Blog: Mel's Muse :: Mel Menzies

The Torn Veil by Gulshan Esther: ONLINE BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION SUMMARY

Posted: Friday, 6th August 2010

QUESTIONS

What strikes me, immediately, about the author is the sincerity and commitment she shows to her Islamic faith. Are the rituals she conforms to so very different to our own when seen through the eyes of a non-believer?
She makes no complaint about her disability but has complete faith that she will be healed. Can we honestly say that our faith is as strong?
Gulshan Esther says that when she thought of God, no picture arose in her mind P28. Do we have a picture of God?
Islam began in 622. Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac is recorded in the Koran, and sacrifice and tithing are part of the Islamic faith.
Articles on related themes: Book Reviews; Book Club / Readers Group; Online Book Group

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Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult: ONLINE BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION

Posted: Sunday, 9th May 2010

This Online Book Club discussion is intended to be just what it says it is, as well as a resource for real-time Readers’ Groups. Whether you’ve read the book, or not, you may have very different views to those expressed here, or you may agree with them. Please leave your comments at the end so that we can all benefit from a broader perspective.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS

Despite a degree of reluctance in some of us to be reading another Jodi Picoult book so soon (bit samey; all legal stuff) we agreed, when we met as a group last week, that we had found Plain Truth an enjoyable and compelling read.

Articles on related themes: Book Reviews; Book Club / Readers Group; Online Book Group

Return Of The Prodigal Son - Rembrandt Painting Inspires Author Henri Nouwen: ONLINE BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION

Posted: Saturday, 6th March 2010

Without exception, members of my real-time Readers’ Group found this an AMAZING book, and couldn’t believe how much they got out of it. To read the Questions that inspired their Discussion, which follows, go to: UV READERS' GROUP & ONLINE BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS: The Return Of The Prodigal Son By Henri Nouwen

If you think this is purely a ‘religious’ book for people of faith from a bygone era, think again. The themes are relevant to the whole of humanity, for all time. Here we are, in the 21st Century, struggling with issues that would have taxed the wisdom of Solomon: abortion; euthanasia; greed; poverty; sexual orientation; child trafficking.

Articles on related themes: Book Reviews; Book Club / Readers Group; Online Book Group

UV READERS' GROUP & ONLINE BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS: The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen

Posted: Thursday, 4th March 2010

MEETING: 4th March, 2010

Without exception, members of my real-time Readers’ Group found this an AMAZING book, and couldn’t believe how much they got out of it.

You can find all the questions for this book here.

To read their Discussion on these Questions, go to:

Return Of The Prodigal Son – Rembrandt Painting Inspires Author Henri Nouwen: ONLINE BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION

Articles on related themes: Book Reviews; Book Club / Readers Group; Online Book Group; Personal Growth

UV READERS' GROUP - Next Meeting 4th March 2010

Posted: Tuesday, 9th February 2010

VENUE

Please note that we are no longer meeting at The Grand because of the cost of the room. Please ring me for details of our current venue.

TIME

Please note, also, that a typo occurred in the last bulletin. We have not met at 7pm for some time - we now meet at 7.30pm

BOOK

Return of the Prodigal by Henri Nouwen. Inspired by Rembrandt's painting, the author describes his own inner journey, and urges readers to do likewise. Copies will be available next week in The Link, or direct from me.

Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Book Club / Readers Group

UV Readers' Group & ONLINE BOOK CLUB: The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Discussion Summary

Posted: Friday, 29th January 2010

My UV Readers’ Group met last Thursday, 21st January, to discuss The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid and, as always, we had plenty to say! First and foremost that we had found the book an enjoyable and compelling read, with the sinister elements evident from the start and building to a climactic conclusion.

A LOVE-HATE RELATIONSHIP

The narrative threw up some interesting and topical points and, because one of the aims of the group is to examine life applications for ourselves, we began by looking at the way in which a love/hate relationship might affect each one of us – just as it did the protagonist, Changez.

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The Reluctant Fundamentalist Discussion Questions - MEL'S ONLINE BOOK CLUB

Posted: Thursday, 21st January 2010

Hi! I’m really excited about this new Online Book Club, which is starting today, and hope that you will be, too. The beauty of being a member of a readers’ group is that it encourages you to read books you might not, otherwise, have picked up.

But reading can be a solitary pursuit. Half the pleasure of being a reader is having the opportunity to enthuse, criticize and discuss the books you’ve read. In his book, Aspects of the Novel, E.M.Forster declares that a novel is a story that takes place over a period of time.

Articles on related themes: Books, Reading & Words; Book Reviews; Book Club / Readers Group; Online Book Group

Online Book Club (Readers' Group)

Posted: Sunday, 27th December 2009

I’ve decided to start an online Book Club! Well, actually, I can’t take credit for it myself; my online friend Lucy suggested it. Thing is, I already lead a real-time Readers’ Group and post the discussion summary on my Diary page (last one was Joanne Harris’s Chocolat if you want to read it) and I think it would be interesting if this was extended to online discussion as well.

Articles on related themes: Book Club / Readers Group; Online Book Group

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BOOK Reviews, Questions & Discussion Summaries For Book Clubs

Posted: Thursday, 1st January 1970

Revised: August, 2010 Updated: Regularly

One of the pleasures in recent years has been the proliferation of Book Clubs. Not only do readers have the delight of enjoying a good book - be it a novel, biography or inspirational - they now have the added joy of being able to share - and therefore multiply - their satisfaction with others.

Those 'others' may not be of like-mind! As the leader of a Readers' Group, it never ceases to amaze me how many different nuances of perspective and points of view can emerge from one group discussion.

Articles on related themes: Book Reviews; Book Club / Readers Group; Online Book Group