Somerset Book Group

The Paris Wife

2011-09-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished The Paris Wife and it's inspiring me to read some Hemingway. Anyone have a favorite book of his? When we discuss this book in a few months, I think it could be interesting to pair it with Hemingway's own memoir of the same period in his life, A Movable Feast. Thoughts?

Books for the year

2011-08-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

I've posted the books we've chosen to read in the next year at the left, but thought everyone might like the list of all nominated books. In no particular order, here they are:
The Art of Racing in the Rain (much recommended as a read, though generally not thought of as a good discussion book)
Ape House (Abby recommends reading it, and then going to CWU to see the primate facility, and also to the zoo)
Blood, Bones, and Butter (an interesting--though often annoying memoir; okay, that's just my opinion)
Dreams of Joy (Brenda recommends this, but says to first read the prequel, Shanghai Girls).
22 Britannia Road
Left Neglected
Sense and Sensibility
The Book of Scientology (Amy advocates for this one, which has been well-reviewed; she'll give us a report after she's read it)
The Moment (takes place in Berlin prior to fall of the Wall)
Sarah's Key (now a movie with Kirstin Scott Thomas, an actress I love watching!)
The Moonstone
The Social Animal (recommended by Nancy--sounds like a fascinating non-fiction read)
My Korean Deli: Risking it All for a Convenience Store (I recommended this one; may not be a good discussion, but a fun book)
Food Inc.
Freedom

Other recommendations? Did I leave something out?

Little Bee author at Seattle Libraries

2011-04-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Great news. Little Bee is this year's selection for Seattle Reads, and the author is making a number of appearances around town in May. You can get all the information here: http://www.spl.org/audiences/adults/adu-calendar-of-events#/?i=3
Highlights include: Book It Repertory Theatre staged readings of Little Bee at the Greenwood Branch library on Monday, May 2 (7 p.m.), and on Friday (1 p.m.) May 13 at the Central Library. And several meet the author events, including An Evening with Chris Cleave at 7 p.m. Friday, May 13 at the Central Library. He'll also be at other branch libraries on several dates in May.

My May is really packed, so I'm not sure which of these (if any) I'll be able to make it to. But I know how much everyone loved the book, so hopefully someone can make it to one or more of these events.

Book by Diane Ackerman

2011-04-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

Do you remember the Zookeeper's Wife? I loved that book. Incredible story, beautifully told with gorgeous prose. The author, Diane Ackerman, has another book out. It's due out this month; the title is One Hundred Names for Love. I'd love to consider this for our group.

I also noticed the another of my favorite authors, Anna Quindlen, has a book out I haven't read: Every Last One. It's now in paperback. Has anyone read this one?

Blood, Bones and Butter

2011-03-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

This reading suggestion comes from Helen. Amy says that the chef's restaurant, Prune, is "delish." So does this mean if we read the book, we need to make a trip to NYC to check out the restaurant? Wouldn't that be fun.
Blood, Bones and Butter: The Inadvertant Education of a Reluctant Chef by Chef Gabrielle Hamilton of the restaurant Prune in NY.
Here's a review: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/28/AR2011022806916.html

Books to consider for May

2011-03-16T19:42:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone for sending suggestions for May books. So far, here's what we have, with a little bit of info based on comments from those who recommended it:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand; nonfiction, a great read, but sometimes emotionally difficult.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; first book in a YA series that's very popular and well regarded. Here's a link: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1919156,00.html

The Widower's Tale by Julia Glass; Brenda loved this; I've read it as well and pretty much love all that Julia Glass has written.

I'll add Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout which won the Pulitzer in 2009. I found this a really interesting book with a central character who wasn't especially likable, but very interesting (admit it--likable is usually BORING!). I also like this because it's really a collection of short stories and it's been a long time since we've delved into that genre.

Let's plan to make a decision on one of these (or nominate another title) at our April meeting.

Cleopatra!

2011-03-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone is ready for a great discussion next week about Cleopatra. I have to admit, this was a challenging book, but it's stayed with me. A few questions to think about prior to the meeting:
What was your vision or understanding of Cleopatra before reading this book, and how did it change (or did it?).
Do you think Cleopatra has been accurately portrayed?
Are you swayed by the author's argument that so much of our view of Cleopatra was shaped by the Roman's who had a specific agenda?
Was there anything about the era that Cleopatra lived in that was surprising?
This book has received tremendously positive reviews. Do you think it's an exceptional biography?

Okay--hope everyone persisted with this book. Looking forward to a fun discussion. Extra points to anyone who comes dressed as the Queen of Egypt!

