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Post by Dominique on Jan 10, 2007 7:04:45 GMT -5
Ok, so since it usually takes us awhile to decide on a book I figured we may as well start thinking about it now so everyone can get their copies ahead of time. Based on the nominations from last time people suggested the following contemporary books: * the historian * the time traveler's wife * running with scissors They also suggested tambourines to glory by Langston Hughes and rescuing patty hearst, but I don't know much about either of these so I don't know if they're classic or contemporary? I'd like to suggest the snow flower and the secret fan, or the handmaid's tale which I think would be a good dystopian follow up to Fahrenheit 451 but I've already read it so I don't mind. When suggesting contemporary books try to pick stuff that sounds like it has a bit of meat to it so that it's good to analyse (no chick lit please, lol I've got nothing against it but analysing it would make me cry ).
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Jan 10, 2007 8:49:37 GMT -5
I think it would be interesting to do Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, sounds like a good book to read and analyze together.
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 10, 2007 10:02:26 GMT -5
I was also thinking Bee Season Life of Pi The Secret Life of Bees
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Jan 10, 2007 10:53:04 GMT -5
I like those 3 suggestions too!
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 10, 2007 10:57:41 GMT -5
When it comes to contemporary i'm a little worried about the amount of analyzing we can do.I agree with the chick lit. I like some chirck lit, but it would be hard to discuss. I know those three have already been done by other bookclubs.
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Bina
First novel published
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Post by Bina on Jan 10, 2007 16:35:11 GMT -5
Uh, I´ve read these except for the historian, which is on my list, and bee season. I´m a bit worried what kind of analysis we´d come up with for running with scissors I didn´t like snow flower and the secret fan that much, thought it didn´t live up to it´s potential.
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sagedautumn
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
You Might Need This!
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Post by sagedautumn on Jan 10, 2007 16:50:02 GMT -5
I think The Time Traveler's Wife would be a good book to read. There a lot of different aspects you could analyze with that book, plus its a good read. I was also thinking, if we're to do a classic we could read Age of Innocence or House of Mirth, they're sort of like Victorian Chick-LIT but with more depth i.e social class, women etc.
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Jan 10, 2007 16:54:55 GMT -5
Another thing to keep in mind is the length of the book - we've done fairly short books so far and it still took us several weeks to get through them, so a longer book would probably take us a few months!
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 10, 2007 17:11:32 GMT -5
I was wondering about that too. I think shorter books would be better to get throught. We don't want to take too long with one book.
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Post by Dominique on Jan 11, 2007 2:27:58 GMT -5
I agree, I really lost my motivation with The Perfume towards the end and that wasn't even that long.
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zeldafitzgerald
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
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Post by zeldafitzgerald on Jan 11, 2007 7:58:50 GMT -5
I think there is plenty to discuss in contemporary novels, depending on which one. I don't think there's a whole lot to analyze in Running with Scissors or The Time Traveler's Wife, but I Life of Pi would make a wonderful discussion. It also goes pretty quickly.
I haven't read it yet, but Dave Eggers new novel, What is the What would probably make an excellent one too. It's an autobiography, about a real person, as told to Dave Eggars and made into a novel. Here's a review that helps explain the novel (I put this in another thread too, sorry it's on here twice!):
Hands down, Dave Eggers' What Is the What stands as the single most thought-provoking, unusual and moving book I have read all year.
It deserves a wide audience for two reasons. First, it is beautifully written and explores all the deepest aspects of human life: grief, the existence of God, alienation, good and evil, love, friendship.
The second reason people should read What Is the What involves a world bigger than book publishing.
Eggers puts a human face on what is happening in Africa today, specifically in Sudan and the conflict between the Muslim North and the Christian South. (What is not specifically about Darfur, but it helps the reader understand the roots of that conflict.)
It is pretty long though - 475 pages, though the text is pretty spread out and there's not a ton on each page.
anyway, whatever we pick, I'm going to try incredibly hard to read it this time, I haven't had a chance to for the last few ones!
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 11, 2007 9:07:04 GMT -5
Yes, that is what I meant Zelda. When it comes to contemporary we need to make sure that there's enough to discuss for a book club. Chick lit is hard to discuss in a book club.
That book sounds interesting.
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Bina
First novel published
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Post by Bina on Jan 11, 2007 9:54:30 GMT -5
Sounds great, I have one of his books out of the library because I haven´t read any of his books yet We could try discussing a short story or play, but I have no idea what is new there.
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Post by bookaddict on Jan 12, 2007 13:03:19 GMT -5
I was also wondering about 'Reading Lolita In Tehran." I think it would be good for discussion.
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Kristie
Novel turned into BBC miniseries
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Post by Kristie on Jan 12, 2007 13:20:20 GMT -5
I've read: Time Traveler's Wife Snow Flower and the Secret Fan The Historian
As for the others, most of them are on my TBR list so I'm fine with anything. I already own Reading Lolita in Tehran and my sister has a copy of Running with Scissors I could prolly borrow.
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