Book Choices, take 1

Choice #1: 

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

"A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last 30 years-from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding-that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms.  It's a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives-the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness-are inextricable from the history playing around them" (from the back the book...)  

This book is by the author of The Kite Runner, which I read a few months ago.  While The Kite Runner was mainly about the relationship of two boys, A Thousand Splendid Suns focuses more on girl relationships and the way the political changes in Afghanistan affects them.  

Choice #2: 

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

"Rob is a pop music junkie who runs his own semi-failing record store.  His girlfriend, Laura, has just left him for the guy upstairs, and Rob is both miserable and relieved.  After all, could he have spent his life with someone who has a bad record collection? Rob seeks refuge in the company of the offbeat clerks at his store, who endlessly review their top five films (Reservoir Dogs...), top five Elvis Costello songs (Alison...), top five episodes of Cheers (the one where Woody sang his stupid song to Kelly...).  Rob tries dating a singer whose rendition of "Baby, I Love Your Way" makes him cry.  But maybe it's just that he's always wanted to sleep with someone who has a record contract.  Then he sees Laura again.  And Rob begins to think (awful as it sounds) that life as an episode of thirtysomething, with all the kids and marriages and barbecues and k.d. lang CDs that this implies, might not be so bad." (from the back of the book)

High Fidelity is a thoroughly enjoyable book.  Nick Hornby's writing is humorous, thought-provoking, memorable and, like i said, thoroughly enjoyable.  Along with being an entertaining, quick read, I think that the issues addressed in the book could provoke good discussion.

Choice #3:

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (Hardback edition)

"The result [of the author spending 10 years researching every detail of geisha culture]  is a novel with the broad social canvas (and love of coincidence) of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen's intense attention to the nuances of erotic maneuvering. Readers experience the entire life of a geisha, from her origins as an orphaned fishing-village girl in 1929 to her triumphant auction of her mizuage (virginity) for a record price as a teenager to her reminiscent old age as the distinguished mistress of the powerful patron of her dreams. We discover that a geisha is more analogous to a Western "trophy wife" than to a prostitute--and, as in Austen, flat-out prostitution and early death is a woman's alternative to the repressive, arcane system of courtship. In simple, elegant prose, Golden puts us right in the tearoom with the geisha; we are there as she gracefully fights for her life in a social situation where careers are made or destroyed by a witticism, a too-revealing (or not revealing enough) glimpse of flesh under the kimono, or a vicious rumor spread by a rival "as cruel as a spider." (from Amazon.com)

My sister highly recommended this book, and it's been said to be "wonderful, involving, intelligent, fascinating and beautiful."  I also feel this book would provoke interesting discussion, especially considering the culture today and the prevalence of and outcry against prostitution and sex slaves (especially in Asian countries)...just a thought.

I guess you guys can just vote by leaving a comment on here!  Also, since we're choosing books on the blog, should we meet once a month, rather than every three weeks, to discuss the book? Or we can still meet every three weeks, and have 6 weeks to read and two meetings to discuss one book.  Does that make since?  Either way is fine with me.  I guess just put what you want to do in the comment with your vote!  And our first meeting can be either three or four weeks (depending on how we do it) after everyone votes and we know which book we're reading.