The discussion topic for this class is BOOKS. Please think about the following questions, and also add your own ideas in the comments. People selected in the previous class to bring an article or special topic to tell us about will be asked to do so during the class.
Best books
- What is your favourite book? Why do you like it?
- Who is your favourite author?
- How do you decide what to read? Do you follow 'best books' lists or lists of award winners?
- How do you get your books? Do you buy books, read e-books, download books or visit the library?
- Are you a big reader? How many books would you say you read in 1 year? Do you prefer to read other things? What do you read, and when?
Everyone should also come prepared to discuss their 'must-read lists', that is, which books do you think are important for everyone to read in their life? Why did you choose those books?
There are many, many readings list of recommended books: award winners, 'must read' books, top 10 lists, etc. If you were making your own list of books you think everyone should read, what would be on it? Links to other book lists are found here:
BBC Big Read (100 Favourite books list). How many have you read? http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml
GoodReads contributors have put together tons of book lists, from Best Young Adult Books, to Best Non-Fiction to Best Vampire Books. http://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/best
Browse The New York Times best-seller lists here: http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/overview.html
Some additional topics and articles that may be of interest:
**With each new technology that has changed or challenged books (radio, tv, the internet, ebooks) people have been predicting 'the end of books' or 'the end of print.' Do you think that people will ever stop reading books on paper? Why or why not?
**Do you visit libraries regularly? Why or why not? What role do they serve in a city or a society?
Changing role of libraries (from Encyclopedia Britannica) http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/339421/library
Here's what the American Library Association (ALA) has to say on the matter: http://www.ala.org/research/librariesmatter/taxonomy/term/143
Are libraries outdated? British author Terry Deary thinks so: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/feb/13/libraries-horrible-histories-terry-deary
Kafka had this to say about how good books should affect us; what do you think? http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/06/06/kafka-on-books-and-reading/
No comments:
Post a Comment