Books we’ve read…
| # | TITLE | by | AUTHOR | RATING | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 216 | This Tender Land | by | William Kent Krueger | 1.5 and 2 | On Thursday March 2 2023 Book Club members convened at the home of Sandy to enjoy a delicious carrot cake criss cross buns munchies and tea in front a delightful fire to discuss William Kent Krueger's "This Tender Land" which we enjoyed discussing. Set in 1932 Minnesota—the Lincoln School is a pitiless place where hundreds of Native American children forcibly separated from their parents are sent to be educated. It is also home to an orphan named Odie O’Banion a lively boy whose exploits earn him the superintendent’s wrath. Forced to flee he and his brother Albert their best friend Mose and a brokenhearted little girl named Emmy steal away in a canoe heading for the mighty Mississippi and a place to call their own. Over the course of one unforgettable summer these four orphans will journey into the unknown and cross paths with others who are adrift from struggling farmers and traveling faith healers to displaced families and lost souls of all kinds. With the feel of a modern classic This Tender Land is an enthralling big-hearted epic that shows how the magnificent American landscape connects us all haunts our dreams and makes us whole. Several book club members found the book surprisingly delightful and enjoyed discussing the characters their journeys Odie's storytelling the significance of Odie's full name - Odysseus - Native Indian boarding school history. The ending gave us a great deal to discuss. Also there is a reference to the Jaycees! The main character recounts a fond memory of fireworks hosted by the Jaycees!! The book earned all 1.5's and 2.0's on our new rating scale which is as follows: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; no one should bother me until I am done; I might even be late for work; " 2 being "good leave the phone on recommend to my friends not good enough to earn a 1 for a potential flaw but worth reading"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it will talk to my book friends about it but I am not recommending it to all my friends; 4 being "I regret paying money for the book but it's tolerable if I didn't pay hard earned money for it"; and 5 being "I wish I had not read it and wasted precious hours of my life." |
| 215 | Remarkably Bright Creatures | by | Shelby Van Pelt | 1 | Book Club members convened on February 2 2023 at Lisa's and on Zoom to discuss debut novel "Remarkably Bright Creatures" by Shelby Van Pelt. Set in Sowell Bay a fictional small town in northern Washington State the novel follows Tova an elderly widow who works nights cleaning the town’s aquarium not because she needs to but to avoid loneliness that has settled around her since her husband died a year ago. The disappearance of her son 30 years still haunts her in this small community where memories surface constantly. Erik was 18 when he went sailing at night and never returned. The boat was found but not his body. Part of Tova’s routine is to greet each of the sea creatures when she arrives including Marcellus the giant Pacific octopus who is the aquarium’s main attraction. These greetings are old-school etiquette but with Marcellus it’s more. Tova often talks with him especially as she cleans the glass of his tank. And sometimes she thinks he’s responding. We readers know he is because he narrates the first chapter of Remarkably Bright Creatures. What an ingenious observant and cranky marvel he is. He knows Tova’s story he knows of her son and wants to help her find resolution to her pain. Book Club members loved this book and enjoyed how the writer crafted interesting characters whose lives crossed paths and made for a delightful story. The book earned all 1's on our new rating scale which is as follows: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; no one should bother me until I am done; I might even be late for work; " 2 being "good leave the phone on recommend to my friends not good enough to earn a 1 for a potential flaw but worth reading"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it will talk to my book friends about it but I am not recommending it to all my friends; 4 being "I regret paying money for the book but it's tolerable if I didn't pay hard earned money for it"; and 5 being "I wish I had not read it and wasted precious hours of my life." |
| 214 | Conviction | by | Denise Mina | 1.5s and 2s | On Thursday January 5 2023 with one member Zooming in from sunny Florida other Book Club members enjoyed warm apple crisp crackers and cheese to discuss Conviction by Denise Mina an interesting thriller with a unique storytelling format: It’s just a normal morning when Anna's husband announces that he's leaving her for her best friend and taking their two daughters with him. With her safe comfortable world shattered Anna distracts herself with someone else's story: a true-crime podcast. That is until she recognises the name of one of the victims and becomes convinced that only she knows what really happened. With nothing left to lose she throws herself into investigating the case. Anna is contemplating how to kill herself and who will find her body when her best friend's husband also shattered by this affair shows up on her doorstep: Fin a musician celebrity of sorts with an eating disorder. Anna shifts her concern for Fin and intends to drive him home. Instead they embark on a journey to solve the crime Anna is following in the podcast. The story takes an interesting twist as Anna's first person story exposes her own complicated life -she had changed her name after notoriety of a gang rape. The social media following of Fin's fanbase as he posts live updates of their crime solving- and his eating habits - exposes her to the people who thought she had died. The book offered interesting topics to discuss including real life crime stories. We liked how the narrator used a podcast-like story telling technique to have each character's story unfold and then she becomes a podcast writer at the end. The book has a sequel which is another adventure for Anna and Fin to solve a crime and mystery. The book earned 1.5's and 2.0's on our new rating scale which is as follows: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; no one should bother me until I am done; I might even be late for work; " 2 being "good leave the phone on recommend to my friends not good enough to earn a 1 for a potential flaw but worth reading"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it will talk to my book friends about it but I am not recommending it to all my friends; 4 being "I regret paying money for the book but it's tolerable if I didn't pay hard earned money for it"; and 5 being "I wish I had not read it and wasted precious hours of my life." |
| 213 | Giver of Stars | by | JoJo Moyes | 1s and 2s | On Thursday evening December 1 2022 Book Club members convened at Lisa's house to discuss "Giver of the Stars" by JoJo Moyes and enjoy delicious home made brownies (thank you Martha) tea cheese crackers fresh fruit sandwiches and sweets. Bonus fun in honor of ShovelTown's opening included some ShovelTown brew tasting. December Book Club Choice: Giver of the Stars by Jojo Moyes: a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond in Depression-era America as the packhorse librarians. Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-townKentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader and soon Alice’s greatest ally is Margery a smart-talking self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky. What happens to them - and to the men they love - becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty justice humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful at others brutal they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any arming them with facts that will change their lives. Based on a true story rooted in America’s past The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Book Club members loved this book! We enjoyed discussing all the characters all strong women who find an important purpose and effect change in their rural environment. We read the Smithsonian article that inspired Moyes to write the book. We also loved the depiction of positive male characters and how the story unraveled for all of them. Life was not easy for any of them but the ending offered resolutions that satisfied us. After we spent some time updating our ratings to distinguish more clearly the criteria we gave this book 1's and 2's. Our new rating scale is as follows: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; no one should bother me until I am done; I might even be late for work; " 2 being "good leave the phone on recommend to my friends not good enough to earn a 1 for a potential flaw but worth reading"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it will talk to my book friends about it but I am not recommending it to all my friends; 4 being "I regret paying money for the book but it's tolerable if I didn't pay hard earned money for it"; and 5 being "I wish I had not read it and wasted precious hours of my life." |
| 211 | Lessons in Chemistry | by | Bonnie Garmus | 2 | On Thursday evening November 3 2022 Book Club members convened at Lisa's house to discuss “Lessons in Chemistry" by Bonnie Garmus and enjoy delicious homemade brownies (thank you Lisa C.) tea veggies cheese crackers and fresh fruit. Brief Summary: Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman in the early 1960s; her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely brilliant Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results. A few years later Elizabeth finds herself not only a single mother but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chlorideâ€) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo. Book Club members loved this book! We enjoyed discussing the characters including Elizabeth Calvin "Mad" Harriet Walter and our favorite: "Six-Thirty." We read some of Elizabeth's blunt responses; she faced some challenges trying to pave her way in a man's world in science but her refreshing attitude and resilience her relationships with Calvin Mad and Six-Thirty and her resourcefulness with her research made the book a joy to read. We loved the ending and all gave this book 1's based on the following rating scale: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." Lisa C. presented on several potential book choices for January. Thank you Lisa! |
| 210 | The 6:20 Man | by | David Baldacci | 3 | On Thursday evening October 6 2022 Book Club members convened at Lisa's house and on Zoom to discuss "The 6:20 Man" by David Baldacci. Monique brought delicious buffalo chicken dip and oatmeal raisin cookies Lisa C. baked banana bread and Lisa J. served up some fruit and tea. Brief summary: Every day without fail Travis Devine puts on a cheap suit grabs his faux-leather briefcase and boards the 6:20 commuter train to Manhattan where he works as an entry-level analyst at the cityÂ’s most prestigious investment firm. In the mornings he gazes out the train window at the lavish homes of the uberwealthy dreaming about joining their ranks. In the evenings he listens to the fiscal news on his phone already preparing for the next grueling day in the cutthroat realm of finance. Then one morning DevineÂ’s tedious routine is shattered by an anonymous email: She is dead. Then unfolds for Travis more mystery crime injustice. Book Club members enjoyed discussing the various characters the mysterious world of cybercrime the plot twists with lots of deaths and the ending: many of us were surprised - maybe somewhat disappointed by the ending because it was definitely not expected and not a character we wanted to be the murderer! Most of us gave the book a 2.5 or a 3.0 based on the following rating scale: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." Martha presented on three potential book choices for December! (handout attached) Thank you Martha! |
| 209 | The Maid | by | Nita Prose | 2.5 | On Thursday September 1 2022 the Book Club convened IN PERSON (Hybrid/Zoom available) at the cozy home of Sandy who provided an array of delicious sweets veggies and dip tea soda and wine. Thank you to Sandy for such an inviting space to discuss Nita Prose's "The Maid" and other books. Nita Prose's "The Maid" follows Molly a socially awkward Grand Regency Hotel maid who embraces her job with vigor: clearly the structured expectations of her job are a perfect fit for her. Molly's Gran helped her interpret the world but Gran's recent passing has left Molly disoriented and vulnerable to shady characters who take advantage of her and frame her for murder and theft. Book Club members discussed Molly; her character traits were lovable but also frustrating because we could not imagine someone being so vulnerable and blind to the deceit of others but we were also angry at those who took advantage of her because they could. Her landlord for example made her home not safe due to irrational and mean spirited eviction threats; someone she thought cared for her stole her nest egg the Fabergé she and Gran worked so hard to build for her to go to school; co worker Rodney whom she thought liked him but entangled her in his crimes; and her mean-spirited lazy thieving boss who stole tips from the other maids. There were definitely some rewarding characters who provided a satisfactory ending to the story: doorman Mr. Prescott and his daughter who watched out for Molly and stepped in when they realized she was being framed; Juan Manuel an immigrant co-worker who was also taken advantage of but who showed courage and loyalty; Giesele the widow of the murdered man who was a potential suspect victim of abuse and surprising friend to Molly; and Mr. Snow the hotel manager who recognized Molly's solid character and loyalty to her job. Although Gran was not in the story her voice resonated through Molly's memories. We watched some clips with the author. We had a great deal to discuss in the story. While we found it a page turner several of us did find the first person narrator a bit frustrating at times because she was a bit too vulnerable. For these reasons the book earned mostly all 2s and 3s: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." |
| 208 | American Dirt | by | Jeanine Cumins | 1.5 | On Thursday August 4 2022 Book Club members met via Zoom for a rich and engaging discussion about "American Dirt" by Jeanine Cumins: También de este lado hay sueños. "On this side too there are dreams." The book opens with a heart stopping act of violence followed by the beginning of an incredible journey. Lydia Quixano Pérez of Acapulco runs a bookstore loves her son Luca and has a wonderful journalist husband who writes articles that include actions of a cartel leader who has woven himself into Lydia's life. Survivors of the attack Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence instantly transformed into migrants hopping trains toward the United States which is the only place Javier's reach doesn't extend. Readers are introduced to a slew of interesting characters to enrich an understanding of the obstacles and challenges Lydia and Luca encounter. Book Club members discussed interesting narrative with flashbacks immersed in the action; the limited choices immigrants face that force them to make hard decisions; the actions of the people who helped those in need; and how the story inspires people to want to help. For these reasons the book earned mostly all 1s and 1.5s: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." |
| 207 | The Prayer Box | by | Lisa WIngate | 3.5 | On Thursday July 7 2022 Book Club members convened via Zoom to discuss Lisa Wingate's "The Prayer Box" the first in her series set on the Outer Banks. The novel follows a series of events following the death of 91 year old Iola Anne Poole an old-timer on Hatteras Island who had aroused a great deal of community gossip because she inherited a large old home and had some mystery surrounding the circumstances of her heritage life and acquisition of the home. Tandi a struggling young mother in Iola's rental cottage finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house where she finds letters and journals to help solve Iola's mysterious background. Tandi herself is running from a messy dangerous past and never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes one for each year spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Tandi discovers and shares the story of Iola's heritage and rightful ownership of the home to help secure that the home will be preserved for its history and value to the community. In her quest to escape her past Tandi inadvertently makes some bad choices with another man and creates some chaos with her teenage daughter who is not happy about the move to this island; she is forced to confront her sister whose self indulgent and jealous personality threatens to upend all Tandi has accomplished; and she must find a way to pay rent and put food on the table. Along the way she meets Sandi a store owner who offers her a job and finds happiness with the kind of man who offers stability kindness and respect rather than the kind of men who had treated her poorly. Book Club members found Tandi's story a bit tedious and frustrating because of Tandi's inability to make progress and good decisions until three quarters through the novel; minimal character development of other potentially interesting people; and annoying plotline about the sister especially toward the ending. However the story within the story about Iola and her history was interesting. It was told through the letters and journals found in the prayer boxes. We had read Wingate's "Before We Were Yours" and "Book of Lost Friends" both of which we loved but we found this book to be a beach read that left us a little disappointed. For these reasons the book earned mostly 3s and 3.5s: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." |
| 206 | Pecan Man | by | Cassie Selleck | 1 | On Wednesday June 8 2022 author Cassie Selleck joined our Book Club Zoom to discuss her novel "Pecan Man." Cassie was charming delightful and enthusiastic to meet us! She answered all our questions with captivating stories to illustrate the inspiration for things such as character names and why a character's death was part of the story. Additionally we enjoyed listening to the journey of how she was able to publish her book. From the website: Cassie's novel is a work of Southern fiction whose first chapter was the First Place winner of the 2006 CNW/FFWA Florida State Writing Competition in the Unpublished Novel category. In the summer of 1976 recently widowed and childless Ora Lee Beckworth hires a homeless old black man to mow her lawn. The neighborhood children call him the Pee-can Man; their mothers call them inside whenever he appears. When the police chief’s son is found stabbed to death near his camp the man Ora knows as Eddie is arrested and charged with murder. Twenty-five years later Ora sets out to tell the truth about the Pecan Man. In narrating her story Ora discovers more truth about herself than she could ever have imagined.This novel has been described as To Kill a Mockingbird meets The Help. Although we did not officially rate the book during our meeting we all loved it and several already read the sequel: "The Truth About Grace." Cassie's novel was a short but well written thoughtful story with well developed characters whose relationships touched us and inspired great conversation! |
| 205 | Very Nice Box | by | Laura Blackett and Eve Gleichman | ||
| 204 | Greenwich Park | by | Katherine Faulkner | 2 | On Thursday, April 7, 2022, Book Club members convened virtually to discuss Katherine Faulkner's novel Greenwich Park: Helen's idyllic life handsome architect husband, gorgeous Victorian house, and cherished baby on the way (after years of trying) begins to change the day she attends her first prenatal class and meets Rachel, an unpredictable single mother-to-be who smokes, drinks, and professes little interest in parenthood. Helen is drawn to Rachel, whose increasingly erratic behavior is unsettling. The discomfort her friends, in-laws, and even husband have around Rachel is disconcerting to Helen. Book Club members realized something was going on and that Helen's lack of awareness was a bit frustrating early in the novel. The secrets swirling around Rachel involve all of them, leading to frightening moments, a death, an arrest, and a satisfying ending that made the unraveling of the mystery engaging. |
| 203 | The Lincoln Highway | by | Amor Towles | 1 | On Thursday March 3 2022 Book Club members convened virtually to discuss Amor Towles' novel The Lincoln Highway which follows several characters beginning in June 1954 as 18-year-old Emmett Watson is being driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone his father recently deceased and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank Emmett's intention is to pick up his eight-year-old brother Billy and head to California where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm the wily charismatic Duchess and earnest offbeat Woolly have stowed away in the trunk of the warden's car. Together they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett's future one that will take the four of them on a fateful journey in the opposite direction to the city of New York. We loved this book! We discussed the shifting narrative style which allowed us to have some third person narration with first person observations for some of the characters' perspectives; the amazing characters - Emmett Billy Duchess Woolly Sally Ulysses - all of whom we adored and agreed were developed so well; Billy's book within the book - a fictional collection of heroic historical characters with a fictional author who actually meets Billy and shares in their adventure; allusions to other great works such as Grapes of Wrath and Kristen Hannah's "Four Winds"; a wonderfully crafted ending with vivid imagery and hope. For many reasons the book earned all 1s and one 1.5: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." |
| 202 | The Vanishing Half | by | Britt Bennet | 4 | On Thursday February 3 2022 Book Club members discussed Brit Bennett's "The Vanishing Half" via Zoom. The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical growing up together in a small southern black community called Mallard but their adult lives become very different when one leaves her community behind changing everything about herself even her race. Desiree marries an abusive man and stays while Stella moves away and works for an aspiring businessman who falls in love with and marries her taking her eventually to Boston where they have a lovely home; however she dismisses her background saying her family is all gone and she passes for white thus reinventing herself to fit into a new society she has created but surrounded by people who truly do not know her. Eventually their daughters cross paths and the hard truths surface. The characters were interesting and included some colorful personalities. For many reasons the book earned a range of scores on the following scale: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." We agreed the book was a well crafted and important story with layers of complicated characters and thus earned many 2's; however some of the hard events which included racial violence earned a lower score (4) because it left some haunting images and thus would not be recommended to just anyone. |
| 201 | The Vanishing Half | by | Britt Bennet | ||
| 200 | Still Life | by | Louise Penny | 3 | On Thursday January 6 2022 Book Club members discussed Louise Penny's "Still Life†via Zoom. Summary: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Surêté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montreal. Jane Neal a local fixture in the tiny hamlet of Three Pines just north of the U.S. border has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it's a tragic hunting accident and nothing more but Gamache smells something foul in these remote woods and is soon certain that Jane Neal died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bowhunter. Still Life introduces not only an engaging series hero in Inspector Gamache who commands his forces -and this series -with integrity and quiet courage but also a winning and talented new writer of traditional mysteries in the person of Louise Penny. While some Book Club members noted the book lacked the excitement of a page turning murder thriller many also commented that the book was a gentle kind of detective story with lots of characters who gave us a great deal to discuss. The setting was an important part of the story as well and Louise Penny had a lot of detail about the little community called Three Pines which is now a series on Amazon. Additionally this book is the first of 17 in a series; one book club member read another (#9) and deepened our conversation about a character who appears to leave "Still Life" but does reappear in the later book. This left us wondering about the other characters in the novel. We spent some time unpacking some of the clues and many of us expressed interest in reading another in the series and checking out the Amazon series. We agreed it was a perfect book for the busy month of December and although it was not the thrilling page turner there was a lot to unpack as the story unfolded. For many reasons the book earned a range of scores including 2's 3's and 3.5's on a scale as follows: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." Keep in mind books on your "wish list" that you would like to add to our future reading list - our goal is to find books none of us has read!! |
| 199 | Oh, William! | by | Elizabeth Strout | 3 | On Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, Book Club members welcomed two new members and discussed Elizabeth Strout's "Oh, William!" via Zoom. Welcome to Lisa from Mansfield and Patricia all the way from Tennessee(MA native). 🙂 "Oh, William!" is told from the first person perspective of Lucy Barton, a 60ish woman mourning the loss of her husband David but who is still very close to William, her first husband and father of her two girls. William's second wife has just left him, but Lucy's narration reveals her coping with her own loss; navigating the complicated friendship she has with William; reflecting on the challenges her daughters faced with their own lives including mental health; and navigating memories of her own upbringing in poverty with a fire who suffered from PTSD and a mother who seemed through Lucy's narration a bit detached. While Book Club members noted no true action or excitement in the novel, we were eager to learn how the stories unfolded: William learns at this point in his life that his mother had given up a daughter before having him and fleeing a life of poverty in Maine; he and Lucy take a road trip to Maine to meet her. William's mother also generated some great conversation because of the way she treated Lucy, so we explored how we felt about her when we first met her in the novel (seemingly cold, possibly mean) versus how we felt about her after learning about her background. Lucy's allusions to things that happened earlier in her life were not addressed fully in this book ("Oh, that was in another book....."), so some of us were inspired to read Strout's previous novel, "My Name is Lucy Barton," a book with the same style of narration and lack of action that we experienced in "Oh, William." We discussed an array of topics that impacted the characters in some way: relationships with various people in our lives, mental health, poverty, divorce, ex-spouses. For many reasons, the book earned mostly 3's and 3.5's with one person giving a 1 on a scale as follows (which we discussed as well!): 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it - waste of hours of my life." |
| 198 | The Family Upstairs | by | Lisa Jewell | 1 | On Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021 Book Club members convened on Zoom to discuss Lisa Jewell's psychological thriller, which included three narrative points of view (not always reliable), a sociopath, murder mystery, and compelling plot lines with can't-look-away twists. There was a lot to discuss and unpack; some members said once they started reading it, they picked it up every free moment to see what happened. We enjoyed discussing each of the characters, exploring the dysfunction of the home and why the mom let "them" in to begin with.: "It all happened so slowly, yet so extraordinarily quickly, the change to our parents, to our home, to our lives after they arrived. But that first night, when Birdie appeared on our front step with two large suitcases and a cat in a wicker box, we could never have guessed the impact she would have, the other people she would bring into our lives, that it would all end the way it did. We thought she had just come to stay for the weekend." The book earned mostly 1's, a 1.5, and 2's on our rating scale: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." |
