Last night launched the inaugural meeting of the A-List Literates at Eddie’s Attic! We had a great time – beers and books were had by all. Next month, we will be celebrating the Ides of March with a Shakespeare tribute via Christopher Moore’s Fool.  If you missed my review of it when it came out last year, you can read it here.

Now, just because we started our own book club doesn’t mean that we will stop supporting these wonderful community book clubs.  I hit a couple myself every month and have met countless interesting literary aficionados.  Not a literary aficionado?  Just tipping a toe in the water?  No worries, these people will open their arms and embrace you into the ranks of social reading.  (For those of us who walk to the beat of “I Drink Alone” – please check out The Book Shopper’s Marta Book Club for individual readers.) 

Here are some of our favorite picks for March:

Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann, The Catch-All Book Club, hosted by Little Shop of Stories on March 8th at 7PM.

The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs, Spiritual Book Club, hosted by Bound to Be Read Books on March 9th at 7PM.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera, Pub Fiction, hosted by DeKalb County Public Library meeting at Karavana on March 18th at 7PM.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larrson, Monthly Book Club, hosted by Bound to Be Read Books on March 18th at 7PM.

Assassination Vacation, by Sarah Vowell, Guys Who Read, hosted by Little Shop of Stories meeting at The Brick Store on March 18th at 7PM.

Groom Lake, by Chris Ryall and Ben Templesmith, and The Deformitorium by Wiedeman, Graphic Novel Club, meeting in Decatur at Raging Burrito  on March 22 at 7PM.

Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austin, Decatur Library Book Club, meeting at Decatur Public Library on March 31st at 7PM.

By Yankee Rose

It is a rare occasion when you find an author who you can’t get enough of, so rare in fact, it’s almost like finding the perfect man. He makes you laugh out loud, you can’t bear to turn away from his voice, he touches your soul, and stays on your mind for days on end. Oh yeah, and you can’t stop telling your friends about him.

Following months of literary induced quasi-depression after reading (and reviewing) Fool, Christopher Moore’s latest book (and the last one I hadn’t read), I found my sunshine hidden deep down in the Decatur Library vaults. (Okay, so I found it online, got on the waiting list, and it was delivered in a week or so.) It was a lost treasure! His second novel, Coyote Blue, which I had overlooked while absorbed in his recent years of extraordinary work, was there to save me from my Moore withdrawl.

I had a lot of anxiety about actually reading Coyote Blue. I thought it was sure to disappoint after his later novels involving interwoven characters and historical jokes. Published in 1994, this book looked nothing like the others from the description on the jacket. But within pages of opening it, I was immediately back in Moore’s familiar world. Within chapters I was impressed with his introduction of characters, some of whom do not reappear in his work until 2006! By the end of the book, I was absolutely floored by his ability to weave together almost a dozen unrelated novels. If I wasn’t convinced before, I am now. Christopher Moore is a once in a lifetime author.

Just in case you have never read Christopher Moore, his books are not a series per se.  His characters simply have a way of reappearing in such a way that when the connection becomes apparent you feel like you are the only one in on a secret joke. He allows the characters to develop slowly, over several books, and we are treated to little updates on what our favorite past characters are up to.  Let me tell you about this one I just pulled off the shelf.

Coyote Blue is the tale of Samson Hunts Alone: an Indian-turned-insurance salesman who’s been on the run from the law, and his Crow heritage, longer than he hasn’t. Samson is enjoying his bachelorhood when he suddenly finds himself being stalked by an Indian. (In the Native American sense; it was not as politically incorrect in 1994.) The Indian is actually Samson’s rather lazy spirit guide who has reappeared after years of neglecting him. The spirit guide tosses aside his lackadaisical and selfish ways to help Samson find love and family, despite Samson’s insistence that he wants no part of it. In the end, the uneager Samson is able to face the events that forced him off the reservation as a teenager and accept who he really is. The hole he never quite realized that he had was finally filled.

Moore has a special talent for taking his plain jane characters like Samson into the realm of supernatural fantasy without losing the readers’ identification with them. Whether it is a field scientist, a young widower, a used record storeowner or a detective, Moore can take them to the edge of his vast imagination while they remain an amiable old friend in the eyes of the reader. Even when there are spirit guides, giant lizards, or morphing Indians, you feel like the story could be happening to your best friend. The character of Samson epitomizes that ability. Maybe being thrown headfirst into love isn’t such a supernatural thing after all.

Coyote Blue has all the signature traits that give Christopher Moore’s books the addictive quality we love. Unlike some of his later work, Coyote Blue is devoid of the vulgarity that often holds me back from blindly recommending him to people. This is a must read for anyone who has already burned through Dirty Job, Bloodsucking Fiends, or You Suck. For new Moore readers, it is where you should start. It left us anxiously awaiting Bite Me (the third book in The Love Story series), due out next April.

Until next time we’ll be here, reading the books so you don’t have to.

[With this post we welcome a new contributor to Atlanta's A-list, Yankee Rose. We look forward to hearing more from her.]

Fool! What Fool? King Lear’s Fool. Not up on your Shakespeare? No worries. We do read more than children’s books here at Atlanta’s A-List, though it has been years since we laid eyes on King Lear. Christopher Moore brings it all back for us…sort of.

While Moore’s quasi-middle english is somewhat annoying, his hilarious footnotes and creative twists on this classic make for a worthwhile read. Fool steps beyond the other Moore novels we have read (which is about as many as we could get our hands on) by using Pocket’s life story and connections within the castle walls to shed a different light on Shakespeare’s mythological kingdom. King Lear was a classic tale of betrayal, justice, and the ultimate checkmate of a royal family. Fool gets the same story across, with Pocket divulging the inner workings of the castle, the pre-roman British class system, and intimate details about…well…just about every character.

That said, one cannot recommend Fool in good conscience without a cautionary note. First, as Moore says “This is a bawdy tale.” If vulgarity offends you, or you are looking for a gift for Grandma, this probably isn’t the right book for you. While Moore’s other works have had varying degrees of courseness to them, Fool can be downright lewd (there’s even sex with only one person involved!). Second, if you are a true fan of the Shakespearean Lear, you must be prepared for the story to evolve. While still a tragedy, Moore takes the necessary steps to turn King Lear into a comedic read, including a re-shuffling of who makes it out alive. If you pass both of those requirements, this is a great summer read that will excite your inner geek and put at least one smile on your face.