A view of our culture

2011-01-24T09:06:00.000-08:00

Two books to think about for next year: The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (Amy Chua), and Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches From the Front Lines of the New Girlie Girl Culture (Peggy Orenstein).
I haven't read either, but I think both could yield interesting discussions into our culture as it pertains to the evolution of parenting (is the first a pendulum swing to finally balance out the era of self-esteem parenting), and how we raise girls.
Thoughts?

Best books of 2010

2010-12-17T19:40:00.000-08:00

The New York Times recently named the 10 best books of 2010. Here's the list.
Fiction:
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
The New Yorker Stories by Ann Beattie
Room by Emma Donoghue
Selected Stories by William Trevor
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Nonfiction:
Apollo's Angels by Jennifer Homans
Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Finishing the Hat by Stephen Sondheim
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

More books to consider

2010-11-08T06:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more titles for our "maybe" list:
Cleopatra: A Life (has been getting great reviews)
Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro. This is a collection of short stories, and the author is a master of this genre. We haven't read a short story collection in a very long time.

We Need to Talk About Kevin

2010-11-08T06:26:00.000-08:00

I'm looking forward to our discussion. I'd love to talk about whether or not this should be considered a feminist book, whether someone who does not have children can authentically represent the mother experience, whether a child can really be evil from birth, how effective the writer's language is in telling the story. Your questions?

Follow up on our meeting

2010-10-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

I'm still embarrassed about getting last night's location wrong!
Thanks for hosting a wonderful meeting Helen--it's going to be hard for anyone to top the sushi in a boat (not that we are into the competition thing!).
Here's a list of suggested books for the remainder of the year:

The Black Swan
One Thousand White Women (hmmmm--another book with One Thousand in the title--a theme ala Amy's bee thing?)
Packing for Mars
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
Born to Run
Peeping Culture

I don't know anything about these, so if someone wants to pipe in with a summary, please do!

On another note, I mentioned that Vancouver is hosting a readers and writers event--here's the link to the website. Looks pretty cool. http://www.writersfest.bc.ca/

Our 2010-2011 List

2010-08-19T21:40:00.001-07:00

Wonderful meeting on Tuesday. Our reading list to date is at left. I love the passion everyone brings to the nominating process. I'm looking forward to reading everything on the list, as well as some of the others that were nominated.

Books that got at least three votes, but didn't quite make it on the reading list include: Born to Run, Lacuna, The Corrections, and Freedom.

Eat, Pray, Love

2010-08-05T20:50:00.001-07:00

I finally broke down and read this book--I've been avoiding jumping on the Liz Gilbert bandwagon. I succumbed when I realized I would want to see the movie, out next week I think. The book is almost always better than the movie, right? In this case, I don't think that bodes well for the movie.

Ivan Doig reading

2010-06-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Ivan Doig, author of the Whistling Season, which we read a couple of years ago, has a new book out called "Work Song." Haven't read it yet, but I'm putting it on my list. He's going to do readings at a number of local bookstores. As a fan of Whistling Season, I'd love to hear him. He's going to be at the Third Place Books at Lake Forest Park at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 29. Other appearances include July 7 at the U Village Barnes and Noble; July 10 at Elliott Bay, and July 29 at Parkplace Books in Kirkland. There are others, but these look like the most convenient. They were all listed in Sunday's Seattle Times.

Summer books

2010-06-26T08:15:00.000-07:00

Be sure to put August 17 on your calendar for our summer meeting, location, menu, etc. TBD.
I hope everyone is enjoying some great summer reading (one thing about our lousy weather--it does encourage curling up with a good book). I'm starting a list of books I've recently enjoyed. Send me your new faves so I can include them too.

Does Elegance of the Hedgehog translate into a movie?

2010-05-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

What do you think? Is there good movie potential in this book? Five of us went to see Hedgehog, as the movie has been titled.

I'm definitely not speaking for the group--please weigh in with your own opinion. I give it a thumbs up, but do wonder how it would resonate for anyone who hasn't read the book.

Of the characters, I especially loved Paloma who--instead of writing her thoughts as she did in the book--spoke them as she videotaped her family members and others in the building. Smart decision by the director. I loved the way she spoke in hushed tones, and was always pushing her glasses up on her head,tangling them in her hair.

Kakuro was spot-on, and Renee appropriately cranky and then later transformed by a haircut, new dress and the attention of someone who actually sees her.

The translation of Renee's position, from "concierge" to "janitor" seemed a little harsh, but maybe it makes the point better for American audiences. Concierge has a charming sound to it; janitor--well, not so much.

