Nominate book for the February book of the month

[Scott]

The January book of the month is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. So get it, read it and discuss it with the rest of us in January.

Please use this thread to nominate books to be the February (2010) book of the month. To nominate a book, please post both the title of the book and the author's name, preferably in bold print. Only one nomination per user. Please only post a nomination if you actually plan on participating. Try to think of a book that would be good for the whole group, not just your personal favorite.

Thanks!
Scott

[Bowlie]

American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson

Description from Amazon:
In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson delivers a moving and achingly funny memoir of living the American dream as he journeys from the mean streets of Glasgow, Scotland, to the comedic promised land of Hollywood. Along the way he stumbles through several attempts to make his mark—as a punk rock musician, a construction worker, a bouncer, and, tragically, a modern dancer.

To numb the pain of failure, Ferguson found comfort in drugs and alcohol, addictions that eventually led to an aborted suicide attempt. (He forgot to do it when someone offered him a glass of sherry.) But his story has a happy ending: in 1993, the washed-up Ferguson washed up in the United States. Finally sober, Ferguson landed a breakthrough part on the hit sitcom The Drew Carey Show, a success that eventually led to his role as the host of CBS's The Late Late Show. By far Ferguson's greatest triumph was his decision to become a U.S. citizen, a milestone he achieved in early 2008, just before his command performance for the president at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. In American on Purpose, Craig Ferguson talks a red, white, and blue streak about everything our Founding Fathers feared.

[Abi]

Amazon Description

THE SPIRITUAL BIBLE
"I am searching for the Light... not the light made by man, but the Light that made man."

"Know that it was but one god who died on the cross, and many are waiting to be born."

THE EPIC OF ARYA is about man's eternal quest for the divine. It depicts man's perennial inner struggle between light and darkness, and teaches him to re-conquer his lost divinity by unveiling the "god within", the Inner Light. Overcoming the "death of God" declared by Nietzsche, THE EPIC OF ARYA speaks about the redemption of the divine and its rebirth in man. To redeem God in men: that is Arya's sacred mission.

Half-woman, half-goddess, Arya is torn between Love and Truth, between passion and duty. Confused, she wonders: should she accept her human plight, or fulfil her divine destiny? A fundamental question ever haunts her: is Love human or divine? In that fateful question lies the future of humanity, for in each man, the divine flame slumbers, waiting to be kindled by the Light of Awakening. Rising above her fears, and breaking her idols, Arya, awakened and liberated, preaches the Eternal Religion which is above men's fleeting religions, narrow identities, and imperfect creeds, heralding a new, higher consciousness beyond the frontiers erected within man and between men.

An inner journey of self-discovery, this inspirational, allegorical novel is the spiritual bible: it heals, awakens, transforms. Arya's epic conveys a universal message of unity, hope, and salvation in a world torn apart by the clash of civilisations and religions, offering a spiritual alternative to the two scourges plaguing mankind today: the scourge of religious fundamentalism - God idolatry - and the scourge of atheist materialism - God denial -, for only a spiritual awakening can save man from his own blind folly.

[4jacquote]

Below is a review of "CHASED BY DEMONS: How I Survived Hitler's Madness In My Native France" a compelling memoir by Jacqueline Grossman of life on the run from the child’s perspective. It should be read by everyone and is my nomination for February

“Chased By Demons: How I Survived Hitler’s Madness in My Native France by Jacqueline Grossman, is richly textured and complex. It is more than the story of a pre-teen French Jewish girl whose family runs from the Nazis. And it is more than another piece of the mountain of evidence attesting to the Holocaust.

Early on, Grossman skillfully immerses the reader into her pre-war enchanted world of Paris, the City of Light, her birthplace. Only the hardest of hearts could fail to be captivated by the scenes she brings to life. Only the most jaded could fail to appreciate her sense of loss.

The gripping narrative of how she and her family flee to southern France and beyond is interwoven with fleeting idyllic and pastoral interludes. In spite of the gravity and precariousness of their situation, Grossman is able to lighten the mood at times. She tells of her encounters with helpful and sympathetic souls, some of them of the four-legged variety. She also exposes the cruelty of those who would be expected to be the most humane and caring. This is a story of courage and coping, not of paralyzing despair.

