USJ Book club

[shamalasp]

Hello anyone here interested in getting together to form a book club? I belong to one that is with members scattered all around the klang valley. Was wondering if there's enough interest in USJ to get one going.
Sham

[JackRyan1975]

Shamala, what does a book club member gotta do? What does one gain from a membership? Pardon my naivety.

[shamalasp]

No worries - I realize how a club membership must seem quite formidable eh? Anyway, it's just a group of people who get together after having read a common book or they may opt to choose a common theme - that's all.
Basically meet about once a month

[JackRyan1975]

So a book club is basically a social club where members discuss about the book(s) they read the past month? I'm sure your club members do follow certain genres only right? Coz I can't imagine how a person who reads a certain genre (say business) fits in with club members who read and discuss romance or sci-fi.

[shamalasp]

yup - it has to be an agreed theme or book title

[kress]

might be interested to join.. but i'd need to know your theme/title tho.

[mon]

Hello!
This is a neat idea..sharin' similar interests and something more to look forward to daily..but I have a small situation in regards to consistency in meetin' up for at least once or twice monthly?

Perhaps, we could start a book thread here instead? We could appoint a discussion leader (shamalasp?) to help move and guide de discussions posted here...

Just a ponder of thought, but otherwise I can consider joinin' u guys for a monthly meetin', once my exams are over...

[tan_r]

Brilliant idea. Really, I am a sucker for good books.

[shamalasp]

A brilliant idea to have it online - we could decide on a common theme or a particular title for us all to read and share our views - I would be happy to moderate.
Perhaps people would like to suggest some book titles - I do have tons!
Sham

[JackRyan1975]

Would be good if shamalasp can come up with the theme/genre first. Even in the reading community, a diverse range of interests could be found.

[mon]

A brilliant idea to have it online - we could decide on a common theme or a particular title for us all to read and share our views - I would be happy to moderate.
Perhaps people would like to suggest some book titles - I do have tons!
Sham

Sham, after ya....

p/s: anythin' goes for me..general reading, best sellers, prize winning or specific genres such as mysteries, romance, children’s books, science fiction, or nonfiction? thank u... :p

[shamalasp]

Okay guys,
I am going to try first with a particular book instead of a theme - makes it easy for starters.
Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres

You can pick it up cheap at Pay Less - at Summit and Carefour. This was made into a movie by the way.
Let me know if there are any violent objections :)

I have a copy if someone needs to borrow it - pm me
Sham!

[mon]

humm...interestin'.....Antonio Corelli ( a mandolin player )...an angelic musician in his own rights...will try to get a copy by de weekend....see ya!

[pcyeoh]

Okay guys,
I am going to try first with a particular book instead of a theme - makes it easy for starters. Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres

Did you mention Corelli's Mandolin? Count me out. I was floored before the first round. Aiyoh, I thought maybe you want to start with Sesame Street or Barney. Corelli's Mandolin? I thought he is an author. Now you are telling me it is the title. See, already failed lah. Don't even know what is what. I must be a real blur sotong.

[tan_r]

... See, already failed lah. Don't even know what is what. I must be a real blur sotong.
Welcome to the CROWD. :(

[shamalasp]

Aiyo - poor things!
Then suggest something else la - I am quite game - I read voraciously so it doesn't matter - do you think it would work better if I picked a theme instead?

[kress]

have any of you read Dune by Frank Herbert before?

[kress]

Wow.. no one has read Dune before? :(

[lord]

err... I would like to join in oso. But I only read or have read works by Archer, Grisham and Clancy. Colleni is a little greek to me.

But seriously, would love to join. :)

[shamalasp]

all right - last chance!!!
Have people read Grisham's Painted House.

Mon, you and I can still talk about corelli's Mandolin.

[mon]

Hey Sham,

Just got back! Well, I could try readin' Painted House first, if that's what de guys like, for a start....I'm a blur sotong myself, have not read anythin' other than my bla bla bla books....

