Book Club
Endless Imagination, Fun & Inspiration
So much of what students do at university has to do with reading; in preparation, why not take a little time to read for fun this summer? These are the interesting books that will hopefully enteratin and make you think. There will be lots of chances to discuss the books here on STARTonline.ca. Read one or read 'em all - it's entirely up to you.
Yes, we do have a limited number of free copies of each book to give away. As the books become available, click on the title below to request a copy (while supplies last). These books are also generally available at book stores and libraries.
June 13: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children''s imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn''t stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.
Read more from Simon & Shuster »
July 4: Hitchens vs Blair: Be it resolved that religion is a force for good in the world by Christopher Hitchens and Tony Bair
In a world of globalization and rapid social change does religion provide the common values and ethical foundations that diverse societies need to thrive in the 21st century? Or, do deeply held religious beliefs promote intolerance, exacerbate ethnic divisions, and impede social progress in developing and developed nations alike? To encourage a far-ranging discussion on one of human kind’s most vexing questions, the 6th semi-annual Munk Debate will tackle the resolution: be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world.
Read more from the Munk Debates »
July 25: A Long Way Gone: memoirs of a boy soldier by Ishmael Beah
A gripping story of a child’s journey through hell and back.
There may be as many as 300,000 child soldiers, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s, in more than fifty conflicts around the world. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them. He is one of the first to tell his story in his own words.
In A LONG WAY GONE, Beah, now twenty-six years old, tells a riveting story. At the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. Eventually released by the army and sent to a UNICEF rehabilitation center, he struggled to regain his humanity and to reenter the world of civilians, who viewed him with fear and suspicion. This is, at last, a story of redemption and hope.
Visit the website to learn more »
August 18: The Waterproof Bible by Andrew Kaufman
Rebecca Reynolds is a young woman with a most unusual and inconvenient problem: no matter how hard she tries, she can't stop her emotions from escaping her body and entering the world around her. Luckily she's developed a nifty way to trap and store her powerful emotions in personal objects - but how many shoeboxes can a girl fill before she feels crushed by her past?
Read more from Random House »
