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Better World Book Club: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Posted by Dana on 04.20.2009 at 5:35 pm

Still not signed up for the Better World Book Club Newsletter? Our monthly book club email includes a synopsis of the book, discussion questions and even a great recipe. You can sign up by going to manage subscriptions now.

You can also catch the selections AND discuss the book here on the blog.

Our Latest Pick

HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford

As you can imagine, I love books and authors and love to do what I can to help promote them. It’s not just my current and former life as a bookseller that makes me feel this way — I have always loved books. So, when I come across a debut novel like this one, I am especially happy to be able to help get the word out.

Jamie Ford’s HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER & SWEET has officially become one of my new favorite books. Ford paints a personal picture of race, culture, family, love and loyalty in the 1940s in America. He shows us, through the eyes of children, a time we, as Americans, would rather forget; when Japanese Americans were rounded up and forced to live in internment camps. It is a politically important story for sure, but it is the personal story that sweeps you up and makes you unable to stop turning pages.

I loved Henry, both as a child and as a man. He is loyal, brave and young Henry seems wise beyond his years. What did you think of his quiet disobedience of his father? What about his father’s rule that he could only speak English at home when his parents only spoke Cantonese? Keiko and her family were so very American and worldly and open. Read more…

4 Comments » | Tagged Better World Book Club, Better World Book Club, book club, dana barrett, fiction, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Jamie Ford, Japanese internment camps, World War II

Better World Book Club: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Posted by Dana on 03.14.2009 at 6:19 pm

You can also catch the selections AND discuss the book here on the blog.

Our Latest Pick

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

This is one of those books that I have been curious about for awhile. It was somewhere on my list of books to read, but just had not risen to the top. I think it finally jumped to the top of the pile after I saw Slumdog Millionaire, which is based on the book Q & A by Vikas Swarup. Of course the main thing these two books have in common is that they take place in India, but after seeing the movie, I was interested in reading more about the country and the culture.

I actually really loved this book. Though I have to say I am a bit surprised that I do. In fact, the last book that I reviewed in which the main character was a murderer (we learn that very early on, so I’m not ruining anything for you) was Almost Moon by Alice Sebold which I struggled with a bit. Read more…

1 Comment » | Tagged Better World Book Club, Aravind Adiga, book club, fiction, Q & A, Slumdog Millionaire, The White Tiger, Vikas Swarup

Poll Wednesday: On Being “Well Read”

Posted by admin on 10.01.2008 at 3:11 pm

Today’s poll is in response to a concept brought up in a facebook fan page conversation about “Well Read.” In order to be someone who is considered well read, we generally agreed that one had to read a diverse collection of high-quality books (whatever that means can be dissected, but for now just assume that it is true).

The question underneath this is: does someone have to read fiction as well as non-fiction to be well read? Can someone be well-read and just read fiction? Can they be well-read and only read non-fiction?