Chicago Zine Book Club

In July, Chicago Zine Book Club we will be reading Mimi Thi Nguyen‘s Evolution of a Race Riot

Get your own copy at Stranger Danger and read along with us!

 

 

 

 

“Better Book Titles”: Jane Eyre

Hey pals, I know our discussion re: Jane Eyre has been sluggish, but I spotted this on tumblr this morning and thought I would share it with yins & see what you thought.

Some context: Better Book Titles is a tumblr that alters book covers, replacing the actual title with something snappy that (supposedly) distills the plot of the book into a more memorable and accurate title.

Today they posted this cover for our much beloved and little discussed JE:

Thoughts? Do you think this “better” title captures the essence of Jane Eyre? I’ll put my thoughts in the comments after work today.

Reading Jane Eyre: Reactions

While I work on typing out quotes (I was always really bad at that while I was in school too, I have a tendency to rush through the reading, intending to go back and type out quotes, and then fail to do so for as long as possible), I thought we could get the ball rolling on discussing our reactions to Jane Eyre.

Here in the comments let’s talk about all those non-analytical “how I felt” reactions to the novel. Have you read Jane Eyre before? If so, when, and how was it different this time? If not, what did you know about the novel already? How did that influence your reading?

Did you like the book? Did you like certain parts of the book more than others? Did you like Jane? Did you like Mr. Rochester? Can you buy their relationship? What about the other characters?

Did you like the style? Did you like the themes, the imagery, the flow of the book?

What didn’t you like about Jane Eyre? What didn’t you understand about the novel?

What are you interested in exploring in more depth?

I am still wading through Jane’s childhood and not sure I will have the book finished by our prospective date. Like B, I have enjoyed what little I have read more than what little I read in high school. Looking forward to our discussion questions. If anyone wants to throw out some thoughts now, I would welcome those, too.

Hey, friends! I’m nearly done with Jane Eyre–I know Kathee finished it yesterday and April probably finished it earlier this month. Jane is living with the Rivers family and has taken up teaching again, so there’s something like 80 pages left. My second reading of this book has been more enjoyable than my first (high school) reading, but I’m still eager to finish it.

As February rounds up and we close the covers on Jane, I am curious about what you all are considering suggesting as future reads. Jami mentioned one book on twitter but I think that’s it. I’ve combed my own “to read” list but not much of it seems, upon first inspection, like good fits for a stimulating group read. But, hey, you’ve gotta pay to play so here’s a few half-baked suggestions. Links will take you to amazon listings which might give you an idea of whether you’d be interested or not.

• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley (Mystery, Fiction)
• Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Young Adult Fiction)
• Bodies by Susie Orbach (Nonfiction)
• The Body Project: An Intimate History of American Girls by Joan Jacobs Brumberg (Nonfiction)
• Strip City: A Stripper’s Farewell Journey Across America by Lily Burana (Nonfiction, Sex Work Memoir)
• The Camera My Mother Gave Me by Susana Kaysen (Nonfiction, Health/Sexuality Memoir)

I have more suggestions but wordpress/my computer is being a jerk and doesn’t want to let me add any more links. I don’t know much about these books outside of positive reviews I’ve read. I’m not even certain if they can all be found with our library systems but will check when I have more time. I’d love to hear what you all have in mind!

Listening to Kate Bush and reading Jane Eyre.