If you liked or loved this book, I think seeing the movie will further enhance your pleasure. As we talked about it afterward at Toulouse Petite (a fun and lively restaurant--where Janet's lovely daughter stopped to chat with us, and then sent over dessert, on the house), I wondered what other books have successfully been turned into movies. So often, the movie is a disappointment--the book is almost always better. My vote at the moment goes to Revolutionary Road which was in theaters over the 2008 holidays. Yes, the story doesn't have a happy ending, but it had a lot of emotional depth. And I thought the movie faithfully and beautifully translated the book. Other favorites?

More books to consider

2010-01-16T12:42:00.000-08:00

Here are books (with descriptions) that have been suggested for our May/June meetings.

1) The Story of a Marriage by Andrew Sean Greer
Beautiful writing full of surprises. I couldn't believe lightening could strike twice since I adored Max Tivoli, but this was completely novel and very memorable.

2)A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
A passionate page-turner that made me ignore my entire family to read it. It was over too fast. I have been raving about this one for awhile and am thrilled it's just hitting some bestseller lists...well-deserved!

3) This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
Hilarious! And yet poignant. His descriptions of this dysfunctional family are so dead-on, they seem like they must be true and not fiction. You will laugh out loud and be completely touched at the same time

4) American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
I hesitated on this one even after hearing her speak at The Kidney Foundation Luncheon and I really wasn't wowed by PREP. I finally grabbed the paperback and surprised myself not only by really liking it but thinking it was well-written to boot. Forget the back-story and just enjoy.
Oh hell...let's do one more for good luck....

5)The Adderall Diaries by Stephen Elliot
The only non-fiction book here (and I read a lot of nonfiction!) I picked it up at a Rumpus event in December and became totally immersed in the intertwining of Elliot's personal life and his local trial coverage. BTW-if you run Adderall through spellcheck, one of the options is "Derail" and that seemed apropos somehow. I finished it quickly but found myself thinking about it for awhile.

6. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
That Abraham Verghese is a doctor and a writer is already established; the miracle of this novel is how organically the two are entwined. I’ve not read a novel wherein medicine, the practice of it, is made as germane to the storytelling process, to the overall narrative, as the author manages to make it happen here. The medical detail is stunning, but it never overwhelms the humane and narrative aspects of this moving and ambitious novel. This is a first-person narration where the first-person voice appears to disappear, but never entirely; only in the beginning are we aware that the voice addressing us is speaking from the womb! And what terrific characters--even the most minor players are given a full history. There is also a sense of great foreboding; by the midpoint of the story, one dreads what will further befall these characters. The foreshadowing is present in the chapter titles, too--‘The School of Suffering’ not least among them! Cutting for Stone is a remarkable achievement.- Review by John Irving

Let the Classics Discussion Begin

2010-01-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

With our February book scheduled to be a classic, we need to get some discussion going over which one to read. Abby has suggested using page count as a filter--which given time constraints--is a good one. So far, here are the classics on our list. I've pulled descriptions and page counts from Amazon

Death Comes to the Archbishop by Willa Cather 138 pages:

The novel is based on the lives of Bishop Jean Baptiste L'Amy and his vicar Father Joseph Machebeut and is considered emblematic of the author's moral and spiritual concerns. Death Comes for the Archbishop traces the friendship and adventures of Bishop Jean Latour and vicar Father Joseph Vaillant as they organize the new Roman Catholic diocese of New Mexico. Latour is patrician, intellectual, introverted; Vaillant, practical, outgoing, sanguine. Friends since their childhood in France, the clerics triumph over corrupt Spanish priests, natural adversity, and the indifference of the Hopi and Navajo to establish their church and build a cathedral in the wilderness. The novel, essentially a study of character, explores Latour's inner conflicts and his relationship with the land, which through the author's powerful description becomes an imposing character in its own right.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, 366 pages:
Despite its lascivious reputation, the pleasures of Lolita are as much intellectual as erogenous. It is a love story with the power to raise both chuckles and eyebrows. Humbert Humbert is a European intellectual adrift in America, haunted by memories of a lost adolescent love. When he meets his ideal nymphet in the shape of 12-year-old Dolores Haze, he constructs an elaborate plot to seduce her, but first he must get rid of her mother. In spite of his diabolical wit, reality proves to be more slippery than Humbert's feverish fantasies, and Lolita refuses to conform to his image of the perfect lover.

