I am interested also!

Ok I've contacted you both!

I read tons of books, I love reading about all kinds of things. Some of my all time favorites are:

1. THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck
2. 1984 by George Orwell
3. ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
4. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY by James Jones
5. TOBACCO ROAD by Erskine Caldwell
6. SOPHIE'S CHOICE by William Styron
7. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee
8. GONE WITH THE WIND by Margaret Mitchell
9. THE STAND by Stephen King
10. THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams
11. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury
12. WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams
13. IT by Stephen King

Anybody read any of these, I would love to be in the book club, as you can see I read all the time.

Those are all great books. I've read many of those on your list. This book club is related to the Middle East North Africa if that's alright we'd love to have you? I'll have to get back to you though after I'm doing working today.

Ok I'm back and I just sent you the link.

I'm ready. What's the first book?

Mohamed and I are ready also!

Olivia,

I am interested in this....just tell me how and what to do!

Tasha

Ok! First thing we need to do is have the members go to the Database section under Middle Eastern Fiction in the group and read the reviews. Then go to the polls section and out of the two polls pick their top five they want to read this summer.

Polls will close next Saturday and from there we will have the selection of books we're going to cover this summer!

Olivia




Alright! I sent you the link to join!

Olivia

Mohamed and I voted !alot of these books look really good! I was telling my daughter about them she said she will read them after we do! Shes 19! I cant wait to start reading !It will give Mohamed something to do also!!!lol

That's great. I've read several on the list already and I'd read them again. I'm open to suggestion that any one has to adding books to the list as well.

I would love to join too, this be great to keep me busy from all the craziness and waiting!!!

Nita

Awesome I sent you the link to join! Read the reviews and out of the two polls pick your top five that you want to cover this summer! Polls close on Saturday.

If it is not too late I would love to Join. Are you considering Turkey a part of the middle east????

According to this site link it is part of MENA, but according to this site link it doesn't make the list. I guess it depends on which sites you look at. All are welcome to join the summer book club as long as they are willing to focus on books somehow related to the Middle East North Africa. I'll send you the link to join.

9 ppl have voted so there are two who haven't. Remember you can change your selection up to Saturday. So far Fatwa is the front runner.

Who is the author?

I'll resend ya the link to check out the database. Sorry I didn't realize we need to update to your email.

I vote for Tahar Djaout LAST SUMMER OF REASON

anything by Assja Djebar

Whoops! "I'm happier to know you" took the lead!

Did you want to join the MENA summer book club too?

My bad. There is 16 of us with two more joining putting us at 18. With only nine ppl who have voted that leaves 9 more who need to vote still! Polls close Saturday!

i am going to join and vote before saturday. maybe ill be the swing vote!

Awesome!

Whoot! Even my Husband joined! Now there are 17 of us!

yes

Ok I sent you the link! That makes 18 now with still two more pending to join so we're at 20 ppl!

can we add for next reading the "life of mohammed" I think it would be very interesting to read!

Absolutely!

Woah! So I googled it to add a review to the database and find the author and there are more than one on the subject. Which author did you have in mind. I just picked one by I. Ishaq (Author), A. Guillaume (Translator) and added it to the non-fiction section of the database but let me know for sure if that is the right one.

I can't wait to start reading!!!!

ok, I voted. that a good lineup of choices, I've actually read several of them and really liked all the ones I've read so far....

I finally saw this post right now! I did look for it last night but did not see it. Is it too late to get on this Oliva?

Thanks,[size="3"][/size]

Can I get the link? I'll do it.


OT - Do most of your husband/fiance's read the same books that you read or is their reading not *there* yet?

my husband learned english in israel growing up and can read and write but he cant read in english with the speed he can in hebrew and he gets bored with it. so he pretty much reads books in hebrew. i keep trying to tell him that the more he reads the faster it will get but he isnt a voracious reader anyway. he made me buy him "the secret" audiotape

ok so I finally got the books I ordered from amazon has anyone any interest in adding to the list: 1)The Fourth Queen by Debbie Taylor 2) Harem by Dora Levy Mossanen and 3) Seven Houses by Alev Lytle Croutier. Has anyone even read them?

I haven't read those ones and I don't think they are on the list but I can add them for future reference.




I'll send you the link.



