Monday, February 22, 2010

A Book Club Update

Yes I have finally joined a book club. I actually joined it late last year when a friend set it up. I have always wanted to do this to force me to read interesting books and then get some great discussion out of it.

The result has been pretty good so far. My favourite book picks have got to be 'Brave New World' (because it was such a defining book for me when growing up), some short stories by Franz Kafka (for the word Kafkaesque) and 'My Name is Asher Lev' (for the great discussion about art and other stuff). That last book really turned out some far better conversation than I expected. If you haven't read it and you are interested in art and artists this is simply put a must-read.

The next book we are reading is more of a return to traditional book club books I think. I am a little torn as to whether or not I will like 'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts. I mean I know I will like the book because it is one of those exciting books that spans continents, has interesting characters and has lots of action. But will it make me think the way those other books did? Does it have the same lasting presence? And what's with the author's weird spiritualism which feels like a cross between Hulk Hogan and Madonna's personal religions.

Well I guess there is only one way to find out......read it.

3 comments:

LV said...

My Name is Asher Lev is my favourite book of all time. I read it for the first time in university many years ago and have read it numerous times since. Then a few years ago I picked it for my book club too. We also had a great discussion. Lois

Reuben said...

so cool. i'm so glad i read it. i don't think i would have ever picked it up myself. Now i want to read the sequel.

LV said...

The sequel isn't nearly as good...