Love in a Cold Climate: Nancy Mitford, 249 pages:
In one of the wittiest novels of them all, Nancy Mitford casts a finely gauged net to capture perfectly the foibles and fancies of the English upper class. Set in the privileged world of the county house party and the London season, the story of coldly beautiful Polly Hampton and her aristocratic parents is a comedy of English manners between the wars by one of the most individual, beguiling and creative users of the language.

On the Road by Jack Kerouac, 320 pages:
On The Road, the most famous of Jack Kerouac's works, is not only the soul of the Beat movement and literature, but one of the most important novels of the century. Like nearly all of Kerouac's writing, On The Road is thinly fictionalized autobiography, filled with a cast made of Kerouac's real life friends, lovers, and fellow travelers. Narrated by Sal Paradise, one of Kerouac's alter-egos, On the Road is a cross-country bohemian odyssey that not only influenced writing in the years since its 1957 publication but penetrated into the deepest levels of American thought and culture.

Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons, 256 pages:
A hilarious parody of D. H. Lawrence and Thomas Hardy’s earthy, melodramatic novels, the deliriously entertaining Cold Comfort Farm is "very probably the funniest book ever written" (The Sunday Times). (book was written in the 1930s)

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde, 272 pages:
Since its first publication in 1890, Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, has remained the subject of critical controversy. Acclaimed by some as an instructive moral tale, it has been denounced by others for its implicit immorality. After having his portrait painted, Dorian Gray is captivated by his own beauty. Tempted by his world-weary friend, decadent friend Lord Henry Wotton, he wished to stay young forever and pledges his very soul to keep his good looks. As Dorian's slide into crime and cruelty progresses, he stays magically youthful, while his beautiful portrait changes, revealing the hideous corruption of moral decay. Set in fin-de-siécle London, the novel traces a path from the studio of painter Basil Howard to the opium dens of the East End.

Kate Chopin, The Awakening, 102 pages
A classic (newer than what we may be thinking, but classic nonetheless). A woman abandons her husband and children to search for love and self understanding.

A Day in the Life of Ivan D,by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, and Eric Bogosian, 208 pages
Solzhenitsyn's first book, this economical, relentless novel is one of the most forceful artistic indictments of political oppression in the Stalin-era Soviet Union. The simply told story of a typical, grueling day of the titular character's life in a labor camp in Siberia, is a modern classic of Russian literature and quickly cemented Solzhenitsyn's international reputation upon publication in 1962.

War & Peace, 1296 pages
Anna Karanenina, 846 pages
The Brothers Karamazov, 1072 pages

Sometimes a Great Notion, Ken Kesey, 736 pages
The Stamper family are loggers, rough, hard men and women who care for no ones opinion but their own. They are fighting the union, the neighbours, the town, their whole world. Their motto of "never give an inch" was the title of the film of the book. Into the strike-breaking start of the book comes the dope-smoking, college educated half brother, the prodigal son. His arrival triggers a tidal wave of events that spiral gradually out of control until everything that has been permanent before is now threatened.

The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane, 80 pages
Although never having seen battle Stephen Crane vividly depicts the grueling intensity of the American Civil War. The story revolves around Henry Fleming, a member of the 304th regiment of the Union Army. At the start of the novel Henry is eager to show his patriotism in battle but when faced with the savagery of death he flees the frontline. Throughout the novel Henry struggles with his courage in the face of the horror of war. "The Red Badge of Courage" is a classic modern depiction of the psychological turmoil of war from the perspective of an ordinary soldier.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, 464 pages

Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte, 400 pages

Walden, Henry David Thoreau, 186 pages

The Prince by Nicole Machiavelli,108 pages
About about a trestise giving the absolute ruler practical advice on ways to maintain a strong central government.

Great Help discussion

2009-11-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

We had such a great discussion last night. Abby--thanks for sharing your personal connection to this book, and for digging up the civil rights timeline.
Did everyone get their questions answered? If you want to continue the discussion, post a comment!
I know it seems incongruous, but I've put a photo of Berlin at the top of this blog post, sent by Lisa who was in Berlin to see the events around the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Looking forward to hearing more about this, hopefully at our next meeting.
Helen, we missed you, but appreciate your thoughtfulness in staying home when you weren't feeling well.
I'm looking forward to next month and The Girls from Ames. Stay tuned for more info on that evening.

The Help

2009-11-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading The Help--and can't wait to discuss it. Per our leader Abby's request, please come prepared with at least one or two questions that you really want to talk about. We'll put them in a bowl (or hat, or whatever), and pull them out to discuss.
See you next Monday.

