Oprah's Book Club (Official) discussion

Hello everybody! My name is Aaron Prohaska. I'm not only new to the group but also new to Good Reads in general. Does this group simply talk about the books that Oprah selects or is there opportunities to discuss other books as well or is that frowned upon?

I gravitated toward this group because of the popularity of Oprah but I'm a father of 2 and new author within children's genre. I'm hoping to not only discuss the books set forth by a person like Oprah but also see the tastes and interests of her followers that have children. My intention isn't to promote as I know that is against the rules, but it is really to build relationships within the community a learn to write better, target my audience better, and deliver content that entertains but also educates and sparks conversation.

Sample book review/discussion:
Zen Shorts, by Jon J. Muth, is one of my favorite books to read to my kids. The sub stores are short and to the point yet bring on great discussion. Reading to your kids is wonderful but only half the process. It is looking beyond the story line to find nuggets of life's hidden motivations that turn entertainment into behavior and choice education.

In this story we have direct ideas like: faults and giving can be the best gift, luck is a matter of perspective, and holding grudges can distract us from living. Yet there is a deeper story line about self identity, family identity, and societal identity a layer underneath.

We quote this story, and sub stories, in our everyday life reinforcing the idea during situations of heightened emotions. The stories help us understand the ties between our emotional selves and logical selves.

I would love to hear your take on the story and stories that you think compare. I want to hear about any aspects that you don't like. We read this book to both my kids, and for a while now. My son was probably 4 or 5 the first time we read it. He didn't understand all the concepts but enjoyed the pictures. Now that he is a few years older, and has grown up with the concepts, we have much deeper conversation and he can ask intelligent questions based on the topics in the book.

Thanks for your time, thanks for you acceptance into the community.

- Aaron Prohaska