Literature Book Club with a Twist

With slight reluctance, the Detroit Free Press joins other media outlets in beginning a book club. The starting impulse was a meditation on What makes us Americans? What values do we share? What values should we share? Are our values under attack, from both within and without? That said, We don't want to be deathly boring or earnest, and we're not sure we like the word values in that paragraph above; it smacks of political speeches. We like novels. We like well-written nonfiction. We want stories that are so absorbing and page-turning that it isn't until we're brushing our teeth that night that we realize we've just read a book about values. Good reads that will make for good conversation, in other words.

The first pick is Leif Enger's PEACE LIKE A RIVER. We loved the book, but it hit us hard, so we think it might be right for discussion. For instance, how much do Americans value individuality over what society wants us to do? When is it OK to break the law? How much are the wide open spaces of our continent essential to our national character -- or is that just a romantic myth? We wondered all these things when we read Enger's book. Next book is, through my wishful thinking, Cold River
· Rivers [Free Press Book Club]

10 Good Markets for Exercise Enthusiasts
Okay, okay, so this one is not for couch potatoes, but if
you are into fitness, and you can write, too, there are more
than a few ways to add some muscle to your portfolio and your
bank account.
· Watson [writeronline.us]

Artists LIGHTS, CAMERA, TAKE ACTION
Susan Sarandon has a message for Australian actors, musicians and artists who are cowed into suppressing their opposition to war or the treatment of refugees by the fear of being labelled un-Australian - it's your job.
· Sarandon rallies the artists of Australia [ Sydney Morning Herald]