Book group wisdom from Nancy Pearl

2009-10-19T20:36:00.001-07:00

Who wouldn't want to hear what our local reading guru has to say about book groups? Lynne recently heard Nancy speak, and shared her notes:

Best books for book groups:

Those than have an ambiguous ending (such as In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien, the Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, The Little Friend by Donna Sartt, Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood and In The Woods by Tana French)
Books where the main character has to make a difficult decision
Unhappy books

Great ways to start a book discussion (hint, not by asking "how did you like the book?")

Why did the author choose to write this book?
What would you do if you were in the place of the main character?
What's the significance of the title?
What would the book be like if told from a different point of view?

She suggests that everyone come to book group with one question they really want to discuss, and all the questions get put into a bowl--presumably, they are then plucked out and discussed!

Reasons people stop coming to book groups:

There is a monopolizer
It's too hard for people to jump in and join the discussion

A few more thoughts: Nancy is a big fan of mini-series; I'm interpreting a bit here, but I think she means that she's a fan of tackling several books on the same topic, or perhaps by the same author
She suggests book groups look at different genres, such as science fiction (The Dispossessed, The Hungry Games, Ender's Game) and graphic novels (Mouse, The Photographer, Persepolis)

Finally--love this quote from Nancy: "Book clubs will change the world and make it a better place."

Who knew that's what we were doing??

Classic Reads

2009-09-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

I have been busy reading Twilight, loaned to me by an co-worker, very excited that our book group has included this. So here's the question we can ponder when we discuss it--will Twilight make it into the annals of classic children's (or teen) literature?
But, what I really want to know--what should we consider reading as our classic pick. It's a little bit overwhelming to consider one book from among the classics. At our last meeting, I was pretty vocal about what I don't want to read: anything by Joseph Conrad, Thomas Hardy or James Joyce. But that's pretty unfair of me (maybe some of you are huge fans of these authors!). I do think we need to narrow this in some way: say, by gender (female versus male author), century (19th, 20th), length (!). Other ideas?
We could choose from some arbitrary list of "best classics" like this one: http://www.essortment.com/all/literaturenotes_rdlb.htm

I'm going to throw out a few titles I'm interested in:
The Great Gatsby
Of Human Bondage
Madame Bovary
Rabbit, Run

Jess Walter Event - October 28th

2009-09-12T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Just found out that Jess Walter, author of Citizen Vince (our October pick) will be reading at Elliott Bay on October 28th. He's out promoting his latest "The Financial Lives of Poets". Could be a fun book club evening.

Book list posted

2009-09-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

I've just posted our 2009-2010 book list. Let me know if any corrections are needed. And be thinking about a "classic" to read in February. I'll put the one I've been wanting to reread out there --Of Human Bondage. Other ideas?

Book events coming up

2009-08-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm very excited--Seattle's book fest died a few years ago, but the idea is being revived by a group in Columbia City. They've already lined up about 50 authors and 80 exhibitors for a new Seattle Book Festival. It'll be Oct. 24-25 at the Columbia City Events Center. It's going to be just a block from the new light rail stop in Columbia City--so here's a chance to try out the light rail, and get your fill of books. Save the date.

And--here's another event. You might have missed Paul Farmer's visit to Seattle earlier this summer. But Tracy Kidder, who wrote the book about Farmer, Mountains Beyond Mountains, is coming to Seattle this fall. He's going to talk about his newest book,
Strength in What Remains. He'll be here Oct. 12, 7:30 at Town Hall. Tickets are a very modest $5.

Helen's Picks

2009-08-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (The Tennis Partner)
I read this in March when it first came out. It's a big, beautiful epic of a book that spans 50 years in the lives of twins born in an Ethiopian hospital mission to a nun, who dies in childbirth. Everyone I have handed this book off to has loved it. The blurb on the back cover says it all “This book has everything: nuns, conjoined twins, civil war, and medicine.” (Conjoined twins that are separated at birth...so nothing at all like "The Girls").

Citizen Vince by Jess Walter (Every Knee Shall Bow)
I attended a "good summer reads" event earlier this summer and Nancy Pearl raved about this book. (An older book so maybe the group has already read) It's about a life time criminal who is put in the witness protection program and moved from NY to Spokane into a new life as a donut maker. The book begins as 'Vince' becomes aware of the 1980 election between Carter & Regan. Described as a comic, political, crime novel and was an Edgar winner. I told Nancy I was pitching this to my book club and was there anything else I needed to know? Her response:

Nancy Pearl

Just that it's one of the few mystery/thriller that really make for a good discussion - like why it's called Citizen Vince, how it ended, whether Vince is admirable or not - all that kind of thing. Also, there's an interview I did with him a few years ago - if you google seattle channel jess walter you could watch it. As I recall, he made some very interesting points. Let me know if they select it. Also - maybe he's one of the authors who will talk to book clubs? I don't know if that's the case or not. but wouldn't it be fun? He's great.

