Hello all! We're almost done with 2024, and although my end of the year has been met with a seemingly unrelenting beatdown of the soul, I am humbled and ready to rebuild and grow with you! I've been reading a bit of our first Book Club selection, "A Little Life," and I'm impressed, immediately, at the beautiful writing. I did think, however, that because it is a beast of a book, and we are thrust into the fray quite quickly, we should perhaps go over some characters, even if just to help digest the information. So we got four friends, J.B., Malcom, Jude, and Willem all of different statuses and with intertwined relationships - some stronger than others - trying to get by in New York. Let's get to know them a little better. Jude - The focal point of a bulk of the book, Jude is damaged both physically and mentally. He suffers from an undisclosed (as of yet) issue with his spine that causes random spurts of pain throughout his life. He is notably suicidal, although this is hidden (at least, he thinks he hides it well). Jude, at times, tends to find things to enjoy in life, but there is always an undercurrent of sadness and pain that makes him fundamentally flawed in thinking that he is incapable of loving and being loved. Malcom - So far, I find Malcolm to be the most layered. A rich boy, spoiled by his parents, seemingly struggling with his own identity and never quite being sure of just who he is versus who he wants to be. It would be easy to make this character a tragedy, as the cliches are ripe, but allowing us to see the inner turmoil, wrapped in gold and riches of his parents, gives him depth. J.B. - As of my reading (roughly halfway through part 2), J.B. appears to be the one hyping all of his friends up while he himself struggles with his own art. I enjoy that his first taste of success in art is when he paints his friends simply living their life. There's a beauty in that, and I think it shows just how much he sees value in them, but also how much he's willing to exploit that value for personal gain.

About to dive in y’all! Who has their book already?!

It's our FIRST EVER Book Club Book and we are starting with a BANG!! The Washington Post described "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara as "a witness to human suffering pushed to its limits, drawn in extraordinary detail by incantatory prose." Just over 800 pages, this is a daunting story about four male friends whose relationships change as time progresses. The bond between the four strengthens and weakens as does their life. Full of tragedy, love, and the unspeakable bond that men have but cannot voice, "A Little Life" has taken the world by storm. I hope it can do the same for us. Themes: Male relationships, brotherhood, friendship, childhood trauma and recovery Reading Assignment: Read Parts I and II and III by 1/13/24. I will check in on 12/30 and 1/6 with everyone.