February 2013 - Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake

In February, we had the pleasure to meet at and tour Jacqi's beautiful new home.  For those of you who were unable to attend, let me assure you that it was a treat to see their lovely, innovative and spacious home. We couldn't be more happy for the Zikmund family!


After the house tour, we settled in to discuss Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen.  The book description on Amazon says. . .

In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead—and celebrating it all—as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more. As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. Using her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages, Quindlen talks about Marriage: “A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn’t believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation.” Girlfriends: “Ask any woman how she makes it through the day, and she may mention her calendar, her to-do lists, her babysitter. But if you push her on how she really makes it through her day, she will mention her girlfriends. Sometimes I will see a photo of an actress in an unflattering dress or a blouse too young for her or with a heavy-handed makeup job, and I mutter, ‘She must not have any girlfriends.’ ” Stuff: “Here’s what it comes down to, really: there is now so much stuff in my head, so many years, so many memories, that it’s taken the place of primacy away from the things in the bedrooms, on the porch. My doctor says that, contrary to conventional wisdom, she doesn’t believe our memories flag because of a drop in estrogen but because of how crowded it is in the drawers of our minds. Between the stuff at work and the stuff at home, the appointments and the news and the gossip and the rest, the past and the present and the plans for the future, the filing cabinets in our heads are not only full, they’re overflowing.” Our bodies: “I’ve finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come. It’s like a car, and while I like a red convertible or even a Bentley as well as the next person, what I really need are four tires and an engine.”  Parenting: “Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us.” From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen’s status as America’s laureate of real life.

Ratings for the book averaged about 6-7 and the discussion was good as most or all of us could relate to at least some of the content of Quindlen's memoir.  We topped the evening off with a delicious choice of desserts.  Thank you Jacqi for inviting us to your home.

The next book is The Last Hunger Season by Roger Thurow.  We are still looking for a member to host for the month of March.

January 2013 - Call the Midwife

Our group met on the last day of January at the home of Marcia Rost to discuss Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth.  Ratings from the book were high, with several giving it a 9 and a few in the 5-6 range.  The club members and Glenn had some good conversation about the book, covering such questions as how many children in a family is 'ideal', modern medicine vs. natural childbirth and the ethical implications of taking away children from mothers deemed as 'unfit'.

Call the Midwife is described by Publisher's Weekly:

From Publishers Weekly

Worth gained her midwife training in the 1950s among an Anglican order of nuns dedicated to ensuring safer childbirth for the poor living amid the Docklands slums on the East End of London. Her engaging memoir retraces those early years caring for the indigent and unfortunate during the pinched postwar era in London, when health care was nearly nonexistent, antibiotics brand-new, sanitary facilities rare, contraception unreliable and families with 13 or more children the norm. Working alongside the trained nurses and midwives of St. Raymund Nonnatus (a pseudonym she's given the place), Worth made frequent visits to the tenements that housed the dock workers and their families, often in the dead of night on her bicycle. Her well-polished anecdotes are teeming with character detail of some of the more memorable nurses she worked with, such as the six-foot-two Camilla Fortescue-Cholmeley-Browne, called Chummy, who renounced her genteel upbringing to become a nurse, or the dotty old Sister Monica Joan, who fancied cakes immoderately. Patients included Molly, only 19 and already trapped in poverty and degradation with several children and an abusive husband; Mrs. Conchita Warren, who was delivering her 24th baby; or the birdlike vagrant, Mrs. Jenkins, whose children were taken away from her when she entered the workhouse. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

November/December 2012 - A Winter Dream

Our Book Club met on November 30 at the Alexander House to discuss "A Winter Dream" by Richard Paul Evans, combined with our annual holiday social.  The average ratings for the book were in the 4-6 range.  The group agreed that it was quick and easy to read and enjoyed by most, but some commented that it was unbelievable in parts and also a little predictable.  In the interest of full disclosure, there wasn't a lot of time spent in discussion after rating the book.  Instead, our conversations turned to family updates, other books, movies, the weather (of course) and generally just enjoying the warmth of friendships, good laughter and a nice meal.  We also had the opportunity to welcome a new member to the group as Rochelle Kovarik joined us for the first time.  Welcome Shelly!

The book club selection for January is "Call the Midwife" by Jennifer Worth.  The location and date are to be determined.

Wishing all my book clubs friends a Blessed Holiday Season.  There are many more good books to read in 2013!

October 2012 - Buddha in the Attic

About half of the group gathered on this chilly October evening at Geri's home.  The topic of our discussion was The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka.  Most of the ratings were in the range of 5-7.  Most all of the group was interested in the topic, but some were challenged by the author's choice to tell the book from the point of view of a large group of women. 

