With the school year rapidly coming to a close, I asked our book club members to tell us about one of their favorite books, because let's face it, the six books that we read each year for book club just isn't enough! Thanks to those who contributed one of their favorites and if you missed this time, don't worry, I'll probably be asking the question again sometime down the road. Here we go. . .
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Unlike many, I never read this book until I was an adult and have loved it ever since. I first read it because it was one of those classics everyone else seemed to have read. Immediately, I responded to the story, the narrative voice Lee created with Scout, and the issues which are still so relevant today. Then, I became an English teacher and decided to teach the novel with a class of 34 students (32 of them were Black and 2 of them Latin). From then on, I always elected to teach the novel whenever possible, and with older students as I found that they appreciated it on such a deeper level. Now, I've brought the book to my class of 18 International Baccalaureate students at the British-Peruvian school where I currently teach in Lima, Peru. Although I always enjoy re-reading stories - since I find I always get something new out of it - it is through my teen-aged students that I would call this novel one of my favorites. And despite the fact that I've read the story countless times, I find my eyes filling with tears and my voice catching as I read the final scene when Scout meets Boo and we realize the true meaning of the title...-Aviva Baff
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
My favorite novel that I have read and reread at different stages of my life is Jane Eyre. It is totally linear, it has a bit of the martyr, the perfect soul, and it is terribly romantic. The language is beautiful and it is a perfectly satisfying read! -Randa Breuer
A Very Long Engagement by Sebastian Japsirot
Immerse yourself in this beautifully written novel of WW I, part historical fiction, part mystery, part romance. When five French soldiers are court martialed for self-multilation to get out of combat, they are sent to the front lines through the notorious trenches, hands tied behind their backs, and pushed into No Man's Land for the Germans to shoot them. Five bodies are recovered, but who exactly were they? Mathilde Donnay, fiancee to one of the soldiers, tries everything she can to piece together what really happened, including writing letters to family members of the soldiers, traveling to speak to other soldiers, and hiring a private detective. She is an amazing heroine, full of wit and vigor even while confined to a wheelchair. As the story unravels, you will be mesmerized by her determination and hope that her beloved Manech survived.-Kathy Caldwell
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
I chose this book as lately I get a hold of all possible information related to the Eastern world. . .it simply fascinates me. Awesome reading. It impressed me how the feelings and thoughts are so accurately expressed here. It tells the story of a young boy from Kabul, Afghanistan who befriended the son of his father's servant-another boy, his own age. It's set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy if AFG through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the U.S., and the rise of the Taliban regime.-Violeta Dumler
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
A tale of an Australian criminal in Bombay/Mumbai that keeps you turning the pages. A semi-autobiographical story set in a world few tourists see, or hope to see in Bombay/Mumbai. The adventure is also about friendships, loyalty, love and justice. (see Amazon for a better description)-Melody Hopkins
If On a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
Italo Calvino was a master of the introvert's medium. Reading this book is more like listening to him tell a story. When the noise and the images and the demands become too much, I love to jump inside of Calvino's imagination and disappear into a world of the probable, even if I never arrive at the destination.-Tim McKenna
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
I only need one finger to count the number of (nearly) 1000 page epics that I've read more than once and that book is Lonesome Dove, which I intend to read a few more times in my life. Telling the story of a cattle drive from the border of Texas to the untapped wilderness of Montana, we follow a cast of colorful characters who struggle with mortality, love, cowardice along the way, not to mention a cold-blooded killer, thieves, deadly water moccasin snakes, and the whims of Mother Nature. All that, plus perhaps my favorite literary character of all-time in Augustus McCrae. -Tim Stokes
Alright everyone, we will see you again sometime in August when details will be provided of our next book club meeting. Enjoy What is the What and the other books that may cross your path over the next couple months.