[size=3]Kewl! I'll get the link for you as well. My Husband joined the book club for the summer & some of the others did as well.

Is the new book announcement tommorrow? I am giddy in anticipation!

Cute! Polls close on Saturday so it will be announced tomorrow. Hopefully everyone will finish voting! I still have several more books to add to the list for next year!

humm I have it, but I can't find the book
it's somewhere in this mess...I will get back to you on the author... Another good one that I recommend to read is Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon

Nita

I got all giddy reading some of these reviews on the new books you all suggested so I created another poll realizing we can change our votes at any time. Go ahead and vote away if you want to change your mind on something!

Hi Olivia, I'd love to join your book club.

Awesome I'll send you the link via pm!

This is a note to those of you that contacted me that you wished to join but have to sign up for a Yahoo account and haven't signed up for the group yet. There is still plenty of time to join and there is no obligation if you don't want to at this time. Here's what is going on in the meantime.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello to all the members of the MENA Summer Book Club!

It's Saturday and the polls have closed and the results are in!!!

I've updated the databases with amount of pages per book and what
year they were published to give members some idea of relevance.

I've also cleaned up the message board and archived the older
messages in one file by books we've covered in the past. They are
now in the "Files" feature if you'd like to take a look. As we
complete each book I'll combine the thread for that book and archive
the file to keep the message boards clear and easy to follow.

Out of 23 members 15 voted. Taking the average from the amount of
pages each of you polled that you could cover a day I came up with
between 32-37 pages a day and I'm putting us between that number at
covering 35 pages a day. This means those of you that polled in the
lower numbers have to read a little more and those of you that polled
in the higher numbers have to read a little slower or you can read
ahead if you life.

Since this is the second go we've had at the book club and seeing how things worked before we're all still learning how members operate. In the meantime for the week of MAY 18- MAY 23 get your books and introduce yourselves on the message boards. Tell us all a little about yourself such as what is your likes and dislikes and what works for you and what doesn't work for you. What are your hopes for this book club, ect...

I've made a "tentative" schedule of the books we'll cover utilizing the "Calendar" feature for our group. If you look under "Calendar" by month you should have a good view to what is going on each day! Many of the books tied in the polls so those that tied in votes I places in alphabetical order and went from there.

As for the schedule we're going to take this in two parts. After the initial message board introductions or I like to call it "Roll Call" to the group and reporting if we got our books yet or not will come the first part of the book club reading session which begins on May 24th.

The first part is the duration of time before the 4th of July holiday. The second part, for those wishing to continue participation, comes after the 4th of July holiday with the summer book club closing on August 22nd. This is due to the fact I have to go back to college for the fall semester and I can't continue to moderate during my senior year.

If any of you wish to continue the book club for the fall at that
point please feel free to step in and send Amanda "Amera" or I a note that you'd like to become a moderator. Otherwise, my hope is the book club will remain on hold until the next summer where we can make it an annual event!

Also please remember that paticipation is encouraged. If you wish to
discontinue membership please shoot us a note or if you're taking a
vacation or whatever is going on and you're not able to participate
let us know so we don't wonder about you. You're always welcome back when you have the time!

Now for what you've all been waiting for!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The MENA Summer Book Club Line up is:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Part I:

Your Top FIVE:

In First Place: with 7 votes
I'm Happier to Know You
By: Jeanne M. Eck
At 340 pgs. reading 35 pgs. & always rounding up a day we'd cover it
in a healthy 10 days.
Scheduled for: May 24-June 2
Final Discussion: June 3

In Second Place: with 7 votes
Women of Sand and Myrrh
By: Hanan al-Shaykh
At 280 pgs we'll cover it in 8 days.
Scheduled for: June 4-June 11
Final Discussion: June 12

In Third Place: with 6 votes
Zohra's Ladder: And Other Moroccan Tales
By: Pamela Windo
At 199 pages we'll cover it in 6 days.
Scheduled for: June 13-June 18
Final Discussion: June 19

In Fourth Place: with 5 votes
Fatwa:Living With a Death Threat
By: Jacky Trevane
At 256 pgs. we'll cover it in 8 days
Scheduled for: June 20-27
Final Discussion: June 28

In Fifth Place: with 5 votes
The Last Summer of Reason
By: Tahar Djaout
This is a delightful and easy read that comes right before the
holiday break. At 176 pages we'll cover it in 6 days but we're going
to take 9 days thanks to the 4th of July holiday and my Brother,
Zach, getting married! We're going out of town for the wedding and I
assume most of you will be celebrating in one form of another.