| 197 | The Last Thing He Said to Me | by | Laura Davey | 2.5 | On Thursday October 7 2021 Book Club members convened to discuss "The Last Thing He Said to Me" by Laura Davey an interesting mystery that follows Hannah Hall's struggle to solve her husband Owen's disappearance after the company he worked for was embroiled in a ponzi-type scheme. Hannah along with Owen's 16 year old daughter Bailey follow lead after lead to solve the mysterious note Owen left for Hannah: "Protect her." While journeying to Texas to follow a lead Hannah reflects on first meeting Owen and little memories that offer insight and clues as to where he may be. The novel infuses many of Hannah's and Bailey's memories of time spent with Owen. Book club members noted that the book was lighter than others we have read. We discussed aspects of the book we liked: Hannah's career as a wood crafter some aspects of the ending. And we discussed things we did not like: teenage Bailey was annoying! The book earned mostly 2.5's and 3's on our rating scale: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." |
| 196 | The Single Thread | by | Tracy Chevalier | 2.5 | On Thursday Sept. 2 2021 Book Club members convened to discuss Tracy Chevalier's "The Single Thread " in which the author "paints a richly detailed picture of history and social change in England in the inter war years set in the beautiful location of Winchester with its magnificent cathedral. In a well researched character driven story it is 1932 38 year old Violet Speedwell is deemed to be one of the 'surplus' women a consequence of the huge numbers of men lost in WW1 women who are both pitied and feared." After losing her brother and fiancee in WWI Violet finds herself caring for her difficult and suffocating mother who is also suffering from losing her son. Violent saves up moving to Winchester living an impoverished existence in a lodging house and working as a typist. On a visit to the Cathedral there is a ceremony for the 'broderers' her interest is captured by the embroidered kneelers. She joins the group of women which includes the real life Louise Pessel. Violet's other brother Tom is married to Evelyn and has three children; he does little for his mother. Violet was expected to care for her mom and is burdened with guilt for her courage to leave. We enjoyed looking at links about the real "Embroiders" of Winchester Cathedral and the struggle of women against societal expectations of sacrifice and stereotypes. Although we had some great conversations about the characters the struggle of women between WWI and WWII and crafting the book earned mostly 2.5's and 3's on our rating scale: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." We also enjoyed looking at the real bell tower on a video. |
| 195 | Stationary Shop | by | Marjan Kamali | 1 | On Thursday August 5 2021 Book Club members convened via Zoom to discuss two fabulous books. After a brief discussion of "The Four Winds" we discussed Marjan Kamali's "Stationary Shop": set against an uprising in Tehran the novel follows Raya and Bahman as they endure 1950s political upheaval in Tehran strife between classes and gender equality and young love that brings the story full circle to modern day in the United States. We loved discussing the characters in this story. Young Roya and Bahmin love each other but are separated on the eve of the violent 1953 coup d'etat in Tehran amidst chaos and fear unsure of each other's fate until 60 years later when they are reunited in the United States. Kamali's writing is beautiful and her characters inspired emotions. This novel earned mostly 1's and 1.5's in a rating scale: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." Upcoming Books: September 2nd - "A Single Thread" by Tracey Chevalier (historical fiction): Set in the 1930s A Single Thread follows the story of Violet Speedwell one of the many “surplus women†unable to marry due to a shortage of men after the First World War. Violet is headstrong and independent determined to forge her own path and leave her own mark on the world — however at 38 she is considered too old by much of society. October 7th - "The Last Thing He Told Me" by Laurie Davis (mystery thriller) We discussed many other books we hope to enjoy this summer: Alison loved "Vanishing Half" and is loving "Rose Code." Stephanie and Sandy enjoyed "The Good Sister." Stephanie is excited about "The Paper Palace." Lisa is loving "A Prayer for Owen Meany" and loved "Of Women and Salt." |
| 194 | The Four Winds | by | Kristen Hannah | 1.5 | On Thursday August 5 2021 Book Club members convened via Zoom to discuss two fabulous books. We briefly recapped our July discussions of the "The Four Winds" Kristen Hannah's popular best seller about a family of Depression era farmers struggling to survive and the westward journey to find a new life. We praised Hannah's writing especially the details that brought the dust storms to life; Hannah includes many allusions to John Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath" (per Lisa) but rewrites the narrative in a way that focuses on the perspective of the women. We cheered Elsa whose husband abandoned her and her daughter on his family's farm when she traveled herself to find a better life instilling in her daughter a passion for education and social reform. Elsa finds love with Jack a unionizer fighting for farmers' rights. The ending is heavy but affirming. This novel earned mostly 1's and 1.5's in a rating scale: 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." |
| 193 | Dear Edward | by | Ann Napolitano | 1.5 | On Wednesday evening June 2 2021 book club members gathered on Zoom to discuss Ann Napolitano's novel "Dear Edward" the story of a 12 year old sole survivor of a plane crash that took the lives of his parents and brother as they were flying to California to relocate their lives. The novel follows alternating third person narratives: the first is the day of the flight the details of the passengers including of Edward and his family so that the reader gets to know their life stories as the next plot line follows Edward as he recovers from his injuries is relocated to live with his aunt and uncle suffering from the loss of their family plus their own painful inability to conceive a child and tries to come to terms with his new home and family. Edward's plot line follows his friendship with the girl next door Shay the unfolding investigation into the cause of the crash Edward's fame as a crash survivor which draws "Dear Edward" letters from family of crash victims which offer some background about the passengers when the narrative switches back to the day of the crash. Although some of us were concerned about reading a book about a plane crash the story was a touching story of survival and hope. We learned the story was inspired by the true story of a young survivor of a plane crash in 2010 in South Africa. That young survivor's identity was not public. This led to some conversations about victims of tragedies: what happens after the service and mourning - the victims leave the public eye left to find their own way to recovery. This novel takes the reader along that long journey to healing and rebuilding and leaves us satisfied. We talked about how often we notice people around us such as on a plane or in a restaurant imagining their lives. We also discussed how the letters may have been invasive but ultimately helped Edward heal and find purpose to help others find closure. We loved this book and rated it with mostly 1.5's and 2's and one 3 with 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." Next month we look forward Kristin Hanna's "The Four Winds" and in August Marjan Kamali's "the Stationary Shop." |
| 192 | Things We Cannot Say | by | Kelly Rimmer | 1 | On Thursday - May 6 - 2021 - Book Club members met virtually to discuss Kelly Rimmer's "Things We Cannot Say." The novel opens in 1942 Europe beyond the tents of the Russian refugee camp as a young woman speaks her wedding vows - a lie that will remain buried until the next century when her grand daughter unpacks the mystery of her grandmother's grief; her grandmother Alina is unable to tell her grand daughter Alice the truth because a stroke has rendered her speechless. Alice must leave her husband alone in the US with their autistic son and brilliant daughter as she scours small villages in Poland to uncover what her grandmother is trying to tell her. The story flashes to Alina's small village as the Nazi occupation takes hold; residents are divided by fear and hate when Alina's fiancee Tomasz disappears and soldiers patrol her parents’ farm - forcing secrecy and danger at every turn. Slipping between Nazi-occupied Poland and the frenetic pace of Alice's modern life - Kelly Rimmer weaves the two women’s stories into an exciting tale that unravels some truths - including some painful acts - sacrifices - and secrets (for the right reasons). There is some closure at the end that we discussed - some thinking a bit too wrapped up while others appreciated the epilogue. Book club members had read an article Sandy shared about Poland's reluctance to admit its involvement in executing Jewish people during the Nazi invasion. We discussed a range of topics: the importance of finding our own stories before those who hold the stories are no longer with us - the Holocaust Museum - technology to help those who can't speak communicate (stroke victim and autistic boy in the story) - and the frustration of not being able to communicate. We enjoyed the story telling style using the two stories during different time periods. We loved this book and rated it with mostly 1's - 1.5's with 1 being "drop everything - turn off the phone - and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." Next month - we look forward to "Dear Edward" by Ann Napolitano and in July - Kristin Hanna's "The Four Winds." |
| 191 | Life Is Greener over the Septic Tank | by | Erma Bombek | 3 | At our Thursday - April 1 - 2021 virtual meeting - Book Club members shared favorite vignettes from Erma Bombeck's classic "The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank - " a book we selected for its levity and humor. Bombeck offers an interesting lens into life in the 1950s and 1960s 'burbs with stay at home "super moms - " the wood-sided station wagon (who wears seatbelts?) - new construction with the MIA builder (the septic tank isn't the right one for this model?) - plasticware parties (can't say Tupperware!) - carpool adventures - garage sales - Halloween antics - volunteerism - family dinners with meaningful conversation - selling Girl Scout cookies - insurance salesman - and the big picture window (gotta have one but what if someone sees me??). Sharing Bombeck's stories reminded us of our own childhood neighborhoods - drive in memories - playing outside until dinner was called - Ken and Barbie dolls - gathering around the one television set - the washer repairman - and many other chuckles. Our group welcomed two new members - and we excitedly shared other books we have read and suggestions for upcoming meetings: May - Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer; June - Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano; July - The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. While many of us appreciated Bombeck's understatement and dry exaggerations of our childhood - others found some of it a bit unrelatable - so our ratings - mostly 3's - included one 5 on our rating system: 1 being "drop everything - turn off the phone - and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." Have a wonderful April! |
| 190 | School of Essential Ingredients | by | Erica Bauermeister | 1 | On Thursday, 2/4/2021, Book Club members engaged in a meaningful and engaging discussion of Erica Bauermeister's "School of Essential Ingredients," a delightful and engaging story of interesting people who meet at Lilian's Italian restaurant on Monday nights for a cooking class. Each cooking class/chapter focused on a specific dish - crab, Italian Thanksgiving dinner, cake, etc. - and focused on one of the specific characters to provide the back story and how the particular class becomes meaningful to that character and ultimately to the group as a whole. We viewed a brief interview of the author who said the book evolved in her mind for years, taking shape through her journey of motherhood. She said in the interview that she wanted to write a story about "the quiet moments" of people's lives, the moments we don't often notice but add up to shape who we are. The book earned 1.5's and 1's on the rating scale of 1-5: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." The group agreed that while the book was not a heart pounding page-turner, it inspired fabulous conversations about food, cooking, cooking shows, pandemic limitations of restaurants, local restaurants, new restaurants, then binge watching tv shows, and a slew of book titles. We loved the characters, the "quiet moments" of their lives that brought them to the cooking class, and the ending that was gentle but not too over the top perfect. |
| 189 | The Lost Man | by | Jim Harper | 1.5 | On Thursday, 1/7/2021, Book Club members engaged in a meaningful and engaging discussion of Jane Harper's "The Lost Man," a murder mystery set in an isolated outback community of merely 65 in rural Australia. Several members had read other Harper novels and found this one just as wonderful. The cattle farmers endure harsh conditions that Harper paints vividly for the reader, opening the novel with the image of the stockman's grave, "a headstone, blasted smooth by a hundred-year assault from sand, wind, and sun...a meter tall...perfectly straight"(prologue). The spot becomes the site for a mysterious death of Cameron Bright, one of the ranch owning family members; his brothers, brooding over their own struggles, must solve their brother's death while helping their mother Liz, whose husband Carl had died tragically in a car accident while she herself was trapped in the car for hours, Cameron's wife Ilse, long time ranch hand Harry, and Cameron's young girls deal with the loss. As the story unfolds, however, there is so much suspicion about suicide and the paranoia that the murderer could be among them. A slew of topics that kept us engaged for hours: the isolation of the setting, responsibility, truth, abuse, relationships. The book earned 1.5's and 2's on the rating scale of 1-5: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." The group agreed that this was a page turner, and several who had not read Harper's other novels were considering reading another! |
| 188 | Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery | by | Jenny Colgan | 2 | Book Club Summary Dec. 3, 2020 Book Club members discussed via Zoom Jenny Colgan's delightful novel "Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery." Eager for something in the holiday spirit, member swere intrigued by a summary someone shared: "Polly Waterford loves running the Little Beach Street Bakery. She's at her happiest when she's creating delicious treats and the festive season always inspires her to bake and knead something extra special for the village residents. In fact, the only thing she loves more than her bakery is curling up with her gorgeous boyfriend, Huckle. She's determined that this Christmas is going to be their best one yet, but life doesn't always work out as planned...When Polly's best friend Kerensa turns up with a secret that threatens the life Polly and Huckle have built together, the future begins to look uncertain. And then a face from Polly's past reappears and things become even more complicated. Polly can usually find solace in baking but she has a feeling that's not going to be enough this time. Can she get things back on track so that everyone has a merry Christmas?" Book Club members enjoyed discussing the details about Polly and Huckle's home - it's a lighthouse- and their pet puffin named Neil. We noted how cold the weather always appeared to be in this Cornish beachside village; how hard Polly worked in her little bakery; what a sweet little community they had; and the interesting characters and friendship. We noted that the ending was satisfying - not too forced but made us smile and happy to have read a delightful book at the holidays. The book earned mostly 2's on the rating scale of 1-5: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." Next books: January 7, 2021 Jane Harper's "The Lost Man" February 2021: Erica Bauermeister's "The School of Essential Ingredients." |
| 187 | Into the Water | by | Paula Hawkins | 2 | n Thursday, 11/12/20, Book Club members met via Zoom to discuss Paula Hawkins' "Into the Water," a psychological thrilled similar to Hawkins' "Girl on the Train." The novel had us wondering until the very last line!! The story is set in current day in small fictional town of Beckford not too far from London but flashes back to mysterious deaths of women from drowning in the Drowning Pool: Libby in 1679 (suspected of witchcraft); Anne Ward (1920), Lauren Slater (1983), apparent suicides. In 2015, Julies comes to Beckford to take care of Lena Abbott, her 15 year old niece, after Lena's mother (Jules' sister) dies from an apparent suicide not long after Kaie Whitaker, Lena's best friend, also dies from an apparent suicide. Journalist Lena had been investigating the deaths before she died. Other characters include Police Detective Sean Townsend, his school principal wife Helen, Sean's creepy father Patrick (whose wife Lauren was the 1983 death), a creepy teacher Mark Henderson, detective Erin Morgan, psychic Nickie Sage. The narrative was told from the perspective of characters in an alternating fashion to keep the reader in the dark as much as the other characters. We had so much fun discussing the many rich, well developed characters and re-examined key moments that led us to consider more closely clues. We explored the interesting relationships, some inappropriate, others strange; the struggles between Jules and Nel, two sisters estranged due to a major misunderstanding that impacted them both so much; and the historical allusions. The book earned 1.5's, some 2's, and a 3 |
| 186 | We Believed in Mermaids | by | Barbara O'Neal, | 2.5 | On Thursday, October 1, 2020, book club members met virtually to discuss Barbara O'Neal's novel. In When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal, Kit, a California doctor with emotional baggage, is a surfer who hooks up with sexy Spanish famous singer Javier while in New Zealand following the lead on her sister, presumed dead in a train wreck 15 years prior but who had been recently spotted on the news. Rosie/Mari is the missing sister now with a new identity, married to perfect Simon with two kids, Leo and Sarah. They have purchased an old home in which a movie star had lived and died mysteriously, which adds some intrigue as the story of the sisters' family unfolds: alcoholism, rape, abortion. Dylan, the teen aged boy rescued from abusive homelife, had become their brother and caretaker because their parents were alcoholics and unreliable parents, consumed with popularity and their restaurant. Dylan's impact on the girls was profound, and his death was tremendously tragic for all of them. The mother is now a recovered addict; their father had died in an earthquake that also destroyed home and restaurant. By the end, the mom is clean and trying to be a good mom to her daughter and is thus eager to learn if her other daughter is still alive. We discussed how the dark pieces of the past unfolded like a mystery, each sordid detail was haunting, but the characters had overcome them, so as the pieces fell into place, we see wounded people who find a way to reconnect their family. The ending was not "hollywood" but resolved things in a way that left us hopeful. The book earned a 2's and some 2.5's on the rating scale of 1-5: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." "Murmur of Bees," also scheduled for October 1, will be discussed next month. |
| 185 | The Tuscan Child | by | Rhys Bowen | 1 | Also on On Thursday, August 7, 2020, Book Club members enjoyed "The Tuscan Child," another WWII novel with flashback narration to tell the story of rich characters. In 1944, British bomber pilot Hugo Langley parachuted from his stricken plane into the fields of German-occupied Tuscany where he hid in a damaged monastery and in the arms of Sofia Bartoli. They have a relationship amidst the danger of German occupation. Nearly thirty years later, Hugo’s estranged daughter Joanna discovers an unopened letter addressed to Sofia that reveals this story Joanna had not known. Still dealing with the emotional wounds of her own personal trauma, Joanna travels to Tuscany to investigate. Through documents and letters Joanna finds and exciting story telling, Rhys Bowen entices readers to explore a love story, struggle amidst war and danger, the influence and power of art (the Tuscan Child), and mystery. We reflected on the many WWII novels we have read, individually and as a book club, and agreed that we have many engaging books. The two we read for tonight were two of the most compelling and engaging narrative styles. Therefore, this novel earned mostly 1’s and 1.5’s on the rating scale of 1-5: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." |
| 184 | The Huntress | by | Kate Quinn | 1 | On Thursday, August 7, 2020, Book Club members met virtually to discuss Kate Quinn's "The Huntress" and Rhys Bowen's "The Tuscan Child." These WWII books provided very different stories that kept our interest and inspired interesting conversation. We previously read Kate Quinn's "The Alice Network," another WWII novel that we enjoyed. In "The Huntress," Quinn again creates a layered story with vivid characters whose stories unfold with shifting time periods in the narrative. Set in the 1950s in Boston, the novel flashes back to the 1930s to illustrate the events that bring the characters to culminating events. Fearless Nina Markova after a painful childhood in Siberia risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on invading Germans. Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive in her confrontation with "the huntress." Transformed by the horrors he witnessed from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials, British war correspondent turned Nazi hunter Ian Graham joins forces with the only witness to escape the Huntress alive: Nina. But a shared secret could derail their mission unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it. Growing up in post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is determined to become a photographer. When her long-widowed father remarries, Jordan is thrilled but curious about the soft-spoken German widow who steals her father's heart. Always an investigative photographer, Jordan uncovers her new stepmother’s past to discover secrets. We enjoyed discussing the narrative style, vivid characters whose struggles were painted with great detail, and information about the Russan female pilots. We also found it fascinating how the novel took place in Boston but took readers to other places through flashbacks. We all found it to be a page turner. The book earned mostly 1’s and 1.5’s on the rating scale of 1-5: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." |
| 182 | Spool of Blue Thread | by | Anne Tyler | 3 and 4 | On Thursday, July 9, 2020, Book Club members met virtually to discuss Anne Tyler’s “Spool of Blue Thread.†Anne Tyler documents the history and lives of three generations of Whitshanks in Baltimore. Abby and Red Whitshank's estranged son Denny calls them to announce that he’s gay; Red is annoyed, and Abby is unhappy with how Red reacted. This opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the strange family dynamics that will unfold with a lack of chronological order that at times demanded some close reading. Abby and Red, both in their 70s, have two daughters, Amanda and Jeannie and two sons, Stem and Denny. The children consider how to support their aging parents: in home assistance or move them away from the beloved home Red’s father Junior built. On a walk with the dog, Abby and the dog are hit and killed by a car. Her death begins some unhinging of what held things together. As the Whitshanks prepare the house for the market after Red’s heart attack, ghosts of the past resurface in a variety of ways. Secrets surface, tensions rise, feelings are hurt, etc. Some book club members found the novel a bit confusing in its chronological style and therefore enjoyed unpacking the story with fellow book club members. The plot did not have a great deal of action; rather, the story explored the relationships and behavior of the family members. So while we enjoyed probing especially the behavior of Denny, Linnie Mae, and Abby and unpacking some of the secrets Abby held, the story was not as compelling as we had hoped. The novel inspired some interesting personal topics, however: how do we treasure or preserve our own family stories and secrets, and do we have “orphans†in our lives as Abby did with people she embraced who were not family members. The book earned mostly 3’s and 4’s on the rating scale of 1-5: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." We did find the story less compelling than we had anticipated but discovered it gave us a great deal to discuss in our group. We have enjoyed the virtual meetings and will continue to meet over the summer to discuss our books. |
| 181 | A Piece Of The World | by | Christina Baker Kline' | 2 | May 7, 2020 Book Club Summary for Christina Baker Kline's "A Piece of the World" - Our little piece of the world opened to include our friends virtually to discuss this month's book. Snacks and drinks were delightful, and no one had to worry about driving home! Kline uses her imagination and excellent writing skills to craft a story about Christina Olsen, the woman who is the real life subject of the painting by Andrew Wyeth set on her family's farm in Cushing, Maine, with the house looming in the background. Chrstina's family descended from Nathaniel Hawthorne's grandfather, John Hathorne, who presided in 1692 over the Salem Witch Trials. Known for not recanting, he left a painful legacy for his family, many of whom left Salem and settled in Cushing, Maine and earned a living as sailors. Many sailors died, so the Hathorne family "daughtered out." Christina's mother married a Swedish sailor, so the Hathorne House became the Hathorne/Olsen House where Christina eventually lived alone in isolation. Andrew Wyeth famously spent 20 summers staying at the home. Many of his paintings feature the home, and in the famous "Christina's World," the house is actually the central feature of the painting, but interest in Christina, sitting on the ground, inspired the novel. Christina had an illness as a child that left her with twisted legs, most likely Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a degenerative nerve disease that usually appears in adolescence or early adulthood. She remains on the farm and never marries. Book club members enjoyed discussing the painting, Christina's often bitter narrative, the pressure she put on her brother to care for her, her romantic interest Walton Hall, and harshness of life on the farm with such a physical illness. The book earned 2's and 2.5's on the rating scale of 1-5: 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read; " 2 being "good but leave the phone on"; 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...."; 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others"; and 5 being "wish I had not read it." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! |
| 180 | Educated | by | Tara Westover | 2 | Book Club Summary, April 2, 2020 On Thursday evening, April 2, 2020, Book Club members gathered in front of their devices in comfortable clothing with a favorite snack and beverage to discuss Tara Westover's "Educated" virtually! From Westover's website: "Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard. Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when Tara’s older brother became violent. Then, lacking a formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home." Book Club members discussed a range of topics. Sandy saw Westover speak at the Women's Conference in November and suggested the book because of its moving topic and Westover's enthusiastic presence at the conference. Although Westover does not criticize her parents or her faith openly in the book, she presents enough details of experiences that made us compare her parents to those in other books we have read, such as "Hillbilly Elegy," "Glass Castles," and "The Great Alone." One book club member shared a passage on page 111 in which Westover describes the incident in which her brother Shawn tortures her by putting her head in the toilet. Westover's reaction is that she realizes that she accepts this as regular behavior and upon reflection, realizes that this is wrong. We discussed the survivalist attitude of the parents which bordered on cruelty in some cases, such as not wanting to go to hospitals or schools; how the good intentions of the parents appear as abusive and twisted when the children suffers, such as lack of education, healthy relationships with peers and other family members; and education, such as when Tara earns some money to attend college even though she had little formal education and had to rely on her own motivation and wits to learn. Her older brother was a positive role model for her, and we did talk about other relatives who knew something was amiss for her but were helpless to save her. The book was a page turner for many of us. Thus, the book earned all 2's, on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but maybe not for everyone....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not spent hours of my life reading this." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! |
