If January was the slowest month we’ve ever lived, February flies (and not just because it has fewer days). Um — where is the time going? Why do I still have incomplete half of my February to-dos? Is March even going to exist or will we blink and arrive at the beginning of April? Yikes. Today, we need to look at the choices for our group read.
After Bellamaire read and loved the book set in Bulgaria, we became aware how we know little about Central Asia and the area east of the Balkans - Not many novels with this area as the setting. Found several set in India but we are familiar with India - it is north of India and the same with Turkey. We did read a wonderful story set in Sarajevo but we are really talking about areas further east as a setting to read about.
And then inevitably we seem to capture and share experiences and scenes from our past lives, sometimes we share bits of our childhood and sometimes we are sharing bits of our early adult lives - to follow that theme as a group reading choice seems appropriate.
And so, two books to consider related to these two topics. Which one would y'all prefer - We are looking to start our group read on March 11, which is after Ash Wednesday and finish by April 8 or that week if we end up needing more time. With Easter on the 21st, our discussion does not interfere with Holy Week.
Shadow of the Silk Road by Colin Thubron. it does take place today as the author travels to the various locations on the Silk Road that starts in Eastern China and one among the various routes that stream across Central Asia. Colin Thubron mentions many historical persons so there would be lots of new historical characters for us to become acquainted. He describes what can be seen today while recounting historical happenings, noting art and tells us the background on the local culture, where the people originated and when.
Colin Thubron, a prolific writer, is a judge for the Booker and President of the Royal Society of Literature. He traveled extensively in the part of the world we hear so little and sets his books in the Near, Middle and Far East, and Russia. Among his many books he writes about time and memory. This subject is fascinating and I can see both time and memory the basis for his travels on the Silk Road.
The other book to consider is, The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry, both an award winning book and author, a Man Booker Prize finalist - short listed for the Booker in 2008 - that says a lot to me - any book on the Booker lists, winners or those short listed are going to have some depth. The writing is beautiful, about an elderly woman pursuing the task of secretly writing her memories that parallels the history of Ireland in the last 100 years. Her descriptions are full with sentences that give the lilting sense of the Irish so that you can visualize the scene and people she is describing.
Reading about someone's memories of their life allows us to reminisce about our own memories. plus we read how through their eyes the people handled life during the upheaval that has been Ireland for the last 100 years.
Sebastian Barry was born in Dublin in 1955. His novels and plays have won, among other awards, the Kerry Group Irish Fiction Prize, the Costa Book of the Year award, the Irish Book Awards Best Novel, the Independent Booksellers Prize and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. He also had two novels, A Long Long Way (2005) and The Secret Scripture (2008) shortlisted for the MAN Booker Prize. His play, The Steward of Christendom, first produced in 1995, won many awards and has been seen around the world.
Either book meets the parameters of not including a book with political overtones or that would question leadership which today opens a can of worms - to keep our conversation fresh, that assures our opinions, we are better reading together a book that has not be discussed elsewhere - we also do better with a book that is enhanced by research and a book that a used copy can be purchased at less then the original cost or a library should have available without a long waiting list.
And so which of the two books do you prefer - we have just under 2 weeks to start date - so let's do this - my own druthers would be either - they both offer an adventure of one kind or another.