Please pardon me if I'm slow-movin' at times as I've to complete my pcs of 'work' first before I could peacefully read up a few pages a day...before I go to zzzzzzzzz...hope that's ok? :)

[yvonnefoong]

Hey I would love to join a book club, but unfortunately I can't hear so there won't be any contributions from me. However, I read mostly biographies. Hehe... I'm a rare lot, I know. I wish you guys all the best!

[shamalasp]

Looks like we have a book to go by now - a painted house by grisham. Yvonne dear - we plan to do this online so you can and we would be pleased if you could contribute!
Sham

[yvonnefoong]

That's cool! What's painted house about? I have selective reading. :-Þ

[kaym]

I read painted house. In fact, I am die-hard fan for grisham books. Now I am reading The Last Juror...another great reading :)

Painted House ~ it took me by surprise after reading it. Not the usual "lawish" style (is there such a word...ha ha..i made it up) of John Grisham.

Anyway, it is indeed cool if we have this online book discussion. But no mushy mushy romance books pleazzeeee!! If this gets popular, maybe the moderator can create a sub-forum for reading or books recommended. I am always on the look out for good books.

[sly]

wow....i went to john grisham's website and only now i knew he's the man behind all the great movies in my favourite list....wow....and ppl, u guys claimed to be blur sotong...i wonder what type of sotong am i? super-blur?.... :D and shamala...would love to join the club....thanks.....

[mon]

wow....i went to john grisham's website and only now i knew he's the man behind all the great movies in my favourite list....wow....and ppl, u guys claimed to be blur sotong...i wonder what type of sotong am i? super-blur?.... :D and shamala...would love to join the club....thanks.....

..sly-mee sotong? hehe just kiddin :p

Seems like we have an enthusiastic bunch ready to go! Will get both books this comin' weekend; Corelli's Mandolin and Painted House...hopefully the england is not too powder-ful... :p

[cactuc1]

Okay guys,
I am going to try first with a particular book instead of a theme - makes it easy for starters.
Corelli's Mandolin by Louis De Bernieres



Oh ...i think is a movie actored by Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz called Captain Corelli's Mandolin who is a italian captain . I think mandolin is a type of violin ?...He play as the Italian who is allied with Nazi..Then Italian change side and kill Nazi because nazi betray them later..There was a massace of italian by the nazi is some scenes..

In more peaceful time , captain corelli fall in love with the local doc's daughter (Penelope)..which initially hate the italian..but later fall in love and give her virginity to him..The war comes (Nazi) etc etc..Love extends time..war over..but love prevailes to end of time etc etc..

It is a drama , romance , action , war movie.

Ok movie ah..book i dunno ah.

Interesting novels turn to movie which are coming out soon..
1. Da Vinci Code (Tom hanks)
2. Memories of Geisha ( ZhangZeYi,Michele Yeoh , Gong LI)


source..
movies.yahoo.com

[Vixey]

Painted House is easily my favourite Grisham novel. It is a beautifully captivating story that is so poignantly true.

The book I am currently reading is The Zahir by Paulo Coelho.

Just finished Lark Rise by Fiona Thompson. Its a biographical account of life in a tiny English hamlet during the Victorian age.

And yes, I have read Frank Herbert's Dune. Remember I read it when I was 15 during the school holidays after SRP exam. For some reason the books I read during that holiday have always remained in my memory; The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran and City of Joy by Dominique Lapierre.

[mon]

Oh ...i think is a movie actored by Nicolas Cage and Penelope Cruz called Captain Corelli's Mandolin who is a italian captain . I think mandolin is a type of violin ?...


From what I can gather herewith, Corelli's Mandolin is a love story; guy meets gal, gal dumps guy, guy wins gal back with some epic of war, clash of cultures, touching...similar to the English Patient?

Just to satisfy some of your curiousity over the mandolin instrument, here goes..