Two other books I would like to throw out for consideration:

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (Amy & Isabelle)- linked short stories revolving around a retired Maine school teacher (Olive). Described as a novel set in stories. (won this year's Pulitzer)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - set before the Civil Rights movement, it's the stories of the black ladies' maids that every white family had working for them in the south. Two friends have read and raved about it.

Notes on books from Lynne

2009-06-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

I'm half way through a book that I am thoroughly enjoying, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. It has received lots of attention lately. Has anyone else read it? This fictional story takes place in 1946 and is composed of letters, including those between an English writer and a number of inhabitants of the island of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. This island was occupied by the Germans in WWII and through the letters we learn about their lives during the occupation. (The Literary Society was formed on the spot when friends were caught outside after curfew.) From what I've read and what I've been told, I think this would be a great September book. It's also a little more uplifting than the other two I suggested (SEE BELOW!).

The Last Town on Earth, by Thomas Mullen (fiction) is about a small northwest Washington lumber town during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic. It was a very interesting read, given the recent Swine Flu scare. It was also interesting to read about early attempts to unionize during WWI.

Little Bee, by Chris Cleave is also a fiction book about a 16 year old Nigerian orphan, Little Bee, who meets a British couple in a brutal experience on the beach in Nigeria and later reconnects with them in London. I found the descriptions of the treatment of illegal aliens very interesting and the contrasts Little Bee sees between the two worlds are fascinating.

Books for September

2009-06-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

I've added books to the list at left, for consideration for September. Please send me your vote via email ASAP!

Paul Farmer at UW

2009-05-23T20:48:00.000-07:00

I heard yesterday that Paul Farmer, subject of the book by Tracy Kidder, Mountains Beyond Mountains (which we read--was it last year?) will be speaking at the University of Washington on June 18. I'm sure you remember his book. I'm planning on going (it's from 6-7:30 p.m.). If anyone wants to join me, let me know.

2009-05-19T06:01:00.000-07:00

We had a great discussion about Edgar Sawtelle (and Lynne, thanks for the Hamlet briefing--definitely helped). We moved our next meeting date to June 15 and Amy has volunteered to host (and also lead). Looking forward to seeing everyone then.
I've heard from Brenda who says this book, "Brief Encouonters with Che Guevara" by Ben Fountain was one her group read this year, and was her fav. It's a collection of short stories. I've added it to our list for consideration.

Prep work for Edgar Sawtelle

2009-05-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

Some of you might know that our next book, The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, was an Oprah Book Club selection. As a result, there is a lot of info about the book at the Oprah Web site. Check out this link for a Q&A with the author, video webcast and more.

Confederacy of Dunces

2009-05-01T21:49:00.001-07:00

I think a few of you were around when we read and discusssed A Confederacy of Dunces. It was a very memorable discussion for me, since I went into it really disliking the book--and came away thinking it was one of the most subversively funny books around.
If anyone else is a fan, you might want to note that Book It Repretory Theatre is going to stage it as part of the theater's 20th anniversary season. It's scheduled for Sept. 16-Oct. 11.

2009-04-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Ann for hosting our meeting last night. We missed the expertise of Amy and Lisa when questions arose about the role of the Haggadah in Jewish life. Is it simply a prayer book or something more?
Abby will be hosting our May meeting (note the change) and we will discuss the Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Start reading now--it's a long book, though it goes quickly.

Distracted!

2009-04-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was at Seattle University yesterday, talking to some students--and also had a chance to talk with a professor there, who teaches a class on solitude. I am fascinated by the topic, and she recommended a book--which she uses in this class, called "Distracted." I've got this book on order from the library, but here's a review of it from Publisher's Weekly:

In this richly detailed and passionately argued book, Jackson (What's Happening to Home?) warns that modern society's inability to focus heralds an impending Dark Age—an era historically characterized by the decline of a civilization amid abundance and technological advancement. Jackson posits that our near-religious allegiance to a constant state of motion and addiction to multitasking are eroding our capacity for deep, sustained, perceptive attention—the building block of intimacy, wisdom and cultural progress and stunting society's ability to comprehend what's relevant and permanent. The author provides a lively historical survey of attention, drawing upon philosophy, the impact of scientific innovations and her own experiences to investigate the possible genetic and psychological roots of distraction. While Jackson cites modern virtual life (the social network Facebook and online interactive game Second Life), her research is largely mired in the previous century, and she draws weak parallels between romance via telegraph and online dating, and supernatural spiritualism and a newfound desire to reconnect. Despite the detours (a cultural history of the fork?), Jackson has produced a well-rounded and well-researched account of the travails facing an ADD society and how to reinvigorate a renaissance of attention. (June) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

It may be something good for us to consider for next year. I am finding myself so distracted by new media--I'm very interested in what this author has to say (and wish I was a Seattle U student, so I could take that class on solitude!)

