College Students! discussion

Due to a small number of nominations for March, we are skipping a read for March. The three nominations we did get for March are being carried over to the April nominations.

I am the lazy bum who did not get April nominations up in a timely manners.

For April we are going to have a category 1 anything goes book and our category 2 is "Historical" (fiction or non-fiction). This will be in addition to the three "Not YA" themed reads we had nominated last month. Confusing. I apologize.

-Only one nomination per person and you must choose one category. If all 12 spots in one category are not filled by March 18th, you can nominate a book for the other category.

-Please specify which category you are nominating for. (Cat 1 or Cat 2) Your post should look something like this:

Category 1: "This Book" by An Author

- Please make sure you have the book and author in your nomination

- Add a blurb of some sort to let us know what the book will be like.

-We will be taking the first 12 nominations for each category or we will close nominations on March 20th if not all categories are filled.

-Voting will begin soon after nominations are done and will be open for a week or so.

- If your book wins, please let us know whether or not you would like to lead the book discussion. It is not required by any means that you lead it.

Our participation for our February reads (which are still going on) was a bit better; thank you for those who have been participating. Any ideas on how to make group reads better would be appreciated. Thanks!

Category 2: In Arabian Nights by Tahir Shah.

I just finished this book and really, really liked it. It's a bit of a niche kind of interest (travel/personal memoir, set in Morocco) but it has some really great ideas about storytelling, cultures, etc. I highly recommend it to all. It's extremely poetic and thought provoking!

"As he wends his way through the labyrinthine medinas of Fez and Marrakesh, traverses the Sahara sands, and tastes the hospitality of ordinary Moroccans, Tahir collects a dazzling treasury of traditional stories, gleaned from the heritage of A Thousand and One Nights. The tales, recounted by a vivid cast of characters, reveal fragments of wisdom and an oriental way of thinking that is both enthralling and fresh. A link in the chain of scholars and teachers who have passed these stories down for centuries like a baton in a relay race, Shah reaches layers of culture that most visitors hardly realize exist, and eventually discovers the story living in his own heart.

Along the way he describes the colors, characters, and the passion of Morocco, and comes to understand why it is such an enchanting land. From master masons who labor only at night to Sufi wise men who write for soap operas, and Tuareg guides afflicted by reality TV, In Arabian Nights takes us on an unforgettable journey, shining a light on facets of a society that are normally left in darkness."

Category 2: The Awakening by Kate Chopin

I haven't read this novella yet but I gave it to my friend for Christmas and he says it is brilliant. So now he's let it [back] to me to read...

The Awakening is about a fin de siècle American woman, Edna, who is becoming aware of her own views on femininity and motherhood (and sexuality I think), which are in stark contrast to the views of her Deep South community. She struggles with deciding between her child and the life she wants to lead...

Are nominations closed?

Heather, There are not many nominations, so if you want to nominate a book, that is fine. Because we only have two (and a third if you add one) we will probably just read all three books for March instead of having a vote.

Category 2: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

From the back of the book:
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of The House at Riverton, a novel that takes the reader on an unforgettable journey through generations and across continents as two women try to uncover their family’s secret past

A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913. She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book—a beautiful volume of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own. On her twenty-fi rst birthday, they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and very little to go on, "Nell" sets out to trace her real identity. Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell’s death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. A spellbinding tale of mystery and self-discovery, The Forgotten Garden will take hold of your imagination and never let go.

I started this book back before school started this year and haven't had much time to read it till now. I'm really enjoying it though and would love to read it with the group. It's full of history and mystery.

Hey Everyone,

I talked with Tami and we've decided to not have a group read for March because everyone will be on spring break at various times. We will hold on to these picks and add them to our nominations for April, when we will hopefully have more participation in the nominating process. Thank you three for nominating books this month.

Can I nominate Eden by David Holley for April. Category 1.

Thanks

Category 2: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Melissa, can you please add a blurb about the book? Thanks!