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Co-ordinator:
Kalpana
Webmaster:
Vas
Members:
Sanjay, Kalpana, Shyam, Mira, Prasad, Varsha, Arun, Poornima, Vas, Neerja, Kalyan, Parvati, Sid, Smita, Shona, Naren, Amita

Clipart of books on a bookshelf 1

SCHEDULE
2012-2003
DATE HOST BOOK AUTHOR
Feb. 2012 Parvati The Seven Daughters of Eve Brian Sykes
Jan 13, '12 Prasad The Glass Castle: A Memoire Jeannette Wells
Dec 8, '11 Neerja Phantoms in the Brain V. S. Ramachandran
Nov 4, '11 Naren The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson
Sep 9, '11 Kalpana Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford
Aug 19, '11 Varsha Major Pettigrew's Last Stand Helen Simonson
Cancelled Smita Freedom Jonathan Franzen
May 6, '11 Mira The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot
Mar 18, '11 Arun The Upanishads Eknath Easwaran
Feb 18, '11 Kalyan The Janissary Tree Jason Goodwin
Sep 25 '10 Vasan Two States Chetan Bhagat
Aug 6, '10 Sanjay Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows
Jun 11, '10 Amita Gang Leader for a Day Sudhir Venkatesh
Apr 30 '10 Shyam Netherland Joseph O'Neill
Mar 26 '10 Shobhna Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life Barbara Kingslover
Feb 26 '10 Poornima In Other Rooms, Other Wonders Daniyal Mueenuddin
Jan 22 '10 Parvati Stormy Weather Carl Hiassen
Dec 4 '09 Sid Outliers - The Story of Success Malcolm Gladwell
Aug 14 '09 Neerja Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese
Jun 26 '09 Arun The Post-American World Fareed Zakaria
Apr 24 '09 Varsha The White Tiger Aravind Adiga
Jan 30 '09 Neerja Lush Life Richard Price
Dec 19 '08 Sanjay Ghost Train To The Eastern Star Paul Theroux
Jul 22 '08 Smita Big Russ & Me Tim Russert
Jun 20 '08 Mira Johnny Got His Gun Dalton Trumbo
May 2 '08 Kalyan Rosario Tijeras Jorge Franco / Gregory Rabassa
Mar 14 '08 Prasad Eat Pray Love Elizabeth Gilbert
Jan 24 '08 Kalpana The Alchemist (Plus) Paulo Coelho
Nov 15 '07 Sid Divisadero Michael Ondaatje
Sep 21 '07 Shobhana The Reluctant Fundamentalist Mohsin Hamid
Jul 27 '07 Shyam The Final Solution Michael Chabon
Jun 15 '07 Vas Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less Jeffrey Archer
May 4 '07 Parvati American Gods Neil Gaiman
Mar 9 '07 Varsha The Measure of A Man: A Spiritual Autobiography Sidney Poitier
Feb 9 '07 Poornima The Inheritance of Loss Kiran Desai
Dec 1 '06 Arun The Argumentative Indian Amartya Sen
Sep 8 '06 Kalpana Bel Canto Ann Patchett
Jun 6 '06 Mira In the Company of Cheerful Ladies Alexander McCall Smith
Apr 21 '06 Vas Three Men in a Boat Jerome K. Jerome
Mar 10 '06 Kalyan Proof David Auburn
Jan 20 '06 Poornima Shalimar the Clown Salman Rushdie
Nov 18 '05 Prasad The Enlightened Heart Stephen Mitchell
Oct 14 '05 Sanjay Middlesex Jeffrey Eugenides
Sep 2 '05 Shyam The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon
Jul 15 '05 Neerja The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini.
Jun 24 '05 Parvati The 9/11 Commission Report, Chapters 4-6 Thomas H. Kean, Chairman
Apr 1 '05 Mira Me talk pretty one day David Sedaris
Feb 25 '05 Kalpana Life of Pi Yann Martel
Jan 28 '05 Vas A Tourist in the Yucatan James McNay Brumfield
Sep 17 '04 Arun Nehru Sashi Tharoor
Aug 13 '04 Prasad Hunger of Memory Richard Rodriguez
Jun 4 '04 Shyam Galahad at Blandings P. G. Wodehouse
Apr 16 '04 Sanjay Seabiscuit: An American Legend Laura Hillenbrand
Mar 12 '04 Poornima DaVinci Code Dan Brown
Feb 13 '04 Neerja Into Thin Air Jon Krakauer
Dec 12 '03 Varsha Interpreter of Maladies Jhumpa Lahiri


