CROATIAN BOOK CLUB OF NEW YORK
A Croatian Book Club is being organized in New York City to promote Croatian culture. Our club offers readers the opportunity to participate in spirited discussions considering diverse viewpoints about unique subject material.
Each month, the facilitator will choose a "book of the month" that will be read by members in advance and discussed later at the monthly meeting. The monthly meeting will last from approximately 1-3 hours, depending on the vitality of the discussion, size of the group and availability of space.
Below is a partial list of books that will be discussed:
" "The Stone Fields" by Courtney Angela Brkic
" "Plum Brandy - Croatian Journeys" by Josip Novakovic
" "How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed" by Slavenka Drakulic
" "Neither Red nor Dead" by Stevo Julius
" "The Museum of Unconditional Surrender" by Dubravka Ugresic
" "The Banquet in Blitva" by Miroslav Krleza
" "The Turk and My Mother" by Mary Helen Stefaniak
" "Sarajevo Marlboro" by Miljenko Jergovic
" "Croatian Tales of Long Ago" by Ivana Brlic Mazuranic
" "Anna Marinkovich" by Edward Ifkovic
" "Carrying the Farm on Her Back - A portrait of Women in a Croatian Village" by Eva Skold Westerlind
" "Healing the Heart of Croatia" by Joseph Kerrigan
" "Goodby Dear Old Homeland" by Yasna Sikic Hood
" "American Dream - a Guy from Croatia" by Boris Miksic
" "Thorn Lace - Mojmir - A Migrant's Lot" by Ina Vukic
" "Moments of Truth: Real Stories of Life Changing Inspiration" Mike Celizic
" "The Labyrinth" by Blanka Raguz
" "You're Hired: How to Succeed in Business and Life from the Winner of the Apprentice" by Bill Rancic
" "Lovers and Madmen - a True Story of Passion, Politics and Air Piracy" by Julienne Eden Busic
" "Fix Our United States" by Krist (Chris) Novoselic
" Bogdan Radica - out of print
Most of the above books are available free of charge at the Public Library or may be purchased at www.amazon.com .
Book Club discussion questions and topics:
" What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the book? What do you think he or she is trying to convey to the reader?
" Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
" What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
" How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
" In what ways do the events in the books reveal evidence of the author's world view?
" Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
" What did you find surprising about the facts introduced in this book?
" How has reading this book changed your opinion of a certain person or topic?
" Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does she or he achieve this?
" If the author is writing on a controversial issue, does he or she give proper consideration to all sides of the debate? Does he or she seem to have a bias?
" How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?
Meeting place: Croatian Cultural Center
Address: 502 West 41st Street, New York,NY (between 10th & 11th avenues)
Dates: Every Third Wednesday in the month, February 16th, 05 at 6 p.m.
First book selection: "The Stone Fields" by Courtney Angela Brkic
Please read the book in advance.
Facilitator:
Katarina Tepesh is a member of the International Women's Writing Guild. Her two essays, "Father's Funeral" and "Babin Kuk" were published in "Caprice" and "Quiet Mountain Essays." Short story, "Anica, a Mail Order Bride from Croatia" has been published on the CROWN www.CroatianWorld.net . Katarina is also a member of the International Toastmasters Club, promoting writing, public speaking and leadership skills. Katarina comes from Zagorje region and now lives in New York City.
If you are interested in joining The Croatian Book Club (CBC) of New York, please contact Katarina by email tepeshk@aol.com or telephone 212-744-1985.
CROATIAN BOOK CLUB OF NEW YORK
A Croatian Book Club is being organized in New York City to promote Croatian culture. Our club offers readers the opportunity to participate in spirited discussions considering diverse viewpoints about unique subject material.
Each month, the facilitator will choose a "book of the month" that will be read by members in advance and discussed later at the monthly meeting. The monthly meeting will last from approximately 1-3 hours, depending on the vitality of the discussion, size of the group and availability of space.
Below is a partial list of books that will be discussed:
" "The Stone Fields" by Courtney Angela Brkic
" "Plum Brandy - Croatian Journeys" by Josip Novakovic
" "How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed" by Slavenka Drakulic
" "Neither Red nor Dead" by Stevo Julius
" "The Museum of Unconditional Surrender" by Dubravka Ugresic
" "The Banquet in Blitva" by Miroslav Krleza
" "The Turk and My Mother" by Mary Helen Stefaniak
" "Sarajevo Marlboro" by Miljenko Jergovic
" "Croatian Tales of Long Ago" by Ivana Brlic Mazuranic
" "Anna Marinkovich" by Edward Ifkovic
" "Carrying the Farm on Her Back - A portrait of Women in a Croatian Village" by Eva Skold Westerlind
" "Healing the Heart of Croatia" by Joseph Kerrigan
" "Goodby Dear Old Homeland" by Yasna Sikic Hood
" "American Dream - a Guy from Croatia" by Boris Miksic
" "Thorn Lace - Mojmir - A Migrant's Lot" by Ina Vukic
" "Moments of Truth: Real Stories of Life Changing Inspiration" Mike Celizic
" "The Labyrinth" by Blanka Raguz
" "You're Hired: How to Succeed in Business and Life from the Winner of the Apprentice" by Bill Rancic
" "Lovers and Madmen - a True Story of Passion, Politics and Air Piracy" by Julienne Eden Busic
" "Fix Our United States" by Krist (Chris) Novoselic
" Bogdan Radica - out of print
Most of the above books are available free of charge at the Public Library or may be purchased at www.amazon.com .
Book Club discussion questions and topics:
" What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the book? What do you think he or she is trying to convey to the reader?
" Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
" What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
" How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
" In what ways do the events in the books reveal evidence of the author's world view?
" Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
" What did you find surprising about the facts introduced in this book?
" How has reading this book changed your opinion of a certain person or topic?
" Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does she or he achieve this?
" If the author is writing on a controversial issue, does he or she give proper consideration to all sides of the debate? Does he or she seem to have a bias?
" How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?
Meeting place: Croatian Cultural Center
Address: 502 West 41st Street, New York,NY (between 10th & 11th avenues)
Dates: Every Third Wednesday in the month, February 16th, 05 at 6 p.m.
First book selection: "The Stone Fields" by Courtney Angela Brkic
Please read the book in advance.
Facilitator:
Katarina Tepesh is a member of the International Women's Writing Guild. Her two essays, "Father's Funeral" and "Babin Kuk" were published in "Caprice" and "Quiet Mountain Essays." Short story, "Anica, a Mail Order Bride from Croatia" has been published on the CROWN www.CroatianWorld.net . Katarina is also a member of the International Toastmasters Club, promoting writing, public speaking and leadership skills. Katarina comes from Zagorje region and now lives in New York City.
If you are interested in joining The Croatian Book Club (CBC) of New York, please contact Katarina by email tepeshk@aol.com or telephone 212-744-1985.