Poetry

[close] This global discussion group has been designed to encourage debates about important and underreported issues of our era. All you need is an enquiring mind and a desire to gain or share “underground knowledge”. This is also a place for readers to discuss the controversial topics explored in The Underground Knowledge Series – which includes the non-fiction books Genius Intelligence, Medical Industrial Complex & Bankrupting the Third World – by James Morcan & Lance Morcan.

[close] This reading group starts on December 30, 2016. It is an attempt to wrestle with a selection of the best books of the past year as determined by The Economist magazine. They use eight categories: Politics and current affairs; Biography and memoir; Economics and business; History; Science and technology; Culture, society and travel; Fiction, and, finally, Poetry. We will read a selection of these books over the coming year - ideally determined by a monthly poll. The list is an opportunity to dig into a few selections one normally would not approach. 2016 List: http://www.economist.com/news/books-and-arts/21711295-best-books-2016-are-about-china-language-microbes-hereditary-power-inequality?fsrc=scn/fb/te/bl/ed/highfliers

[close] Get ready for deep shit: This book club's name is a reference to a song by Passenger. I thought it captured the spirit of reading quite nicely, as every book you begin to read is as new to you as the beginning of each day, but the act of telling stories is one as old as time itself (or at least as old as language or maybe cave painting to a certain extent). To quote Umberto Eco (and relate his quote on knowledge solely to the act of reading (and isn't everyone gaining knowledge through reading?) and enjoying stories in this particular "bookclub context"): " [...] And so the only answer is that the exercise of knowledge creates relationships, continuity, and emotional attachments. It introduces us to parents other than our biological ones. It allows us to live longer, because we don’t just remember our own life but also those of others. It creates an unbroken thread that runs from our adolescence (and sometimes from infancy) to the present day. And all this is very beautiful."

[close] Broken Lives is a series chronicling the lives of a teacher (Clara Hatton) and her student (Dante Rata), following their relationship from 2002 to present time. Anyone who would like to help promote this series (word of mouth, recommendations, etc.) or just wants to be a part of Clara's and Dante's journey, please join the group. There will be extra information about the series, discussion about the books, characters, what you like and dislike about them, as well as opportunities to get ARCs and other freebies.