Culture

The bookclub of La Chambre Paris - the winter readings of 2023

Par Marie Payeton

Rain, snow, clouds, and cold... It's hard to get some fresh air, and to enjoy yourself outside when the weather is not favorable to that! What if you took advantage of this gloomy weather to get back to reading? Here are our team's favorites and recommendations for winter reading, to be read without moderation... And with a good tea by yourself!

Our top 8 for this winter

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

"There are so many people who are not happy and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to live in security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which seem to bring peace of mind, but nothing is more detrimental to a man's adventurous spirit than a secure future. The core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our new experiences and therefore there is no greater joy than an eternally changing horizon, than a sun each day new and different."

Are you craving adventure? Here is the perfect book to satisfy your wanderlust. Upsetting, refreshing, stunning, and intoxicating. This is the story of a man who preferred to live his dream, rather than dream his life. So get ready for this superb adventure that is the biography of Christopher McCandless. Did you like the book? Don't forget to watch the movie of the same name, for even more emotions!

Synopsis: He had given up the American dream to live an extreme adventure. Always further away. Always more alone. Inspired by his reading of Tolstoy and Thoreau, Christopher McCandless sacrificed everything to his ideal of purity and nature. After two years of wandering on the roads of the South and the American West, he met his destiny (at the age of twenty-four) in the heart of the forests of Alaska. A journey like a shooting star in the cold night of the Great North.

The Swallows of Kabulby Yasmina Khadra

"To live is first to be ready to receive the sky on your head. If you start from the principle that existence is only a trial, you are equipped to manage its sorrows and surprises. If you persist in expecting from it what it cannot give you, it is the proof that you have not understood anything. Take things as they come, don't make a big deal out of it; it's not you who's calling the shots, but the course of your destiny."

A French-language novel written by Algerian author Yasmina Khadra, The Swallows of Kabul was published in 2002. Focusing mainly on the violence suffered by women, also represented as swallows deprived of freedom, this book also pays tribute to freedom, resistance, and women. Powerful, brutal, heartbreaking, and touching, this book will do everything but leave you indifferent once you have finished reading it. A film of the same name was also released in 2019.

Synopsis: In the burning ruins of the thousand-year-old city of Kabul, death prowls, a black turban around the skull. Here, a stoning of a woman, there public executions, the Taliban are watching. Joy and laughter are suspect. Atiq, the courageous mujahid converted into a jailer, drags his sentence. The taste for life has also abandoned Mohsen, who dreamed of modernity. His wife Zunaira, a lawyer, more beautiful than the sky, is now condemned to the grilled darkness of the chadri. Kabul, which is on the verge of madness, has no other story to offer than tragedy. The spring of the swallows seems to be far away...

107 ans by Diastème

"People don't have enough heart to love, people are not made to love, people are made to hate, to bump into each other, to hit each other, they love just to not be alone, that's what matters to them, not to be alone, for that they are ready to do anything, even to give themselves the illusion of loving.

Have you ever suffered a heartache so strong that it consumed you slowly? This is what happened to Simon when he lost Lucy. A mistake, a youthful love, a passionate love, but above all a destructive love. Are people made to love one person for the rest of their lives? Or is it only necessary to open one's heart, in spite of the blows it can take in the course of a life? Through this book, we invite you to enter the head of this young Simon, and to observe his darkest thoughts without drawing a line to humor. Heartbreaking, and yet so addictive once the first lines are read. Welcome to the world of Diastème, and his touching frankness.

Synopsis: In crazy love, there is love and crazy. This is, literally, the subject of Diastème's new novel. Simon, 16, is committed to a psychiatric institution. Because he loved Lucie too much, who had just broken up with him, he engaged in a number of acts - running away, self-mutilation, aggression, etc. - that led to his internment. - This led to his internment. At least that is what he tells himself. Sometimes cheeky, sometimes sentimental, sarcastic, provocative, pitiful, or triumphant, Simon opens the doors of his inner theater, his fantasy and his suffering.

Tout le bleu du ciel, by Mélissa Da Costa

"My father had copied a quote on the living room wall. It said, 'The present moment has one advantage over all others: it belongs to us.'"

Do you like to read books that will help you grow, and change your perception of the world? This is THE book to read! I promise you, you won't regret a single second of having had it in your hands... Even when a little tear rolls down your cheek while reading it!

Synopsis : Petitesannonces.fr: Young man of 26, condemned to a life expectancy of two years by early Alzheimer's, wishes to set sail on a final journey. Seeking companion to share with me this last journey. Emile has decided to flee the hospital and the compassion of his family and friends. To his own astonishment, he received an answer to this announcement. Three days later, in front of the secretly purchased camper, he finds Joanne, a young woman wearing a large black hat, whose only luggage is a backpack, and who gives no explanation for her presence. Thus begins a journey of stunning beauty. At each turn of this journey, through the encounter with others and the discovery of oneself, joy, fear, friendship, and love are born, which little by little pierce Emile's shell of pain.

