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Spartan Book Club

The Spartan Book Club encourages alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends to virtually connect with each other to read and discuss books on a range of topics. Participation in the online forum is free — simply purchase the book or borrow it from your local library. A new book will be chosen approximately every two months. You can join at any time and do not have to participate in every reading session.

Our current book is "Horse" by Geraldine Brooks.    Horse Book

How It Works

There are no meetings of the Spartan Book Club — you can participate at your convenience and from anywhere you have Internet access

  • The book club is entirely online and connects through a private forum moderated by PBC Guru. 
  • All discussions and networking take place in the forum. 
  • The moderator poses questions to the group, shares relevant articles and facilitates conversation on topics in the book based on where members should be in the reading schedule. Generally, you’ll receive a weekly email from the moderator throughout the reading period. 
  • Members are encouraged to post in the forum and share as well.  
  • Participation in the online forum is free — simply purchase the book or borrow it from your local library.
  • The book club reads a new book approximately every two months. We vote among several options each period and select a book based on participant interests.  
  • You do not have to participate in every book reading and your level of participation in the discussion is entirely up to you. 

Even if you’ve already read the book, you’re encouraged to still participate by contributing to the conversation — one of the most valuable aspects of this book club is the opportunity to discuss the book with others in the Spartan community. 

Benefits of Participation

  1. Connect with fellow Spartans. The Spartan Book Club introduces you to MSU alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends from various backgrounds, geographies, generations and professions. Meet new people and gain different perspectives while reading and discussing the book.
  2. Embrace lifelong learning. The Spartan Book Club will help you learn and grow with fellow Spartans as you enjoy regular discussions and share personal insights.
  3. Reading is good for you. Reading can reduce stress, help you sleep better and improve your relationships [1]. Did we mention it also makes you smarter? Reading increases your verbal intelligence, your emotional intelligence and your creativity [2].
Details

  

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2023 Books and Reading Schedule

Have a suggestion for a book you'd like us to consider reading? Email Elizabeth Wheeler. Our preferred genres are fiction, historical fiction, mystery/thriller, biography and history. If you're a Spartan author, in fairness to all Spartan authors, please understand that we currently do not plan to feature any Spartan authors as a book club selection.

About the Current Book Selection

A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history.

Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. An itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union when the Civil War breaks out.

New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson is a gallery owner who becomes obsessed with a 19th century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance.

Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist, and Theo, an art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse--one studying the stallion's bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success.

“Horse” is based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred, Lexington.

Geraldine Brooks was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2006 for her novel “March.” Her novels “People of the Book,” “Caleb’s Crossing” and “The Secret Chord” all were New York Times Bestsellers. Her first novel, “Year of Wonders” is an international bestseller, translated into more than 25 languages and currently optioned for a limited series. She is also the author of the nonfiction works “Nine Parts of Desire,” “Foreign Correspondence” and “The Idea of Home.”

Spartan Book Club Online Forum Tips

For members that are newer to the online forum, check out the Tips and Tricks to Help With Navigating This Forum for assistance navigating and interacting in the forum.

Are You a Spartan Author

We’d like to hear from you. We're compiling a list of Spartan authors and their book to share with the Spartan nation. To share your information, email Elizabeth Wheeler.

In fairness to all Spartan authors, please understand that we currently do not plan to feature any Spartan authors as a book club selection.

Books Read to Date
2021

2022

You May Also Be Interested In

The Spartan Social Justice Movie Club encourages alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends to virtually connect with each other and discuss movies that matter related to social justice, history and societal issues. If you’ve enjoyed participating in the book club, consider joining the movie club. 

1 The Expert Editor, 2016, https://experteditor.com.au/blog/brain-books-benefits-reading/
2 Harvard Business Review, 2012, https://hbr.org/2012/08/for-those-who-want-to-lead-rea/