| 179 | RBG: In My Own Words | by | Ruth Bader Ginsburg | 2 | Two books in one meeting -- On Thursday, March 5, 2020, Book Club members gathered at Lisa's home to discuss two amazing women: Coco Chanel, the subject of C.W. Cortner's "Mademoiselle Chanel," and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote "RBG: In My Own Words." (See summary both below) |
| 178 | Mademoiselle Chanel | by | C.W. Cortner | 2 | On Thursday, March 5, 2020, Book Club members gathered at Lisa's home to discuss two amazing women: Coco Chanel, the subject of C.W. Cortner's "Mademoiselle Chanel," and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote "RBG: In My Own Words." Thank you to Monique for a delicious cheese board and French-themed cookies and to Michele and Bev who made deliciously sweet treats with a bit of French flair! 🙂 We also had props to enrich our evening: Monique's perfume and Deena's RBG doll and "judge"mints!! We loved discussing the important contributions these two important women have made. SCJ Ginsburg's book included some brief background of her life, education, and marriage, and each chapter, framed by an editor, explained an important Supreme Court decision and included her discussion about it. Additionally, our favorite sections included the discussion of the landmark case Moritz versus Commissioner, especially the role of Ginsburg's husband, and the humorous discussions about relationships with others, such as SCJ Scalese. Some members discussed the movie and made great connections to our conversation. The book earned 2's on our rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not spent hours of my life reading this." We loved the topic and enjoyed learning about this very important women! The C.W. Cortier novel imagines the life of iconic fashion designer Gabriella "Coco" Chanel, the daughter of a poor, hard working laundrywoman who died when Chanel was young. Chanel and her sisters were sent to a convent, an orphanage in which the sisters nurtured Gabrielle’s exceptional sewing skills would propel the ambitious young woman into a life far removed from the tragic drudgery and poverty of her childhood. Transforming herself into Coco, shortened from the nickname coquette, Chanel attracts wealth and famous people. She develops her famous 1920s modern woman style and opens a shop, completely revolutionary for a woman of her time. Years later, Coco's store are impacted by the Nazi invasion of Paris; she makes difficult decisions to survive amidst rumors of being a collaborator; she works with a Russian prince; she creates the little black dress and trousers for women in 1926; after closing her shop during WWII, she reopened in 1954 to excellent reception from American women, including Jackie O; and she created a line of costume jewelry. The book earned one 1 and several 2's on our rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not spent hours of my life reading this." We found her life fascinating |
| 177 | Water Dancer | by | Ta-Heidi Coates | 2 | On Thursday, February 6, 2020, our Book Club welcomed a new member to discuss "Water Dancer" by Ta Nehisi Coates while enjoying tea and delicious treats: thank you to Michele for festive chocolate cookies, to Allison for delicious fruit medley, Monique for a fancy cheese board, Kathy for the famous pear tart, and Jane for festive wine. Let me know if you would like to bring an appetizer or dessert next month - so greatly appreciated! Book Club members were eager to read this novel after hearing an interview with Coates on NPR; he has written some interesting non-fiction pieces that also piqued our interest, so we enjoyed discussing his first novel. We enjoyed discussing the beautiful use of language to craft what is a powerful and heavy story about young Hiram Walker, born into bondage on a plantation. Plantation owner Howell Walker is his father but sells his independent-minded mother. Young Hiram, known as a "Hi," has a special gift with memory but struggles to remember her. Years later, when Hiram almost drowns in a river, that same power saves his life. This brush with death births an urgency in Hiram and a daring scheme: to escape from the only home he’s ever known. The story has some magical and spiritual elements that connect the Underground Railroad and Harriet Tubman. Hi's gifts are related to a magical form of conduction that emerges through the powerful memories and water. Coates uses "tasked" to refer to slaves and "quality" instead of slave owners/masters, terms that inspired interesting conversation for book club members. We also talked a great deal about relationships between Hi and other characters, such as Thena who cares for him after his mom is sold; Corrinne who is Maynard's wife and widow after he drowns; his father; and Sophia, the love interest. We also discussed Coates' portrayal of the black and white characters and their roles in supporting or not supporting the underground railroad. The novel was a page turner for many of us and inspired some great conversation. Thus, the book earned several 2's, a 1.5, and a 3.0 on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not spent hours of my life reading this." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! |
| 176 | The Great Alone | by | Kristin Hannah | Book Club Summary, January 9, 2020 On Thursday evening, January 9, 2020, Book Club members gathered at Sandy's home to enjoy a range of delicious teas, cheese, fruit, cakes, and shrimp cocktail (thank you, Martha!) and discussed Kristen Hannah's "The Great Alone," a compelling drama that takes readers to Alaska where 13 year old Leni struggles to make sense of the dysfunctional relationship between her parents: Ernt Allbright, who returns from Vietnam an unpredictable and raging man unable to hold a job, and Cora, passionate but desperate to help her husband hold it together. An opportunity to live off the grid attracts Ernt, but the family is unprepared for an environment as unpredictable as Ernt. The characters they meet are interesting and colorful, and the independent spirit of living in the wild is invigorating but unsettling. Book Club members discussed a range of topics. Since the novel is set in the 1970s, women were often defenseless in abusive relationships, which is why Cora finally takes matters into her own hands to cope with her violent husband. The events that follow based on her decision were a bit annoying and frustrating to readers, but because she may not have been supported, we understood her reactions. We had a great deal of sympathy for Leni, who manages, despite her family, to find some happiness and resolution in her life. The novel was a page turner for many of us. Thus, the book earned several 2's, a 1.5, and 2.75 on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not spent hours of my life reading this." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! |
|
| 175 | Secret History of Witches | by | Louisa Morgan | On Thursday, December 5, 2019, Book Club members warmed up at Lisa's home with an array of teas, crackers, cheese, guacamole (thank you, Monique!), chips, fruit, apple pie, and delightful holiday cookies (thank you, Bev!) to discuss Louisa Morgan's intriguing "Secret History of Witches," a novel that follows five generations of witches beginning with Grandmere Ursule Orchiere, Romani woman who dies saving her clan around 1800, and the subsequent challenges surrounding her family. Each generation begins abruptly with a date and character, and then as each character's story unfolds, the reader learns how the character ended up in the situation and faces unique challenges. Grandmere's sisters, "the aunts," support Nanette Orchiere, the youngest, in 1821 as she nurtures her farm in Cornwall and inherits the "scrying stone" and Grimoire, the witch book, to preserve the culture and tradition of the women with special powers. Nanette uses her powers to lure traveling farrier Michael Kildruff to impregnate her. She has a special cat that is very connected to her special powers and wisdom. Flash to 1847 and meet Ursula, who loves Orchard Farm and who also uses her power to meet a handsome stranger to conceive daughter while she is married to Mr. Cardew, an old widower who wants her farm and thus proposes to her in what appears to be a business arrangement; her loneliness and desire for a child drives her have a liaison. Her mother warns her about Michael: “ Magic costs us….you will pay a price" (105). Her husband, Mr. Cardew, gives her a silver horse Artemis. Sebastian, a traveling musciian, becomes a devoted lover and father to their daughter but is absent often; Her husband raises the alarm about witchcraft, arouses an angry mob, and leads the brutal killing of Nanette as Ursula escapes, echoing the famous hysteria about witches. Falsh to 1886 and get to know Irene, a self centered and impatient young woman who hates farming life on the Grange. Eager to embrace her powers, she is drawn the crystal, the magic, secretly and uses it to escape her unhappy life. Appropriately, a fox becomes her animal. She rescues the colt offspring of Artemis named Ynry from abuse at hands of rich woman. and marries Llewelyn and forms a special friendship with his horsemaster Jago. She charms her way into marriage with the rich nobleman to become Lady Irene. Flash forward to 1910 and meet delightful Morwen, who eventually escapes to London to escape her horrible mother. Ynyr becomes her horse. Morwen meets an old women who lurks in a nearby castle who turns out to be her grandmother Ursule; she then walks in on her mother who has been practicing the witchcraft secretly to serve her own needs, but Morwen is drawn to both her grandmother and the power which angers Irene. Irene tries to deprive her but cannot; Morwen connects with a good man Dafydd after sShe finds her grandmother dead in the castle. Jago helps her and becomes a loyal friends. Flash forward to 1937 at the court of King George VI and Elizabeth (who is the queen mother). Through Veronica's story, we learn that Morwen had a son Thomas and then died giving birth to Veronica; although she knew the risks of the second pregnancy, she needed to preserve the line of Orchiere women; Dafydd is the man who appears to be Veronica's father, but in reality (spoilers), Jago is her father. Veronica is engaged, but the cusp of World War II brings plot twists; their farm becomes a hospital for wounded soldiers, and she meets Valery, a young man who wins her heart. Jago passes the crystal to her and educates her about her heritage since her mother has died. We loved this novel! We talked about so many topics, movies, films. We found this book delightful and read some of her funny one liners. We applied our rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being the brutal "wish I had not spent valuable hours of my life reading it." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! The novel earned mostly 1.5's and 2's from this very tough crowd, but we were able to explore so many great subjects, including the ambiguous ending: will the Orchiere line continue? |
|
| 174 | "The Alice Network. | by | Kate Quinn | On Thursday, November 7, 2019, Book Club members gathered to a cozy fire, a delightful array of crackers, cheese, and sweets, piping hot tea, and great company to discuss "The Alice Network," Kate Quinn's enthralling spy novel. Two women, a brash, pregnant American socialite Charlie St. Clair searching for her missing cousin Rose in 1947 in France, and Eve Gardner, who in 1915 joined a spy network to infiltrate Nazis in occupied France. In the novel, Eve works for a woman who is based on the real female spy Louise de Bettignies or Alice Dubois. Charlie and Eve meet in 1947 when Charlie insists her cousin survived a WWII Nazi invasion, but she learns later that Rose did not survive. Eve has a driver named Phin who turns out to be a decent man with some baggage and who becomes a love interest for Charlie. The novel was delightful and inspired some great conversation for our book group. We enjoyed discussing other WWII era books; the destruction of Oradour-sur-Glane in the southwest of France at the hands of Nazis in 1944 is the backdrop for the massacre during which Rose loses her life. The novel earned quick, pleasant read, and the book earned many 2's and several 1.5's on a rating scale with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not spent a couple of hours of my life reading it." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! 11/19/2019 |
|
| 173 | Where the Crawdads Sing | by | Delia Owens | 1.5 | On Thursday, October 3, 2019, book club members reconvened after summer hiatus to catch up on summer fun as well as literary delights. Summer reading titles included the following: "The Alice Network," "Where the Crawdads Sing," "Eleanor Oliphante is Completely Fine, "Lost Girls of Paris, " and "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister." We also talked about Kristen Hannah's "The Great Alone" as a title of interest. While some read other titles as well, most of us had read "Where the Crawdads Sing" and "Eleanor Oliphante is Completely Fine," so those texts jumpstarted our conversation. We all read and loved "Where the Crawdads Sing," Delia Owens' novel: The story follows two timelines that slowly intertwine. The first timeline describes the life and adventures of a young girl named Kya as she grows up isolated in the marsh a North Carolina community from 1952 - 1969. The second timeline follows a murder investigation of Chase Andrews, a local celebrity of Barkley Cove, a fictional coastal town of North Carolina. The novel was delightful and inspired some great conversation for our book group. We were all captivated by Kya's ability to survive alone at a young age but spent time analyzing her parents' actions as well as the adults in the surrounding community who judged her unfairly and with a lack of compassion. There were redeeming characters, however, who became sources of support for her, and the ending posed an interesting murder trial. The book had an ending that was fair - we would have been disappointed with a Hollywood ending but liked the resolution. The novel was a quick, engaging read, and the book earned almost all 1.5 ratings on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not read it." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! We all read and loved "Where the Crawdads Sing," Delia Owens' novel: The story follows two timelines that slowly intertwine. The first timeline describes the life and adventures of a young girl named Kya as she grows up isolated in the marsh a North Carolina community from 1952 - 1969. The second timeline follows a murder investigation of Chase Andrews, a local celebrity of Barkley Cove, a fictional coastal town of North Carolina. The novel was delightful and inspired some great conversation for our book group. We were all captivated by Kya's ability to survive alone at a young age but spent time analyzing her parents' actions as well as the adults in the surrounding community who judged her unfairly and with a lack of compassion. There were redeeming characters, however, who became sources of support for her, and the ending posed an interesting murder trial. The book had an ending that was fair - we would have been disappointed with a Hollywood ending but liked the resolution. The novel was a quick, engaging read, and the book earned almost all 1.5 ratings on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not read it." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! |
| 172 | Eleanor Oliphante is Completely Fine | by | Gaily Honeyman | 1.5 | On Thursday, October 3, 2019, book club members reconvened after summer hiatus to catch up on summer fun as well as literary delights. Most of us had read and enjoyed "Eleanor Oliphante is Completely Fine," Gaily Honeyman's interesting novel: Eleanor lacks appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she's thinking! We had a great time finding some of her one-liners: Nothing appears to be amiss in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions: weekends with frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy. Then Eleanor meets Raymond, a bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT office guy. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. Raymond ultimately helps Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one. We found this book delightful and read some of her funny one liners. Again, the book had an ending that was fair - we would have been disappointed with a Hollywood ending but liked the resolution. As you can see, we are very critical of books with falsely sweet and obviously manipulated endings. The novel was a quick, engaging read, and the book earned many 1.5 and one 2.0 ratings. |
| 171 | Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk | by | Kathleen Rooney | 2 | On Thursday June 6th Book Club members gathered at Lisa's to discuss Kathleen Rooney's "Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk" while enjoying NY inspired treats: meat and cheese plate black and white cookies cannoli cheesecake fruit. We shared our personal experiences in NY reminiscing on travel plays restaurants museums work and NY settings in other books we have read. From the publisher: "As she traverses a grittier Manhattan a city anxious after an attack by a still-at-large subway vigilante she encounters bartenders bodega clerks chauffeurs security guards bohemians criminals children parents and parents-to-be —in surprising moments of generosity and grace. While she strolls Lillian recalls a long and eventful life that included a brief reign as the highest-paid advertising woman in America —a career cut short by marriage motherhood divorce and a breakdown. A love letter to city life —however shiny or sleazy —Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney paints a portrait of a remarkable woman across the canvas of a changing America: from the Jazz Age to the onset of the AIDS epidemic; the Great Depression to the birth of hip-hop." Lillian takes a ten mile walk around Manhattan on New Year's Eve in 1984; she is in her 80s and reflects on her life while educating the reader about the challenges of being a successful and intelligent marketing editor in a male-dominated world in the 1930s and 40s. We loved the first person narration of Lillian who was witty charming and very smart. She tells us that she "does not dress like a typical old lady" (11). Her dress this evening is "dazzling green velvet with long sleeves pleasingly boxy" and she wears "Helena Rubinstein Orange Fire lipstick from one of the tubes stockpiled in the 1950s" (11). She is bluntly critical of herself and others. Olive Dodd for example her friend rival in the office resembled a "fancy pigeon" with her "prim posture her ungainly manner and her reliance on elaborate fashions inappropriate for the office"(21). She provided vivid depictions of her son ex-husband long time friend Helen recent friend Wendy and people she encounters on her ten mile jaunt such as a friendly bartender a restaurant owner chauffeur and robbers with whom she exchanges her mink for one of their jackets. We loved Lillian as a strong character whose breakdown made her very human in our eyes; we were disappointed that her marriage dampened her spirit but it was an interesting conversation for us to discuss how women had children and then simply did not work; she had been so defined by her intelligence passion and success and basically was forced to reinvent herself in a world that simply did not always meet her exceptions often shown through her critique of the marketing world after she left it. The novel was delightful and inspired some great conversation for our book group. It was a quick pleasant read and the book earned all 2's on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything turn off the phone and read" 2 being "good but leave the phone on" 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but...." 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others" and 5 being "wish I had not read it." So this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! Summer reading titles: "The Alice Network" "Where the Crawdags Sing" "Eleanor Olphante is Completely Fine "Lost Girls of Paris " and "Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister." We also talked about Kristen Hannah's "The Great Alone" as a title of interest. We will meet in October to discuss our summer reading and select books for future meetings. Have a wonderful summer! Thank you to everyone who hosted this Book Club season! |
| 170 | Next year In Havana | by | Chanel Cleeton | 2 | On Thursday, May 2nd, Book Club members enjoyed an amazing spread of culinary delights at the home of Michele Rogers: a Cuban-styled paella dish, buffalo chicken dip, fruit salad, veggies with dip, cheese, and an array of delicious sweets. Michele's treats livened our conversation about Chanel Cleeton's Next Year in Havana: the references to food and family and rich story set in Cuba in 2017 but with narrative sections bringing the reader to 1958 when Elisa Perez, 19 year old daughter of a sugar baron, has an affair with a revolutionary before her family is forced to flee. In 2017, after the death of her beloved grandmother, Cuban-American journalist Marisol travels from Miami to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity - and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution. Marisol has been asked to scatter her grandmother's ashes in Havana, but once in Havana, Marisol uncovers family history and meets Luis, the grandson of her grandmother's best friend Ana, a man with secrets of his own. He helps her. The family in 1958 assumed they would be able to return to Havana, so Elisa had buried a box. Marisol learns of the love affair her grandmother had. Ana lives with her daughter and grandson; her son in law had passed. They operate a cafe and depend on convertible pesos to provide food and necessities. We learn what life is like in modern day Cuba: food is rationed; the regime still exists and has control; there are still revolutionaries who hope for a better tomorrow. Marisol learns through experiencing Cuba herself that Elisa and her boyfriend Pablo were attracted by the thrill of the revolutionary spirit. We discussed many topics, including how in recent years, many families have come forward to tell their stories of their companies that were taken over by the Cuban government when they fled, such as Elisa's family who lost their sugar business in the novel. We also discussed the interesting way the author shows how passionate Ana's family was about staying in Havana while in contrast Elisa's family was so fearful and fled. It was interesting to discuss what people have to give up in either circumstance for the sake of freedom or survival. On the rating scale with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but not for everyone," 4 being "wish I had not purchased it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not read it," the book earned mostly 1.5's, a 2.0, and a 2.5 from our fiesta group! We enjoyed discussing the book very much, had rich conversations about a range of great topics, including sharing family stories and travel experiences. |
| 169 | Escape | by | Carolyn Jessop | 2.5 | On Thursday, March 14, 2019, Book Club members congregated at the home of Lisa to enjoy Caulipower crust pizza, cheesecake, tiramisu, fruit, cheese, crackers, and beverages to discuss Escape by Carolyn Jessop, who at eighteen years old, was coerced into an arranged marriage with a total stranger, Merril Jessop, a man 32 years older with three wives. Plural marriages were an integral part of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), the radical offshoot of the Mormon Church that had settled in small communities along the Arizona-Utah border. Carolyn's own father agreed to the arranged marriage and had plural marriages himself, so Carolyn could not defy his wishes. Over the next 15 years, Carolyn had eight children and withstood Jessop's psychological abuse and the watchful eyes of his other wives who were locked in a constant battle for supremacy. She was trapped because her husband controlled everything and was rising to power within the FLDS. A wife's compliance with her husband's demands and expectations determined how much status both she and her children held in the family. Miserable, tortured by Merril's main wife Barbara, Carolyn knew that if she tried to leave and got caught, her children would be taken away from her. No woman in the country had ever escaped from the FLDS with her children. The FLDS, especially men such as her husband, had money and power and treated their wives as property. But in 2003, Carolyn chose freedom over fear and fled her home with her eight children. She had $20 to her name. Carolyn Jessop exposes her horrible life, a prison created by religious fanatics who, in the name of God, deprive their followers the right to make choices, force women to be totally subservient to men, and brainwash children in church-run schools. Carolyn became the first woman ever granted full custody of her children in a contested suit involving the FLDS. And in 2006, her reports to the Utah attorney general on church abuses formed a crucial part of the case that led to the arrest of their notorious leader, Warren Jeffs (still in jail). The book provides details about her wedding night, abuses at the hands of the other wives, and the abuse inflicted upon her children by jealous wives. Despite the horrible treatment, the children were scared and reluctant to leave everything they had always know: clothes, food, school, friends, etc. Young girls were sexually and emotionally abused by husbands and forced to produce children as often as possible. The FLDS leaders manipulated the members through fear, explaining that bad things in the world occur when people stray from the path of their faith. Book Club members discussed Carolyn's desire to attend school and learn. She became a teacher, found a group of friends with whom to confide, managed a business for the family, and finally fled with her eight children in the middle of the night with the help of her brother who had also fled the group. We also admired her courage and ability to protect her children. She refused to leave without them. Carolyn's story is a very detailed story to illustrate how long and painful those 15 years were. Her escape paved the way for other women to find their way to the Attorney General who eventually brought down Warren Jeffs, who is still in jail, and eventually, one of Merrill's wives was able to have Merrill prosecuted for sexual abuse. We found updated information that Carolyn has since married a nice man she met at a college, and her children are doing well. One daughter returned to FLDS and claimed her mother's allegations were not accurate, but her oldest son, now happily married, runs events to raise awareness for victims of polygamy. On the rating scale with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but not for everyone," 4 being "wish I had not purchased it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not read it," the book earned mostly 2, 2.5's and a 3. We enjoyed the book, had rich conversations about a range of great topic, and had a lovely evening filled with friendship and conversation. This very tough crowd gave this book respectable and positive marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! |
