Blame Samina Dossani. It's her big idea. But a great one.
Let's start a book club. It's not open to anyone outside the clan (I've disabled google searches etc.).
But it is open and should be to anyone within the family related by blood or marriage who wants to participate in lively discussions about reading the "Greats". Ok, we debated whether to stick to classics, but apparently reading only dead people don't get you youngsters excited.
So, the idea is that we read about 25 books this year (about one every two weeks) from a list we will compile together -- basically, classics or greats that you want to read before you die (not meant to be morbid -- the main benefit is that you will be able to claim in literate conversations that "Yes, I have read that, and here's what I think", but also that we know we always say we want to read this or that but one year passes after another, and we never get around to it, because we think we have all the time in the world.) Sometimes, we don't.
This is meant to be fun, so no pressure to read if life is just crazy for you, but if no one reads, this blog circle will also die. So, let's start reading. In memory of your Dadi/Nanima, I thought it'd be nice to start with a classic that Papa said she loved. Apparently, there were three (at least). Let's vote on it!
-- Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
-- Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell
-- The Three Muskateers, Alexandre Dumas
Orders of business:
1. Anyone else I've not invited who might like to join? If anyone on this current list would like to be off, just email me. That's ok too.
2. Please list also in your comments what other "greats" or "classics" you might want to read before ***, and I'll start with mine in next post.
Hope you all join in!
I say we go with Gone With The Wind, nani was always a romantic, although I haven't read the three musketeers and everyone loves Pride and prejudice so really anyone of those.
ReplyDeletep.s I can't take any credit for this Elaine, it was all your idea! But should be a bit of fun!
I'd vote Gone with the Wind too. Although the boys might not care for any of these, except for The Three Muskateers maybe.
ReplyDeleteListen, feel free to suggest something else. All ideas welcome. Also, you guys have been granted administrative privileges. Change the font, color, template, write posts, use this however you like.
The idea behind this is to get us to talk altogether on yet another forum, besides Skype, or email or text, just because of geographical distances.
25 books may be too much. Maybe 5 a year? Maybe 10 a year? Maybe 1 a month?
Dadi bought me my copy of Gone With the Wind and I never got around to reading it.
ReplyDeleteI've read Pride and Prejudice and The Three Muskateers and I loved them both, so I'm really okay with either. However, I also vote for Gone With The Wind.
This family book club is a really great idea! I'm already a part of an African American prose book club and we've read works by Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison, Octavia Butler, Richard Wright and James Baldwin. For that club, we read a book every two weeks and so if I am to be a part of this also, I can really only do 1 a month.
Anyway, I'm really exicted about this! Should be good fun :)
One a month is better since everyone is busy, shall we go with Gone With the Wind this month? And tell everyone about it?
ReplyDeleteNOT Pride and Prejudice - no way no how uh huh. I vote for no girly stuff. 1 a month or 5 a year please.... We watched The Reader. Quite strong, I thought. Bunch of nudie stuff in that so you kids should just read the book.... In fact, let's read that one.
ReplyDelete