Thursday, September 25, 2008

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award for best novel for 2007.

The author is a professor at MIT - click here.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

The Ghost Map

The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic--and How It Changed Science, Cities, and the Modern World by Steven Johnson was added to the list by 2 committee members who thought it looked engaging. Unlike most other books on the list, as well as the books previously selected by the committee, it is not an Alex Award winner.

If you've read this book, please leave a comment with your review of it and whether you think other readers are likely to find it engaging (do you think they’d be eager to finish it and perhaps start reading another book when they are done). If you recommend the book, please also state any themes or topics that would be good for discussion. Thanks.

Three Cups of Tea

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson was suggested by a few students and faculty members. It has also been used by a few other universities. Unlike most other books on the list, as well as the books previously selected by the committee, it is not an Alex Award winner.

If you've read this book, please leave a comment with your review of it and whether you think other readers are likely to find it engaging (do you think they’d be eager to finish it and perhaps start reading another book when they are done). If you recommend the book, please also state any themes or topics that would be good for discussion. Thanks.

The Whistling Season

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig is a 2007 Alex Award winner.

If you've read this book, please leave a comment with your review of it and whether you think other readers are likely to find it engaging (do you think they’d be eager to finish it and perhaps start reading another book when they are done). If you recommend the book, please also state any themes or topics that would be good for discussion. Thanks.

The Thirteenth Tale

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is a 2007 Alex Award winner.

If you've read this book, please leave a comment with your review of it and whether you think other readers are likely to find it engaging (do you think they’d be eager to finish it and perhaps start reading another book when they are done). If you recommend the book, please also state any themes or topics that would be good for discussion. Thanks.

The Spellman Files

The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz is a 2008 Alex Award winner.

If you've read this book, please leave a comment with your review of it and whether you think other readers are likely to find it engaging (do you think they’d be eager to finish it and perhaps start reading another book when they are done). If you recommend the book, please also state any themes or topics that would be good for discussion. Thanks.

The Night Birds

The Night Birds by Thomas Maltman is a 2008 Alex Award winner.

If you've read this book, please leave a comment with your review of it and whether you think other readers are likely to find it engaging (do you think they’d be eager to finish it and perhaps start reading another book when they are done). If you recommend the book, please also state any themes or topics that would be good for discussion. Thanks.