| 168 | The Light Between Oceans | by | M.L. Stedman | 1 | On February 7, 2019, we gathered at the home of Michele Rogers who provided an array of freshly baked brownies and coffee cake, crackers, dips, cheese, fruit, tea, wine, and the glow of a toasty fire as we discussed M.L. Stedman's "The Light Between Oceans," which opens in 1918 Australia and tells the story of a lighthouse keeper Tom Sherburne and his wife Isabel who make one devastating choice that forever changes many lives. The sections are labeled with dates: Australia, 1926: after four harrowing years fighting on the Western Front, Tom Sherburne assumes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey by boat from the coast of Australia (this is a fictional setting) and brings along his bride Isabel. They receive infrequent visits from a boat with two men who become friends of Tom and Isabel's named Bluey and Ralph but have long stretches of isolation from the mainland. Tom can signal using morse code should there be an emergency, but they live in relative isolation. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the still grieving Isabel hears a baby's cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby about a month old; Isabel has just had her third miscarriage, and tragically, all three have taken place on the island while they are isolated from the rest of the world. The timing is unbelievable, and Isabel, in her mind, thinks this may be a gift from God to replace her lost babies. Tom, who only wants to ease his wife's pain, reluctantly agrees to allow her to keep the baby "for a day" but is horrified and guilt ridden when Isabel becomes attached. Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the dead man and infant immediately. But Isabel takes the tiny baby to her breast, and Tom caves to her angst: they bury the dead man and claim the baby as their own: Lucy. Since Isabel had been pregnant, no one would know. However, when they visit the mainland, they learn that Lucy had been adrift with her father Frank who must have had a medical incident; he had been chased by citizens of the town who were taking their anger and frustration out on him because he was German, clearly an innocent victim of reckless small town people. His wife Hannah was devastated by the loss and has never given up hope that her husband and daughter will be found. Ultimately, Tom, upon learning about Hannah's stricken state, sends notes to her to let her know her baby is fine; however, this is really a sign that he cannot live with what he has done. They are discovered because Tom sends a clue, and the story unravels with pain, despair, hope for renewal, penance, suffering, but ultimately, there is a conclusion that ties up the storylines for all the characters who have been impacted by this act. Many characters have lost so much: Isabel's two older brothers both died in the war. Tom's mother had been mentally ill, so he had a tumultuous relationship with his father and brother who suffered as well because they could not cope with their loss. Hannah's mother had also died, so her desire to be a mother so desperately causes even more suffering when her husband and daughter disappear. There are no Hallmark endings in this story (much to our relief), so our conversations revolved around overcoming hardships and reconciling why things happen in life. The isolation on the island as a light keeper offers comfort to Tom after his experiences in the war, and after a while, he brings his bride who also appears to enjoy the power and quiet comfort of nature: The isolation spins its mysterious cocoon, focusing the mind on one place, one time, one rhythm¢ € ÂÂÂÂÂâ€the turning of the light. The island knows no other human voices, no other footprints. On the Offshore Lights you can live any story you want to tell yourself, and no one will say you're wrong: not the seagulls, not the prisms, not the wind¢ €  (110). There is a great deal of rich imagery and a constant reminder that no matter what, the light always functions. On the rating scale with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but not for everyone," 4 being "wish I had not purchased it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not read it," the book earned mostly 1's. We enjoyed the book very much, had rich conversations about a range of great topics, including Reiki, hypnosis, and psychic readings, and had a lovely evening filled with friendship and conversation. So, this very tough crowd gave this book rave reviews and positive marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! Book Club Field Trip: On Saturday, Feb. 2nd, many Book Club members took a field trip to see a production by Milton Players called "Ripcord" in Canton. We spent a few minutes recapping the comedy in which two women forced to room together in a retirement home become frenemies of sorts. We enjoyed analyzing the characters who each harbor painful secrets. |
| 167 | After Alice | by | Gregory Maguire | 2.5 | Thursday, January 10, 2019 at Sandy Daniels' Home Book Club members: (new people are always welcome!) Sandy Daniels, Deena Cummings, Andrea Johnstone, Monique Louty, Michele Rogers, Kathy Brady, Laureen House, Lisa Jolicoeur On a cold January evening, Book Club members warmed up beside Sandy's toasty gas fireplace with tea, stuffed mushrooms, quiche, an array of cheese, spreads, and crackers, apple pie, chewy heart candy, red velvet cupcakes - Alice treats! - to discuss Gregory Maguire's "After Alice" and optional additional book Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland." After meeting Gregory Maguire in the fall at the Foxboro Orpheum, our Book Club members perused his titles and selected "After Alice" as one we wanted to read. Since many of us had little memory of the original "Alice in Wonderland" text by Lewis Carroll, some of us decided to read it as well to refresh our memory, but it was not necessary to read both. We spent a great deal of time discussing the original "Alice in Wonderland," trying to remember if we had read the actual Lewis Carroll text when teens or if we had simply learned the story; we discussed film versions, such as our favorite 1985 version. Just as Maguire inspired us in his presentation at the Orpheum, we also discussed his notes at the end of "After Alice" in which he explains the impact Carroll's story had, allowing children to enjoy a whimsical tale, "inspired nonsense" in a 1860 world with an expanding middle class that had not valued children during a period of time in which children were often forced to work. In that context, we discussed how children in our world today have so many other distractions that most likely overshadow "whimsical tales" such as Carroll's Alice. Just as Carroll's Alice has unbelievable events and random characters, so too does Maguire's "After Alice," which at first made the reading more of a "chore" to get into it, but once we got into it, we agreed that both became engaging. We moved onto conversations about "Wizard of Oz" and compared Alice to Dorothy, enjoying some great memories of watching "Oz' before cable television, the yearly family gathering with popcorn and snacks. On the rating scale with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but not for everyone," 4 being "wish I had not purchased it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not read it," the book earned mostly 3's and some 2.5's. We enjoyed the book, had rich conversations about a range of great topic, and had a lovely evening filled with friendship and conversation. So, this very tough crowd gave this book respectable and positive marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! |
| 166 | The Invention of Wings | by | Sue Monk Kidd | 1 | On Thursday, December 6, 2018, Book Club members convened at Lisa's house to discuss Sue Monk Kidd's "The Invention of Wings," set in the early 19th century Charleston and covering 35 years of American history during which women sought freedom to pursue intellectual enlightenment while abolitionists were moving to a big fight. Hetty Handful," a slave who at 10 years old is given to 11 year old Sarah Grimke, desperately yearns for life beyond the suffocating walls that enclose her within the wealthy Grimke household. The daughter of a judge/plantation owner and difficult mother, Sarah, hemmed in by the limits imposed on women, feels that she is destined for great things and constantly sneaks into her father's study to read his books and begs her brothers to help her being a "jurist." Their journeys over the next thirty five years, shape each other's destinies and forming a complex relationship marked by "guilt, defiance, estrangement and the uneasy ways of love." Handful's cunning mother, Charlotte, courts danger in her search for something better and crafts her "story quilt." Toward the end of the novel, action culminates with Sarah Grimke's journey to the Northeast to speak on behalf of civil rights for slaves and also for women. We enjoyed this fascinating novel in which Kidd takes the story of abolitionist and women's rights activist Sarah Grimke and weaves an amazing tale that kept us intrigued until the very end. The notes at the end of the novel gave us deeper understanding as to historical facts. Sarah Grimke was known for her abolitionist work, but she also worked hard for the women's rights movement. The novel offered insight to the challenges women faced, limited from freedoms we take for granted today, such as education. The novel gave us a great deal to discuss! We talked about how Kidd portrayed characters who were unaware of their racist behavior; Sarah's mother, for example, was based on a snippet of information Kidd found about her. but Kidd then developed a well-rounded character we enjoyed discussing: she was demanding, harsh, unappreciative, and cruel. We cringed examining some of the punishments imposed upon the slaves, such as whipping and the work house. Charlotte, an amazing seamstress, crafts a story quilt and teaches her daughter her sewing skills. We discussed what we knew about the story quilts. We also learned that people have gone to the plantation where the Grimke family lived. We unpacked a bunch of scenes and talked about so many wonderful topics. We all gave this book a 1 with one person who was unable to make it messaging us with a 1, as well!! High scores for our little book group! |
| 165 | Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI | by | David Grann | 2 | We absolutely loved discussing this book, comparing it to the reading adventure of Erik Larsen's "Devil in the White City," revealing significant facts about a specific time in American History but in a style that reads like a novel. Grann astounded us with gripping and gruesome tales of a serial killer who eliminated a family of the Osage tribe, heirs to wealthy land. Grann documents the family tree going back to the late 1800's, brings us the next generation in the 1920's against the backdrop of Prohibition, the Jazz Age of wealth and fast living, and then introduces us to the grandchildren of the families who are still unraveling the mysterious deaths of over 30 Osage tribe members. Grann unpacks how investigators used forensics to analyze evidence but ultimately struck multiple roadblocks because of the many levels of corruption which led to the deaths of witnesses and investigators. William Hale, a Whitey Bulgar-like crime boss was instrumental in orchestrating many of the deaths to gain money and power and took advantage of many unsuspecting Osage tribe members who had put their faith in him. He eventually was tried and went to jail thanks to the due diligence of Tom White, a hardworking, old-school detective who receive little credit from Hoover and who eventually became the warden at Leavenworth where Hale was imprisoned after White had him convicted. Grann portrays White favorably and suggests Hoover should have been more indebted to his excellent work. Grann meets the grand daughter of Mollie Burkhart, whose husband was part of the web of corruption, in section 3 during which Grann uncovers more evidence to suggest that the murders probably went on well before and after the time period he investigates in the book. We unpacked a dozen excellent scenes and talked about so many wonderful topics. 2 being "love this book and you all should read it too," 3 being "glad I read it/borrowed it from the library or a friend but might not suggest that everyone needs to add it to the reading list," 4 being "it was just okay and am so glad I did not buy it or wish I had not bought it," and 5 being "I just wasted hours of my life reading that book???" We all gave this book a 2 with one person given it a 2+!! High scores for our little book group! |
| 164 | The Red Hat Club | by | Haywood Smith | 2.5 | The Red Hat Club by Haywood Smith, set in the affluent Buckhead section of Atlanta, Georgia, follows a group of friends as they struggle to deal with changes that are out of their control: Teeny's husband Reid is not very nice to her (ie. abusive); Diane's banker husband Harold has a condo with his girlfriend and is stealing from his clients - the women engage in a spy mission to expose him - Linda and her husband Brooks appear stable and happy; wild, red-headed SuSu who is always late and whose less than happy life gradually unfolds through the narration; and narrator Georgia Hayden Peyton has a less than satisfying relationship with professor husband John while remembering with increasing excitement first love Brad. This Club is not to be confused with the Red Hat Society. Book Club members thought the book was a light summer read; one of the members enjoyed it and gave it a 2.5 on the rating scale because she read it during a time when she was getting together with a group of lifelong friends for an annual outing while another member was not feeling the same connection with another group of friends and gave the book a 4. We had some great conversations about the role of friendships, even long distance ones, and how we may find those roles shifting as our lives change, expand, and grow. |
| 163 | The Library at the Edge of the World | by | Felicity Hayes-McCoy | 2.5, 3 | The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy, set in the fictional Finfarran area of Ireland, follows Hanna Casey, a 50ish librarian who returns to her small community after a painful divorce from her lawyer husband in London. She brings her daughter, Jazzy (Jasmine), who is 16 at the time and not happy about leaving her London friends, but now, almost five years later, Jazzy has adjusted well, loves her career as an airline stewardess, but Hanna is less than satisfied living with her bossy mother Mary Casey in very tight quarters. Hanna decides to revisit the small cottage left to her by an aunt, run down and abandoned, but filled with fond memories and hope for a space of her own. In the meantime, her small community faces some hardship with council members seeking to make changes that will hurt small local businesses as well as the small library, and the eccentric characters in her life add color to the story as she negotiates her options. Book Club members enjoyed the characters in this novel and the basic plot premise. Hanna brings together diverse characters we enjoyed getting to know: Fury, the eccentric builder, is an amazing guy we loved discussing. He shows up, knows what to do, knows what Hanna needs for her home, and simply does it because he recognizes she is incapable of restoring the home to its gracious state. One scene that stood out was when he tied a goat to her yard because it was so overgrown. Hanna celebrates the role of the library and a convent in unifying a village that otherwise would have lost its sense of community in the wake of big corporate take-downs, so we enjoyed the revolutionary nature of her quest, the interesting and diverse characters with their eccentricities, and the potentially hallmark ending that did not tie up loose ends as neatly as we expected but left enough promise that it would! 2.5's and 3's for this book!!! |
| 162 | Small Files Everywhere | by | Celeste Ng | 1, 2, 2.5 | Small Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is a web of fascinating stories tied to some common themes: From the Publisher: "In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned, from the layout of the winding roads, to the colors of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules. Enter Mia Warren, an enigmatic artist and single mother, who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the alluring mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community. When the Richardsons' friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town and puts Mia and Mrs. Richardson on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Mrs. Richardson becomes determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs to her own family, and Mia's." The opening was interesting with the house burning down, everyone watching, and Izzy a common suspect. Mia, from when we are first introduced, clearly appears to be running from someone or something. She is an artist, a photographer, and her picture is in the art museum. Pearl is clearly drawn to the Richardson family: is it because they appear so perfect? We know they are flawed. The abandoned baby story drives a wedge in many aspects of the community. Bebe ends up taking Mayling and bringing her to China. Mia has a hand in helping her do so. Lexie gets pregnant by Brian, and the decision to have an abortion juxtaposes everything Elena stands for. Book Club members discussed every character in this novel!! and there were lots of them! Beautifully crafted storylines with enough intertwining plot twists to keep us on the edge of our seats as we made connection after connection! This book earned 1.5, 2, and 2.5 on the rating scale and kept us talking about a range of topics. |
| 161 | before We Were Yours | by | Lisa Wingate | 1 | (From the publisher) Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family‚'s Mississippi River shanty boat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge‚—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children's Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents‚—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility's cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty. Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé ©, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family‚'s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption. Based on one of America's most notorious real-life scandals‚—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country‚—Lisa Wingate's riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. Book Club members loved this book and gave it 1's. We discussed the characters and the connections to other books, such as "Orphan Train." We loved the unraveling of the mystery and that the story was ripped from headlines about the real orphanage. We also discussed the nursing home conditions and how the two older women were in different situations based on affluence and social status. The political backdrop added more dramatic irony because of the connection the women had. |
| 160 | State of Wonder | by | Anne Patchett | 1 | State of Wonder by Anne Patchett, set mostly in the insect-infested Amazon, follows Dr. Marina Singh as she embarks upon a strange mission to get answers after a colleague appears to have died there. She must find her eccentric former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug but who holds the key as to what happened to her colleague whose wife and children want answer. Marina and Dr. Swenson work for a Minnesota-based pharmaceutical company which has been funding the mysterious research in the Amazon. We tabled the conversation about this novel until next book club meeting because two members will read it this month! |
| 159 | "Book Club" Movie Field Trip | By | Bill Holderman and Erin Simms | 1 | On Thursday, 6/7/18, we took a field trip to Showcase Cinemas at Patriots Place to see the current movie "Book Club," a light hearted film that follows four women (of a mature age) as they encounter challenges in their lives but who come together to read Christopher Gray's "50 Shades of Gray." Although not all of us had read that particular book, we thoroughly enjoyed the humor of wonderful actresses: Jane Fonda's hotel owning character never married but runs into her old flame from 40 years ago; Diane Keaton's character has two over protective daughters who think she belongs in assisted living since her husband passed a year ago; Candace Bergen's character, a federal judge whose ex-husband is marrying a 27 year old, explores the online dating scene; and Mary Steenburgen's marriage has hit a rough spot. There are delightful literary allusions and depictions of female book clubs which include wine and discussion of hot men and sex. The writing was excellent; the acting hilarious; and human stories touching and somewhat realistic. Many gave the outing a 1 on the rating scale because the film fulfilled its promises to make us laugh and reflect fondly on why we enjoy our book club (the rich conversation and friendships, of course - not the wine and sex talk). Despite the enjoyable content, the scenery appeared blue screen fabricated and thus left a negative stain on what initially appeared breath taking views in Arizona. Other than that, however, some of us thought we might need more wine at our Book Club meetings. Or maybe a pilot....? Additionally, we had a discussion about "My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, "told with the same comic accuracy and beating heart as Fredrik Backman's internationally bestselling debut novel, A Man Called Ove. It is a story about life and death and an ode to one of the most important human rights: the right to be different." Most of us gave the book a 3 on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "close the door and don't bother me until I have finished," 2 being "so glad I read it and own it and spent hours of my life reading it," 3 being "glad I read it," 4 being "it was okay but not for everyone and wish I had not purchased it," and 5 being "oye, did I really spend hours of my life on that?" We agreed it was a pleasant reading experience, especially once the mystery began to unfold itself. |
| 158 | Caleb's Crossing | By | Geraldine Brooks. | 1 | For May 3rd Book Club Meeting, we read "Caleb's Crossing" by Geraldine Brooks. (Lisa's House). The following is from the publisher: "Caleb's Crossing follows Bethia and Caleb from Grand Harbor to Cambridge and beyond, charting not only their crossing of the stretch of ocean between island and mainland but of the vast - and sometimes unbridgeable - expanse between Native American and white settler, between pagan and Christian, and between male and female. Brooks has built a world of emotion, struggle, and natural beauty in which the balance between the traditions of the past and the potential of the future are captured in the lives of two young friends." This book received high ratings from the whole group! Although we agreed that the first 100 pages or so made it a bit challenging "to get into it," we loved the engaging narrative voice of Bethia, the daughter of a Christian minister on Martha's Vineyard in the mid-1600s who befriends Caleb, a Native American who teaches her about the island. She teaches him to read, including classics and the Bible. Bethea's narrative is woven into flashbacks; she tells the story from certain points through 1715 but goes back to fill in the gaps. Her story follows Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck as he journeys to Cambridge and becomes the first Native American to graduate from Harvard. She describes the Indian buildings and what it was like for him to straddle both worlds. Unfortunately, he dies from TB shortly after his graduation, but Bethea's tale captures the struggle both Native Americans and early American Christians had to balance humanity with their own beliefs. Although she is a fictional character, Caleb is based on a real person, as is Joel Iacoomes, another student from the island who tragically is killed just before his graduation. The education the boys experience was rigorous with vivid descriptions of long intense studies, cold weather, poor health, some mistreatment from other boys, and the separation from their families. Lisa brought some supplemental articles about the Indian College at Harvard, which was torn down to build a new building for college leaders around 1700. Harvard in 2011 gave a special posthumous degree to Joel and recognized the tremendous accomplishment of Caleb. We loved this book and all gave it 1's! on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "close the door and don't bother me until I have finished," 2 being "so glad I read it and own it and spent hours of my life reading it," 3 being "glad I read it," 4 being "it was okay but not for everyone and wish I had not purchased it," and 5 being "oye, did I really spend hours of my life on that?" We agreed it was a pleasant reading experience! |
| 157 | One Perfect Life | By | Lisa Scottoline | 3 | The following summary is from the publisher: "On paper, Chris Brennan looks perfect. He's applying for a job as a high school government teacher, he's ready to step in as an assistant baseball coach, and his references are impeccable. But everything about Chris Brennan is a lie. Susan Sematov is proud of her son Raz, a high school pitcher so athletically talented that he's being recruited for a full-ride scholarship to a Division I college, with a future in major-league baseball. But Raz's father died only a few months ago, leaving her son in a vulnerable place where any new father figure might influence him for good, or evil. Heather Larkin is a struggling single mother who lives for her son Jordan's baseball games. But Jordan is shy, and Heather fears he is being lured down a dark path by one of his teammates, a young man from an affluent family whose fun-loving manner might possibly conceal his violent plans. Mindy Kostis succumbs to the pressure of being a surgeon's wife by filling her days with social events and too many gin and tonics. But she doesn't know that her husband and her son, Evan, are keeping secrets from her A ¢‚€‚" secrets that might destroy all of them. At the center of all of them is Chris Brennan. Why is he there? What does he want? And what is he willing to do to get it?" Book Club members enjoyed reading this book, describing it as a page turner, especially after the first part when aspects of Chris' identity began to surface. We agreed that Scottoline develops the characters very well, especially the mothers, by switching the focus of sections back and forth to provide the perspective of each person about the same events. For example, Heather, a struggling waitress, serves Mindy, a wealthy woman who appears to have a very perfect life but in reality does not. Heather is embarrassed and hopes Mindy will not recognize her as the mother of one of her son's friends and baseball team members because she doesn't want to embarrass her son, thinking Mindy would look down upon her. The boys were also very well developed through their relationships with their parents and with each other. Chris also provides great insight as to what the boys appear to struggle with since he does have extra intel about the parents. The beginning of the book is very mysterious; Chris easily manipulates immediate friendships with the boys, and at first, we thought he was a bit creepy, but his motives are much more complex, and once we learned about them, the story moved quickly and captivated us. One topic that stood out was the role of the soccer mom. We discussed how when we were younger, our parents came to a few events but that their lives did not revolve around our every activity. Although the "soccer mom" and "helicopter mom" connotations sound negative, the struggles of the moms and their relationships with their kids are challenged by so many complicated scenarios, and the author does a nice job to juxtapose such different family situations. The novel also presented the challenge put on the boys' friendship when there was competition for starting positions on the baseball team. Members shared experiences in which competition made for better performance but that other factors can get in the way as well. We had some good conversations about our kids and challenges they had faced. Monica gave some great examples she has seen in the elementary classroom surrounding good sportsmanship lessons and "growth mindness," We engaged in great discussions about competition in our own lives growing up, about healthy competition, about American Idol contestants who genuinely appear to want to win but also don't want to see others lose, about eliminating the valedictorian and instead recognizing lots of others, and about the value of a victory rather than recognizing a "participation trophy." On a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "close the door and don't bother me until I have finished," 2 being "so glad I read it and own it and spent hours of my life reading it," 3 being "glad I read it," 4 being "it was okay but not for everyone and wish I had not purchased it," and 5 being "oye, did I really spend hours of my life on that?", the book earned the full range: 1's - 3's. We agreed it was a pleasant reading experience! |
