Theme
Dune is Not About Oil
The prompt for the Book Club challenge is funny because it was David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation that introduced me to Dune. Dune was one of my favorite movies as a kid. It was one of my top picks at the library, besides all the Star Trek and Universal monster movies I could get my hands on. My love for the Dune universe grew in the 90s, with the books from Brian Herbert. Despite this, I would not read the first novel until 2017. Why, I am unsure. Since then I have dove as deep into the Dune universe as I can. I still have not finished the original series, due to a combination of work and school. Well, also after acquiring a copy of the encyclopedia, I decided I wanted to have the time to sit and read the series with that as my companion. Because if Dune does nothing else, it raises a lot of questions for the reader. Both in and out of the universe.
By Atomic Historian3 years ago in BookClub
Through Wardrobes
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - and actually the entire Narnia series - is one of the first full books I remember my parents reading to me, then reading and even re-reading the entire set to myself at a young age, and already thinking I must re-read again when I'd forgotten too much.
By Ellen Stedfeld3 years ago in BookClub
Gift
No other book has had so much effect on me like The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov. And I’ve read many, like most of Russians do. In the beginning of 80s I was lucky to borrow a copy of Khudozhestvennaya Literatura magazine dated 1973 where a full complete uncut version of the book had been published, a surprising oversight by government. There I was, in my early 20s, born and raised in Soviet Union, gone through all the pre coordinated by government stages of a proper soviet child. Patriotism, obedience, and loyalty to the state where the Communist Party had absolute power over everything, were inflicted at each stage, from kindergarten to university.
By Natalia Grin3 years ago in BookClub
The GULAG Archipelago
I've lived long enough now to feel that books rarely change me. Probably the last one was Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt that I read in 2004 or 2005, early in my doctoral program. Even then I wouldn't say that it changed me as much as it shook me in realization that human history was full of misery and suffering universally until quite recently and that we are probably living in the best human times in terms of life's comfort and personal security. And it all is incredibly fragile.
By Lana V Lynx3 years ago in BookClub
Love or Illusion? The Cognitive Dissonance of Jay Gatsby
In F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, Jay Gatsby is a character who has lodged himself into the collective consciousness as an epitome of the American Dream gone awry. But what underpins Gatsby's ceaseless pining for Daisy Buchanan? The concept of obsession unfurls itself within the complex tapestry of Gatsby’s psychology. Our exploration traverses the realms of psychology, neuroscience, and literary analysis to deconstruct what makes Gatsby a case study for fixation.
By Margaret S.3 years ago in BookClub
An Enjoyable and Artistic Adventure into the World of Mindful Coloring
This is a coloring book for adults with hand-drawn mandala patterns. Wonderful and relaxing patterns will allow you to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and plunge into the land of peace and relaxation.
By Nguyen Hoang Duong3 years ago in BookClub
A Little More Into It
This was my very first read and is my favorite book yet! It changed me drastically by having an open heart and a appeal for Travis and people. I started to have a greater insight for others. It was exactly 405 pages long, and I just loved how I vowed to read it!!! Basically I came (home) from a typical good workday and started to read it from 8:30 @ night - to 6AM in the morning!! It was completed as my first read. I was so proud of myself! I loved these parts about the book:
By Rachael Frazier3 years ago in BookClub
I Am Perfect Enough
What are books? To a reader’s definition, it is a portal to escape from reality and the troubles of our world. We could be the character, or an unknown side character watching the protagonist face their problems or fighting the dragon in the fantasy world to save the princess and the kingdom.
By C.E. Mattison3 years ago in BookClub
The Managerial Revolution
Have you ever bought a book sight unseen in terms of knowing what it’s about before you buy it? I have that’s what happened when I bought, The Managerial Revolution: What is Happening in the World, by James Burnham in 2013. This book sat on my shelf for the next year. Not because I wasn’t interested, rather it was marinating for the right time for me to read it. But boy, would this book change my entire outlook on the world once I did read it.
By Atomic Historian3 years ago in BookClub