Whose fault is itby Ragnar Jónasson

"It was the most unbearable feeling: to be alone, abandoned, and to see all hope slowly fade away."

We change the atmosphere and the setting with this breathtaking and hypnotizing detective novel, straight from the Nordic countries! A closed-door thriller that you won't be able to close until you've read the last page. Take a walk through the eyes of the four characters, to discover this very well crafted story. You will tell us about it !

Synopsis : Four childhood friends. A hike in the heart of the wildest Iceland. A huis-clos where betrayals and secrets emerge. Will they all manage to survive this night? They thought they would find each other for a few peaceful days. A simple partridge hunt in the highlands of eastern Iceland... But the trip turns into a nightmare. A violent and unexpected snowstorm falls on them and forces them to take refuge in an abandoned hunting lodge. Inside, a macabre discovery will forever change the course of their lives and their friendship. It is the beginning of a long night, where the four friends see the worst in each of them resurface.

Bien dormir, ça s'apprend ! by Benjamin Lubszynski

Your sleep is not of a great quality these days? Would you like to remedy this problem? Here is the book you have been waiting for without knowing it! Let yourself be lulled by the techniques described in this book, so that you may be able to keep sleeping pills away from your bedside table...

Synopsis: A good night's sleep without sleeping pills: does this seem like an unattainable dream to you? A distant memory? Rejoice! This book will allow you to find serene and restful nights. Your brain has simply lost the way to fall asleep naturally. You will relearn the right automatisms, step by step, thanks to hypnosis, meditation, CBT and other methods of a formidable effectiveness like ASMR and EMDR. And all in a natural way... More effective than herbal teas and without side effects unlike drugs, you hold in your hands a practical, fun and amazingly effective book: get ready to say goodbye to your insomnia!

The delights of Tokyoby Durian Sukegawa

"At night, you only have to listen to the murmur of the stars to feel the course of eternity"

Last but not least... Enthralling, succulent, and touching, this novel mixing drama, illness, history, Japanese gastronomy, and friendship, will not leave you indifferent once finished. A novel to devour during a quiet afternoon!

Synopsis: "Listen to the voice of the beans": this is the secret of Tokue, an old lady with mysteriously deformed fingers, to succeed in making an, the red bean paste used in dorayaki, Japanese pastries. Sentarô, who agreed to hire Tokue in his shop, sees his clientele double overnight, conquered by her pastry-making talents. But the old lady hides a less avowable secret and disappears as she appeared, leaving Sentarô to interpret in his own way the lesson she shared with him. Beautifully adapted for the screen by filmmaker Naomi Kawase, Durian Sukegawa's novel is an ode to cooking and to life. Poignant, poetic, sensual: a delight.

Make your reading more fun, and active

Did you know that you can make reading more fun by taking notes, and also by annotating your books? To do so, get some post-it notes (some of them exist in transparent version... Ideal for annotating a book without damaging it!), highlighters, and a pencil! With these little tools, you can put a marker in your book when a passage seems cute, sad, surprising, or in line with your personal feelings and values! You can also write down some of your most memorable quotes in a notebook dedicated to your readings.

The benefits of reading

Reading, reading... But why bother? Well, you see, reading has many qualities to maintain your health! First of all, it stimulates the brain's connections. It also allows you to reduce stress and to be more relaxed. On an emotional level, reading is beneficial for developing empathy and improving mood. This activity would also alleviate chronic pain, and would protect memory and reasoning abilities. And of course, it keeps us away from screens! Perfect to replace phones, televisions, and computers in the evening! Your sleep will be greatly improved.

Which applications and platforms for reading?

What could be better than using technology to find new reads, listen to audiobooks, chat with other readers, and keep track of your reading? Here are some applications that will help you in your passion!

- Goodreads: Perfect to give you reading ideas according to your tastes, it will also allow you to subscribe to reading groups in order to exchange on your reading. You will also be able to classify your books according to several categories: books read, books in progress, books you would like to read. You will also be able to post a review and a note when you finish reading a book.
- Nextory: On this application, you will be able to listen to audiobooks, read comics, as well as books. A subscription will be required to use the application, following the 14 days offered to test the application.
- Wattpad: Wattpad is an online reading platform that breaks down the barriers between writers and readers. On it, you can create and share your stories. Available on computer and mobile, in free or premium version.
- Babelio: On this platform, you can catalog and organize your virtual library in a few clicks! You will also have the chance to find information about books, as well as reviews.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive. Many other applications and platforms exist to accompany you in your reading. It's up to you to find the one that suits you best!

Concerning book clubs, we invite you to look for information on the net. Some exist virtually, and others may be located not far from where you live. These clubs are perfect for sharing your passion and meeting new friends!