Arcadia Study Abroad Book Club
Previous Books

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Arcadia Study Abroad Book Club members have enjoyed the following books in previous semesters.

	The World of a Maasai Warrior by Tepilit Ole Saitoti In The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior, Tepilit Ole Saitoti paints a picture of his life from childhood in rural Tanzania through his college years in the United States.
	The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera Set in a small town on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera is a story about a young girl with a special gift, told through the eyes of her uncle. Kahu, named after Kahutia Te Rangi, the original whale rider and a village ancestor, will do anything to please her surly great-grandfather and to learn the traditional ways of her people.
	The Stornoway Way by Kevin MacNeil MacNeil’s The Stornoway Way is a tale of self-reflection as told by R. Stornoway, a heavy- drinking, piercingly witty, and devastatingly flawed Leodhasach from the Isle of Lewis.
	Au Bonheurs des Dames by Émile Zola Au Bonheurs des Dames was written by Émile Zola in the 1880s as part of a larger series portraying life in France during the Second Empire. Set in the 1860s, Au Bonheurs des Dames is centered around a fictional department store of the same name in Paris.
	One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night by Christopher Brookmyre One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night is simply this: a hilarious and violent romp about a Scottish high school reunion gone horribly wrong. Still carrying all of their old emotional baggage and insecurities, a group of former classmates meet for an overnight reunion at a partially constructed resort on the top of a repurposed oil rig in the North Sea.
	Greek Salad: A Dionysian Travelogue by Miles Lanbert-Gócs Greek Salad follows the author, Miles Lambert-Gócs, as he explores the regional foods, wines and tavernas of Greece. The book takes us first to the Aegean Islands, then on to the mainland, and finishes in the Ionian islands.
	The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley The critically acclaimed novel, The Mists of Avalon, is a groundbreaking treatment of the 1600-year-old legend of King Arthur. Set in the chaotic world of post-Roman Britain, the King Arthur legends are retold from the viewpoint of Morgan le Fay, or Morgaine, who is cast as Arthur's sister, main adversary, and the chief priestess of the island of Avalon. The themes of politics, love, family, religion, lust, war, spirituality, and betrayal are woven together to create an epic and unforgettable tale. The Mists of Avalon is both thought-provoking and wholly absorbing from beginning to end.
	The Secret River by Kate Grenville The novel follows the life of William Thornhill, initially deported to Australia in its days as a penal outpost of Britain and later as he establishes himself as a pardoned man near Sydney. The tale encapsulates Thornhill's personal conflict as he grapples with a new life in an utterly foreign land: his relationships with his family and fellow colonizers and his encounters with Indigenous Australians.
	The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir Carrying the legacy of her infamous mother, Elizabeth learns to rely on her intelligence, her charisma, and her independent spirit in order to survive the perils of court intrigue. The Lady Elizabeth provides a gripping insight into the life and personality of one of the most powerful and enigmatic women in the history of England.
	The Crow Road by Iain Banks The Crow Road is a funny, sometimes raunchy, and completely honest story about Prentice McHoan, a college student trying to negotiate his academic responsibilities, social life, and love life, while also reconciling his entanglement with his family, the complex push-pull of "home," and the purgatory that exists between being a child and being an adult.
	Persuasion by Jane Austen Persuasion is the story of a woman and a man who were engaged, but were forced to part due to pressure from her family and friends, who thought she could do better. Is there a second chance for Frederick and Anne, or are they doomed to repeat the mistakes of the past?
	Kieron Smith, Boy by James Kelman Kieron Smith, Boy gives you an intimate and complete access into the mind of a child growing up in Glasgow during a time of both personal and societal change.
	Eating up Italy by Matthew Fort This travelogue will not only humor you with Matthew Fort's whirlwind journey through Italy, but also start to scratch the surface of the relationship Italians have with their food.
	Z by Vassilis Vassilikos A novel of intrigue and mystery, Z was published in Greece in 1966 and subsequently banned. It is based upon an actual incident of a political assassination.
	The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson A highly acclaimed modern work set in Scotland, this book explores a Scottish minister's confrontation with the devil and its compelling aftermath.
	Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen This 19th century classic takes place in the south of England and is a satirical send-up of Gothic conventions, turning that genre as well as the life of its spirited heroine upside down.