Book #2: The Wind-up Bird Cronicle

I figured we might as well have a post for the second book. It is a touch longer than The Road at just over 600 pages. But it's a quick read and a bit more upbeat than the last book. I know the library has a wait for the book, so if you have a copy you've finished with or need one, let us know. Discussion about the next meeting as well. Well have fun! Murakami can be a little weird at times.

first meet & greet

for anyone interested in meeting in person (tentatively at The Bean Bag Cafe; divisadero & hayes) which date do you prefer?

Thurs. Feb 7th or Tues. Feb 12th?

first read: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

by majority rules, our first read will be The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Flagged to be McCarthy's masterpiece (by the back cover), The Road is (and I quote) 'the searing, postapocalyptic novel' about a father, son, and their journey in a future where no hope remains. "The Road is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation." (again, back cover quote). as for awards, this took a Pulitzer and (you guessed it), an official inaugural into Oprah's Book Club (2007).

happy reading!

to begin...

despite the skepticism from those who claim book clubs rarely work, i decided to post a group request on craigslist and see the response. the good news: there are numerous folks out there interested in finding a group of people willing to agree on a read and converse in an open forum. while recognizing the hesitation of some friends i discussed the idea with, i'm feeling optimistic and inspired that this particular book club format may work... here are couple reasons why:

a) participants replied to join solely on their own will
b) there are no prior friendships involved
c) we have electronic capabilities to keep in touch (ie a blogspace)

my motivation for starting the read SF blogspace is two-fold. i hope the blog evolves to be an open forum where book club members can post reviews, comment on what they're reading, or leave excerpts and quotes. it is also my intention that non-members view the blog and use it as a resource for book choices, leave comments, start an argument, or ask to join!

regardless, for whatever reason you're reading this... please don't be quiet about it! and with that, i end with a quote (thanks Emmaly):

"The arts are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something." - Kurt Vonnegut