To recap from today’s earlier cafe diaries. . .
The other day, in this diary. . .LINK. . .BooMan leveled with us about the financial challenges of running this beloved blog. If you didn’t read his diary then, I hope you will now.
One idea that came out of it: run Powell’s Bookstore advertising. We’re big readers here, right? So why not direct our book buying dollars to a place that will benefit this blog? All the better that Powell’s is a an independent book store and a unionized, very Blue company.
That led to a second idea: Let’s have a regular BooMan Book Club in conjunction with Powell’s. We’ll pick a book having to do with politics/current events/history. We’ll get our copies from Powell’s, using the links on this site. We’ll all read it at the same time and then have a rollicking good discussion and arm wrestling about it.
* It looks as if Saturday is the majority choice
- We should probably still discuss a little more whether we want to do a complete book once a month, or possibly read a few chapters a week and discuss weekly. What say you?
- We have some suggestions for names for the bookclub. Please add any more if you have them. I’ll poll us on that later.
- Now for our first book.
The following have been suggested to me.
I hope I got everything in here. I’m rushing because I’m going to the local Cindy Sheehan rally.
Let me know what I forgot!
Recommend this one, unrec the old one, please.
Bayou Farewell seems to be unavailable at Powells at the moment, so I picked Reading Lolita. Plus I think it might be nice to take a mental break from the bad news from the Gulf Coast.
I’ve read all those, but I’m happy to chime in just for fun.
Reading Lolita really might be good for our current siege.
Unlike Sandblaster, I haven’t read ANY of tose, so I’d be happy with any. I’m voting for Lolita in Tehran, though.
I voted for Lolita because I have already read it so I know I’d really enjoy discussing it.
Getting ahead of things, here’s a book I’d like to suggest for consideration for the next time:
The Wimp Factor: Gender Gaps, Holy Wars, and the Politics of Anxious Masculinity
by Stephen J. Ducat
Description
In this eye-opening book on how male anxiety has come to shape political thinking and behavior, Dr. Stephen Ducat argues that there is a direct association between the magnitude of a mans femiphobia and his tendency to embrace right-wing political opinions. Ducat shows how anxious masculinity has been a discernible subtext in politics throughout the history of Western culture–from the political campaigns of ancient Greece to the contest for the presidency. He also explores why and how political issues–such as environmental protection, support for war, welfare reform, and crime and punishment–get gendered.
to look for a book the spouse wants, but unfortunately they didn’t have it so I had to get it at Amazon. 🙁
I will check there when I get home for some other books I’m looking for… 🙂
They also don’t sell cheap pedometers. And Amazon has the best deal for the most highly rated pedometer (and the shipping was free with one paperback).
(I keep trying to buy from Powell’s, but they don’t carry a lot of what I like.)
I’m not sure how Barnes & Noble compares to Amazon but B&N is on the list from the Buy Blue organization and is completely blue.
http://www.booksense.com/ Also this link goes to independent bookstores…you can put in your zip code and it will give you all the independents in your area and surrounding area I believe.