The other day I was reading Gabriel Zaid's fine book about the pitfalls of author-as-celebrity worship, The Secret of Fame: The Literary Encounter is an Age of Distraction (2008), and a young man sitting next to me stares unabashedly at the cover of my book. I look up and I was slightly taken aback, because in book spotting, there is a unwritten rule of viewer discretion. So the man says to me, “I am always interested in finding out what people are reading.” I show him the Zaid book and told him that there is a secret brotherhood and sisterhood of readers and riders called The MARTA Book Club.
“Really, you mean there is a MARTA book club!?!” he asked.
I gave him the website address, (just type MARTA Book Club in Google) and you can find us. The only membership requirement is to read a book while riding Atlanta public transportation.There are no meeting times, no organizational rules, no t-shirts, and no dues. Very convenient.
What We Have Been Reading
It's been a couple months since our last MARTA Book Club compilation (see the links category for all the lists) and there is much reading on the train to report. We regret since we cannot determine the title, electronic books are not tabulated. Here's the last offerings:
Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder by David Weinberger
Sorting Things Out: Classification and Its Consequences (Inside Technology) by Geoffrey C. Bowker and Susan Leigh Star
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
The Fiery Trial: Abraham Lincoln and American Slavery by Eric Foner
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews
Agent X by Noah Boyd
Living Crazy Love: An Interactive Workbook for Individual or Small-Group Study by Francis Chan and Mark Beuving
Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Finding the Favor of God: A Discovery That Will Change Your Life by Ronnie W. Floyd
The Bill: How Legislation Really Becomes Law: A Case Study of the National Service Bill by Stephan Waldman
Research Methods in Information by Alison Jane Pickard
Fire and Ice by Julie Garwood
Schism and Continuity in an African Society a Study of Ndembu Village Life by Victor Turner and Bruce Kapferer
God Speaks to Me: Stories of Triumph Over Tragedy from Women Who Listened to God by Valerie Love
It by Stephen King
Structure in Architecture: The Building of Buildings by Mario George Salvadori
Susanna's Choice by Sara Luck
Elizabeth Taylor: The Last Star by Kitty Kelley
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (thanks Emily Britt)
The Boss's Survival Guide by Bob Rosner, Allan Halcrow and Alan Levins
Shakey: Neil Young's Biography by Jimmy McDonough
A Man in Full by Tom Wolfe
The Holy Bible
The Four Noble Truths by The Dali Lama
The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer
Corelli's Mandolin: A Novel by Louis De Bernieres
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho and Alan R. Clarke
A Divine Revelation of Hell by Mary K. Baxter
Letters for Litigators: Essential Communications for Opposing Counsel,Witnesses, Clients and Others by Daniel J. Small.
A Piece of Cake: A Memoir by Cupcake Brown
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
Daddy Loves His Girls: Discover a Love Your Heavenly Father offers that an Earthly Father Can't by T. D Jakes.
Hardluck Ironclad: The Sinking and Salvage of the Cairo by Edwin C. Bearss
Novels by James Patterson, Stuart Woods, Nora Roberts, E Lynn Harris, Janet Evanovich, Sister Souljah, Ruth Lewis, Brenda Jackson, Gena Showalter (steamiest covers), some books about serial killers (disconcerting), guerrilla marketing (equally disconcerting), and creative visualization.
Disclaimer: No rider was pestered to compile this list.
What Members Thought About Each Book
Despite my recent experience, readers are encouraged to keep their thoughts (and eyes) to themselves. No time is wasted talking about books when you could be reading.
Next Assignment
Keep reading, get to work on time, watch for wet spots (of all kinds) and send us your book contributions and observations via comment or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/thebookshopper. To visit past book club postings, click on the “MARTA Book Club” link at the right.
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