My book club does a rotating theme which changes every six months. Our current theme is “international cultures.” The purpose is to broaden our horizons and read a book that is based in a country or culture foreign to what our own experiences were growing up. It’s a broad enough theme that can allow for fiction or nonfiction titles.
It’s my turn to choose a book next month, and I’m looking for recommendations. Have you read any good books that might fit this theme?
Damian Daily 
absolutely ‘The Kite Runner’! if you haven’t read it, this is the perfect opportunity to do so. i love ‘The God of Small Things” too for a look at another culture.
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I thought the book “The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” by Anne Fadiman was a really interesting exploration of how a clash between two cultures, in regards to medical practices, resulted in a little girl living in a vegetative state. I would recommend it.
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This is a great idea! I want to try it with my club.
I didn’t read it, but have heard “A Thousand Splendid Summers”–same guy who wrote Kite Runner–is fabulous and more about women.
Also, for non-fiction, “Reading Lolita in Tehran.”
“Digging for China” by Anne Tyler was interesting. There’s an Iranian character, as well as adopted babies born in Korea. It wasn’t the best book ( Very domestic–no real plot) but my book club had a great conversation about it.
Hope that helps!
Amy
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Hi Lisa,
thanks for stopping by our blog a couple of days ago and for your kind words, I am really enjoying reading yours. I have a suggestion for this post, have you read Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert? It is a fabulous book, touches on culture in the U.S., Italy, India and Bali through the lens of the author’s personal journey and I think it would spark some interesting discussion. Gook luck, let us know what you choose.
cheers,
Zoe
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My recommendations include (in no particular order) Reading Lolita in Tehran, Persepolis – Graphic Novels, and The Kite Runner. Two books I have not read but may be of interest include Monique and the Mango Rains and Funny in Farsi.
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