New book by Jose Saramago

2009-03-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Jose Saramago's new book, Death with Interuptions. Years ago, we read Blindness. I find his writing style very interesting, with minimal punctuation and run-on sentences. This book was much lighter in spirit than his other books that I've read. I often found myself chuckling at his humor. The story takes place in an unnamed country where all deaths stop at the beginning of a new year. People celebrate until they gradually realize the implications of having no death. We see the reactions of the church, morticians, politicians, mafia and others. We also learn much about the being "death" as she orchestrates this whole experience. I really liked this book and would love to talk with anyone else who reads it. It also might be a great discussion book for next year.

2009-03-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks Paula for hosting and thank you Abby for the delicious treats. I enjoyed the discusion, even though I didn't love the book. Thank you all for embracing me into your group. I look forward to next month. Linda

Good Discussion!

2009-03-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

I just returned home after our meeting. Here's my quick summary: The Other was not universally loved, but it made for a good discussion. If you weren't able to attend our meeting, but read this book, please do weigh in with a comment.
Just a note on another book we previously read: Epithet for a Peach, which is one of my favorites. I recently found out that the author, David Masumoto, has a new book coming out in August, called Wisdom of the Last Farmer.

2009-03-16T20:38:00.001-07:00

Thanks for coming everyone

Meeting Postponed

2009-03-09T19:05:00.001-07:00

For anyone who hasn't gotten the message: we are postponing our meeting until next week, due to snow! Can't wait for spring to arrive.

New meeting place

2009-03-03T19:39:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has noted that we have a new meeting place for our March meeting. We'll be at Paula's house. Ann is leader and our book is The Other by David Guterson.

The Year of Magical Thinking

2009-03-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

I read this book by Joan Didion some time ago. It deals with a difficult topic--the author's coming to terms with life after the sudden death of her husband. The two were unusually close--both writers who spent a good part of each day in each other's company. It's one of those books that's stayed with me for a long time.
The book was made into a play and ran in New York for some time--with the lead played by Vanessa Redgrave (how can you go wrong there!). It's now coming to Seattle. It will be produced by Intiman Theater with a run from August 21-September 20. I think it would be fun to read this book and see the play together. Any takers?

2009-02-17T19:29:00.000-08:00

I've been reading a great book--Broken for You by Seattle author Stephanie Kallos. It's definitely fun to have a lot of local references sprinkled throughout the book (as in our next discussion book, The Other), but I also love the characters. This is the author's first book, but I think she's got at least one more out. Is anyone else familiar with her work?

Nancy Pearl Gives ' A Mercy' A Big Thumbs Up

2009-02-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

This week Nancy Pearl reviews and recommends 'A Mercy'. This is note worthy since Nancy admits she has never been a big Toni Morrison fan. You can read her review but I prefer listening to it (just double click on where it says listen). http://kuow.org/program.php?current=NP

2009-02-10T20:41:00.000-08:00

The Zookeeper's Wife was incredibly moving, as we learned the horrors of the occupation of Warsaw and the bravery of so many as they outfoxed the Nazis. I loved this book. The author,Diane Ackerman and Antonina, the zookeeper's wife, both poetic writers, recounted many comic tales of the furry animals and memorable people to add some levity and magic as in this passage about Antonina's son, Rys and his pet arctic hare named "Wicek." At first, whenever Rys sat down to dinner, Wicek draped himself along Rys' foot like one furry black slipper, instinctively crouching as hares do in arctic windstorms. Then, as Wicek grew large and muscular, he bounced around the house like hard rubber, and at meals hopped from the floor straight onto Rys' lap, thrust his front paws onto the table, and grabbed Rys' food. Naturally vegetarian, arctic hares may resort to tree bark and pinecones at times, but Wicek preferred stealing a horse cutlet or slice of beef, and bouncing away to devour it in a shadowy corner.

As the Nazis' killings increased, Antonina noted in her diary, Why do animals sometimes subdue their predatory ways in only a few months, while humans, despite centuries of refinement, can quickly grow more savage than any beast?

