February's Reading

The White Tiger is the debut novel by Indian author Aravind Adiga. It was first published in 2008 and won the Man Booker Prize in the same year. The novel provides a dark comical view of modern day life in India through the narration of Balram Halwai, the main character. The overall main theme of the novel is the contrast between India's rise as a modern global economy and the working class people who live in crushing rural poverty.

Supplemental readings for Atlas Shrugged

Can't finish the book? Didn't understand part of it? Want a peek at the discussion questions? Check out the SparkNotes.

Atlas Shrugged elicited strong reactions from across the political spectrum, most of it predictable. One of the more unique and enduring critiques was written by Whittaker Chambers who attacked Rand and her novel from the right, deploring its lack of humanity. Chambers was a former communist best know for his role in exposing Alger Hiss as a Soviet agent. Driven from communism by what he regarded as its utter disregard for human life, Chambers sensed a similar element in Rand's writing. His essay, "Big Sister is Watching You," published in the conservative magazine National Review was considered the defining moment in excluding Rand and her followers from the then nascent conservative political movement. To this day, conservatives and Objectivists (followers of Rand's philosophy) maintain and uneasy, oftentimes hostile relationship.

July Reading

This month we're reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

There's an interview with one of the authors on the Amazon page.

June Reading: Murder on the Orient Express

For June, we're reading Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Here are a few links to help you prepare for the discussion:

• Buy the book.
• Background from Wikipedia.
• More from SparkNotes.
  

Top Books of the Century (according to Newsweek)

Click here for a list of Newsweek's Top Books of the Century. Thanks to Diana for compiling this!

Another Arthur Conan Doyle title

Check out The Tragedy Of The Korosko. Written over 100 years ago, it could just as well be pulled from today's headlines. A free version is available at Project Gutenberg here. Of course you can also order a print version through Amazon.

Resources for April's Reading

• Order the book from Amazon.
• Read the Spark Notes.
• View the Wikipedia article.
  

More links from March's selection

Here's a few more links from The Elegance of the Hedgehog:

• Wikipedia entry on Yasujiro Ozu, the Japanese filmmaker Renee was fond of. The documentary mentioned in the book, Tokyo-Ga, is available through Netflix.
• Gourmet Rhapsody, a sort of 'prequel' to The Elegance of the Hedgehog has also been translated into English.
  
• A video clip of Eminem performing the song quoted in Chapter 21:

Resources for March's Reading

For March, we're reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.

• Buy the book from Amazon.
• Learn more about it at Wikipedia.
• Read about the author.

Our next meeting is Wednesday, March 31st, at 6:30 PM

Be sure to vote on the themed dinner selection in our poll to the left!

Resources for February's Reading

For February, we are reading The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Here are some resources for the book:

• Buy the book from Amazon.
• Commentary and analysis from SparkNotes.
• Biography of the author.