Some of you might have heard or even joined us for the Midnight’s Children read along last year. OK. That was a bit intense. To kick start a new year, we are doing something lighter, something more – I suppose – popular. I have no idea what I have got myself into. The ladies have chosen Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Eat, Pray, Love”. I vaguely remember Alex, my buddy from Hong Kong, said to me one day: “You won’t believe me. I am reading Eat, Pray, Love.” Back then, I have no idea what so unbelievable about him reading “Eat, Pray, Love”. Months later, when I finally got my hands onto the book, the book’s subtitle reads: One woman’s search for everything across Italy, India, and Indonesia. OK. I think I now have a clearer idea on why it is so incredible for a man to read this book. Buy hey, I have always enjoyed reading materials written from a woman’s perspective – online and offline. I have started reading “Eat, Pray, Love”. The tone and rhyme of the author’s writing style appears to be agreeable. I am eager to see what I can get out of this.
For those who have joined me for the previous read along, you should be familiar with Jo, a blogger from UK. Jo’s friend, J from Canada, is joining us this time. Feel free to pop by their websites to get a feel on how we are going to eat, pray, and love till March 7. We have agreed that after reading the book, we will watch the movie too in order to gain a holistic experience. By then, I could well be vividly entertained or totally horrified by how some women think. We shall see.
Many asked: What is a read-along? It is a simple concept. We read with a timeline in mind. And we discuss online via blog posts and comments at the end of the read-along activity. If you have a website or you are socially networked, feel free to spread the words. You are welcome to post your thoughts in our websites. Or link your post to ours. This is free and easy exercise. We do this for fun. Jo’s post comes with book club discussion questions as well as questions and interview posted by Penguin Group. Do pop by her site to take a look. I often find it more fulfilling to read a book with the discussion questions planted in my head beforehand (think Shakespeare’s masterpieces).
OK. Enough talking. Lets do more reading. Go grab your copy of “Eat, Pray, Love” today!
External Links: (1) Jo’s announcement post and (2) J’s announcement post
18 replies on “Feb 7 – Mar 7: Eat, Pray, Love Read Along!”
Hey there, how are you doing with the reading so far? I am still “in India”. 😀
J – And I am still before Italy! All her countless heartbreaks that poured onto pages after pages of text.
Thanks for the mention Wilfrid. I am still nowhere! In between Reading and London I think.. I hope I get to go to Italy soon! 😉
Jo, I hope you will be in Italy soon…and I have placed a hold on the audio book and might just do Indonesia that way…..
J – Audio book?! That is like a … listen-along yes? Kidding!
I may convert this to a assisted-read-along. Cynthia has surpassed where I place my bookmark. She find the book interesting so far. And I said to her, “Why don’t you write a post for me this time?”
J, I am in India now. and She is scrubbing floors. and Richard the Texan appears. 🙂
JoV – Ha ha ha … that is funny. I am pretty soon that you can tour Italy, India, and Indonesia in just one day!
It will be nice to have Cynthia with us!! Everyone put your hands together and welcome Cynthia in this read-along!
J, hey is that cheating?! LOL.. Whatever works, I’m thinking of dreamining-along. You know, while I sleep, I will be dreaming and imagining what the book is all about. (only me qualify, because I read this book before!) 😉
JoV – So, let me get this right. J is “reading” the book via an audio recording. I am “reading” the book by delegating the task to Cynthia. And JoV is somewhere in between Reading and London for now … hehehe.
Fortunately, the deadline is still far, far!
Like I said, there is no hard and fast rules for this as long as everyone enjoys the process. Welcome Cynthia to the read along, I have doubt you will do better than Wilfrid in this book. 🙂
sorry, I mean to say I have no doubt. That totally change the essence of the message. 😛
J – We read it as “no doubt” all these while 🙂 No worries … hehe.
LOL WIlfrid. It looks like it. But I am in India now, at page 144 and I am going very slowly already!
JoV – And looks like I have some serious catch up to do!
Thank you for welcoming me, hehehe… I was not sure if I would like the book as in my mind it was probably “just another chick flick”, but so far so good.
I’m still in Italy.
No spoiler here, but there is a part where she wrote in her notepad when she felt depressed and lonely (p70). That part is so touching – it speaks true to my heart. I am neither depressed nor lonely but I felt like my heart was bathed by refreshing, calming water.
Cynthia – Woah. Sounds like I have a lot of catch up to do!
Cynthia, I am trying to locate pg 70, but my hardback probably pointing to the wrong page. What was the passage?
I am reading this second time and I am still amazed at what I have forgotten and how much the book has spoken to me, hence the hardback and I have been underlining the book like orang gila in the train with the wriggly lines!
Italy is very nice, and I can see my interest wane a bit by the Sankrit mumbo-jumbo and meditation philosophy…But I am happy you are in with us on this one, because it is definitely not a chick lit, nor it should be interpreted it as such. It’s a very honest memoir + travelogue + self-help sort, all three genres that I love a lot.
Thanks for joining us and hope to see the review from your perspective! 😉
Wilfrid, yup lots of catch up on your part, skip those girly bits (it’s unthinkable you are reading it) and stop playing with your Warcraft etc. etc. ! LOL 🙂
JoV – Woah, you are speaking Latin and Greek to me! Ha ha ha.
Hey, how come you know I am playing my Warcraft. Are you one of my friends in Facebook?!