Zookeeper

2009-02-10T18:15:00.000-08:00

Thanks for hosting a great discussion last night. I really loved this book, largely, I think, because of the beautiful prose, and the almost magical elements of the story.
For those of you who weren't at the meeting--I'd love to hear your thoughts on this book.
Our next book is The Other by David Guterson. I heard Guterson recently when he interviewed John Updike during the late author's lecture here in Seattle. It was interesting to see him, but I found him fairly ineffective as an interviewer. He had a set of questions and never veered from them, or followed up on points made by Updike. Of course, that means nothing as far as his writing goes.

Linked to BookBound

2009-02-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

I've just linked my site Bookbound to our group's blog. If you visit, scroll down and view under links. If we decide in the future to keep this blog for private use only, I can easily do the same.

"A Poem", by Paula Maratea Fuld

2009-02-10T07:52:00.000-08:00

City Trucks

City trucks go thundering
along a city road.
Big trucks, little trucks
many as they go.
With peaches, pears and apples
and other fruits galore.
Delivering to the country folk
and many, many more.

Howdy

2009-02-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

Just saying HI from Kansas. Tonight is the Wilson Estates book group meeting. We read "So Brave, Young, and Handsome" by Leif Enger. We enjoyed Peace Like a River so much we decided to read this one. It's not nearly as good, IMO.

Weather here has been amazing. We've had record highs around 70 degrees on and off for the past couple of weeks. It's windy, think Wizard of Oz windy. It's dry as can be with wild fires a real threat.

Enjoy your club. I'll enjoy reading this blog.

2009-02-09T22:39:00.001-08:00

It was great to see everyone tonight. Checking to see if I can post without a gmail account.

Books for May and June

2009-02-09T22:10:00.001-08:00

I've added our May and June books to the list. We still need a leader for June.

Hope you all had a good discussion

2009-02-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

Sorry I missed the meeting tonight. It seems to be the story of my life.

I think the trick to posting is exactly what Virginia suspects - you need a gmail account.

Meeting on Feb. 9

2009-02-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

Just a reminder about our meeting tomorrow night at Lynne's house. Looking forward to seeing everyone.
I haven't read any books that aren't on our list--I've been busy going to see all the Oscar-nominated films. I saw The Reader yesterday, based on a story by Bernard Schlink. This is just one of several nominated films based on books. We've read books and then gone to see the movie. I'm wondering if we should think about doing things the other way--reading the books that some of these movies are based on. What do you think?

About Wally Lamb

2009-02-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

This note comes via Abby:
A woman from my novel writing class shared this with me today. It’s short and inspirational.
And if you happen to love Wally Lamb’s work like I do, really fun to see what he looks like!

http://www.authormagazine.org/interviews/Lamb_Interview.mov

Aud's In!

2009-01-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

I received my invitation to join and since I already have a blogger account, all I had to do was enter my password to get access to post. As Helen pointed out, blogging is addicting....once you create one yourself you'll think of many reasons to start others.
Audrey

The vote

2009-01-27T06:32:00.000-08:00

Not everyone has voted yet for our last two books of the year, but we are getting pretty overwhelming support for The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Mercy is coming in second with only one vote for two others (Saving Fish and Testimony).
Somehow, I missed the whole Oprah endorsement of Edgar Sawtelle. My sister read it with her book group, but I won't prejudice you either way by sharing her view of it.

A new blog

2009-01-25T15:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome book group members. I've created a blog so we can all view our schedule, and comment on books we are reading as well as those we'd like to read. You can see our schedule, and also the books that we've been talking about for the rest of the year.
I'd love to have this blog be a dialogue about other books we're reading (aside from the official ones we've chosen), postings about author readings, or anything else you would like to share. I know some of you also have friends who follow our book group. Please invite them to view the blog as well.
I think this blog will also be a great way to keep in touch with our members who have moved away (Laurie and Brenda, I'm thinking of you!).

Right now, I am struggling with finding reading time. As some of you may know, my office location has changed, and I have switched from being a bus-rider to a car commuter. I'm not at all happy about this for a number of reasons (filling my gas tank, adding to the traffic congestion, increasing my carbon footprint), but I admit what I am missing most is my reading time. For the last five years--at least--I have done most of my reading on the bus. I could always judge whether a book was really good, by whether I almost missed my stop because I was so engrossed, or whether the ride seemed interminably long because my book just wasn't very engaging. Though it will mean a pretty long ride and walk, I think I will again become a bus rider as soon as the weather improves a bit.

Tell me what you think of the blog--and please let me know what else you'd like to see me add.