A mandolin is a small plucked stringed musical instrument.
The number and type of strings found on mandolins has varied...over time and place.
Today, the predominant configuration is that of the Neapolitan mandolin, with four courses of metal strings tuned a fifth apart (yes cactuc1, like the violin).
Unlike the violin tho, the fingerboard of a mandolin is fretted and it is typically played with a plectrum. :)

[shamalasp]

Okay gang, looks like we have quite a list already to get a move on. Let's set a timeline for A Painted House by Grisham then - say in a months' time we should all be done?
I have a copy and anyone who wants to borrow it is welcome to do so.
I'll keep a list of books that have been recommended here and add on from time to time.
So we'll get it going online first and then meet up whenever we can - how does that sound?
Sham

[pcyeoh]

I love books but nowadays can't find the time. You know lah, the way MPSJ has been approving projects keeps us on our toes all the time lah. I used to be a fan of .......... please don't laugh ah.... Sydney Shelton and Arthur Hailey and most probably read all their books. And it was some years later that I saw all those darned books coming alive on big screen. Honestly speaking, the book version is still the best. You can ask those goats roaming in the alley of MGM studio what they is their preference. When I was there recently, I overheard one of them telling the other, "Winifred, I have chewed and eaten both the book and film of Corelli's Mandolin and I find that the book version is still the better one. The film was horrible. I had a stomach upset as it caused severe indigestion... you know plastic aren't easily recycleable compared to papers. Oh dear"

[shamalasp]

Agreed, PC Yeoh, movies are often a sad representation of classic books. My latest disappointment was The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!

[pcyeoh]

Okay gang, looks like we have quite a list already to get a move on. Let's set a timeline for A Painted House by Grisham then - say in a months' time we should all be done?

Aiyoh, I called my wife just now and asked her to buy the book for me. Since the line was bad, she did not hear everything I said. She sounded very excited and asked me what colour is it. I told her I have no idea as I just read it in the forum. She was curious and asked who suggested that. I said must be a lady. When asked whether I have the money to do it as it can be very costly, I told her it shouldn't cost more than RM 35.00. She was very surprised and asked if it was so cheap, why didn't I do it earlier. I said I just come to know about it. And that is when she exploded. "I have been telling you to paint our house for the last 3 years and you put it off year after year and now you are telling me that when this lady sugggested that, you didn't waste a single minute and called me to tell me that." "But love, I am not talking about painting our house. I am talking about reading the book "Painted House." I could hear sobbing at the other end and she said "What is wrong with you PC. You know I wanted our house to be painted and you have the audacity to ask me buy that darn title and read it?" Click and complete silence...... So count me out on this folks. You all go ahead. I will just stick to my Sydney Shelton for second reading.

[JackRyan1975]

Erm...having seen all the enthusiasm in here, I'd be very interested to know what will actually transpire in the book club meeting. Like....is shamalasp gonna come up with a synopsis to be commented or elaborated upon, or comments about the characters and storyline, or a discussion about the emotional impact on the reader. Please count me in this club, but I'd volunteer to be a facilitator only for business/mgmt books, Jeffrey Archer and Tom Clancy books (from which my nick is derived).

[twohands]

Hello y'all,

i'm a readaholic, trashy novels, biographies, classics, children's stories, i read them all.

only problem i have is that i like to own what i read as i read the book over and over again. therefore, renting is out of the question for me. i normally limit myself to 2 brand new books a month and the rest i get from the pay less bookstores. as i've exhausted my limit for the next 3 months (went overboard couple of months back), can i get grisham's painted house in the summit/carrefour pay less bookstores?

[shamalasp]

Basically what happens is the lead will give a overview of author and the book - i e why book was written etc. Then it is opened to comments and everyone who has read it contributes. Thanks for volunteering to lead business books jackryan!
Sham!

[kaym]

Basically what happens is the lead will give a overview of author and the book - i e why book was written etc. Then it is opened to comments and everyone who has read it contributes. Thanks for volunteering to lead business books jackryan!
Sham!