| 156 | The Story of Arthur Truluv | By | Elizabeth Berg | 1 | March 1st, We had an amazing conversation about Elizabeth Berg's "The Story of Arthur Truluv" at the home of Sandy Daniels over an array of teas, "lemon blossom cookies" (a la Lucille from the novel), creme filled pies and treats, and crunchy treats while the fire warmed the cozy living room! The novel was also a delicious treat: (From the publisher) a "moving novel about three people who find their way back from loss and loneliness to a different kind of happiness. Arthur, a widow, meets Maddy, a troubled teenage girl who is avoiding school by hiding out at the cemetery, where Arthur goes every day for lunch to have imaginary conversations with his late wife, and think about the lives of others. The two strike up a friendship that draws them out of isolation. Maddy gives Arthur the name Truluv, for his loving and positive responses to every outrageous thing she says or does. With Arthur's nosy neighbor Lucille, they create a loving and unconventional family, proving that life's most precious moments are sweeter when shared." Well, we found the characters absolutely delightful and relatable, and the writing was beautifully balanced. Arthur reminded us very much of A.J. Fikry (from "The Stories Life of A.J. Fikry") and Ove (from "A Man Called Ove") in that, despite their personal loss, each of these men becomes a catalyst in creating a new circle of friendships that become a family, showing that people move past their loss in offering kindness, compassion, traditions, and hope to those also suffering. Those moments are found where least expected. Arthur is delightful in his appreciation of his wife's "neighbors" - the other members in the cemetery - and we loved his conversations with them; Lucille is quirky but relatable, and we desperately wanted to taste her food; Maddy suffered in many ways - the loss of her mom but also her dad's inability to cope with the loss and be the stable father Maddy so desperately needed, and the way she was treated in school left us wondering what was going on there. She seeks the wrong kind of relationship with Anderson, but in the end, creates a new family that allows her to achieve her goals and help her father find a new hope as well. Despite the challenges in her life, she is mature beyond her years. Her teacher at school sees her potential and helps her, and at times Maddy reminds readers to "look for helpers," words she remembers and words that make us think about our own lives. The first meeting between Arthur and Maddy is touching. He has lunch at his wife's grave each day while Maddy finds respite from daily bullying in school. Nothing about their friendship appeared uncomfortable to us because of the vivid little details: Mr. and Mrs. Hamburger, Gordon the Cat, the nose ring that looked like a booger, the bus rides, Lucille's pastries, etc. Little understated details made us a bit ver klempt at times, but nothing was uncomfortable. Lucille offers levity as well as her own loss, but she moves along and brings Maddy and Arthur with her. Maddy names Arthur Moses "Arthur Truluv" because of his daily cemetery visits to Nola, his wife, and the dedication he shows after her death when in contrast, her own father can't even speak about her mother, who had died when Maddy was a baby in a car accident on the way to a doctor visit. Even though we all agree that the ending was satisfying, it was definitely not expected and not "schmaltzy," which we would have ruined it for us! LOL Additionally, we discussed the style: there are no chapters. Instead, there is a little break, and the writer then moves the focus to the next of the three characters, almost in a "Meanwhile....." kind of way. We all liked this because it was clear that some things were happening, but we did not have to suffer through the little minutia of how little details were worked out. This style kept the novel moving and got us to the heart of the story. It was a quick, pleasant read, and the book earned all 1's and 1.5's on a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "drop everything, turn off the phone, and read," 2 being "good but leave the phone on," 3 being "glad I bought it and read it but....," 4 being "wish I had not bought it and would not recommend it to others," and 5 being "wish I had not read it." So, this very tough crowd gave this book high marks and engaged in some fabulous conversation! |
| 155 | The Calligrapher's Daughter | by | Eugenia Kim | 2 | On Thursday evening, 2/1/18, Book Club engaged in fabulous discussion at Lisa's home Eugenia Kim's "The Calligrapher's Daughter." From the publisher: "Eugenia Kim's sensitive first novel, which depicts 30 years of Korea's modern history in light of its ancient past, is an illuminating prequel to present-day events. Set from 1915 to 1945, it's an intrinsically interesting account of the collisions of cultures: the strict traditions of the aristocratic (yangban) class gradually superseded by the inevitable changes of modernity and the attempted erasure of Korean language and traditions by the occupying Japanese. Against this dark background, Kim recounts a poignant family history, much of it based on her own mother's life. Najin Han, the daughter of a brilliant classical "literati-scholar-artist" and calligrapher, is the protagonist and narrator of much of the story. Born in 1910 during the initial years of the Japanese annexation of her homeland, she is constricted by her stern, strictly conservative father's ideas about filial respect and the subjugation of women and also by the punitive laws imposed on the Korean people by their conquerors. When Najin's father decides to marry her off at age 14, her mother defies him by sending their spirited, intelligent and ambitious daughter to Seoul, where she becomes a companion to the young Princess Deokhye during the waning days of the centuries-old dynasty." As you can see from this summary, we had tons of great topics for our book club meeting. Book club members agreed that there was a great deal of enlightening information about the time period and the culture. Although a work of fiction, Kim's parents and grandparents inspired a great deal of the story. Nanjin, the first person narrator based on Kim's mother, was a young child when Japan annexed Korea, and Nanjin described the impact of the social upheaval with analysis of political oppression and brutality, forced assimilation to Japanese culture and language, and destruction of Korean values, culture and language. Nanjin, an active, energetic young girl, defied the strict code of conduct demanded of aristocratic "yang ban" class women: she wanted to run around, get dirty, and explore. Bright and inquisitive, Nanjin loved her parents; and until her brother was born, she was the center of her parents' world. Her identity was shaped by a lack of a name: because the country was in flux, her father did not provide a name. Known as "the calligrapher's daughter" due her father's esteemed position as a very talented and famous calligrapher, she finally received the name Nanjin when she was about five years old. Nanjin's brother was the heir to the family name, the son. As a result, a great deal of attention was paid to him. Nanjin's narrative showed how frustrating this must have been, but she followed her duty and grew to be intelligent - she became a teacher and midwife - while adhering and basically bowing to her father and brother. She never complains, but to the reader, her brother, perhaps because he was spoiled, wasted much of his talent chasing women and being a hooligan in school. In fact, much of the family's limited resources were wasted on his education when he was dismissed from school after school for bad behavior. Nanjin's mother sends her to live with an aunt at a castle/estate in the city to prevent her from being betrothed at the age of 14, suffering abuse from Nanjin's father for disobeying his order. Years later at the age of 22, after gaining education and working, her parents find another man for her, Calvin Cho, the son of ministers. (religion is very important to Nanjin's parents). Nanjin describes a wonderful meeting with Calvin, and all seems well, but he is leaving for America for theology training. They arrange to have a small wedding, a wedding night together, then leave for America the next day. However, her passport is halted, and she can't go. She is now basically the property of his parents and lives with them in a tiny, poverty stricken existence next to their church where she is treated like a slave. She and Calvin exchange letters, but she is unhappy and lonely. She finally arranges after two years to return to her parents' home for a short time, but its resources have been raided by the Japanese. Her letters from Calvin have been confiscated, and she is thrown in jail for alleged spy activities. The ending is rewarding because despite losing their farm, the family finds a stable existence in the city in the aunt's house. Calvin finally does return, and the reunion is solid. Although the book does not follow them beyond the reunion, research on the author's parents revealed a long and happy marriage with 8 children and relocation to the United States. In fact, the author is the youngest of the 8 children! We talked about education for women in different parts of the world, made connections to other books we have read, the role of religion (we discussed the history of Christianity in Korea), the amazing self-discipline seen in women in the book, and changing values. We rated the book a 2 across the board! |
| 154 | Small Great Things | by | Jodi Piccolt | 2 | From the author's website: "Ruth Jefferson is a labor and delivery nurse at a Connecticut hospital with more than twenty years' experience. During her shift, Ruth begins a routine checkup on a newborn, only to be told a few minutes later that she's been reassigned to another patient. The parents are white supremacists and don't want Ruth, who is African American, to touch their child. The hospital complies with their request, but the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress while Ruth is alone in the nursery. Does she obey orders or does she intervene? Ruth hesitates before performing CPR and, as a result, is charged with a serious crime. Kennedy McQuarrie, a white public defender, takes her case but gives unexpected advice: Kennedy insists that mentioning race in the courtroom is not a winning strategy. Conflicted by Kennedy's counsel, Ruth tries to keep life as normal as possible for her family - especially her teenage son - as the case becomes a media sensation. As the trial moves forward, Ruth and Kennedy must gain each other's trust, and come to see that what they've been taught their whole lives about others - and themselves - might be wrong." We used some of Piccoult's questions to jumpstart conversations. For example, we reflected upon personal experiences with racism, stereotypes, discrimination of any kind, and whether we were aware of it at the time. We reflected on experiences from our childhood that we had forgotten about or perhaps with adult experiences, were able to understand in a different way. We discussed tv shows and movies that deal with issues relating to race, gender, and medical practices. Jodi Piccoult's website has questions that ask readers to consider if Ruth would have been charged with neglect or murder if she had not been black. We then examined how the incident unfolded and realized that comments made by the doctor may have been misinterpreted due to the emotion of the moment, but because the white supremacists were so passionate for "justice," the truth got overlooked. We also discussed the medical mystery part of it and examined how the circumstances contributed to the child's death: blood tests were done so late Friday afternoon that the results were not obtained from the lab in a timely manner because the lab was closed for the weekend. As a result, important information was never addressed because it was not relevant once the baby died. We enjoyed examining how the lawyer was able to put some of the mysterious pieces together. We loved talking about Ruth and her family, especially her sister and mother. All the characters were enjoyable to discuss, and we were satisfied with the ending. We decided that while some parts were too neatly tied up at the end, we did not mind it. The title of the book comes from a Martin Luther King, Jr. quote: "If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way. Coincidentally, we had our meeting a few days before MLK Day, and Monica has been teaching students about King in her classroom, so that was enjoyable to hear about that in context of some of the important issues that resonated in the novel. On a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "close the door and don't bother me until I have finished," 2 being "so glad I read it and own it and spent hours of my life reading it," 3 being "glad I read it," 4 being "it was okay but not for everyone and wish I had not purchased it," and 5 being "oye, did I really spend hours of my life on that?", the book earned all 2's, including from one member who had to participate electronically from Florida!! |
| 153 | Fall of Marigolds | by | Susan Meissner | 2 | On Thursday, December 6, 2017, Book Club members enjoyed apple pie, an array of cheese, mini pickles and crackers, tea, and sweets at hostess Sandy Daniels' home, warmed on a chilly night with a toasty fire, to discuss Susan Meissner's beautifully crafted novel "Fall of Marigolds." From the publisher: "September 1911. On Ellis Island in New York Harbor, nurse Clara Wood cannot face returning to Manhattan, where the man she loved fell to his death in the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. Then, while caring for a fevered immigrant whose own loss mirrors hers, she becomes intrigued by a name embroidered onto the scarf he carries ... and finds herself caught in a dilemma that compels her to confront the truth about the assumptions she's made. Will what she learns devastate her or free her? September 2011. On Manhattan's Upper West Side, widow Taryn Michaels has convinced herself that she is living fully, working in a charming specialty fabric store and raising her daughter alone. Then a long-lost photograph appears in a national magazine, and she is forced to relive the terrible day her husband died in the collapse of the World Trade Towers ... the same day a stranger reached out and saved her. Will a chance reconnection and a century-old scarf open Taryn's eyes to the larger forces at work in her life?" - This book inspired some terrific conversation. Both women are survivors of terrible tragedy and loss, and the story shows their struggle as they endure day in and day out, month after month. We loved how the two historical tragedies were threaded together by the scarf, and we spent some time unraveling how the scarf traveled from Scotland to Ellis Island in 1911 and found its way to Manhattan 100 years later, a journey that came together in letters and lost stories that made it home through a picture in a magazine. We wrestled with Clara's ethical dilemma and asked, "what would you do?" to each other. We each wrestled with the answer and discussed the impact our decision would have on a vulnerable individual. Clara had learned that Andrew, an immigrant suffering from Scarlet Fever, had lost his wife Lily of only two weeks aboard the ship during the trip to America, and when Clara retrieved some of his belongings, she inadvertently learned that Lily had packed a letter intended for Andrew which explained her betrayal. Since she died on the ship, Clara was torn: should she destroy the letter and spare Andrew or tell him the truth. We were divided because it was unclear if Andrew was going to survive from the Scarlet Fever; some of us thought the truth would set him free of his suffering over the loss and help him move on with his life, something Clara was unable to do because she had lost someone in the Triangle Waistshirt Factory fire six months before, someone she loved. Would the truth had set Andrew free? That was the dilemma. Meissner also included Keats' "Ode to a Grecian Urn" in which the character Andrew explains that it is about loving someone or something from a distance and then realizing it's not exactly the same when up close. We had some fun selecting actors to portray the various characters. For some reason, a couple of us imagine Ethan (the love interest doctor) looking like a young George Clooney while one of us thought he resembled George Costanza! The characters were vivid and likable, and the ending was wrapped up in a way that was satisfying. On a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "close the door and don't bother me until I have finished," 2 being "so glad I read it and own it and spent hours of my life reading it," 3 being "glad I read it," 4 being "it was okay but not for everyone and wish I had not purchased it," and 5 being "oye, did I really spend hours of my life on that?", the book earned 2's and one 1.5. It was definitely an enjoyable book that generated some really great conversation. |
| 152 | The Girl in Cabin 10 | by | Ruth Ware | 2 | On Thursday, November 2, 2017, Book Club members enjoyed apple cake, pumpkin spice bread, wine, tea, and crunchy treats courtesy of Kathy B. at Lisa's house to discuss the Ruth Ware's psychological thriller "The Girl in Cabin 10." From the publisher, "When travel journalist Lo Blacklock is invited on a boutique luxury cruise around the Norwegian fjords, it seems like a dream career opportunity. But the trip takes a nightmarish turn when she wakes in the middle of the night to hear a body being thrown overboard A ¢‚€‚" only to discover that no-one has been reported missing from the boat. How do you stop a killer, when no-one believes they exist?" Book Club members engaged in a wide range of topics related to the story. Some parts of the ending were predictable, we agreed, but we did note that one part of the story, such as whose body was thrown overboard, was surprising in an Agatha Christie - like manner. We also enjoyed discussing how the narrator unfolded the story to us and debated how she compared to the narrator in "The Girl on the Train." Ware's narrator Laura ("Lo") in "Cabin 10" is a journalist, so her prying manner made sense, but her reliability becomes questionable with all the drinking and medication. However, we also became annoyed with the other characters who dismissed her because of her drinking and medication, needed for anxiety, which was heightened by a burglar at the beginning of the story before she embarks on the cruise and the tight quarters on the ship that made us all feel quite claustrophobic. We agreed that we all hated the mud bath/wrap because Ware created all the paranoia so well and that we could feel Lo's anxiety in that tight cabin below deck while she was wrapped and semi-conscious. We could relate to Lo's frustration with some of the other journalists because she does appear desperate to be noticed in the travel journalist world and therefore put up with dismissive behavior by others, especially one woman in particular and some of the men. It was due to Ware's character development and writing style that we could connect to Lo's struggle and agreed that the novel was a page turner, especially for many of us who do not often reach for mysteries. Additionally, the conversation turned to experiences with cruises and travel and other stories about them, which was a lot of fun. On a rating scale of 1-5 with 1 being "close the door and don't bother me until I have finished," 2 being "so glad I read it and own it and spent hours of my life reading it," 3 being "glad I read it," 4 being "it was okay but not for everyone and wish I had not purchased it," and 5 being "oye, did I really spend hours of my life on that?", the book earned mostly 2's, a 2.5, and a 1.5. It was definitely an enjoyable book that generated some really great conversation. We also rated books from our summer reading which we did not rate last month because only a few people had read each, but we decided to rate them to encourage more people to read (or not!): "Gentleman in Moscow" received rave reviews of multiple 1's and one 2 from those who had read it, including comments that it was a commitment to read because of its length and depth but that we did not want it to end; "News of the World" received all 2's and agreement that it was a quick, enjoyable read with a satisfying ending; "Ruby" earned 1 and 1.5 as magical realism and a cross between "Beloved" and 'House of Spirits"; and "Belgravia" earned 2.5's as light and enjoyable, like reading "Downton Abbey" but without actually hearing the delicious British accents and seeing the gorgeous setting and beautiful characters, clothing and food. We will be reading "Fall of Marigolds" for December at Sandy Daniels' home in Foxboro and "Small Great Things" by Jodi Piccoult for January at Monica's home in Norton! |
| 151 | Ruby | by | Cynthia Bond | Five books discussed; no ratings assigned | (website: Full of life, exquisitely written, and suffused with the pastoral beauty of the rural South, Ruby is a transcendent novel of passion and courage.) Book Club members who read this book thoroughly enjoyed the writing style and interesting story lines. We agreed that the book reminded us of Toni Morrison's style, such as in "Beloved," and some of the magical realism of Isabelle Allende. While some of the behavior seemed bizarre in the novel, such as Ruby's obsession with "ghosts," we loved exploring the reasons and ultimately the themes represented by such behaviors. Dealing with some heavy topics, the novel offered a unique approach and tenderness that we found compelling. - - - - - - - Five books discussed! (No ratings this time around) On Thursday, October 5, 2017, Book Club members met at Lisa's house where they were served hot apple cobbler with freshly picked apples from The Big Apple, almond spice bread, fruit, crackers and cheese spread, an array of delicious herbal teas, and wine. Happy to reconnect after our summer hiatus, the room was abuzz with conversations about travel, summer activities, family, and books. |
| 150 | Underground Railroad | by | Colsom Whitehead | Five books discussed; no ratings assigned | (From the publisher: Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, the #1 New York Times bestseller from Colson Whitehead, a magnificent tour de force chronicling a young slave's adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in the antebellum South. Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. Life is hell for all the slaves, but especially bad for Cora; an outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is coming into womanhood - where even greater pain awaits. When Caesar, a recent arrival from Virginia, tells her about the Underground Railroad, they decide to take a terrifying risk and escape. Matters do not go as planned - Cora kills a young white boy who tries to capture her. Though they manage to find a station and head north, they are being hunted.) - - - - - - - Five books discussed! (No ratings this time around) On Thursday, October 5, 2017, Book Club members met at Lisa's house where they were served hot apple cobbler with freshly picked apples from The Big Apple, almond spice bread, fruit, crackers and cheese spread, an array of delicious herbal teas, and wine. Happy to reconnect after our summer hiatus, the room was abuzz with conversations about travel, summer activities, family, and books. |
| 149 | Belgravia | by | Julian Fellowes (writer of Downton Abbey): | Five books discussed; no ratings assigned | (from the website: It's the eve of the Battle of Waterloo, 15th June 1815. The Duchess of Richmond throws a magnificent ball in Brussels for the Duke of Wellington. The guests include James and Anne Trenchard, who have made their money in trade. Their beautiful daughter Sophia has caught the eye of Edmund Bellasis, the son and heir of one of Britain's most prominent families. Twenty-five years later, when the two families are settled in the newly developed area of Belgravia, the events of the ball still resonate. Because behind Belgravia's magnificent doors is a world of secrets, gossip and intrigue ¢‚€‚¦ - - - - - - - Five books discussed! (No ratings this time around) On Thursday, October 5, 2017, Book Club members met at Lisa's house where they were served hot apple cobbler with freshly picked apples from The Big Apple, almond spice bread, fruit, crackers and cheese spread, an array of delicious herbal teas, and wine. Happy to reconnect after our summer hiatus, the room was abuzz with conversations about travel, summer activities, family, and books. |
| 148 | Gentleman in Moscow | by | Amor Towles | Five books discussed; no ratings assigned | In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov is deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal and is sentenced to house arrest in the Metropol, a grand hotel across the street from the Kremlin. Rostov, an indomitable man of erudition and wit, has never worked a day in his life, and must now live in an attic room while some of the most tumultuous decades in Russian history are unfolding outside the hotel's doors. Unexpectedly, his reduced circumstances provide him a doorway into a much larger world of emotional discovery. Brimming with humor, a glittering cast of characters, and one beautifully rendered scene after another, this singular novel casts a spell as it relates the count's endeavor to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man of purpose.) Book club members who read this book had a great deal to discuss. We agreed that at first, the novel appeared to be limited in scope, but the richness of details brought a broad array of characters to life and made it feel as though they were not confined to one place. Additionally, there was great attention to food and lavish style, which made the Count a very likable and funny person. We enjoyed his liaison with the actress and loved that he made his little room something unique and fun. Those of us who read this book enjoyed it very much and some even said they did not want it to end. As it turns out, one of our Book Club members attended college with the author!! Maybe he'll visit one of our meetings?? Five books discussed! (No ratings this time around) On Thursday, October 5, 2017, Book Club members met at Lisa's house where they were served hot apple cobbler with freshly picked apples from The Big Apple, almond spice bread, fruit, crackers and cheese spread, an array of delicious herbal teas, and wine. Happy to reconnect after our summer hiatus, the room was abuzz with conversations about travel, summer activities, family, and books. |
| 147 | News of the World | by | Paulette Jiles | Five books discussed; no ratings assigned | Those of us who read this book loved it: In 1870, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence. We enjoyed the descriptions of the places the captain visited and the varied receptions he received. We also discussed how in today's world we are inundated with news, so often that we take for granted that information is always within reach. Jiles crafts great details of people hanging on every word Kidd shares, and Kidd is thrilled when he arrives in a community with updated news papers. The ending of the novel is satisfying. - - - - - - - Five books discussed! (No ratings this time around) On Thursday, October 5, 2017, Book Club members met at Lisa's house where they were served hot apple cobbler with freshly picked apples from The Big Apple, almond spice bread, fruit, crackers and cheese spread, an array of delicious herbal teas, and wine. Happy to reconnect after our summer hiatus, the room was abuzz with conversations about travel, summer activities, family, and books. |
| 146 | Hillbilly Elegy | by | JD Vance | 1 to 3 | Vance's book gave Book club members a great deal to discuss, especially the vividness of his family. Vance's grandmother was our favorite family member. Mamaw's good values juxtapose the craziness of her personality, and we agreed that she resonates in the book as the most influential relative for Vance. She rescued Vance from a difficult family situation because his mother, despite a nursing career, was a drug addict and married several times. Vance lived with Mamaw and eventually became a Marine and went to college. His descriptions of his life during those challenging teen years reminded us of other books we had read, such as "All Souls" and "Glass Castles." The details reminded us that there are many kids who go to school every day with the weight of the world on their shoulders, with serious fears about where the next meal will come from, if there will be violence in their home that evening, etc. We discussed several passages regarding this topic, including the following: "I remember watching an episode of The West Wing about education in America, which the majority of people rightfully believe is the key to opportunity. In it, the fictional president debates whether he should push school vouchers (giving public money to schoolchildren so that they escape failing public schools) or instead focus exclusively on fixing those same failing schools. That debate is important, of course - for a long time, much of my failing school district qualified for vouchers - but it was striking that in an entire discussion about why poor kids struggled in school, the emphasis rested entirely on public institutions. As a teacher at my old high school told me recently, "They want us to be shepherds to these kids. But no one wants to talk about the fact that many of them are raised by wolves. We admired the strength of Mamaw to help her grandchildren, and we also liked Papaw Vance from the Kentucky Vances from the Hatfield and McCoy feud. (2012 miniseries about the feud - Tom Berenger played a lead Vance.) Despite the best efforts of Mamaw and Papaw to bring their family to a nice area, they could not escape the chaos JD Vance's mother seemed to perpetuate. Vance experienced a great deal of harsh moments with his mother; her inability to overcome her additions to provide stability for her family was so tragic. We also discussed Vance's depiction of negativity he saw in the poverty that surrounded his community, leading to conversations about the objective manner in which he describes the situations (even though it must have been really painful for him), the role of religion as it applied to the different family members such as Mamaw and Vance's biological father, and the role of life skills as empowering for people (which led to education today and the need for life skills, such as cooking, sewing, financial literacy, etc.). The following passages from the book inspired these conversations: "We'll get fired for tardiness, or for stealing merchandise and selling it on eBay, or for having a customer complain about the smell of alcohol on our breath, or for taking five thirty-minute restroom breaks per shift. We talk about the value of hard work but tell ourselves that the reason we're not working is some perceived unfairness: Obama shut down the coal mines, or all the jobs went to the Chinese. These are the lies we tell ourselves to solve the cognitive dissonance - the broken connection between the world we see and the values we preach." "To this day, being able to "take advantage of someone is the measure in my mind of having a parent. For me and Lindsay, the fear of imposing stalked our minds, infecting even the food we ate. We recognized instinctively that many of the people we depended on weren't supposed to play that role in our lives, so much so that it was one of the first things Lindsay thought of when she learned of Papaw's death. We were conditioned to feel that we couldn't really depend on people - that, even as children, asking someone for a meal or for help with a broken-down automobile was a luxury that we shouldn't indulge in too much lest we fully tap the reservoir of goodwill serving as a safety valve in our lives. Our conversation turned to television shows, such as "Justified" and "Appalachian documentary," both of which provided portrayals of life as Vance described it. The documentary described the challenges teens face to obtain an education to better their lives. The ratings varied: On a scale of 1-5 with 5 being "blah" and 1 being "turn off the phone and lock the doors until I finish this book," the book earned a few 1.5's, 2's and one 3. Most of us agreed that the book, while interesting, insightful and seemingly authentic, was much richer in ideas and fodder for discussion, and there were many aspects we had missed until discussed in our group. |