I'm scheduling two days for socializing and review when we get back
and regroup. At this time we reflect where we're all at and what
works for us and what doesn't work for us.
Scheduled: reading-June 29-July 2, break-July 3-July 5
Final Discussion/Reflect/Socialize: July 6-July 7.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Then back on track for those that want to continue thru August 22:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Part II:

The list continues!

In Sixth Place: with 5 votes.
The Saffron Kitchen
By: Yasmin Crowther
At 257 pgs. it will take 8 days to cover.
Scheduled: July 8-July 15
Final Discussion: July 16

In Seventh Place: with 4 votes
For Bread Alone
By: Mohamed Choukri
At 169 pgs. it will take 5 days to cover.
Scheduled: July 17-July 21
Final Discussion: July 22

In Eighth Place: with 4 votes.
Once in a Promised Land
By: Laila Halaby
At 352 pgs. it will take us 11 days to cover.
Scheduled: July 23-August 2
Final Discussion: August 3

In Ninth Place: with 4 votes.
Standing Alone: An American Women's Struggle for the Soul of Islam
Asra Q. Nomani
At 330 pg. it will take us 10 days to cover.
Scheduled: August 4-August 13
Final Discussion: August 14

In Tenth Place: with 4 votes.
Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail
By: Malika Oufkir
At 294 pages it will take 9 days to cover. This runs over the time
the book club closes and I go back to college. I offer we vote on if
we want to cover this book or not. Unfortunatly I will not be able
to moderate it or conduct a final discussion as I'm gearing up for
another semester. Since I know Amanda "Amera" has already read this
book maybe she will be willing to step in here?
Tentatively Scheduled: August 15-August 23
Final Discussion: August 24

Are you all ready to engage those brains!? Roll Call!!!

Olivia

I am over the moon impressed! and excited to be apart of this group!

Jackie

I am glad. Apparently I was slipping in and out of coherency staying up all night working on this according to my Mom because of the errors in my post. So she helped edit it for me and we reposted it.

We start reading the first book today!

I'm Happier to Know You
By: Jeanne M. Eck
At 340 pgs. reading 35 pgs. & always rounding up a day we'd cover it
in a healthy 10 days.
Scheduled for: May 31-June 10
Final Discussion: June 11
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm back from McCall! We didn't get the first book yet but it's
scheduled to arrive June 1st! We did however get some of the other
books on the list while we were gone.

Do to group feedback I pushed the schedule back a week so people
could get their books. For those that got their books already there
was an early discussion this week.

Before I left I updated the "Calendar" feature on the left hand side
of this groups window. I made the default view 'monthly' so if you
click on "Calendar" you all are able to follow along and know what
book we're on and when the final discussion will be in the schedule.

I also knocked the last book off the list so we only have nine books
now. Remember the schedule is "tentative" and will be adjusted
according to group feedback on how the reading goes.

The group polled an average read of 35 pages a day, so try to achieve
that. Otherwise please post in this thread how many pages you're
reading a day and what comprehension level you feel the reading is
at. Don't be shy! Sometimes even I find a books level higher than
my comprehension level. That's why we have a book club to share and
understand the books.

For this book please feel free to continue your thoughts in reply to
this thread & final discussion and thoughts will be held as scheduled
posted above or you can find it on the "Calendar".

Oh! I also filed and cleaned up the message board. If you need to
refer back to something, older messages can be found in the "Files"
feature on the left hand side of this groups window. I will be doing
clean up and filing after each books completion to keep the message
board easier to read!

Happy Reading!

Olivia

Well it's that time just before the 4th of July that I was telling you all about where we'd get a poll to decide to retire the book club early or finish the second half after the 4th of July. Please cast votes at the poll in the yahoo group.

Poll closes by July 11th or if 11 members (majority) casted their votes to make the decision for one or the other.

RETIRE the book club?????????????? I just got started! Just give us our assignments and keep going.

Well there's a poll in the book club to see if members are going to retire it early or keep going this summer so go vote today if you haven't already. Majority wins!

We are on "The Saffron Kitchen" now and it's really good!

Oops wrong thread. lol