a proposal: book reviews
In an effort to revive this dormant blog, I'd like to propose a task for Christmas break: let's each write a book review of something we're reading (or will be reading, in the case of those with end-of-term assignments). Any genre is acceptable - theology or childrens' lit, fiction or fantasy. I guess I miss reading and talking about books with you all, so it would be fun to read what's going on in your heads as you read cool things.
Post a comment with the book you will read and review.
Post a comment with the book you will read and review.
posted by James at 11:35 AM
6 Comments:
"Loves Me, Loves Me Not: The Ethics of Unrequited Love"
by Laura A. Smit
I just bought this on Amazon yesterday and I hope it gets here before I leave to the DR for Christmas. I've been waiting for this book since I first heard about it. I guess it's a continuation of my search for an ethic of singleness and sexuality.
Oh - if you're not a member of this blog and you'd like to be, just let me know and I'll add you.
Sweet idea... that book is on my list, too. Let me know how it turns out (maybe Dr. Smit could make a guest appearance on Thorubos!).
Great idea James! Perhaps we should contact some thorubians via email to make sure they are aware of the invitation? I have yet to choose, but I will think of something soon.
I miss thorubos too.
Ok, ok. I'm in. It's not like I do this sort of thing (read and discuss books) a lot these days. I spend more of my time trying to think of creative ways to force my students to speak in English in class (throwing markers at them only worked for a few weeks). For my contribution I'll post on one (or a few) of the following books I'm now reading:
The Human Stain by Phillip Roth (my first Roth novel - it's really sucked me in, but disgusted me at the same time.)
An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
(another novel - Seth is the author of one of my favorite "lose-yourself-in-another-culture" novels: A Suitable Boy. This one's all about music and the creative process.)
Colossions Remixed by Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat
(maybe this will force me to finally finish it!)
Cafe Europa by Slavenka Drakulic
(A collection of essays that has become the go-to book for perspective on post-soviet Eastern Europe. I'm guessing, James, you read it when you were here.)
The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowells
(Another book of essays [they're the perfect length for public transportation!}, this time on American culture and history. It's really Vowells's look at her own (SUPER-liberal) quirkiness through the lens of her love of American history. A favorite quote about the voting booth, "I love it in there. I drag it out, leisurely punching the names I want as if sipping whiskey in front of a fire."
ok, I'm tentatively going to take a stab at Simulations and Simulacra by Jean Baudrillard but I don't know if I can hold on for the whole book. But if ever there's a time I can take some postmodern philosophy, it's after writing 19 pages on Derrida...
I might provide discussion for James if I can get hold of L Smit's book. I'm excited about that one as well.
Due to the vagaries of Christmas supersaver shipping on Amazon, I never got around to reading Laura Smi1t's book. And interim was full of knitting and skiing, so I didn't read much. But now I've contracted with Prof. Fackler to read Smit's book on Unrequited Love within the next two weeks. So I will finally post something here. I promise.
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