Aloft

aloft, originally uploaded by sweetmondaygirl.

A couple months ago, G. suggested that we read a book together. I was thrilled by the idea. I've always wanted the kind of relationship that would include shared literature. But G. and I have different ideas, for the most part, of what constitutes a good read, and I was concerned that we wouldn't be able to find something we'd both really enjoy.

Aloft by Chang-Rae Lee was one of the first books to catch our mutual eye (which is green, just like our non-mutual eyes) while on a search through Borders one afternoon. It was one I'd heard many, many good things about, but had for some reason put off reading on my own. I'm glad now that I did, as it turned out to be the perfect novel to launch our little Nosotros Book Club.

Reading this book felt like a privilege. It is one that I wish I could buy for everyone I know and have them devour it immediately. When we read the last words of it out loud to each other, I cried, in part because it was such a lovely, well written page, and in part because I wasn't yet ready to say goodbye to the characters, or to the experience of reading about them with G.

This one will stay with me for a while.