To the mix is added the psychological impact of multiple separations from family, the burdens of grown-up responsibilities thrust upon a child and the need to adapt to a new language and culture. It is apparent that the emotional cost of all this persists even into adulthood. She admits that the demons that chased her as a girl still haunt her today.

This story serves as a warning call to all of us to be aware of the life-changing effect of genocide, terrorism---violence in all forms---on today’s children.

Chased By Demons is suitable for both adults and thoughtful teenagers. It could be the basis for book reports in school. One interesting project could be to compare Grossman’s Chased By Demons with The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank. Both concern the experiences of a young girl in wartime Europe.”

Why it took so long for her to tell her story is found on the author’s website which carries her name. The ISBN is 1-59330-599-0

Alan M. Massing, MD (5/5 stars)

[Not_Today]

Here is Amazon's description.

If only walls could talk. What tales they could tell!
Eavesdrop and be titillated as a couple of dynamic women get together to discuss life, love and everything in between.

Stella B. Good's Girl Talk is a must read. Get Yours, Got Mine!


Girl talk is about 4 sisters and a mother who got together on weekends and had a powwow. Their mother died and made them promise to keep getting together. The circle grew because they deciced to let a couple friends of each of them to come over. They discussed life's issues.

For instance, what about dating a married man, what if you had a friend and her mate was cheating on her/him would you tell? Some answers are hilarious do to the consumption of alcohol which is really truth serum.

Each sister had very different peronalities so the answers ranged from sensible to comical with a ring of truth to them. A dispute in the family threatned to tear the sisters apart.

[tameurtot]

A funny and practical book on how to improve your workplace situation: Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) - Google it, since links are not allowed. Also, check out the author's video on YouTube.

[bookayo]

Hello all! This is my first day here and I'm very excited to be joining you.

I would like to nominate EVA TROUT - by Elizabeth Bowen.



Thanks!

[Pinkpaper]

Id like to nominate In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami

'A blistering portrait of contemporary Japan, its nihilism and decadence wrapped up within one of the most savage thrillers since The Silence of the Lambs' Kirkus Review 'Deft and fascinating ... A grisly tour of the darkness and confusion of the human mind' New York Times 'There is no shortage of terrors in this novel ... Atmosphere predominates, and the claustrophobia of the backstreets of Tokyo is intensely imagined' Daily Telegraph 'In the Miso Soup stays with the reader long after the book is finished and Murakami makes his readers as complicit as Kenji in their desire to understand why Frank is the way he is' Guardian

[humble]

I nominate Strindberg - The Road To Damascus


I tried to post a link to amazon, but i can't until i reach 50 legit posts

[suddenexpression]

I'm new and very excited to join you! I would like to nominate All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein

Here's the description from Barnes & Noble: Synopsis

A classic of Holocaust literature, Gerda Weissmann Klein’s celebrated memoir tells the moving story of a young woman’s three frightful years as a slave laborer of the Nazis and her miraculous liberation. All But My Life stands as the ultimate lesson in humanity, hope, and friendship.


Almost all reviews on Amazon are 5 stars!

[Moe]

Let the Great World Spin Written by Colum McCann

Let the Great World Spin is the critically acclaimed author’s most ambitious novel yet: a dazzlingly rich vision of the pain, loveliness, mystery, and promise of New York City in the 1970s

[masini]

The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot by Craig Ferguson is my favorite.

[MoreCowbell]

Either of the Holocaust books sound AMAZING, but since I haven't read many about the Jewish French citizens Chased By Demons: How I Survived Hitler’s Madness in My Native France by Jacqueline Grossman gets my vote.

[masini]

yes it is good too

[sweetlikchoc]

hi, just joined today and looking forward to sharing.....

I would like to recommend Gentlemen & Players by Joanna Harris

Synopsis form the author :

The story

The place is St Oswald’s, an old and long-established boys’ grammar school in the north of England. A new year has just begun, and for the staff and boys of the School, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world; and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald’s, is finally – reluctantly - contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the School, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for fifteen years, is about to erupt.

Who is “Mole”, the mysterious insider, whose cruel practical jokes are gradually escalating towards violence - perhaps even murder? And how can an old and half-forgotten scandal become the stone that brings down a giant?