| 145 | The Red Coat | by | Dolley Carlson | 2 | On Thursday - May 4 - 2017 - Book Club members enjoyed delicious scones - tea sandwiches and an array of teas to discuss Dolley Carlson's amazing novel "The Red Coat: A Book of Boston - " a wonderful novel that follows the events started by Irish domestic worker Norah King - who asks her wealthy employer Caroline Parker for an elegant red coat the Beacon Hill matriarch had marked for the donation bin. The coat - "last season's - " had belonged to Caroline's daughter Cordelia and was hardly worn - but to Norah - the coat would be a serious treasure for her daughter Rosemary - one of Norah's children; Norah's life is not easy due to her alcoholic and abusive husband and the constant struggle to make ends meet. Despite these struggles - however - Norah maintains a sense of class and dignity and thus realizes the contribution this coat would make to keeping her daughter warm as well as proud. It is very difficult for her to ask her employer for such a favor - but she does it for her daughter. The attention to detail during scene fairly early in the novel sets the stage for the kind of character she is as well as revealing a great deal about her the character of Carline Parker. Carlson's novel portrays realities surrounding financial struggle - family loss - class prejudices - the role of faith - and changes in societal expectations for women. There was a great deal of change Boston during the 1940s and 50s - and Carlson provides a slice into many different areas with lots of historical allusions specific to Boston. Book Club members shared their own personal history and experiences with Boston - making connections and comparisons with Carlson - whose grandparents arrived in Boston from Ireland in 1917. Carlson - whose father was a Boston Police Officer - lived in the Old Colony Housing Project during the 40s and 50s - so we talked about other books we have read - such as "Brooklyn" and "All Souls - " that evoked some connections to themes - plot or characters. We also enjoyed discussing the rich development of the characters - loving the contrast between classes and unexpected losses - such as with Norah and the Parker parents. Both Caroline and Norah illustrate class and dignity despite their socioeconomic differences - and both strive to embed these values in their children. Norah - for example - has so little - yet she takes pride in finding clothes to dress her children nicely for church. She also ensures that tea is served with attention to detail in her little home. We also noted how frugality was more of a virtue in this book. For example - when someone got married - there was a lot of excitement surrounding a borrowed wedding dress with "some alteration" and the specialness of a certain flower or treat versus the excess of weddings today. Additionally - Norah struggled to make ends meet but ensured that her children looked presentable every time they left the house. This led to conversation about style and what defines "presentable." Clothes and appearances in this novel led to conversations about attire in the workplace and church have changed so drastically over the years. Is this for the better? We very much enjoyed discussing Carlson ability to craft such vivid moments using simple language and understatement. We talked about several scenes - but one that stood out to us most was the description of police carrying a little girl's pair of shoes from house to house to identify the little girl who had been struck down by a car and the reaction of the parents when they learn of the tragedy. The other scene that evoked such emotion was early in the story when Norah is returning home from work and notices that the shades are drawn in her apartment window as she approaches - indicating that her husband is in a bad way from his drinking; the reader views the window from Norah's perspective as she trudges home from her hard job to face a grueling situation. The story moves from the parents to the children of Norah and Caroline seamlessly with their passing (in different ways) - and each gave us so much to discuss! In fact - we had to cut Book club off at 10 pm - well past our 9 pm ending time! There was just so much to discuses!! We so very much enjoyed this book and gave it 2's (on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the highest). The printed version of the book has a gorgeous cover and includes lots of pictures of Boston; each image has a little blurb about the location. There are great pictures of churches and landmarks - and on page 392 - there is a picture from Jaycees' very own Bob Gillis!! |
| 144 | Born a Crime | by | Trevor Noah | 2 | Despite torrential downpours - Book Club members met on Thursday - April 1 - 2017 at the home of Michele Rogers - who graciously served an array of teas - crackers and cheese - fresh fruit - and creative South African fare to go along with the memoir of Trevor Noah - whose compelling memoir Born A Crime about growing up during apartheid and "the tumultuous days of freedom that followed"(from the publisher) intrigued us and kept us in conversation for hours!! From the publisher: "Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion - Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life - bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could - at any moment - steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule - Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure - living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle." Members very much enjoyed Noah's engaging literary voice as he described his parents and neighborhood with captivating imagery and humor that brought to life his challenging surroundings while also celebrating the deep sense of community he felt amidst the need to hide his existence; the wonderful women in his life - such as his mother and grandmother; the colorful stories of friends and mischief; and the opportunities that presented themselves through his budding career. Noah shared stories about school - food - jail - and family strife. He is very smart and knows 12 languages - learned from the many communities he was exposed to. He says on page 56 of the book that ‚"Language - even more than color - defines who you are to people." This chapter is called "Chameleon." The conversation the 18 essays in the book inspired was great. When rating the book on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the highest - the book earned several 2's. Overall - we were very happy to have read this book and to have engaged in such rich conversation! Norah King - who asks her wealthy employer Caroline Parker for an elegant red coat the Beacon Hill matriarch had marked for the donation bin. The coat - "last season's - " had belonged to Caroline's daughter Cordelia and was hardly worn - but to Norah - the coat would be a serious treasure for her daughter Rosemary - one of Norah's children; Norah's life is not easy due to her alcoholic and abusive husband and the constant struggle to make ends meet. Despite these struggles - however - Norah maintains a sense of class and dignity and thus realizes the contribution this coat would make to keeping her daughter warm as well as proud. It is very difficult for her to ask her employer for such a favor - but she does it for her daughter. The attention to detail during scene fairly early in the novel sets the stage for the kind of character she is as well as revealing a great deal about her the character of Carline Parker. Carlson's novel portrays realities surrounding financial struggle - family loss - class prejudices - the role of faith - and changes in societal expectations for women. There was a great deal of change Boston during the 1940s and 50s - and Carlson provides a slice into many different areas with lots of historical allusions specific to Boston. Book Club members shared their own personal history and experiences with Boston - making connections and comparisons with Carlson - whose grandparents arrived in Boston from Ireland in 1917. Carlson - whose father was a Boston Police Officer - lived in the Old Colony Housing Project during the 40s and 50s - so we talked about other books we have read - such as "Brooklyn" and "All Souls - " that evoked some connections to themes - plot or characters. We also enjoyed discussing the rich development of the characters - loving the contrast between classes and unexpected losses - such as with Norah and the Parker parents. Both Caroline and Norah illustrate class and dignity despite their socioeconomic differences - and both strive to embed these values in their children. Norah - for example - has so little - yet she takes pride in finding clothes to dress her children nicely for church. She also ensures that tea is served with attention to detail in her little home. We also noted how frugality was more of a virtue in this book. For example - when someone got married - there was a lot of excitement surrounding a borrowed wedding dress with "some alteration" and the specialness of a certain flower or treat versus the excess of weddings today. Additionally - Norah struggled to make ends meet but ensured that her children looked presentable every time they left the house. This led to conversation about style and what defines "presentable." Clothes and appearances in this novel led to conversations about attire in the workplace and church have changed so drastically over the years. Is this for the better? We very much enjoyed discussing Carlson ability to craft such vivid moments using simple language and understatement. We talked about several scenes - but one that stood out to us most was the description of police carrying a little girl's pair of shoes from house to house to identify the little girl who had been struck down by a car and the reaction of the parents when they learn of the tragedy. The other scene that evoked such emotion was early in the story when Norah is returning home from work and notices that the shades are drawn in her apartment window as she approaches - indicating that her husband is in a bad way from his drinking; the reader views the window from Norah's perspective as she trudges home from her hard job to face a grueling situation. The story moves from the parents to the children of Norah and Caroline seamlessly with their passing (in different ways) - and each gave us so much to discuss! In fact - we had to cut Book club off at 10 pm - well past our 9 pm ending time! There was just so much to discuses!! We so very much enjoyed this book and gave it 2's (on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the highest). The printed version of the book has a gorgeous cover and includes lots of pictures of Boston; each image has a little blurb about the location. There are great pictures of churches and landmarks - and on page 392 - there is a picture from Jaycees' very own Bob Gillis!! |
| 143 | Crooked Letter - Crooked Letter | by | Tom Franklin | 1.5 | On Thursday evening - December 1st - host Cathy greeted Book Club members with hot apple cider - jazzed up if so desired with Butter schnapps!! - Grandma's Coffee Cake - pecan tarts - and veggies and dip! What a perfect way to jumpstart conversation about a delicious mystery: Tom Franklin's "Crooked Letter - Crooked Letter - " a modern drama that flashes back to the late 1970s when Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds could not have differed more: Larry was the son of lower-middle-class white parents while Silas was the son of a poor - single black mother. The boys were seemingly friends until later in high school when Larry took a girl on a date to a drive-in movie; she was never heard from again. Larry was blamed - and Silas left the town. The novel is set 20 years later with Larry - a mechanic - living by himself - ostracized by the town for an incident for which he was never charged but always blamed. Silas now returns as a constable - and their paths cross when a girl disappears - and Larry appears to be the obvious suspect. Book Club members enjoyed this book very much because the narrative was carefully crafted - the characters were very well developed - and the plot twists were surprising and enjoyable to discover. At first - the memories appeared disjointed - but we agreed that they began to make sense as the image of their childhood took shape. We discussed the sympathy we felt for Larry because his father was so emotionally abusive - which probably led to continued torture at school because of the lack of confidence he must have felt. We noted scenes that were really painful to read: the scene when Larry wears a mask but is then excluded - Franklin did a nice job leading readers to believe it was "his moment - " only to experience disappointment that we too felt; the scene in which Larry and Silas are forced to fight was painful as was the incident with coats; and the scene in which Larry is coerced into insulting a fellow student by some of his peers and the outcome. We discussed the clues: the picture! aha moment! We also discussed the title and racial challenges that impacted the actions of all the characters - a challenge that definitely impacted the outcome of Larry's life as well as the girl who had disappeared. There is a lot of racism in the novel and fear that drives the characters to behave in certain ways. Considering the abusive nature of Larry's father - it is ironic that he has a relationship with Alice - Silas' mother - and the big reveal toward the end of the novel leaves us in wonder as well. When he makes Larry fight with Silas - there is a racist undertone to the anger Larry's dad has - almost as if he is indeed educating Larry or Silas or both about the relationship between black and white people. This led to a discussion of the title. I found an interview with Tom Franklin: INTERVIEW WITH TOM FRANKLIN: Could you explain the significance behind the title of your new novel - CROOKED LETTER - CROOKED LETTER - and its setting? "The title comes from a pneumonic device to teach southern children how to spell Mississippi. M - I - crooked letter - crooked letter - I - crooked letter - crooked letter - I - humpback - humpback - I. We moved to the crooked letter (slang for Mississippi) in 2001. I just loved it and wondered why no one had used it before. It sounded like an Elmore Leonard novel to me - and that was a good thing. It also seemed - or sounded - like a crime novel. When I began to try and figure out how the title fit this story - the story of 32 Jones and Larry Ott - it occurred to me that - in some ways - the book is about how southern children are educated into racism." Ratings: High Marks for Franklin's novel - 1.5 - 2's and 2.5. We also had a great time discussing some of other favorite crime fiction. |
| 142 | Brooklyn | by | Colm's | See Summary | On Thursday - November 3 - 2016 - Book Club met at the home of Patricia Kelley for amazing NY inspired treats - Reuben sandwiches - cheesecake - cannoli and of course an array of teas!!- to discuss Brooklyn - Colm's New York Times bestselling novel about a young Irish immigrant in Brooklyn in the early 1950s. "Committed to a quiet life in little Enniscorthy - Ireland - the industrious young Eilis Lacey reluctantly finds herself swept up in an unplanned adventure to America - engineered by the family priest and her glamorous - "ready for life" sister - Rose. Eilis's determination to embrace the spirit of the journey despite her trepidation - especially on behalf of Rose - who has sacrificed her own chance of leaving - makes a bittersweet center for Brooklyn. Colm's spare portrayal of this contemplative girl is achingly lovely - and every sentence rings with truth. Readers will find themselves swept across the Atlantic with Eilis to a boarding house in Brooklyn where she painstakingly adapts to a new life - reinventing herself and her surroundings in the letters she writes home. Just as she begins to settle in with the help of a new love - tragedy calls her home to Enniscorthy - and her separate lives suddenly and painfully merge into one's haunted heroine glows on the page - unforgettably and lovingly rendered - and her story reflects the lives of so many others exiled from home." (Book Review by Daphne Durham). Although the book is a movie - none of us had seen it but were excited to learn that it is available on film because we very much enjoyed the story and characters. We discussed how the narrative varied in that we often did not feel as connected to the main character as we would have liked but noted that the disconnect contributed perhaps to her lack of control of her own life: in Ireland - her vivacious and beautiful sister Rose arranged for Eilis to go to America - and Eilis quietly accepts these life altering decisions. We discussed why Rose may have sent her sister rather than herself. Eilis again appears to accept her fate later in the novel with her beau and again with her family back in Ireland. Book members made many great connections to other examples of stories about characters who hide their emotions and even led to the sharing of personal experiences with similar situations. Other characters intrigued us: Eilis' mother - whose neediness burdened her daughters: Tony - whose love did not seem enough at times for Eilis; the priest - whose excessive patience - kindness and generosity warranted discussion; and Eilis' employer in Ireland whose stoicism and harshness seemed unfair at times. We also found the ending to be a cliffhanger - so we definitely enjoyed discussing our different interpretations about what happens to our main character! There were so many aspects of this novel we enjoyed discussing! The ratings ranged: (1 is the highest while 5 is the lowest) several 2.5's - two 1.5's - several 2's and one 1 and one 3.5. |
| 141 | Station 11 | by | Emily St. John Mandel | Emily St. John Mandel's - On Thursday - October 6th - Book Club had a spectacular evening at the home of Laureen House during which we enjoyed great conversation about Emily St. John Mandel's "Station Eleven" while also having a baby book shower for Stephanie - complete with a delicious array of freshly brewed teas - veggies and dip - and cupcakes with pink and white frosting! (she's expecting a girl!) We also enjoyed reminiscing over some of our favorite titles - including "The Giving Tree - " "Harold and the Purple Crayon - " "Green Eggs and Ham - " some Eric Carle titles with great illustrations before engaging in rich conversations about one summer reading title we had postponed until this month as well as Mandel's 2015 Arthur C. Clarke Award winning science fiction set in the Great Lakes region after a fictional swine flu pandemic - known as the 'George Flu - ' has devastated the world. The novel focuses on the ability of the humans to find meaning through art and literature twenty years after the epidemic. "Station Eleven" Discussion: Mandel's novel evoked some great conversation. Several of us mentioned that the thought of reading a post-apocalyptic novel was not exciting at first - but we agreed that this was different. The novel did not have the uncomfortable chaos that ensues after whatever disaster might occur. This novel begins with an actor named Arthur dying onstage during King Lear - followed by a quickly spreading plague that wipes out 99% of the population. Twenty years later - the reader encounters several characters who all had some connection to Arthur - and through a focus on them with flashbacks - we learn how they have managed to survive - what they value - and that they are on the cusp of a new beginning. We discussed so many topics - including the quiet horror of loneliness and isolation - lack of conversation - presence of disorder - lack of electricity - the need to focus on what is important. Main character Kirstin has a curious collection of items: we wondered what items we might value. The lack of electricity and electronic devices is highlighted by rich descriptions of stars in the sky - forests and road - and at one point - one of the characters - Jeevan - goes through the subway system before the plague and refers to "zombies" who are addicted to the electronic devices - a detail that becomes significant later in the story when there is no access to electricity or power and thus nothing to distract people. We compared the themes of this novel to some other works: "The Stand - " "Fahrenheit 451 - " "The Day After - " and "77 Days in September." Interestingly - we were not sure who was supposed to be the main character because there were so many well developed characters who provided unique perspectives to the story and who seemed equally important. One image we discussed was how quietly everything just kind of shut down immediately after the plague had hit the world. For example - there were just a few newscasts - then just one - then the newscasters said goodbye - that this was the last newscast. We found that "shutting down" of things to be quietly frightening and gave us a chance to reflect on what things we value holding onto and what we would miss. Memories of being able to flip a switch and have electricity - among other things - were elusive to many people in the story - and of course completely unfathomable to the young children born so many years after the electricity had shut down. This gave us a great deal to talk about in terms of our world today in which children can't image a rotary phone - having a handful of television shows - for example. Summer Reading List Catching Up: Herman Koch's "The Dinner" - Last month - several who had read it loved it and encouraged anyone who enjoys a psychological thriller to read it! We continued the conversation about the novel this month. Several members read it after hearing such positive reviews from other members. Basic Plot: Two brothers and their wives dine at a restaurant to discuss a incident involving their children. First person narrator Paul Lohman reveals his instability as the truth unravels for the reader. Many topics we discussed included mental illness - family - politics - crime as well as the narrative style and the haunting plot. Everyone is invited to consider some potential titles for future meetings! What would you like to put on your reading list? 🙂 |
|
| 140 | When Heaven and Earth Changed Places | by | Le Ly Hyslip | On Thursday evening - June 9th - the Book Club was welcomed by hostess Dawn with tea - fruit and snacks to discuss Le Ly Hayslip's "When Heaven and Earth Changed Places - " a "1989 memoir about [Hayslip's] childhood during the Vietnam War - her escape to the United States - and her return 16 years later"(Amazon). Book Club members engaged in great conversations about other books about war that we have read recently - such as "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Rain - " which was the book that inspired our selection of this book. We discussed the differences in narrative styles and how that influenced our reading and understanding of this stories. We all agreed that Hayslip has a pleasant storytelling style that captivated the reader. She creates some suspense with her return to Vietnam after 20 years in the United States - expressing fear that she would be arrested. Group members agreed that there was a great deal to learn from this book. Hayslip - who lived in a rural Vietnamese village - described how villagers were caught in the middle of what was a struggle between power factions of Vietnamese (North and South as well as terror of Viet Cong while viewing US as yet another enemy). Hayslip's family participated in underground activities but found themselves victimized by their own people because of the paranoia and distrust. The Book Group discussed how this reminded us of Malala's plight in her story. Hayslip also describes how the rural farmers were so attached to their land. This was seen in burying money - respecting the burial place of ancestors on the land with shrines - and an unwillingness to leave despite the dangers. A connection to the land represented a deep connection to their own culture. The Book Club group talked about a range of additional topics: the role of women and the presence of violence in the book; role of religion; and role of duty and honor. War posed such a disruption to all the important values; there were some really painful parts in the book - and we agreed that the sad case of Hayslip's aunt illustrated the hardships of loss as a result of the war - violence and loss. The book was made into a movie with Tommy Lee Jones called "Heaven and Earth." Most of us rated the book a 2 on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the highest while one person gave it a 2.5. We enjoyed the conversation very much and continued past our 9 pm curfew! |
|
| 139 | Slaughterhouse-Five | by | Kurt Vonnegut | 2 | On a cold rainy Thursday evening - May 5th - the Book Club enjoyed the deliciously inviting and warm living room of Stephanie O. who - along with her two cats - welcomed everyone with a fire - an array of teas and beverages - an array of cracker treats and fresh fruit. The group discussed Kurt Vonnegut's novel "Slaughterhouse-Five": The publisher posted the following description of the novel on Amazon: "Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim - a man who becomes unstuck in time after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity - we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all phases of his life - concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden...[the novel] fashions the author's experiences in the Second World War into an eloquent and deeply funny plea against butchery in the service of authority. Slaughterhouse-Five boasts the same imagination - humanity - and gleeful appreciation of the absurd found in Vonnegut's other works - but the book's basis in rock-hard - tragic fact gives it a unique poignancy - and humor." Book Club members engaged in great conversations about "Slaughterhouse-Five - " including what we learned about Kurt Vonnegut's life. Many of us knew very little about him prior to reading the novel - so we shared what we learned about him: After leaving Cornell - he enlisted in the Army in 1943 and was captured with other American soldiers in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. They were sent to a factory that produced malt syrup for pregnant women. During the raid of Dresden - he and the other soldiers were locked in a meat locker well below ground and surfaced to find that the city had been bombed. He returned home from war eventually - married - had a career and home on Cape Cod. The Book Club members discussed how captivating the first chapter of the novel was because it contained so many autobiographical pieces of information - especially Vonnegut's true struggle to write about WWII. Chapter 2 becomes the war story but through the third person story of Billy Pilgrim - who like Vonnegut - finds himself trapped in the same circumstances in Dresden Vonnegut had experienced. Billy - however - appears to be time traveler - an quality that connects him to an alien race - Tralfamadorians - who comment on the inevitability of a war due to the nature of humanity. Book Club members discussed questions revolving around whether the aliens were a figment of Billy's imagination or literally present in the story; we discussed the role of women; we discussed the streaming narrative style that lends to the lack of continuity of time. One of the important themes in the novel intrigued us: the meaninglessness of life and death in the novel. The aliens explain that the past is never gone; therefore - the little moments of life and death are meaningless. "So it goes" is repeated after each reference to death to reiterate this point. Book Club members engaged in conversations about the effects of war and fate versus free will. We also concluded that we were surprised that the book did not have a horrifying story to explain war; rather - the little stories captured the horrors of the war - such as the story about tasting the sweetness of the malt while a POW in the malt factory with a secret spoon; the suffering of the horses during the escape from Dresden; the English teacher killed for stealing a teapot; and the performance of Cinderella at the POW camp. We also discussed Billy's relationship with his family - his career as an optometrist - and ability to tell the story without the glamorization of war. Most of us rated the book a 2 on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the highest while a couple gave it a 2.5. We enjoyed the conversation very much. |