A book description from Amazon.com is as follows:

A gorgeous novel by the celebrated author of When the Emperor Was Divine that tells the story of a group of young women brought from Japan to San Francisco as “picture brides” nearly a century ago. In eight unforgettable sections, The Buddha in the Attic traces the extraordinary lives of these women, from their arduous journeys by boat, to their arrival in San Francisco and their tremulous first nights as new wives; from their experiences raising children who would later reject their culture and language, to the deracinating arrival of war. Once again, Julie Otsuka has written a spellbinding novel about identity and loyalty, and what it means to be an American in uncertain times.

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It was interesting to see that these women had many varying experiences, but made it harder to grasp on to the emotional connection of a single character.  The group was saddened by the plights of most of these women and the way they were treated by their husbands and Americans.  As usual, the discussion questions were a springboard for other interesting topics and discussion.  It was an enjoyable evening of good discussion.  Thank you Geri!

We made some plans for future books and discussed having a get-together around the holidays.  See the sidebar for upcoming books and future announcements for details on a Christmas social.

September 2012 - Gone Girl

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn was the assigned read for September 2012.  A small group gathered at Marsha Johnson's home to discuss the book, which Amazon.com describes as:

Marriage can be a real killer.
One of the most critically acclaimed suspense writers of our time, New York Times bestseller Gillian Flynn takes that statement to its darkest place in this unputdownable masterpiece about a marriage gone terribly, terribly wrong. The Chicago Tribune proclaimed that her work “draws you in and keeps you reading with the force of a pure but nasty addiction.” Gone Girl’s toxic mix of sharp-edged wit and deliciously chilling prose creates a nerve-fraying thriller that confounds you at every turn.
On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?
As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?
With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

Those members present rated the book between a 4 and a 6.  The discussion about the book was interesting, with not much sympathy felt for either of the lead characters.  The author's use of both character's narrating the story every other chapter added to the suspense of the story.

After discussions, the group enjoyed Marsha's talented work in a tasty cake with raspberry topping.

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August 2012 - The Tiger's Wife

In August, our club read The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht.  The group had mixed opinions about this selection, with a majority of the members falling short on their appraisal due to the questions left unanswered throughout the novel.

 

A little bit about the book:

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. The sometimes crushing power of myth, story, and memory is explored in the brilliant debut of Obreht, the youngest of the New Yorker's 20-under-40. Natalia Stefanovi, a doctor living (and, in between suspensions, practicing) in an unnamed country that's a ringer for Obreht's native Croatia, crosses the border in search of answers about the death of her beloved grandfather, who raised her on tales from the village he grew up in, and where, following German bombardment in 1941, a tiger escaped from the zoo in a nearby city and befriended a mysterious deaf-mute woman. The evolving story of the tiger's wife, as the deaf-mute becomes known, forms one of three strands that sustain the novel, the other two being Natalia's efforts to care for orphans and a wayward family who, to lift a curse, are searching for the bones of a long-dead relative; and several of her grandfather's stories about Gavran Gailé, the deathless man, whose appearances coincide with catastrophe and who may hold the key to all the stories that ensnare Natalia. Obreht is an expert at depicting history through aftermath, people through the love they inspire, and place through the stories that endure; the reflected world she creates is both immediately recognizable and a legend in its own right. Obreht is talented far beyond her years, and her unsentimental faith in language, dream, and memory is a pleasure. (Mar.)

 

As usual, we had an enjoyable evening discussing the book at Vicki's home, even if it wasn't a "must read" book selection for everyone.  That is the joy of book club....you don't have to enjoy the book to enjoy the company and conversation!



July 2012 - A Town Like Alice

Discussion for the July book club selection was held with a smaller group at the Alexander House on July 30th.  We enjoyed whiskey steaks and salad bar as we discussed this classic title by Nevil Shute.  Overall, the group enjoyed the book.  Ratings for the book mostly ranged between 7 and 8.  Surprisingly, the one who had read the book before and had recommended it had the lowest rating. 

Amazon.com's quick synopsis of the book reads: 

A TOWN LIKE ALICE tells of a young woman who miraculously survived a Japanese "death march" in World War II, and of an Australian soldier, also a prisoner of war, who offered to help her--even at the cost of his life....

Members discussed the likable characters in Jean, Joe and Noel.  We talked about the similarities between Jean and some of the other ordinary people who rise above difficult situations to bring out the best for them and others. 

The only criticisms expressed about the book was the plausibility of some of the circumstances, particularly with Jean in Australia. 

In general, the group agreed that it was a nice novel featuring likeable characters, ordinary people rising to extraordinary challenges, the humanity of people even during the ugliness of war and a good old fashioned romance.

Several new books were chosen, including The Tiger's Wife for August.  Vicki is hoping to host the group later in August.  Additional details to follow.