Great! What date is it to discuss again? And how are we going to start~ by referring to this thread again? This thread is getting way down and soon will get lost....so how?

I am excited already!!!! :D

[jayan]

Just curious .... anyone here a fan of Ludlum, Forsyth, Asimov, Clancy or Le Carre.

regards
Jayan

[pcyeoh]

Just curious .... anyone here a fan of Ludlum, Forsyth, Asimov, Clancy or Le Carre.

regards
Jayan

Yes, I have read 4 of his titles - The Odessa Files, The Day of the Jackal, Dogs of War and No Comeback. I highly recommend the first two for those who like high suspense and big drama. The film version unfortunately dilute the suspense. The last title was a bit boring and turn me off from further reading on this author.

Has anyone read the book titled "Balance of Power" by James Huston which is a fast moving thriller? One reviewer even dared to say "The very best of Grisham and Clancy rolled into one."

I read the book just before the East Timor crisis and completed reading it on the first day when the crisis in East Timor broke out. What is fiction became true in view East Timor crisis. I then wrote the following review there in amazon.com

Most probably I am the only one in Malaysia who have read his book and lived within 300 miles of his battle zone. I was given this book by an American friend (personally autographed by James himself) which I did not complete reading last year. The latest East Timor Crisis made me frantically finish the reading in one day. If by any chance US gets involved in East Timor, I know what it is going to be like.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0380731592/ref=cm_rev_next/103-5366841-2883840?%5Fencoding=UTF8&customer-reviews.sort%5Fby=%2BSubmissionDate&n=283155&s=books&customer-reviews.start=31

[Vixey]

Shamala, would you like to start a MSN group for the USJ bookclub?
So we can have our online discussions there? It would be more organized and easier for those interested.

We could leave the link to the group on this thread for forumers to visit.

What do you think guys?

Benefits of using an MSN group would be:
-Easy demarcation of activities - threads for different book discussions.
-Folders for list of book titles and reviews sorted according to genres for easy reference & retrieval.
-Easy communication between bookclub members as discussions can be sent directly to email inbox.
- Central location to post info on other bookclub activities that might be of interest to our members.

[PeterHng]

Shamala, would you like to start a MSN group for the USJ bookclub?
So we can have our online discussions there? It would be more organized and easier for those interested.

We could leave the link to the group on this thread for forumers to visit.

What do you think guys?

Benefits of using an MSN group would be:
-Easy demarcation of activities - threads for different book discussions.
-Folders for list of book titles and reviews sorted according to genres for easy reference & retrieval.

-Easy communication between bookclub members as discussions can be sent directly to email inbox.
- Central location to post info on other bookclub activities that might be of interest to our members.


We can suggest to Mr KWChang, the moderator to get the "Books Corner" to be put under Micro e-community section with all the suggestions to make the corner more accessible and meaningful for discussions among forumers. What do you think Chang?

[kwchang]

Your wish is my command...
If someone comes across threads on books, please notify me and I will move it over to the "Book Corner"

[shamalasp]

Brilliant!

[PeterHng]

Your wish is my command...
If someone comes across threads on books, please notify me and I will move it over to the "Book Corner"

Didn't know you were working so late till morning. You oso nite bird one-ah? Thanks for your help. I believe those who love books would appreciate your understanding... I myself don't read so many books and therefore nothing to share-lah but I like to see movies translated from John Grisham's books ...

[yvonnefoong]

Hey any fans of John Ling? Let's discuss about local authors also.

[OWA1985]

Hmm.. Don't know about them. If this is still active, I am willing to head up the Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Weird Fiction section. Favourites include Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Iain Banks, and China Mieville.