| 138 | Frankenstein | by | Mary Shelley | 2 to 4 | On Thursday - 4/7 - the Book Club enjoyed a delicious fruit tart - an array of crackers and toppers - and delicious warm tea with honey in a room warmed by a fire at the home of gracious hostess Sandy Daniels to discuss Mary Shelley's classic novel "Frankenstein." There were several parts of the novel that intrigued us and led to conversations: the opening letters - for example - what was the purpose? how did they tie to the ending? what did Walton really see? This led to conversations about who really sees the monster and if the monster could really exist; could it be the alter personality of Victor? That led to careful analysis of how that could have been plausible. We really enjoyed going through the book and finding interesting passages. We examined the language of the monster's story and saw several parallels to Adam in the Bible. We compared the novel to different films we had seen - including the popular "Young Frankenstein." Although we enjoyed discussing many of the topics surrounding the book - several members found the writing - while beautiful at parts - was a bit choppy; some parts were hard to follow; there was some areas that were not "page turners." As a result - the book ratings from 2-4 - with 1 being the highest - 5 the lowest. |
| 137 | Rain | by | Richard Elliot | 3 or 4 | On Thursday - 2/3 - the Book Club enjoyed a Tastefully Simple Almond Pound Cake with raspberry jam and whipped cream - crackers and a brie spread - some fruit and delicious warm tea with honey while discussing a range of topics related to Richard Elliot's "Rain" as well as other books. Richard Elliot graduated from Foxboro High in 1962 and joined the Navy as a route to college via the GI Bill. Richard's memoir (a disclaimer refers to the book as fiction but inspired by true events) details his experience in boot camp and then in Vietnam. Our conversations revolved around the amount of detail he included (some of us thought there was too much of the day to day - especially in that first chapter which was very long) as well as the people who impacted his life - such as his friend Snowball. We enjoyed the story about his friend Snowball and being Snowball's best man at his wedding - and we grasped the depth of his loss. We were left with many questions about Richard's life after the story ended because we felt he left the ending unresolved about certain points. Dawn is going to see if Richard would be willing to meet us at the library and answer our questions! We talked about other books about war: "Things They Carried - " "Killer Angels - " "Born on the Fourth of July" among others. Although we enjoyed discussing many of the topics surrounding the book - ultimately we found the book a bit choppy and incomplete. As a result - the book received several ratings of 3 and 4. |
| 136 | SHORT STORIES | by | Various | On Thursday evening - January 7 - 2016 - Book Club members convened at the home of Sandy Daniels and enjoyed by the warm fire an assortment of tea - crackers and cheese - shrimp cocktail and warm apples coated in cinnamon and honey and while discussing five Short Stories from ‚"The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry." 1. ‚"What We Talk about When We Talk about Love" Raymond Carver - 1980: We enjoyed exploring the two couples in this story. We thought the narrator subtly portrayed Mel to be on the cusp of a bully - ironic since he is a cardiologist and criticizes his wife's assertion that she knew what love was because she had been in a relation with an abusive first husband. The language that went back and forth between them was really interesting - but the subtle observations of the narrator offered even more insight because he was sarcastic and used a lot of understatement to show the reader how obnoxious Mel was. In "A.J. Fikry - " Fikry tells his daughter Maya that this story was his favorite but "cannot begin to say why." In the chapter - Ismay sells the book to pay for Fikry's treatments - Maya stays at the hospital to be with Fikry rather than go to an event - and Amy stays by his side - using humor to comfort him even though he cannot talk. We think that the chapter illustrated the power of love - sometimes it's elusive and not understandable - but we know it's there. We rated this story a "2" on a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the best. 2. ‚"A Perfect Day for Banana-fish" by J D Salinger - 1948. We all agreed that this complex story was hard to understand and quite dark. Fikry references this story as a great example of storytelling to Maya when she is struggling to revise a story for a competition. While we thought the story was a strange story to suggest for such an occasion - we did find the storytelling of it creative. We discussed the effects of WWII on young men such as Seymour - the main character - and the quiet suffering he experienced. We also noted that the people around him were in a great deal of danger - yet he did not hurt them. We also noted the excessive materialism of Muriel and even of the young girl. Most of us gave this story a 3 but did enjoy reading a Salinger short story since we ended up discussing "Catcher in the Rye." 3. ‚"Iron head" - Aimee Bender - 2005. This quirky story really had us thinking: a couple of pumpkin heads have a child with an iron head?? Our ratings ranged from 1.5 to 4 - but the conversation was really interesting. We considered that the child was an outsider - that the parents were possibly outsiders or different in some manner - leading us to consider race - disability - etc. and examine how others treated them. This story appeared in Fikry at the beginning of the chapter during which Fikry's mother visited and Fikry experienced early signs of his illness. 4. ‚"The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" - 1865 - Mark Twain. While we all enjoyed the humor and satire of Twain - we did not find a whole lot to discuss and rated the story mostly 3's and 4's. Fikry referenced this story in the chapter when the fake author showed up. There was a lot of humor and sarcasm: "the frog fails to live up to his expectations." 5. ‚"The Bookseller - Roald Dahl - 1986. This was totally our favorite story and earned almost all 1's! We loved the characters - the understated conversation between the two characters - and the ending. We loved how they used the information learned about their victims from their obituaries to connect them to books. This was what Fikry said made the story his favorite: books connect to people. This led to some great conversations about how Fikry learned about the people who came into his store and forged relationships with books - such as ordering books to appeal to the cops and such. We did discuss some of the other stories - as well - and loved the experience of reading the stories referenced in the novel. Would we consider reading a collection of short stories in the future? We thought the idea sounded appealing! Happy Reading! |
|
| 135 | The Girl on the Train | by | Paula Hawkins | 2.5 | On Thursday evening - December 3rd - Book Club members were treated to a variety of deliciously flavored teas - fresh fruit and angel cake - courtesy of hostess Dawn Hadley - while engaging in a lively discussion of British author Paula Hawkins' "Girl on the Train" - a psychological thriller with a unique narrative from the perspectives of three different women - Rachel - Megan and Anna - that moved back and forth over the span of about a year to show the interaction of characters prior to the event that connected them but also encompassed one character's fragmented memories as she - as well as the reader - strives to solve a mystery. Book Club members all agreed that initially - the back and forth movement through time was a bit disconcerting and took some focus and extra energy. After several chapters - however - it becomes clear that the format for that was important to helping the reader understand the psychological confusion for one character as well as the feelings of distrust and frustration of others. The book covered many topics that we found fascinating and worthy of some spirited discussion: alcoholism - adultery - therapy - and relationships. We agreed that the writer created a rhythm with the "clickety clack" of the train on the train tracks that helped the reader visualize commuting and the intricate details one would notice on the day to day activity of taking the same route via train or car to work every day. Laureen reminded us that when we read "Boys in the Boat" almost a year ago - she noted that there was a similar rhythmic pattern from the description of the rowing - a rhythm that gives the reader a fluidity in understanding what the characters see and endure as part of their daily routine. This led to some spirited conversation as we sought to reflect upon the observations of that book club summary because at the time - Laureen's insights were not so readily appreciated: many of us found the intricate details of rowing to be a bit monotonous while others found it lender some fluidity to the book in the same manner as the train tracks in this novel. While most of us were surprised by the ending - one definitely solved the mystery early in the novel and another had strong suspicions. The rest of us agreed that we were feverishly turning pages to get to the end because we were captivated by the story - and we engaged in some great conversations about the range of characters in the story. On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being the absolute best and 5 being the worst - the book averaged a 2.5. |
| 134 | The Nightingale | by | Kristen Hannah | 1 | On Thursday evening - Book Club members indulged in seasonal fare of homemade apple crisp and flavored teas - courtesy of hostess Stephanie O'Neill - while engaging in a lively discussion of Kristen Hannah's "The Nightingale - " a beautifully crafted novel primarily set in a small village of Carriveau that follows two sisters who become entwined in the French Resistance during WWII. The story is told from a modern day narrator - one of the sisters - whose tale documents how one sister - Vianne - says goodbye to her husband - Antoine - as he heads for the Front while she is forced to take an enemy into her house - ultimately making decisions that affect the lives of many. Her sister Isabelle - a rebellious eighteen-year-old who while thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war - falls in love with the compelling and mysterious GA ƒ‚¤Etan. Ultimately - Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance - never looking back or giving a thought to the thrilling but dangerous consequences. The father of the two sisters is an intriguing character whose involvement in the lives of his daughters offers some surprising twists. Book Club members all agreed that initially - the book appeared to be yet another WWII story. However - the role of women in the war was explored - so the information was new for many of us and opened a lot of great discussion questions when we convened Thursday evening. Hannah's story spotlights how civilians were impacted by the war - how families were divided - how Nazi oppression of Jewish citizens invaded the mentality of the all citizens of the small village - those who were Jewish and those who were not. Vianne's home was billeted by one German soldier whose kindness and humanity revealed just how difficult it was for people on both sides of this terrible war and then a second who showed the opposite regard for humanity. The novel revealed how German ideas snuck into the village and how unsuspecting villagers became paranoid of their neighbors and friends. In one scene - for example - Vianne's Jewish friend Rachel and her young daughter Sarah must wear a yellow star. Vianne's daughter Sophie offers to wear one too: "These yellow stars - " Rachel said - opening her fist - revealing the ugly little flower of ragged fabric - with its black marking. ‚"We have to wear them on our clothes at all times now." Sarah frowned. ‚"But ‚… why?" "We're Jews - " Rachel said. ‚"And we're proud of that. You have to remember how proud we are of it - even if people—" "Nazis - " Vianne said more sharply than intended. "Nazis - " Rachel added - ‚"want to make us feel ‚… bad about it." "Will people make fun of me?" Sarah asked - her eyes widening. "I will wear one - too - " Sophie said. Sarah looked pathetically hopeful at that. Rachel reached out for her daughter's hand and held it. ‚"No - baby. This is one thing you and your best friend can't do together." Vianne saw Sarah's fear and embarrassment and confusion. She was trying her best to be a good girl - to smile and be strong even as tears glazed her eyes. ‚"Oui - " she said at last. It was the saddest sound Vianne had heard in nearly three years of sorrow. The ending of the novel was intriguing because we did not know initially which sister was framing the story from a modern day perspective - which kept us guessing about the outcome of the novel. We were surprised by the ending and found it very well done. We all enjoyed this novel very much. One person rated the book a ‚"2" while the rest of us gave it a ‚"1 - " the highest rating. See you soon and happy reading! Dawn |
| 133 | The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry | by | Gabrielle Zevin | 1.75 | We welcomed two new book club members: Matilda and Joe Lanzel! Welcome! We had a wonderfully inspirational meeting on the warm and humid evening of Thursday 9/3 at Lisa's Mansfield home which was comfortably air conditioned. Fresh fruit - an array of cheeses and crackers - freshly made coffee cake - veggies and hummus - and a selection of teas rounded out the fare enjoyed by all amidst bubbly conversation because this was the first meeting since June. We were all very energized to get back into the book club groove with Gabrielle Zevin's best seller "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - " a "likable literary love story about selling books and finding love - " according to Kirkus Reviews. The Book Club members chattered about the book incessantly: characters - setting - literary references at the beginning of each chapter - plot details - etc. The character transformations were most compelling - and we often found ourselves poring through the books to find relevant passages to advance our conversations. Dawn described Maya's arrival as a "relationship catalyst" to initiate Fikry's transformation - and Sandy the Sleuth was unstoppable: why did Fikry pick up the book from pile of discarded books? Sandy found the passage when no one else had the answer. Good job - Sandy! The book was rich with literary allusions and piqued our interest in short stories referenced at the beginning of each chapter. We gave the book high ratings. Out of a score of 1-5 with 1 being the best - the book earned one 2.5 - one 1.5 - one 1.75 - and the rest 2.0's |
| 132 | Sycamore Row | by | John Grisham | 3.5 | Warm greetings - Book Club Members! We had a wonderfully inspirational meeting on the warm and humid evening of Thursday 6/11 at Stephanie O'Neill's lovely home which was comfortably air conditioned. Stephanie made a delicious fresh fruit bowl with strawberries - blueberries and raspberries from Ward's Farm which she served with fresh whipped cream and an array of tea! The group discussed John Grisham's "Sycamore Row - " a sequel to "A Time to Kill." Here is a brief overview from the publisher: "John Grisham takes you back to where it all began. One of the most popular novels of our time - A Time to Kill established John Grisham as the master of the legal thriller. Now we return to Ford County as Jake Brigance finds himself embroiled in a fiercely controversial trial that exposes a tortured history of racial tension. Seth Hubbard is a wealthy man dying of lung cancer. He trusts no one. Before he hangs himself from a sycamore tree - Hubbard leaves a new - handwritten will. It is an act that drags his adult children - his black maid - and Jake into a conflict as riveting and dramatic as the murder trial that made Brigance one of Ford County's most notorious citizens - just three years earlier. The second will raises many more questions than it answers. Why would Hubbard leave nearly all of his fortune to his maid? Had chemotherapy and painkillers affected his ability to think clearly? And what does it all have to do with a piece of land once known as Sycamore Row?" We selected the book a few months ago at the suggestion of one member - so many members at the meeting admitted to not realizing "Sycamore Row" was a sequel to "A Time to Kill" while others had not read Grisham before. Therefore - the first part of the conversation was about the original novel and Grisham's decision to write a sequel twenty years later but set only three years after the original action of the first novel. This led to discussions about the film and the topic of the first book. Overall - we discussed the characters - the significance of several references making connections to the first novel and whether that was needed or not - which characters we liked and why. We discussed the significance of the setting as contributing to racism - and we also discussed the plausibility (and even relevance) of a major scene at the end. Although we did not find Grisham's work to be deeply literary in contrast to several other books we've read - the novel certainly forced us to consider serious issues. For example - we pondered the current standings of our wills and how alterations could (or should) be made. We considered how to determine who should be the recipient of our belongings and how and why those decisions might be affected by significant events in our lives. The main character Seth makes a decision about his will - but rather than get a new one - he sets a whole chain of events in place that creates a great deal of difficulty for many characters: did he have the right to do that? why didn't he do it the traditional way? should that matter? These were all great questions we considered as a result of reading the novel. The Book Club Group decided NOT to meet in July and August because the dates conflict with July Fourth week - Thursday night concerts and vacation plans - so we decided that we will meet in September. We will plan to meet Thursday - September 3rd with Gabrielle Zevin's "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry." We also suggested something for summer reading that we could discuss if people have read it in September: "The Ups and Downs of Being Dead - " an optional fun read by M.R. Cornelius that Sandy Daniels assured we should all enjoy this summer. We plan to read Harper Lee's new book for October. Additional titles we discussed for summer reading include "Tender Bar" and "Game of Thrones"(Lisa is determined to read)! e gave "Sycamore Row" a 3.5 overall because we were glad we read it - glad we could get the paper back cheaply or that it was readily available at the library - and happy that for some of us - we had finally read a Grisham novel while others were glad to revisit the characters in "A Time to Kill." Thank you to Stephanie for hosting this week's meeting and to everyone who has kindly opened her house for our book club meetings! We look forward to reconvening on September 3rd!! |
| 131 | All The Light We Cannot See | by | Anthony Doerr | 2 | Warm greetings! Although only a few book club members made the May meeting - we had a warm and thoughtful discussion of Pulitzer Prize-winning "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr - an " imaginative and intricate novel" which is ‚"written in short - elegant chapters that explore human nature and the contradictory power of technology - " according to the Pulitzer Prize judging panel of journalists. Host Sandy Daniels served Red Rose tea - crackers and cheese - fresh fruit and a delicious pastry to which we could not say no! Thank you - Sandy!! The novel follows the story of Marie - a French girl who goes blind at the age of six and who flees with her father to Saint-Malo when the Germans occupy Paris. Her story becomes entwined with that of German orphan Werner - a whiz kid with radios who becomes an expert tracker of the Resistance - and who ends up - too - in Saint-Malo. There are some wonderful and interesting characters - including Marie's father and eccentric uncle - Werner's sister and foster mother - and several German characters who influence Werner's life in many ways. Although the novel begins during WWII - Doerr does make several modern connections with sections about different time periods in the characters' lives. We covered in our discussion the intricate narrative structure - beautifully crafted short chapters which switched focus of the main characters as well as the time periods; Doerr does this cleverly but clearly - bringing us to the culminating - exciting part of the novel where we found ourselves turning pages eagerly to see what happens next. Doerr's characters paint pictures of people on both side of the conflict in Paris during the Nazi occupation - reminding us how hard it is to be on any side during war when human lives are involved. Even the German characters - some soldiers - some not - surprisingly reveal universal human qualities that evoked some sense of understanding from the reader. Conversation led to locations - then places we had traveled. One book club member is going to Italy this summer - so another shared all sorts of pictures and great information about her visits there! We all gave the book a 2 (out of a 1-5 scale rating with 1 being the highest). |
| 130 | Breakfast at Tiffany's | by | Truman Capote | 2 | In addition to the short story - we also read a play this month because one of our book club members will be an assistant producer for a live version of the play at the end of this month in Canton! "The Dixie Swim Club - " a short play - follows five Southern women whose friendship - spawned while all were members of the college swim team - spans 53 years of annual visits in August to a cottage on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. The play focuses on four of these meetings over 33 of the years and introduces readers/viewers to five fantastic and spunky characters: Sheree - Dinah - Lexie - Vernadette - and Jeri Neal. We thoroughly enjoyed submerging ourselves in the lives of these women and exploring their relationships with each other - with their significant others - and with their children. It was fun to identify characteristics of the women in ourselves and in people around us - but mostly - we loved their interactions and support of one another - despite unpredictable events. We gave this book a 2 out of 5 (1 being the highest) - and we hope to see the play at the end of the month! Anyone interested in joining us for the play? Check out The Milton Players! |
| 129 | Dixie Swim Club | by | by Jessie Jones - Nicholas Hope - and Jamie Wooten | 2 | The Jaycees Book Club met on Thursday evening at the House of Laureen where book guests were treated to hot tea - an array of crackers and cheese - fresh strawberries - veggies and hummus - and the warm environment that spurred two hours of lively and enthusiastic discourse about Truman Capote's classic novella "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and American Southern play "The Dixie Swim Club" by Jessie Jones - Nicholas Hope - and Jamie Wooten. Capote's classic text - set in 1943-1944 in Manhattan's Upper East Side - introduces us to an astutely observant unnamed narrator/writer whose fascination of neighbor Holly Golightly underscores his positive depiction of a woman with ambiguous morals - a complex background - and a unique ability to capture the attention of men of all ages. The book group drew many parallels to F. Scott Fitzgerald's female characters - and while critical of some of Holly's behavior - attitudes and language - which was uncharacteristic of women in the 1040's - we also found ourselves sympathetic and intrigued. We thoroughly enjoyed the way Capote depicts his characters and loved his style - and while the story is only 80 pages - we found ourselves unpacking more and more details that we simply loved! Our conversations also led us to discuss other Capote stories we have read as well as the film version of "Breakfast at Tiffany's - " which several of us had never seen. We gave this book a high rating! |
| 128 | The Red Tent | by | Anita Diamont | 1 | On Thursday - March 5th - Book Club members congregated around a table of great snacks and hot beverages amidst a wood stove warmed room to discuss a range of topics surrounding Anita Diamant's amazing novel "The Red Tent - " Diamant's skillfully interwoven "biblical tale with events and characters of her own invention" (Library Journal). In her amazing first novel - Diamant "re-creates the life of Dinah - daughter of Leah and Jacob - from her birth and happy childhood in Mesopotamia through her years in Canaan and death in Egypt." Although the novel was written ten years ago - Book Club members chose to read the book because a television miniseries has been produced and will be available on dvd this month. We started the meeting by watching a short video clip trailer of the movie and considered how the actresses portraying the main characters reflected the image we had of those characters from reading the book. Book Club members enjoyed Dinah's first person depiction of her life and especially liked the way the story was structured in three parts. Sandy shared some information she had found from an interview with the author in which Diamant shared her inspiration for the story as well as interesting aspects of her life. To satisfy our interest in the biblical depiction of Dinah's story - Lisa pulled a bible off the shelf and read Genesis 34 to the group. Hearing the short tale with so few details made it even more impressive that Diamant created such an intricately woven story rich with characters and action. Patricia shared some fresh titles and summaries for future book title consideration - and The Red Tent received the highest rating of 1 from all members. |
| 127 | Boys on the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics | by | Daniel James Brown | ||
| 126 | Orange Is the New Black | by | Piper Kerman | ||
| 125 | The Kitchen House | by | Kathleen Gissom | 1.5 | The Book Club met at the Houses' house (hehe) on Thursday evening - November 6th to discuss Kathleen Grissom's riveting debut novel "The Kitchen House - " which won several awards. We enjoyed delicious molasses cake baked by Patricia (the recipe is in the novel!!) - tea - hummus and crackers. The novel is set in post-Civil War Virginia. The following summary is from the author's website: "In 1790 - Lavinia - a seven-year-old Irish orphan with no memory of her past - arrives on a tobacco plantation where she is put to work as an indentured servant with the kitchen house slaves. Though she becomes deeply bonded to her new family - Lavinia is also slowly accepted into the world of the big house - where the master is absent and the mistress battles opium addiction. As time passes she finds herself perilously straddling two very different worlds and when loyalties are brought into question - dangerous truths are laid bare and lives are at risk. The Kitchen House is a tragic story of page-turning suspense - exploring the meaning of family - where love and loyalty prevail." The members of the book club enjoyed the book immensely (the rating for the book is a 1.5) and discussed a range of topics related to the book. One of the best parts - they asserted - was that the story was told from two different perspectives - one from the point of view of Lavinia and the other from Belle - the slave who becomes a mother figure. Their stories provide opposing views of shared experiences - both tragic and inspiring - Discussions revolved around slavery - politics - optimism and faith - food - and humanity. The novel covered some of the same issues found in Toni Morrison's "Beloved - " especially about the challenge for male slaves who struggled to protect their families. Patricia made the molasses cake based on the recipe found at the end of the novel where there are also some interview questions with the author - so the conversation also revolved around Grissom's background information. We learned that Grissom purchased a plantation home in Virginia - and that became the inspiration for the story. She is currently working on another novel. |
| 124 | Orphan train | by | Christina Baker-Kleine | 1 | Thanks goes out to Lisa for not only hosting - but for providing the following write up of the meeting: Warm Greetings! Book Club members had a lively discussion about "The Orphan Train" this past Thursday evening while enjoying a delicious array of cheese - fruit and crackers - Teavana peach flavored tea - veggies and dip - and freshly baked pumpkin pie squares! Participants enjoyed Christina Baker Kline's narrative style - which blended two delicious stories of young women displaced: one is a current day foster girl about to "age out " and one is an Irish immigrant who in the late 1920's found herself alone in NY after a tragedy which sent her to the Midwest on an "orphan train." At the end of the novel - there are some questions and answers - so after discussing the characters - the plot - and the narrative style - we found ourselves discussing incidents in history that left children in such situations. It was a great discussion - and we all rated the book the highest rating: 1. |