FUTURE SCHEDULE
2012-
DATE HOST BOOK AUTHOR
2012 Poornima    
2012 Shobhna    
2012 Sid    
2012 Shyam    
2012 Naren    
2012 Varsha    
2013 Sanjay    
2013 Vasan    
2013 Kalyan    
2013 Arun    
2013 Smita    
2013 Mira    
2013 Amita    
2013 Prasad    
2014 Kalpana    
2014 Neerja    


BOOKS READ BY YEAR
2003-2012
HOST 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 TOTAL
Amita 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
Arun 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 4
Kalpana 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 4
Kalyan 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 3
Mira 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 4
Naren 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1
Neerja 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 5
Parvati 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 4
Poornima 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 4
Prasad 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 4
Sanjay 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 4
Shobhana 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2
Shyam 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 4
Sid 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2
Smita 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 2
Varsha 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 4
Vas 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 4
TOTAL 1 6 8 6 7 6 5 7 8 2 56


New Guide lines:

  • Here are a couple of new notes on the Book group Guide lines:
    1. Book choice remains the prerogative of the host.
    2. Book discussion format is modified, as follows, to suite the current size of the group:
      The host and the moderator are requested to come prepared with questions or discussion points. After the hosts opening remarks (why you chose the book, synopsis, why you liked/disliked it, your overall reaction to the book - etc.)- he/she will pose a question to the group to spark a discussion.
      After one topic has been discussed enough, the moderator will ask the next question or raise a new topic or ask others to start a new thread. In summary, we are moving away from "giving everyone a turn to speak" format. Instead we are moving towards a "thread" format where everyone is welcome to add their view points on a certain topic. The moderator will ensure that everyone who wants to speak gets a chance to speak and we do explore the topic on the table to some extent and switch topics when people start losing interest in it.
    3. Folks are reminded to send their book choice at least 2 weeks before the current book discussion so that people have a chance to acquire the book in good time.
  • Each member chooses a book and hosts the discussion. Finalize selection 8 weeks prior. Schedule to choose and host posted above.
  • New guideline for next round, in choosing the book, it's "fair" to get input from the group but the decision is entirely up to the host.
  • Meet approximately every 6 weeks
  • Meeting details to be organized by host
  • Discussion to be lead by host, starting with why you chose the book and what you liked/disliked about it and what's the most burning question.
  • Moderator - Next host will moderate the discussion and keep things on schedule.
  • Just to share some "gems" about reading your book club books.
    This information is gleaned from a book about book clubs - enjoy!
    • While reading the book:
      • grasp the basic plot and form your impressions of the plot
      • determine the author's purpose
      • interpret the characters' actions
      • formulate your emotional response to the book
      • think about the memorable and favorite characters
      • detect important themes ( recurring reference to particularly symbolic items like water, red color, certain animals, certain relationships, events, settings - you get the idea?)
      • reflect on the significance of the title of the book
      • evaluate the authors writing style ( use of analogies, symbolism, allegories, motifs...)
      • think of the unanswered questions
      • finally - would you recommend the book to others?
  • Meeting format - roughly
    7:00 (winter)-7:30 (summer)
    Arrivals and socialize
    8:00-9:10
    Discuss book (last 5 minutes discuss for next time)
    9:10-open
    Dinner and more socialize

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© 2004 Vas Raman
Last Update: January 10, 2012   4:30 PM