“A good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured upon purpose to a life beyond life.” These words by John Milton graced the invitations sent to dozens of AUBites to attend a very special occasion on March 22—a cocktail reception held to celebrate the first anniversary of the AUB Book Club, which holds the distinction of being the first club of its genre ever to have been formed since the University opened its doors in 1866. Ascribing its identity to the intellectual aspect of on-campus student activities, the club emphasizes the interactive model among book lovers of several age groups, interests, and fields of specialization, who gather monthly to talk about books in a cozy, laidback, and friendly atmosphere. Upon the suggestions of attending members and the ultimate decision of the club committee, a new book is chosen each month for discussion at the next meeting. Moreover, from time to time, real life authors—like Nada Awar Jarrar who wrote the acclaimed novel, Somewhere Home—are invited to talk about their works at the meetings. The club operates on an open invitation basis: the participation of anyone interested in books and reading is welcome—either to join as a full-fledged member or simply to drop by and attend any one of the monthly discussion groups. Check the AUB Calendar for announcements on the time, place, and book choice of upcoming meetings. The year-old club’s anniversary reception was preceded by a book discussion session, in which The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and Hareth al-Miyah (The Water Guard) by Hoda Barakat were the English and Arabic novels that had been chosen to generate criticism and feedback. The meeting was dedicated to the memory of the late Zeina Rawdah, who, in the words of the club’s president, was “one of our regular attendants and whose presence will be greatly missed.” Principally, the Book Club serves as the perfect venue for avid readers who want to explore in-depth the wide spectrum of thoughts, criticism, reactions, and feelings generated by the books they read. It could also be the club for anyone who wants to indulge in an occasional intellectual pursuit, instead of clustering at College Hall, donning designer clothes, and fishing for attention.
|
|||||||
|
