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Dear Book Club Readers ---

You had an incredible reading month in December, and it would be lovely to hear about the books you're enjoying this month.

Your comments in these Book Club Discussion threads continue to reveal your deep love of great literature, and we would love to hear about how your reading is treating you at the moment.

So, tell us what your January is looking like.

What are you reading at the moment?

Let us know anything that's on your mind, your literary loves, and anything you wish to share or sharpen your thoughts about.

  • Author details
  • Seasonal reads
  • Areas to explore
  • Your current Big Read
  • Complementary art forms
  • Questions about literature
  • Favourite lines and passages
  • Things you're finding difficult
  • Rewarding literary rabbit holes
  • Musings, notes, and marginalia
  • Things you want to recommend
  • Resonant character descriptions
  • General life updates (we're interested)

This is the place to put anything bookish you like, and get other readers weighing in on your thoughts!

Our wonderful Book Club community continues to be a literary oasis thanks to your thoughtful appreciations of the Great Books.

Reading through the recent book discussion threads, one can see what a truly special group of literature lovers we have here:

So thank you so much for being a part of the family, and I hope your month is filled with exciting bookish adventures.

Happy reading!

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Kevin Roum

Hi everyone! I also am a new member, and also reading East of Eden. I am in the early goings and have been reading slowly since picking up on themes is a weakness. I am trying to develop that skill, and I read the letter in Chapter 4 several times as Ben recommended. I am also reading The Histories by Herodotus and Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics. (I am in the Basic Program of Liberal Arts at UChicago, so those last two are what we are reading this term).

Neil Butler

Hello all! I jumped ahead somewhat and read East of Eden in December, and now I'm enjoying the analysis. I was interested in the relationship to the Book of Genesis, so I've just reread that and some analysis of it. I'm also guilty of jumping ahead of schedule with The Master and Margarita. What a trip. Benjamin, I can't wait to hear your breakdown...!

Sherron Belk

After finishing Eof E ahead of schedule couldn’t get enough of J. Steinbeck so did reread of The Pearl and about 1/2 way through reread of Travels with Charlie. I read both years ago. Hopefully will have time to reread Winter of Our Content,

Bobbe Nunes

I’m new here, and I’m curious about reading The Journal of a Novel, East of Eden Letters, alongside the book and pacing my reading to match the dates of the diary entries. Just to add additional details and thrill to this old favorite which reads like new with the enthusiastic support from Ben. I feel like I can look forward to the coming years, or perhaps I have died and gone to heaven with this opportunity to read and reread in a reading community!

Rodney Phillips

Hi Folks. Rodney Phillips here from Portland Oregon. Loved the session on Wuthering Heights, which amazingly I had never read, never heard of the lovers being "combative" Yikes

Rodney Phillips

I am having a tougher time with East of Eden, which I hadn't read either. I am however, not wanting to read a Christian epic. Ben, I got that from your talk. I'm sorry

Laura Wolf

I'm truly enjoying East of Eden and reading at pace with the bookclub talks. In between I'm reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler and it is an incredible story so far. I'm a big fan of dystopian literature and Parable of the Sower is very powerful dark story.

Becca Hodgson

I recently read a short story, Address Unknown by Kathrine Kressmann Taylor. Also, Finding Me by Viola Davis. Now, of course, I am reading East of Eden. I loved John Steinbeck as a young person and tried to read all of his books that were in the library. Many years ago, my sister sent my mom a copy of Leaves of Grass, which I remember reading as a young girl. I look forward to rereading it; I really don't remember much about either book. I really love the way Steinbeck writes; it is comical.

Mary-Ann Maronski

The last few months of 2023 were so bad for me that I was in a deeply depressed state. I am by habit a voracious reader normally and books are usually my escape in difficult times too. Finding this book group has really helped me. The immersive deep reading methods have been incredibly therapeutic. I have recently been enjoying East of Eden and also reread Hamlet and Paradise Lost. This group has helped me more than I can say. Thank you. I look forward to discovering and rediscovering great works of literature in the future.

Luz Rivara

Can someone help me with the edition of The Master and Margarita? I see on the list that it is the penguin edition, but apparently there are 3: one in red with white geometric patterns, one with a cat holding a globe and one with two black figures. Thank you in advance.

Tatiana

I dont think it really matters as long as it is the Pevear and Volokhonsky translation. Mine has a cat upper left, a diagonal band with the title, a woman's face bottom right, published 2016. Slightly revised from 2001 (US), 1997 UK.

Tatiana

Yes I have also tired of Christian epics. The forthcoming selections are not that.

Tatiana

I often finish in a week or two, resume my special projects (all of Faulkner in 2024, on 6 of 17) and books of many genres in French, then jump ahead to the next. I am halfway through The Master and Margarita :)

Emma S.

How are you now Mary-Ann? You're not alone. I'm struggling with depression too and this book club has also been a life saver for me. I return to the lectures again and again, and find so much comfort in them. I hope you're ok today. Xx