21/9 - Saskia De Coster

Imagine if words had magical power. I don’t mean in some grandiose metaphorical sense, but–like–if they could physically blow up rooms and turn you invisible. That, essentially, is the premise behind Babel, our next book club choice. Set in 1830’s Oxford, the English empire spans the globe, the country is on the precipice of the Victorian Era, and much of that is thanks to silver bars that capture what is lost in translation between two languages and use it for magical purposes. But behind every empire is a crime, and the novel follows Robin Swift, a brilliant student who has secured a place in Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation, as he balances allegiances between the country in which he was raised and the one in which he was born. This novel is great for people who love linguistics and the history of words, but also has something for history geeks and fantasy geeks as well. So, join us on Thursday, June 27th at 20u–it is bound to be explosive.

20h30<br />
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Not that the werewolf sex wasn’t great, but for book club this month we decided to return to something more firmly within our wheelhouse: a literary classic. It is a timeless tale set in the Jazz Age about obsession, class disparity, and the utter failure of Prohibition. That’s right; it is none other than The Great Gatsby. To celebrate its 99th birthday this month, please join us on Friday, April 26th at 20h30. As befitting of a novel about such grandiosity, a free glass of sparkling wine will be included in your ticket purchase. Until then, old sport.

Okay, you win; we're doing this. <br />
Romance: the genre that just won’t die. It is also the genre you guys asked us, incessantly, to be included in our book club. Well, we went a step further and leaned--hard--into your request. Thus, our next book club pick will be a romantasy story, Bride by Ali Hazelwood. <br />
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Thought you’d heard and seen enough of vampires and werewolves? Well think again. In this story we’ll read about an the relationship between a vampire and a werewolf in order to stifle a war. Enemies to lovers? Check. Arranged marriage? Check. All you thirsting smut-readers will have your hands full with this pick! Enjoy it while it lasts though: our next choice will be literary fiction.