the elusive book club in The Office?

[stingo]

Originally Posted by Alcoholiday

will this be like the elusive book club in The Office?

i've only seen the British version, where I don't recall a book club, so I'm afraid I don't get the reference.

[Cynic]

Here's a couple more that sounded interesting (future reading):

"Life of Pi" by Yan Martel (winner of 2002 Man Booker Prize).
"Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers.

[stingo]

Originally Posted by Cynic

Here's a couple more that sounded interesting (future reading):

"Life of Pi" by Yan Martel (winner of 2002 Man Booker Prize).
"Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers.

I've read Life of Pi and it is good. The Eggers I've heard of and wanted to read, but haven't quite gotten around to it yet. Pick a title (or two if they're connected) you'd most like to read and I'll add it to the list.

[jax]

Originally Posted by Alcoholiday

will this be like the elusive book club in The Office?

The Office TV Show Series on NBC: Find Video Webisodes Online – NBC Official Site

[L'ilJ]

Originally Posted by Alcoholiday

will this be like the elusive book club in The Office?

Originally Posted by jax

The Office TV Show Series on NBC: Find Video Webisodes Online – NBC Official Site

That is funny! Hey, I could wear a hijab or a burka and we could eat hummus. Or if we read Reading Lolita in Tehran we could all wear those heartshaped glasses.

[kingkop182]

Originally Posted by stingo

I've read Life of Pi and it is good.

Is the right answer

[liftintexas]

as long as it's not on Oprah's book club selection, I tend to be open to it.

[stingo]

So who's in? If nobody, then someone else put a selection on.

[Cynic]

I'll buy them, online. It'll give me an oppotunity to get a 2-3 copies of NROL4W.