Sorry about that – got all alliterative of a sudden.

Just an idea, loosely prompted by this meme from a few weeks back – anyone interested in participating in a blog-based book group? Could make a nice break from politics every now and again, plus help point us all in the direction of some genuinely good reads.

Basic idea would be I name a book (perhaps based on suggestions from participants) – probably broadly European, considering the focus of this blog – and set a date, probably a month or so later. Those who want to take part go off and read the thing then come back on the chosen date for a nice lengthy discussion in a comments section where we can all dissect the thing, suggest similar books, point out plot holes and the like.

Who’s up for it? Anyone? If so, drop me a line in the comments. My initial suggestion is one I’m currently re-reading, and I’d forgotten just how good it was – Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco:

To give you a basic idea without ruining the plot, it’s basically The Da Vinci Code if it had been written by someone literate, intelligent, with a superb grasp of character and plot, and who had actually bothered to do some original research. It is also a fantastic read – perhaps Eco’s best.

What do you reckon? Worth pursuing? Am I being a pretentious twat? Different book to kick off?

Let me know in the comments if you’re interested – if enough people are, I’d suggest we reconvene on Monday 20th June for a hearty literary debate. Should be enough time.