Dec

18

Posted by : atcampbell | On : December 18, 2001

Zeitgeist by Bruce Sterling

Twelve people attended the discussion of Bruce Sterling’s latest book. It tells the story of Leggy Starlitz, a music promoter on tour in Eastern Europe with a girl group similar to the Spice Girls. During the course of the book Leggy handles crises with his band, experiences weird political situations, and suddenly has to face the ex-wife and daughter he hasn’t seen in over a decade. Nine of the people in our group finished the book, and the others read about half of it.

Most of us thought Zeitgeist was a lot of fun. Sterling’s writing is humorous and accessible. We liked the whacked-out worldview and the characters from the fringes of society. Leggy seems to be a realistic portrait of a world-weary music producer. We loved his interactions with the band and its entourage, particularly

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Dec

04

Posted by : atcampbell | On : December 4, 2001

Glasswright’s Apprentice by Mindy Klasky

The discussion of Mindy Klasky’s first novel drew ten participants. This is a fantasy novel about a young woman, Rani, who accidentally witnesses a prince’s murder and gets accused of committing the crime. Fearing the wrath of the vengeful king, she goes undercover as she tries to find a way to clear herself.

We were engaged by the premise of the story. Klasky’s prose style was so clear and readable that we all finished the book. The complicated caste system in this book’s society was carefully constructed. We were impressed by how the plot

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