My name is Anastasia Signoretta, and I am so excited to take the journey with you through 1930s New York City via the pages of Amor Towles’ novel, Rules of Civility! Even though I love my day job as the production manager for RealSimple.com, I’m really looking forward to moonlighting this month as the No-Obligation Book Club moderator.
When asked to choose the four books to compete for our attention this month, I had no idea what to pick…there are too many books I’d like to read right now and narrowing my list down to so few wasn’t easy. It was a lucky thing that Rules of Civility did not win your votes a few months ago, because it’s just the sort of book I want to cozy up to during the winter doldrums, telling a tale of glamour, romance, money, and ambition—all occurring during a time well before my own but one I’ve pictured to be among the most exciting, sparkling, and intriguing periods in New York City’s history.
So, are you ready to embark upon this adventure with me? Here’s how I’d like to proceed:
For Friday, February 10, please discuss the Preface through Chapter 8 (Abandon Every Hope; pages 1 to 109).
For Friday, February 17, let’s talk about Chapter 9 (The Scimitar, the Sifter, and the Wooden Leg) through Chapter 17 (Read All About It; pages 110 to 222).
For Friday, February 24, we’ll cover Chapter 18 (The Now and Here) through the Epilogue (pages 223 to 324).
I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts about Rules of Civility with you, but I especially can’t wait to get to know you and hear what you have to say about the book. I think, beyond the story at hand, we’ll have lots to discuss!
—Anastasia
Hi fellow bookies.. I hope it is okay to post something unrelated to the current selection. I wanted to tell you all about a fun, easy way to share your love of reading with others. World Book Night is April 23rd. The organization will provide 20 free copies of a book for you to share with non to light readers. You pick your top books from a list of 30 on their website. Register to be a giver by Feb. 6 on worldbooknight.org. It is a simple process, and if you are thoughtful in your reasons, you should be chosen. Please signu. The goal is share the books on April 23 so everyone is reading together on one night. It had success in the UK. Let’s share our love of reading here in the US!
This sounds like a lot of fun! I always have a book going plus two or three in the queue.