Author Topic: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?  (Read 13911 times)

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2006, 05:16:56 pm »
We can read more than one book at once you know. We're doing it right now! Some are reading The Virginian and some are reading Postcards. And no, I don't think it has to be fiction. Tell us more about your book, Daniel. It sounds fascinating!!

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Offline Daniel

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2006, 08:55:29 pm »
"Like Rumi and Hafiz, the name Attar conjures up images of passionate attraction to the divine. Attar was a Persian Sufi of the 12th century and his masterpiece is The Conference of the Birds, an epic allegory of the seeker's journey to God. When all the birds of the world convene and determine that they lack a king, one bird steps forward and offers to lead them to a great and mighty monarch. Initially excited, each bird falters in turn, whereupon the leader admonishes them with well-targeted parables. These pithy tales are the delight of this 4,500-line poem, translated deftly into rhymed couplets. What is your excuse for not seeking God? Your life is fine already? You prefer material pleasure? You are holy enough? You have pride, lack courage, or are burdened with responsibility? Attar has an answer to encourage you on the path to the promised land. And when you get there, the king may not be what you'd expect, but you must make the journey to see."

Here is one of my favorite excerpts.

Ayaz, afflicted with the Evil Eye,
Fell ill. For safety he was forced to lie
Sequestered from the court, in loneliness.
The king (who loved him) heard of his distress
And called a servant. "Tell Ayaz." he said.
"What tears of sympathy I daily shed."
Tell him that I endure his suffering,
And hardly comprehend I am the king;
My soul is with him (though my flesh is here)
And guards his bed solicitous with fear;
Ayaz, what could this Evil Eye not do,
If it destroys such loveliness as you!"
The king was silent; then again he spoke:
"Go quickly as a fire, return like smoke;
Stop nowhere, but outrun the brilliant flash
That lights the world before the thunder's crash.
Go now; if you so much as pause for breath
My anger will pursue you after death."
The servant scuttled off, consumed with dread,
And like the wind arrived at Ayaz' bed -
There sat his sovereign, by the patient's head!
Aghast, the servant trembled for his life
And pictured in his mind the blood-smeared knife.
"My king," he said, "I swear, I swear indeed.
That I have hurried her with utmost speed -
Although I see you here I cannot see
How in the world you have preceded me;
Believe my innocence, and if I lie
I am a heathen and deserve to die."
His sovereign answered him: "You could not know
The hidden ways by which we lovers go;
I cannot bear my life without his face,
And every minute I am in this place.
The passing world outside is unaware
Of mysteries Ayaz and Mahmoud share;
In public I ask after him, although
Behind the veil of secrecy I know
Whatever news my messengers could give;
I hide my secret and in secret live".
Why do we consume what we consume?
Why do we believe what we believe?
Why do we accept what we accept?
You have a body, a mind, and a soul.... You have a responsibility.

Offline twistedude

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2006, 02:30:43 am »
I vote for The Age if Innocence.

and...sorry, but I read "Accordian crimes" even before The Shipping News--and I did NOT like it, and don't think it's one of her better works--very early, I think. But...I may be wrong. Frequently am. I'd lie to read That Old Ace in the Hole,
too.
"We're each of us alone, to be sure. What can you do but hold your hand out in the dark?" --"Nine Lives," by Ursula K. Le Guin, from The Wind's Twelve Quarters

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #13 on: December 24, 2006, 11:31:32 am »
The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton, is online at

http://www.bartleby.com/1005/

I will establish a thread for it, and I plan to start reading it in early January.

I would be happy to read and comment on Like Water for Chocolate too. I have put a hold on the CD in my library. I don't think this book is online, so everybody please try to obtain a copy. The author is Laura Esquivel.

I am working on obtaining copies of the other books mentioned.
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #14 on: December 26, 2006, 01:30:52 pm »
I have made some edits to this poll, and soon I'll be taking off those that don't get any votes. You can vote for up to three choices, everybody! If you'd like more information about any of the books, just ask in this topic.

Special consideration will be given for those books that have parallels to Brokeback Mountain.

I will also have a poll for movies with parallels to Brokeback Mountain that we might want to watch and discuss together.
"chewing gum and duct tape"

Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #15 on: December 26, 2006, 11:00:59 pm »
From the liner notes for the book "All the Pretty Horses" by Cormac McCarthy.

"
Quote
Set in 1949, this is the story of John Grady Cole, who at the age of sixteen finds himself at the losing end of a long generations of ranchers: his grandfather has just died; his father, who came back from the war somehow changed, is living in town; and his mother wants nothing so much as to clear out of West Texas forever. Too young to be given charge of the ranch, John Grady is cut off from the only life he has ever imagined wanting.

Over the border into Mexico seems the only way out of a society moving in all the wrong directions, so with his friend Lacey Rawlins he rides into a land both beautiful and barren, rugged and cruelly civilized. . . they acquire a hapless younger companion. . . . this idyllic, sometimes comic adventure leads in fact to a place where dreams are paid for in blood."

I'm just now listening to the soundtrack of the movie on Brokeback Mountain radio. It's haunting...thanks, Eric!!
« Last Edit: December 29, 2006, 02:35:20 pm by Front-Ranger »
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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #16 on: December 29, 2006, 12:48:24 am »
This just in! Jonathan Safran Foer lives in the same buliding as Heath and Michelle!!

Here are a few words from the beginning of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

First chapter: "What The?"

What about a teakettle? What if the spout opened and closed when the steam came out, so it would become a mouth, and it could whistle pretty melodies, or do Shakespeare, or just crack up with me?"

Later on on page one is this quote:

"I wonder if everyone's heart's would start to beat at the same time, like how women who live together have menstural periods at the same time, which I know about, but don't really want to know about."

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Offline Front-Ranger

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #17 on: December 29, 2006, 02:40:24 pm »
A question for Daniel: I see that Foer's first listed work was A Convergence of Birds, which he edited. Is that the same as the book you read??

And for everyone: Foer has also written Everything is Illuminated which was made into a movie starring Elijah Wood. I prefer "Extremely" to it, but we can read "Everything" instead if you prefer.

I also highly recommend listening to Extremely, the recorded book. The voices in it are amazing, and really bring the book to life!!
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Offline Katie77

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #18 on: December 30, 2006, 02:09:33 am »
I cant find the other thread where you write about what book you are reading.....can someone please direct me to that one....

in the meantime....just wanted to mention a book I am about to start reading, called "The Last Apache Girl" by Jim Fergus.......

Anyone else know the the author or the book?
Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect.

It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfection

Offline Ellemeno

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Re: Book Club: What Shall We Read Next?
« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2006, 05:02:32 am »
I remember when Heath and Michelle were at some Brooklyn fundraiser or something for buildings or something that Jonathan Safran Foer and Nikola Kraus were there.  She wrote "The Nanny Diaries" and "Citizen Girl."  I love his and her books, especially Nanny Diaires.