The Next Best Book Club discussion
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And The Winner for Februarys Group Read is....
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Mel wrote: "Donna, it's down toward the bottom. I thought I had missed it, too. "What page am I to be looking on please for the vote?
you can stay on this, go up to the right and it is above 'my membership' which is the last one.
Rachel: "I think we are not completely grown up"--how true!I have to agree with Rachel. I also have ancestors who owned slaves. I grew up in the fifties in the South and lived there till the mid seventies.
I have never read GWTW; but I know very well the effects of the mythology that book had on the South that I grew up in. That mythic romanticism, as protrayed in GWTW, has replaced the reality of the true history of the Pre-Civil War American South in many people's minds.
I believe that all books and all art should be respected and preserved (and even read). But I would never reccommend D. W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" or Leni Riefenstahl's "Triumph of the Will" be viewed as anything other than the propaganda they represent.
"Gone with the Wind" is more subtle and was not intended as overt propaganda. But its effects upon the accepted understanding of American history have been as damaging as if it were.
Mosca wrote:"Gone with the Wind" is more subtle and was not intended as overt propaganda. But its effects upon the accepted understanding of American history have been as damaging as if it were.But is that Mitchell's fault or that of her readers, and audience? How many group members can handle the high water mark of Faulkner, Morrison, or Steinbeck? I am not a professor (to my ever anguished regret), but to me, the harder a writer makes me work, or a scholar, for that matter, the more I enjoy it--and I can tell you, as a white disabled woman, sitting down with Morrison for some of her harshest depictions isn't easy--most readers who cannot or do not wish to absorb Morrison's agenda call her "pretentious" or "depressing"--I call it powerful, and more than overtly courageous--such that Mitchell could never engender such truths.
Given that, I don't feel guilty accepting her work, in turn, as MGM entertainment, which it is.
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Anyone else having issues or are we all ok now?
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Our February Group Reads will be:
Regular:
The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama
Romance:
Love in the Time of Cholera - Marquez
I will open discussion folders for these two books on Feb 1st.....
WoW! This is a very monumental moment in this group.. our very first non-fiction book authored by none other than the very first African-American President..A historical moment indeed..!!! ^_^
I'm with you jzhunagev! It's already on my TBR, and good for a 15 point task in the Winter Challenge as well! I"m looking forward to it - I hear it's quite good.
These are both already on my TBR, but Audacity has been checked out of my library--with a huge waiting list--for about a year. I don't think I'll buy it, but maybe they've finally caught up on that list. It's been a while since I checked. I did manage to get my hands on Dreams From My Father, and it was very good, especially considering that I don't generally read nonfiction.
Yay! Go Barack and Gabriel! This is the first time any pick of mine has won...and this time, both my picks won!
Go Jill, Go Jill, it's your birthday, it's your birthday....:)
Oh no! I can't read either of those books since I don't already have them. :(Oh well, there's always March!
I guess I'll have to go out and buy a book...LOL
Saw Obama at the Library before the inauguration... hope it's still there. Marquez too... will finally get a chance to participate in a group read.
Good thing I just managed to get Obama's second book back again and it is waiting for me at the library to pick up tomorrow and I will probably read that first before Love in the Time of Cholera, which I have a copy of.
jzhunagev wrote: "WoW! This is a very monumental moment in this group.. our very first non-fiction book authored by none other than the very first African-American President..A historical moment indeed..!!! ^_^ "
Um, it isn't the first nonfiction book chosen for the group. We read Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein back in May?...June?
I read The Audacity of Hope a while back and found it to be truly exceptional. I think everyone will be in for a treat.
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I'm so excited my nom (Love in the Time of Cholera) won! Can't wait!!!
i've read the audacity of hope, but i'm excited for love in the time of cholera its an excuse to finally get it off of my tbr list! hope the library has it in...
Great choises. Even though they are on my TBR list, I don't think I will read them probably...There are many other books I want to read more for now.Maybe Love in the time of cholera, which I feel like reading sooner but will ahve to see.
Love in the Time of Cholera is awesome. I wish I could read it in the original Spanish.
Omg... I am gone for 4 days and I miss a bunch of talk about my fav book, GWTW. Then, look what book wins, Obamas book. We have come along way.
And one book I have tried to read...LITTOC... OH NO..
I will try again. hehe
jzhunagev wrote: "WoW! our very first non-fiction book authored by none other than the very first African-American President..A historical moment indeed..!!! ^_^ "
I think jzhunagev point was...authored by the first African-American President...which I find historical and exciting! Obama is President! Yes. Looking forward to sharing this book with the group!
Love in the Time of Cholera is one of my favourite books. This is a good excuse for rereading it. I hardly ever (can't remember the last time) I reread a book. I might read Audacity of Hope as well.
I'm looking forward to February's reads. Last months didn't inspire me so I passed.
i picked up Love in the Time of Cholera yesterday! I can't put it down! I actually read The Audacity of Hope last year and I enjoyed it.. ^_^
I read Love in the Time of Cholera years ago before I entered grad school. It's actually my favourite book of all time, and I don't want to go back and spoil that memory. But I look forward to hearing people's reactions.
Ok, I have said that I could not get into LINTOC. But I picked it up today and am going to try it again.
We finally have Audacity in at my library! I placed a hold on it so no one can snatch it out from under me, so I'll be picking both books up tomorrow.
Where do I find the polls?Lori wrote: "The polls are set.
You can vote once on each poll.
Poll 1 is for the regular Fiction/Non Fiction novel.
Poll 2 is for the Romance/ Love Story novel.
Voting is open NOW until Monday.
Get em..."
The voting for this month is over, but if you want to vote next month, the polls are up at the upper right hand corner of every page, where there are a bunch of links that say "group home," "my membership," "bookshelf," and one that says "polls." There are several fun polls in there you can take anytime though.
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The Next Best Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Gone with the Wind (other topics)Gone with the Wind (other topics)
Gone with the Wind (other topics)
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream (other topics)
Bridge of Sighs (other topics)
But if anyone wants to vote for, I dunno, a book set in Afghanistan and maybe another book which is a varia..."
The Space Between Us is set in Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia...can't remember..it was good.