[xweird]

I have read Dune, Dune Messiah, Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, Chapterhouse: Dune, the "House" books, the "Legends of Dune" books, watched the Dune and Children of Dune miniseries, the Dune movie, played Dune2 and Dune2000 PC games


Wow.. no one has read Dune before? :(

[court7]

Im not choosy over books... chinese, eng...

from rich dad poor dad.. sophie kinsella's all books...grisham's...harry potter... da vinci code.. memoir of geisha...
i do enjoy reading...

am i qualify to join your group? :p

[uglyJr]

Erm...having seen all the enthusiasm in here, I'd be very interested to know what will actually transpire in the book club meeting. Like....is shamalasp gonna come up with a synopsis to be commented or elaborated upon, or comments about the characters and storyline, or a discussion about the emotional impact on the reader. Please count me in this club, but I'd volunteer to be a facilitator only for business/mgmt books, Jeffrey Archer and Tom Clancy books (from which my nick is derived).aloha.
nice to know that there's a fan of Tom Clancy here.
am currently reading the Red Rabbit.
favourite title, Rainbow Six, of course.
actually, i'm looking forward to a continuation of Rainbow Six, but alas! no.
except for the PC and console games, though.
never read anything by Jeffrey Archer, though.
LOL

[JackRyan1975]

aloha.
nice to know that there's a fan of Tom Clancy here.
am currently reading the Red Rabbit.
favourite title, Rainbow Six, of course.
actually, i'm looking forward to a continuation of Rainbow Six, but alas! no.
except for the PC and console games, though.
never read anything by Jeffrey Archer, though.
LOL

Hey man, I read Red Rabbit like 2.5 yrs ago. Nice preview before (the real fictional) Jack Ryan became a CIA agent. My favourites are Red Storm Rising, Cardinal of the Kremlin, The Sum of All Fears, and the trilogy of Debt of Honor, Executive Orders and The Bear and the Dragon. These are his best works, in my opinion.

[uglyJr]

yo yo
i started to join his facn club kinda late... that's why... xD
by the way, i didn't realize that Debt of Honor, Executive Orders and The Bear and the Dragon were a trilogy!
gosh... i gotta buy them all now!
seriously, i bought the books as according to the publisher
i only buy those Tom Clancy's published by Penguin Books
talk about discrimination... LOL xD

[JackRyan1975]

yo yo
i started to join his facn club kinda late... that's why... xD
by the way, i didn't realize that Debt of Honor, Executive Orders and The Bear and the Dragon were a trilogy!
gosh... i gotta buy them all now!
seriously, i bought the books as according to the publisher
i only buy those Tom Clancy's published by Penguin Books
talk about discrimination... LOL xD

I got a complete set of mainstream Tom Clancy fictions by Harper Collins. Took the pains to order the last copy of Sum of All Fears (Harper Collins) from MPH online after the movie tie-in cover came about. Too bad Rainbow 6 and Bear n Dragon had different cover schemes. :o

[codebean]

Hi there, I have got some computer books that are still current to give away.

1) XML Step by Step
2) MS Exchange 2000 Administrator Companion
3) Under Pressure & On-Time
4) Java Script Bible
5) VB Project Management
6) Introducing Micorosoft.NET
7) Introducing Longhorn for developer
8) XML In Action: Web technology
9) Improving Web application Security: Patterns & Practices
10) MCSE Training Kit for Microsoft Windows 2000
11) MCSE Training Kit for SQL Server 2000
12) VB. Net for developer
13) ASP. Net for developer

plus other not-so-new books. Yup, free for those who have use for it.

[La Vida Loca]

Hey any fans of John Ling? Let's discuss about local authors also.
Hi yvonne, i heard he came back in November for some book writing workshop and he's a good friend of yours. Which book do you recommend? Thirteen bullets?

[ree_kj]

Any John Grisham maddies out there?? I just read The Broker and would like to share some thoughts on it... And most importantly i can pull some strings because i've just resigned from popular 4 days ago.. I can some Tom Clancy's if you guys really want... :confused:

[Julia81]

Hi! Is this book club still available?

[wjolene]

Hi! Is this book club still available?

it seems like the thread stop some time in 2006

[freakmaster]

Hi,

This website : http://www.malaysianreader.com/forum/

It a new forum on local Malaysian English writings. From books to novels, writing to publishing.