| 123 | Fault in Our Stars | by | John Green | 2 | |
| 122 | And the Mountains Echoed | by | Khaled Hosseini | 2 | On Thursday - August 7th - the Jaycee Book Club was treated to tantalizing Teavana teas (both hot and cold!) - tasty treats - and thought provoking conversation about Khaled Hosseini's "And the Mountains Echoed" at host Pam Warren's abode in Franklin! The modern day story follows the struggles of three generations of an Afghan family and extended relations/friends who endure economic - political and physical hardship - and the reader journeys with the characters to Kabul - Paris - Greece - and America. Our conversations revolved around the clever narrative style in which Hosseini weaves stories using varied styles - including letters. Additionally - the many tales and characters inspired conversations about medicine - hope - aging - love - materialism - duty - sacrifice - and so much more! The group enjoyed the novel immensely and awarded high marks on the rating scale: all "2". |
| 121 | The Gold Finch | by | Donna Tartt | 2 | Warm greetings! The Jaycees Book Club enjoyed an upbeat and enthusiastic discussion of Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch - " currently still a NYT bestseller! Hostess Dawn Hadley served delicious fruit salad and a variety of teas and soft drinks. Thank you - Dawn! The Book Club enjoyed the novel and gave it a "Very Good" rating of 2 on a 5 point scale with 1 being the highest. "The Goldfinch" follows narrator Theo Decker as he experiences loss and hardship - beginning in New York at the age of 13 and continuing for about 15 years as he encounters vivid and exciting obstacles - characters and places. In addition to parsing parts of the book we enjoyed - simply wanted to discuss - or which needed some clarification - we talked about a range of topics related to the book: art - which actors might play some of the characters - places mentioned in the book - similar books - and so many other topics! |
| 120 | House Rules | by | Jodi Picoult | 3 | |
| 119 | The Interesting's | by | Meg Wolitzer | ||
| 118 | The Language of Flowers | by | 1 | We had a wonderful meeting regarding The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Thanks goes out to Lisa for being a wonderful host - flower theme and all. Lisa also had a collection of books for us to peruse and borrow should we like. Thanks for that offer - Lisa. The discussion bloomed on it's own accord. We had no trouble discussing the many aspects of the book. We seemed to like the voice of the female narrator as she guided us back and forth - in a smooth rhythm - between the present and the past. A past none of had personally experienced - but could well understand and sympathize with due to the details from the author. We discussed how real to life the characters were - from Victoria to Mother Ruby. How interesting and perfectly crafted were the conversations of flowers between our two lovers. The author weaved the story of human characteristics and the unspoken language of the flowers beautifully through out the book. We would recommend this book from the young adult to experienced reader. We rated the book a solid 1. | |
| 117 | Inferno | by | Dan Brown | Sandy and Guy were excellent hosts! Not only did they have snacks for us - but it was done with Italian flare - dishes straight from Italy. They had for our viewing pleasure - pictures from their Italy vacation. Guy was nice enough to put together a show of pictures of the places and sightings that were mentioned in the book. Thank you Sandy and Guy for the wonderful evening. We had a very nice discussion! | |
| 116 | I am Malala | by | Malala Yousafzai | 2 | |
| 115 | Life After Life | by | Kate Atkinson | 2 | |
| 114 | Light in the Ruins | by | Chris Bohjalian | 2 | |
| 113 | Defending Jacob | by | William Landay | ||
| 112 | The Room | by | Emma Donoghue | 1.5 | We all enjoyed the book. |
| 111 | Man in the Woods | by | Scott Spencer | 4 | Unfortunately this book will not make our top ten list - we rated it a 4. But it is now discussed and we can move on to another read. |
| 110 | The Hunger Games | by | Suzanne Collins | 1.75 | We did talk about how The Hunger Games reminded us modern day reality shows like Survivor. We also talked about how having the skills to survive are not always as important as being able to create a story that people will want to watch. We compared that concept to reality shows like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars - -contestants are not only skilled in their craft but also popular with their viewers. We also talked about how the greed and abundance of food - and costumes and the production of the Hunger Games reflected our current popular culture. |
| 109 | The taking | by | James David Landis | ??? | |
| 108 | Cutting for Stone | by | Abraham Verghese | 2.5 | A little slow during the middle but great last section - I wasn't sure if I liked this until the end. |
| 107 | Count of Monte Cristo | by | Alexadre Dumas | 3.5 | Good basic story but a little long in the middle Good basic story but a little long in the middle Good basic story but a little long in the middle Good basic story but a little long in the middle |
| 106 | Look Again | by | Lisa Scottaline | 2.7 | We discussed the book Look Again by Lisa Scottoline. Monica actually had the pleasure of meeting the author in person not long ago. The subject for the book was definitely new and intriguing. What would you do if your child's face was on a flyer for missing children? Parts of the book we felt went a little too far into the "far fetched" category - such as the collection of the DNA. But we all thought it was well written and moved at a quick pace. Overall we rated the book at 2.7 |
| 105 | Drinking Closer to Home | by | Jessica Anya Blau | 3.5 | |
| 104 | The Sparrow | by | Mary Doria Russell | 1.33 | |
| 103 | The Forgotten Garden | by | Kate Morten | 2.375 | We all agreed that the timing of Hugh telling Nell about the family secret certainly was not appropriate. The night was for a celebration - not for divulging secrets kept for almost 20 years. Nell's reaction was a strong one - maybe a little too strong - as it changed the course of her life. Hugh and Lil - made the decision to keep Nell - at first for admirable reasons - then circumstances changed - turning their decision into a selfish one. Eliza was discussed - from her writings of Children stories to her love affair. Speaking of love affairs - we did touch on the different love stories weaved through out the novel. |
| 102 | Her Fearful Symmetry | by | Audrey Niffenegger | 2.5 | |
| 101 | Sarah's Key | by | Tatiana de Rosnay | 2.66 | The last meeting was very small - thanks for KB and Monica for holding down the fort. Monica thanks for hosting this very small meeting. The book - Sarah's Key - was rated a 2.66. Thanks to those who could not attend but sent in their rating. |
| 100 | The Last Leaf: Voices of History's Last-Known Survivors | by | Stuart Lutz | 2.75 | It seemed as though all were in agreement that they were glad that they read the book - The Last Leaf. The nature of the book was so very different than what we have read. Some agreed that they liked the Technical parts the least of all - and most agreed that they liked how the book started with the Confederates. One person mentioned that they could see themselves picking this book up again reading it. Some members even Googled the events to learn a little bit more. There were those that were interested to know if there were people that didn't want to be interviewed. There was good discussion on what would the events in history be that the author would select of events of our lifetime - last survivor of the 9/11 Towers or maybe the last person associated with the Challenger. We rated the book a 2.75. |
| 99 | "The Wave" | by | Todd Strasser | 3.5 | We discussed briefly The Wave and decided it was great for the audience for which it was written - that Tween group. Although it was written for them we still found it to be interesting. Based on an actual event the High School experiment was contagious and soon turn toward the tendency for violence. |
| 98 | The Help | by | Kathryn Stockett | 1.5 | We also had a great discussion on The Help. Everything ranging from the roles of the Mothers in the book to the just desserts given to Holly. This was a look into a life that none of us actually had to live through. We hoped that we would have had Skeeter's point of view on things. We discussed how Mae Mobley would grow up - now that she didn't have her Abeline there to guide her. We agreed that the courage of the Help was incredible - to write their stories and let them be published. Essentially showing the strong character that these women had to posses. Of course the topic of Racism came up - how we see it in our lives today - here in the Northeast as to compare to other areas of the country. |
| 97 | Specimen Days | by | Michael Cunningham | We had a good evening last night at the home of Nancy Williams. Thank you for hosting Nancy. In her usual tradition she tried to have snacks related to the story - happily missing from the menu was the goat head soup and boiled cabbage. Although - being Irish - I do like the boiled cabbage. Walt Whitman was what tied the three sections of the novel Specimen Days together. Albeit sometimes irritating - then other times puzzling to the characters as well as the readers - Michael Cunningham put to good use the poet's prose. Overall we found the section endings to be pessimistic and incomplete. There seemed to be too many unanswered questions. Cunningham weaves the characters from one section to another - along with locations within New York City and of course the porcelain bowl. It was said that this book is one of the reasons that members were glad to be part of the book club - they were reading selections that they normally wouldn't. | |
| 96 | The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | by | Steig Larsson | 1 | WOW! That is one word I have for this book - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This book has it all - mystery - love - sex - intrigue - international business - dysfunctional families - family values - secrets - valuable friendships - murder - rape - incest..... too many to go on. Yes - we did cover just about all of it too in our discussions. Like how the Vangers put the fun in dysfunctional. How Martin was sick - very sick. Was Mikael right to not publish the story? What about our leading lady - Lisbeth Salander? Just as she starts to feel as if she is fitting into society - life throws her another punch! (BTW Beverley we missed you) I can't wait to read the second story - The Girl Who Played with Fire. Although I am sure it will come up in discussion somewhere down the line we will not be reading it as a Book Club selection. We have decided to stay with our guidelines and not to read more than one book from the same Author. |
| 95 | The Leisure Seeker | by | by Michael Zadoorian | 2.1 | We discussed quite a bit - things along the line of art imitating life - the responsibilities to your spouse as you age - relationships between aging parents and children - to name a few. We found the book to be a nice change from things we would normally read. It gave us all a different perspective of getting older. |
| 94 | An Unquiet Mind | by | Kay Redfield Jamison | 4 | Sandy graciously hosted this meeting. Thanks again Sandy for taking it over at the last minute! She - not to be outdone by Nancy and Joe - dressed and played the part of a Therapist and each person got their own therapy session. Kidding - I have no idea what she was wearing I wasn't there. The book - "An Unquiet Mind" by Kay Redfield Jamison - is a memoir delving into the experiences of a woman with maniac depression. The discussion on this did flow very well - was bountiful - and it was described as a "Therapy Session". The book was rated as a 4. |
| 93 | Cleopatra's Daughter | by | Michele Moran | 2.5 | What a great meeting we had. Special thanks go out to our hosts Nancy and Joe. I say special thanks because they went above and beyond the usual efforts for hosting a meeting. They had posted proclamations - created a menu from the book - and even dressed in togas. At one point Nancy was feeding grapes to Joe. 🙂 We have way too much fun at book club! Of course we discussed the book - and discussion went very well. Although Joe really wanted to explore the avenue of what could have happened if there was further revolt against Octavian/Augustus. We rated the book a 2.5. |
| 92 | Homecoming | by | Bernard Schlinik | 4 | This was another book which brought out one of the great aspects of reading with a book club; while each of us found the book a rather slow and sometimes frustrating read - it still inspired a lengthy - lively - and interesting discussion. We talked about the nature and mutability of personal identity; about communication and secrets within families; about the differences in social norms and expectations across ethnic cultures and during peacetime versus war; and about hot rocks. After all of this - we rated the book a solid 4; we didn't love it - didn't hate it - but were satisfied to have read it after borrowing it from the library or purchasing it used. Several folks noted that Schlink's ‚‘The Reader' was an easier read and a good movie which explored several of the same major themes. |
| 91 | The Shadow of the Wind | by | Carlos Ruiz Zafon | 1.25 | The book was definitely a favorite of the club - The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon was rated a 1.25 by the group. Sometimes I think that the prepared questions can stifle the free flowing conversations that we had. Conversation was a little choppy - but still interesting. The twists and turns - how one person was intertwined into another kept you reading and wanting more. We all shared a laugh from the promise of the prostitute to the elderly man.....funny how that came about in the end. |
| 90 | A Christmas Promise | by | Anne Perry | 3.625 | |
| 89 | The Picture of Dorian Gray rating | by | Oscar Wilde | 2.3 | |
| 88 | The River Wife | by | Jonis Agee | ||
| 87 | The Account | by | by Alex Mueck | ||
| 86 | Three Junes | by | Julia Glass | 3.5 | We had a great conversation about what to do with our own remains when the time comes. LOL Three Junes has a way of making you look at your own life. Each one of us rated the book a 3.5. Sandy's snacks were awesome including a delicious 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 cake and also chips with home made salsa |
| 85 | Fight Club | by | Chuck Palahniuk | 4.5 | |
| 84 | The Killer's Wife | by | Bill Floyd | 1.75 | Our last meeting was intimate and filled with good discussion. I think we are finally getting the hang of things - we had some insightful discussion even without a list of questions. We all agreed that we enjoyed the premise of the book - the life of the wife and family of the killer. How it impacts them and how they deal with that impact. What about the victims? Although this is explored in other writings - the author still included this aspect - but with a twist that is completely unexpected. For those of you that haven't had the chance yet to read this book - keep it on your list of books to read. |
| 83 | The Shack | by | William P Young | 2.57 | The ride was long and winding from Mansfield to Nancy's house. The last turn had the sign for "The Shack" letting us know we were on the right road. As we approached the Shack - we noticed that the winter seemed to have vanished from surrounding area. There were flowers growing - as if it were a beautiful spring evening. A warm glow emanated from the windows - welcoming us in. We entered to be greeted by our hosts - Nancy and Joe. Our senses were assaulted by the delicious aroma of fresh baked bread and pies. We were warmly greeted and given refreshments to replenish from our journey and settle into the long conversation ahead of us. There were "greens" for dipping - brownies and ice cream - religious hero decks of cards - lady bugs and religious candles. This was the right place for us all - the right place for the good discussion. See what you all missed out on?! Now I am not going to delve into the discussion - let's just say it was full of questions - comments - learning about each other and some new input. |
| 82 | The Story of Edgar Sawtelle | by | David Wroblewski | ||
| 81 | The Great Gatsby | by | F. Scott Fitzgerald | ||
| 80 | Lamb: The Gospel According To Biff - Christ's Childhood Pal | by | Christopher Moore. | 1.583 | We wrapped up our year with our last meeting on December 17th at KB's humble abode. She was a wonderful host - cider - tea - fish and loaves. It took some of us a while to make the connection to the book that we were discussing; Lamb: The Gospel according to Biff. Christ's Childhood Pal - by Christopher Moore. Those of us that read the book seemed to really enjoy the wit and satire of Christopher Moore. I started the discussion by reading a few of my favorite lines from the book. Others joined in with theirs. |
| 79 | Secret History | by | Donna Tartt. | 3.5 | |
| 78 | Thirteenth Tale | by | Diane Setterfield. | 2 | |
| 77 | 6th Lamentation | by | William Brodrick | 2 | Sandy - Guy and KB all enjoyed the book. KB and Sandy enjoyed the twists and turns the book took and the history and issues it presented (Holocaust). The story kept your attention and the characters were compelling. |
| 76 | Three Cups Of Tea | by | Greg Mortenson - David Oliver Relin | 2.28 | |
| 75 | The Golden Compass | by | Phillip Pullman | 2.25 | |
| 74 | The Last Lecture | by | Randy Pausch | 2 | Not terribly new ideas - but maybe a different format from which we are accustomed. The title is a little misleading - as he isn't lecturing us - he is sharing with us his ideas - trials - failures - successes - life and family. Randy has opened more than his heart to us - he has allowed us to see life in a different way - not to mention the preparation for death. This book is one example of how he is taking advantage of the gift of life - the gift of time - before he leaves this world. I think that he says it best ""Whatever news we get about the sancs - I'm not going to die when we hear it. I won't die the next day - or the day after that - or the day after that. So today - right now - well this is a wonderful day. And I want you to know how much I am enjoying it." I thought about that - and about Jai's smile. I knew then. That's the way the rest of my life would need to be lived." |
| 73 | Last Town On Earth | by | Thomas Mullen | 2.083 | One of the first questions asked for the Last Town on Earth generated a quote that went something like this: "the gauze mask was full of holes - much like the plans they had were full of holes". Very profound. And rightly so - a quick response came to it. "Are you kidding - or are you really serious. How do you come up with things like that. I couldn't have ever come up with something symbolic like that" Let the discussion start. We had a very good discussion - that covered a range of topics. One interesting enough was - which character are you most like - " I'm Flora - organized- run the general store - flirt with the men- dead in the end." |
| 72 | The Namesake | by | By Jhumpa Lahiri | 2.357 | |
| 71 | The Princess Of Burundi | by | Kjell Eriksson | 4 | Many are questioning why this was the winner of the Swedish Crime Academy Award for Best Crime Novel. This is how our meeting started out on the 19th. Apparently - the Swedish don't understand real crime - have had various nationalities of Mobs - sick - ahum - creative minds that produce edge of your seat crime novels and of course the opportunities to donate time to the general public - which in turn drives one to create in one's mind the perfect crimes to do away with what is bothering you. |
| 70 | Dark Tide | by | Stephen Puleo | 2.5 | We had a great meeting last week - thank you Kathy for hosting. The molasses cookies and shoo fly pie were great! Only outdone by the Lunar Eclipse. One of my favorite parts of the discussion was what surprised us the most or the most interesting thing that we learned. "molasses was moving at 35 miles an hour" "family members were literally pulled out of the drowning molasses" "He saved her because he saw her hand sticking out above the molasses as he was floating by" "The threat of foreign terrorism in 1915" "Italians were the most lynched ethnic group other than Blacks in American history" "the prejudice against the Italians" "they could actually get away with building a holding tank in that location" We had some fun talking about if something like that were to exist today. Do you think the kids would be collecting the molasses? The paint inside the tank probably had lead in it. The rodent/pest population due to the leakage. If they can build a bio-chemical laboratory in Boston - why wouldn't they be able to build a molasses holding tank? |
| 69 | Eat - Pray - Love | by | Elizabeth Gilbert | 3.21 | Two of the biggest questions that came up - was - "Have you attained personal financial success?" And "Have you attained personal religious success?". You can imagine that the conversations included much about - how does one measure success - how does society measure success - what is success. We also explored the possibility of how the journey of self discovery could have been different had the main character been male vs. female. If memory serves me right - we even discussed if she was a little bit crazy. I think that we figured out that the answer was no more than the rest of us. 🙂 |
| 68 | The Christmas Train | by | David Baldacci | 3.6 | All agreed that it was a nice quick read - left you feeling good and considered to be the winter equivalent to a beach book. |
| 67 | Water For Elephants | by | Sara Gruen | 2.08 | |
| 66 | Retribution | by | Jilliane Hoffman | 1.4 | Some of us had to "shut the door to my office" to make sure we got to finish the book. We didn't want to be interrupted. This was a book that grabbed you from the beginning and was structured a bit like "Law and Order". We all agreed that we "felt someone was intruding on my book" when the killer's voice becomes the narrator. There is a sequel to the book that many were interested in reading - "Last Witness". The rating that we gave to the book was a 1.4. |
| 65 | Bel Canto | by | Ann Patchett | 2.75 | |
| 64 | Labyrinth | by | Kate Mosse | 2.9 | |
| 63 | Wild Pitch | by | Mike Lupica | 3 | |
| 62 | Cold Sassy Tree | by | Olive Ann Burns | 1.8 | "The recommendation to read it was good - almost redeeming Jen for her recommendation of "4 Blondes." But - nothing can make up for recommending "4 Blondes" ... "Reading this book left me wanting to know more. What happens next in Will's life? Does he get Lightfoot after all? Does he work in the store or strike out on his own? Luckily there is a sequel - "Leaving Cold Sassy." I can't wait to start reading that." |
| 61 | Lord Of The Flies | by | William Golding | 2.5 | |
| 60 | The Catcher In The Rye | by | J.D. Salinger | 5 | |
| 59 | Shutter Island | by | Dennis Lehane | 2 | We all agreed we liked the twists that the story took - the writing style - the foreshadowing (how do you get so much in?) and the ending |
| 58 | The Emperor's Children | by | Claire Messud | 4 | |
| 57 | The Memory Keeper's Daughter | by | Kim Edwards | 3 | |
| 56 | Christmas Box | by | Richard Paul Evans | 3.4 | |
| 55 | Christmas Jars | by | Jason Wright | 2.5 | They both are easy read Christmas stories that can warm the heart - or be considered "Christmas fluff" that is an easy read. We all seemed to agree that we have heard the message that both these books tell many times in our lives. We should count our blessings that we know how to not only receive the message but also be able tobe the messenger. |
| 54 | Poisonwood Bible | by | By Barbara Kingsolver | 2 | I would have to agree with the rating. This was my second time reading the book and still enjoyed it thoroughly. I have to admit it was a little hard to get going but I think that the events and thoughts that are provoked as the story moves on is well worth it. |
| 53 | House Of Sand And Fog | by | Andre Dubus III | 3.75 | We had some great discussion and new insights - even though this wasn't one of the favorites of the club. Joshi - thanks for recommending this book - too bad you weren't there to discuss - get reading 🙂 |
| 52 | Flyboys | by | James Bradley | 1.5 | One of the members is quoted as saying from reading this book they came away with a "profound increase of knowledge". We even had a book club member send in her thoughts on the book and rating - even though she was unable to attend the meeting. I for one am glad that we read this book. It is something that I probably would never have chosen myself - yet I thoroughly enjoyed it! |
| 51 | Freakanomics | by | Steven D. Levitt And Stephen J. Dubner | 3.5 | Again - not among the favorites of the club but the conversations and discussions were definitely interesting. Jen thanks for recommending this one. I probably would never have tried reading it - glad that I did. |
| 50 | Memoirs Of A Geisha | by | Arthur Golden | ||
| 49 | The Piano Tuner | by | Daniel Mason | 3.5 | |
| 48 | Kite Runner | by | Khaled Hosseini | 2 | |
| 47 | Lying Awake | by | Mark Salzman | 3 | |
| 46 | Fahrenheit 451 | by | Ray Bradbury | 4 | |
| 45 | My Sister's Keeper | by | Jodi Picoult | 1 | |
| 44 | Light On Snow | by | Anita Shreve | 3 | |
| 43 | The Lion - The Witch And The Wardrobe | by | C.S. Lewis | 2.5 | |
| 42 | The Tender Bar | by | J.R. Moehringer (Which We Also Forgot To Rate) | 3 | |
| 41 | Absolute Power | by | David Baldacci | 3.5 | |
| 40 | Uncle Tom's Cabin | by | Harriet Beecher Stowe | 2 | |
| 39 | Maximum Bob | by | Elmore Leonard | 4.07 | |
| 38 | Marley & Me: Life And Love With The World's Worst Dog | by | John Grogan | 3 | |
| 37 | Nana: My Grandmother - Anne Gillis | by | Robert Gillis | 3 | Tom: When reading about Nana's death... I had a real hard time... You captured the moment and put us all in your shoes where I was truly hurting for you. It brought back a flood of memories of my mother and grandmother and my being there at the end... The honesty of what your grandmother was really like. Not the apple pie and cheek squeezing type - but the hard working - Scarlet Letter wearing and straight shooting matriarch. That was refreshing (although depressing at times.) I think most people would have glossed over the faults... Laureen: I just want you to know that I cried on the way to work today. I cried from just outside of Sharon - into Boston. You are a wonderful grandson!!!! You have done her a great service during her life and beyond. |
| 36 | And Then There Were None | by | Agatha Christie | 4 | |
| 35 | How I Became Stupid | by | Martin Page | 2 | |
| 34 | The Secret Life Of Bees | by | Sue Monk Kidd | 2.5 | |
| 33 | To Kill A Mockingbird | by | Harper Lee | 2 | |
| 32 | Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy | by | Douglas Adams | 2 or 5 | Group pretty much split down the line by Gender on this - Men loved it - Women not so much (except one female that went to the other side - traitor) |
| 31 | Ball Four | by | Jim Bouton | 4 | |
| 30 | Memory Of Running | by | Ron Mclarty | 3 | |
| 29 | The Good Earth | by | Pearl Buck | 2 | |
| 28 | The Five People You Meet In Heaven | by | Mitch Albom | 2 | |
| 27 | Four Blondes | by | Candace Bushnell | 6 | Kind of pissed that I wasted part of my life reading it |
| 26 | Gideon's Gift | by | Karen Kingsbury | 2 | Cute - fluffy read |
| 25 | The Rule Of Four | by | Ian Caldwell + Dustin Thomason | 4 | |
| 24 | Stiff | by | Mary Roach | 2 | |
| 23 | A Tree Grows In Brooklyn | by | Betty Smith | 3 | |
| 22 | The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time | by | Mark Haddon | 2 | |
| 21 | Devil In The White City | by | Erik Larson | 2 | Historical information was even more interesting than the serial killer |
| 20 | Middlesex | by | Jeffrey Eugenides | 3 | |
| 19 | Silas Marner | by | George Eliot | 3 | |
| 18 | Blindness | by | Jose Saramago | 2 | |
| 17 | The Fourth Hand | by | John Irving | 4 | Not the same level as Cider House Rules or Owen Meaning. |
| 16 | Wicked | by | Gregory Maguire | 3 | |
| 15 | Yokota Officers Club | by | Sarah Bird | 4 | |
| 14 | A Time To Kill | by | John Grisham | 1.5 | |
| 13 | Post Mortem | by | Patricia Cornwell | 2.5 | |
| 12 | Snow Falling On Cedars | by | David Guterson | 2.5 | |
| 11 | Cold Mountain | by | Charles Frazier | 3 | |
| 10 | Life Of Pi | by | Yann Martel | 2 | |
| 9 | The Da Vinci Code | by | Dan Brown | 2 | |
| 8 | Drowning Ruth | by | Christina Schwarz | 3.5 | |
| 7 | Gone For Good | by | Harlan Coben | 2 | |
| 6 | The Lovely Bones | by | Alice Sebold | 1.6 | |
| 5 | Pride And Prejudice | by | Jane Austen | 3 | |
| 4 | Intensity | by | Dean Koontz | 2 | |
| 3 | A Confederacy Of Dunces | by | John Kennedy Toole | 2 or 5 | Group either loved or hated it |
| 2 | A Bend In The Road | by | Nicholas Sparks | 3 | |
| 1 | 1st To Die | by | James Patterson | 3 | Great mystery writer. "This was my first mystery and it made me want to read more of them" |
(Visited 8,079 times, 5 visits today)
