One of the fun parts of having a blog and talking about books is being able to connect with people who have the same interest and desire to share book talk and recommendations. The challenging part is that we are not always reading the same things at the same time, and when I post reviews I don’t mention spoilers. Besides a general agreement of like or dislike, there isn’t always as much discussion as I would like.
I have always enjoyed the books clubs that I have participated in over on Gayle’s blog, and I decided that it was something that I would like to do regularly with my blog readers. Since I was already working on another project with Jen from Devourer of Books, it was easy to sucker her in get her thoughts and assistance with this project. And thus, BOOK CLUB, was born. As you can see, we are not very good with titles. I tend to state the obvious.
We decided that we wanted to read literary fiction with a smattering of non-fiction and classics, and we already had some idea of where would turn for our first selections. Last spring at BookExpoAmerica, I was impressed by the titles at Graywolf Press and at Other Press. Being at their booths was like wanting to open a giant bag and just sweep everything in.
BOOK CLUB will take place the last Tuesday of each month, and going forward on the second Tuesday of each month, both Jen and I will hold a giveaway of some sort for the next month’s title. I will post my review during the month of the book club, and on the last Tuesday, discussion questions, notes about the author and other supplemental reading material will be available. Stop by with a wine recommendation or dish for book club! Participation in the discussion might make you eligible for automatic win of the next book club title.
Our first selection will be published by Other Press on January 11, 2011:
Farhad is a typical student, twenty-one years old, interested in wine, women, and poetry, and negligent of the religious conservatism of his grandfather. But he lives in Kabul in 1979, and the early days of the pro-Soviet coup are about to change his life forever. One night Farhad goes out drinking with a friend who is about to flee to Pakistan, and is brutally abused by a group soldiers.
A few hours later he slowly regains consciousness in an unfamiliar house, beaten and confused, and thinks at first that he is dead. A strange and beautiful woman has dragged him into her home for safekeeping, and slowly Farhad begins to feel a forbidden love for her—a love that embodies an angry compassion for the suffering of Afghanistan’s women. As his mind sifts through its memories, fears, and hallucinations, and the outlines of reality start to harden, he realizes that, if he is to escape the soldiers who wish to finish the job they started, he must leave everything he loves behind and find a way to get to Pakistan.
Rahimi uses his tight, spare prose to send the reader deep into the fractured mind and emotions of a country caught between religion and the political machinations of the world’s superpowers.
Sound good?
Please fill out the form for entry. Your mailing address will be discarded if you aren’t selected to participate or passed onto the publisher if you are. I do not share or retain any personal information. If you are interested, please fill out the for quickly. I will be selecting participants tomorrow so that everyone receives their books to read before the holidays.
What an awesome idea! I would love to have an online bookclub. I look forward to my IRL bookclub every month.
I love book clubs!
Glad to have you Stephanie! It should be fun.
What a great idea. I love the idea of an online Book Club.I can’t wait to get started. Thank you for hosting.
I’m glad you’re excited! I am too!
I love this idea! I don’t think I can fit the book in this time around, but I will try to participate in the future. And I like the name — it’s no nonsense and tells you exactly what you’re in for!
Thanks Erin! Looking forward to having you read with us.
This sounds like a great idea! I can’t wait to see what books you guys feature every month!
Oh! ow I wish I could join you guys! This book sounds wonderful and I am sure I am not going to find it here easily. I hope you guys have fun though
Nicole, this sounds like such a fun idea. My book club dismantled last year when a bunch of people moved on in life or moved out of the area. I really love reading book and writing blogs for ideas for new books, but sometimes I get sad that I haven’t read a book the blogger is talking about and I can’t join in the conversation. Sometimes I’ll even read a book recommended by a blogger and want to go back and figure out who so I can talk to them about it! Of course, I never keep track of the person who recommended it, so it doesn’t work out. Anyway, apparently I’ve taken this comment box to whine about how no one will read the same books at the same time as me, so it’s time for me to sign off.
I know what you mean though! It is always like chasing your tail.
Glad I found this. I read Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi (a fantastic read) during the November Novella challenge and have acquired a copy of A Thousand Rooms by swap so I am ready to go. I look forward to the discussion in January.
I signed up but it might be too late?
I wanted to check the box for new post notification and forgot so this post is for that purpose.
THANKS.
Wonder where my other comment is.
I was in need to more information about how the book club works please.
THANKS.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
Another comment…I can’t find the submit button for the form we have to fill out.
HELP please.
Hi Elizabeth, This post is two years old, so this giveaway is no longer current. If you subscribe to the blog for updates, you will be able to see when we announce the latest giveaway.
Oh dear…I should pay better attention. Sorry.
I have subscribed…thanks.
So….no book club then either…that is what I was most interested in.
THANKS again.
Elizabeth
The next book club will be in February. Sign-ups should be around the first week of January. You can try checking back then to sign up.