CROATIAN BOOK CLUB OF NEW YORK

The Passion to Skate - Sandra Bezic Story

In honor of the Turin Olympics, we wish we had a book in English about Janica Kostelic, the most decorated woman in Olympic Alpine skiing history. www.janica.croski.hr 

Our next ‘book of the month’ is The Passion to Skate: an Intimate View of Figure Skating by Sandra Bezic. Written by a competitive skater, choreographer, director and producer Sandra Bezic, five time Canadian pairs champion & Olympic competitor, this volume offers insight into philosophies and appreciation of the sport.

Bezic quote: “The dream begins the first time you feel your blades cutting across the hard, cold surface and discover the effortless motion of gliding. The first time you find yourself believing, if only for a few moments, that you are the most graceful or the most powerful person in the world.”

At the Turin Olympics, Bezic was an NBC commentator.

The Passion to Skate: an Intimate View of Figure Skating and other Croatian books are available at www.amazon.com for as little as .87 cents and up.

Meeting place: Croatian Cultural Center
Address: 502 West 41st Street, New York, NY (between 10th & 11th Avenues)
Dates: Every Third Wednesday in the month, April 19th, 2006 at 6 p.m.
Next book selection: the Passion to Skate: an Intimate View of Figure Skating by Sandra Bezic

Please read the book in advance.

A Croatian Book Club is meeting in New York City to promote Croatian culture. Our club offers readers the opportunity to participate in spirited discussions considering diverse viewpoints about unique subject material.

Each month, the facilitator will choose a “book of the month” that will be read by members in advance and discussed later at the monthly meeting. The monthly meeting will last from approximately 1-2 hours, depending on the vitality of the discussion, size of the group and availability of space.

Below is a partial list of books that will be discussed:

* The Stone Fields by Courtney Angela Brkic
* Infidelities – stories of War and Lust by Josip Novakovic
* How We Survived Communism and Even Laughed by Slavenka Drakulic
* Neither Red nor Dead by Stevo Julius
* The Museum of Unconditional Surrender by Dubravka Ugresic
* The Banquet in Blitva by Miroslav Krleza
* The Bridge to Dalmatia – Search for the Meaning of Place by Francis Violich
* Delightful Dalmatia by Alice Lee Moque
* The Turk and My Mother by Mary Helen Stefaniak
* Sarajevo Marlboro by Miljenko Jergovic
* Croatian Tales of Long Ago by Ivana Brlic Mazuranic
* Anna Marinkovich by Edward Ifkovic
* Carrying the Farm on Her Back-A portrait of Women in a Village by Eva Skold Westerlind
* Healing the Heart of Croatia by Joseph Kerrigan
* Goodby Dear Old Homeland by Yasna Sikic Hood
* American Dream - a Guy from Croatia by Boris Miksic
* Thorn Lace – Mojmir – A Migrant’s Lot by Ina Vukic
* Moments of Truth: Real Stories of Life Changing Inspiration Mike Celizic
* The Labyrinth by Blanka Raguz www.blankaraguz.com
* You’re Hired: How to Succeed in Business and Life from the Winner of the Apprentice by Bill Rancic
* Lovers and Madmen – a True Story of Passion, Politics and Air Piracy by Julienne Eden Busic
* Fix Our United States by Krist (Chris) Novoselic www.dwstudios.net
* Necessary Targets: A Story of Women and War by Eve Ensler
* www.admit2.net Natalija Grgorinic & Ognjen Raden
* The Bridge on the Drina by Ivo Andric
* Don’t Call Me Rosie by Kathleen Thomas www.thomaswright.com
* Louis Adamic www.synapse.ne.jp/saitani/ or www.alibris.com
* A Single Step by Heather Mills McCartney (chapters on Croatia)
* Can You Hear Me Screaming? by Eric Obenauf www.twodollarradio.com or www.CroatiaGifts.com
* First Service by Andrea Jaeger (Maja Muric) www.firstservicebook.com
* Celestial Dancer by Anthony Shafer alias Peter Celich
* Letters to My Daughters by Mary Matalin (Tomasevich)
* Croatia: Travels in Undiscovered Country by Tony Fabijancic
* The Passion to Skate: An Intimate View of Figure Skating by Sandra Bezic
* Return with Honor by Scott O’Grady
* Pixletown: The World Found by Marija Miletic Dail
* The Survival League by Gordan Nuhanovic
* Tesla: Man Out of Time by Margaret Cheney
* Zagreb, Exit South by Edo Popovic
* American Scream & Palindrome Apocalypse by Dubravka Oraic Tolic
* King of the Confessors by Thomas Hoving
* Mother’s Memoirs – Lucy Majnaric Marincel by Emily Marincel Amberg
* The Education of a Coach by David Halberstam re: Bill & Steve Belichick
* Zinka Milanov and Flora Tosca: Art, Love, and Politics by Bruce Burroughs
* Inlaid Pearl by Stacie G. Vesolich
* Bogdan Radica – out of print


Most of the above books are available free of charge at the Public Library or may be purchased at www.amazon.com and other discount bookstores.

Book Club discussion questions and topics:

· What specific themes did the author emphasize throughout the book? What do you think he or she is trying to convey to the reader?
· Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?
· What was unique about the setting of the book and how did it enhance or take away from the story?
· How do characters change or evolve throughout the course of the story? What events trigger such changes?
· In what ways do the events in the books reveal evidence of the author’s world view?
· Did certain parts of the book make you uncomfortable? If so, why did you feel that way? Did this lead to a new understanding or awareness of some aspect of your life you might not have thought about before?
· What did you find surprising about the facts introduced in this book?
· How has reading this book changed your opinion of a certain person or topic?
· Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does she or he achieve this?
· If the author is writing on a controversial issue, does he or she give proper consideration to all sides of the debate? Does he or she seem to have a bias?
· How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

Facilitator:

Katarina Tepesh is a member of the International Women’s Writing Guild. Her essays, “Father’s Funeral” www.quietmountainessays.org/Tepesh  and “Babin Kuk” were published in Caprice and Quiet Mountain Essays. “Yearning for Freedom in a Land of the Free” at http://freeriverpress.org/Tepesh.htm  Free River Press. A short story, “Anica, a Mail Order Bride from Croatia” at CROWN www.CroatianWorld.net  . “Kolo Danced by Hundreds in New York City” www.puredance.org/pressNada.html  ; “Josip Novakovich - Infidelities – Stories of War and Lust” www.lijepanasadomovinahrvatska.com/folder/tepesh_280905.htm 
Katarina is also a member of the Storytellers - International Toastmasters Club, promoting writing, public speaking and leadership skills. Katarina comes from Zagorje region and now lives in New York City.

If you are interested in joining The Croatian Book Club (CBC) of New York, please contact Katarina by email tepeshk@aol.com  or telephone 212-744-1985.


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Formatted for CROWN by Nenad Bach

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