Farewell to Reid

Hi Everyone: What a wonderful last meeting with Reid, although if you are back, Reid, some time for a visit, you can always join us, especially as you are the founding member. You will be really missed. What will your email be in Colorado so we can keep sending you our messages.

Food was lovely, as usual. How about we always do pot luck as a whole meal on a Monday evening can be a lot for all. Maybe the person hosting the meeting can suggest a theme and what that person will be making and we can make food around it. What do you all think?

We had a great discussion about everything under the sun and then the book. Reid pointed out that she could tell when the author died and her niece took over. When the hard back copy came out they did not mention that she had died just that she was ill. What a shame. We didnt actually decide on a book but these were thrown into the pool - not all have authors but can look up. I will add one I have just read which was absolutely fascinating. So...

The Help - Olive Kitridge-Stout (Reid I think I messed this up)

House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper

The Art of Racing in the Rain

The Daily Coyette (sp?) by Shreve Stockton

Haunting Bombay - based in India about a child ghost floating around a large house that once belonged to the British but now owned by a fairly well off India family. Wonderful storyline. Brings out how people in India (then and maybe now) believe in ghosts and are all sorts of gods that they pray to and depend on. It is tragic as well fulfilling. It is a new book and I did get it from (sorry Jayne) Lancaster Library.

By the way the name of Reid's newspaper in Colorado is "The Sky High Daily News" and we look forward to finding out when you will be starting your first day and if it will be online so we can send letters to the editor about your articles etc. Good comments, of course.

Reid has a blog and I am sure she will not mind me listing it. I will definitely try to access it but my record on blogs is down right hopeless and now Daniela is away it is even worse.

www.pierce-armstrong.blogspot.com

Thank you Jayne for hosting the evening. As usual you are a wondereful hostess.

Regards to all

Frances

PS: are we in for our first drought of the season. I have to water my garden for the first time since July and even then David did it.

Upcoming

July 6: Movie Night. Theme: Unrequited Love. Bring a clip to share. Pam's House.

August 3: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Reid's choice.

September 7: free read. potluck

Loving Frank

review by Jane E.

The “gulls” enjoyed a hearty discussion of Loving Frank amidst a backdrop of Frank Lloyd Wright photos provided by Reid via video. Talk centered around who Frank was as a man, who Mamah was, the roles they played for each other, and the great cost involved as both Mamah and Frank attempted to live out their personal philosophies of “living true” while maintaining an intimate relationship. This cost, as we discussed, was not only personal, but also tragically affected a wide circle of those around them: friends, family, coworkers, employees and hangers-on.

While all the readers agreed as to Wright’s genius, we also quickly admitted his shortcomings in the engineering and execution department. The book did a good job of pointing out his lack of follow-through and his unrealistic expectations of being able to build stone walls appearing to float in mid-air. Leagues ahead of his time in the design department, he was sorely lacking in some fundamental engineering and business management skills.

Frank, while espousing a “live in truth” idealism, actually lived in more of a fantasy world. He wore tailor-made pants, for example, while the workers went unpaid. He verbalized great love for Mamah, and others, then often forgot simple details of life that would have demonstrated that great love in practical ways. It seemed that many of the people around him spoiled and indulged him because of his great architectural genius. Indeed, Frank spoiled and indulged himself, excusing erratic behavior in the name of his own talent.

We tried to imagine what it might have been like to be Mamah (or anyone in Frank’s circle). “Loving Frank” came with a cost, it seemed—loss of personal space; putting one’s own identity and dreams aside for the greater good of feeding his genius; abandoning family, friends and others in order to sit in Frank’s circle of influence.

It was hard to understand Mamah and hard to comprehend that she gave up home, husband, children and security to be Frank’s partner. Mamah, we agreed, had established herself as a self-actualized, modern woman of the time. She served on various social committees, appeared on boards and charities, and even had a successful “career” in translation services. Mamah was married to a successful businessman and had children well-cared for (mostly by her sister and nanny). She had money, community standing, and status in her circle. In all respects, she was a success in her own right. Yet the temptation of loving Frank—coupled with probable boredom with her own marriage—led her to leave her home and husband for Frank Lloyd Wright.

What follows is the story of the decisions Mamah makes and the consequences that follow. Mamah seems torn in many directions. She wants to be with Frank, but wants also to continue her own path of independence. She misses her children but chooses to live in Europe, leaving them to the care of others and becoming even more estranged from them. She becomes a protégé and translator to Ellen Key, that famous Swedish feminist, only to find that they disagree on some fundamental philosophies. At every turn, Mamah becomes dissatisfied and disillusioned with the consequences of the choices she makes.

Considering the downhill snowball Mamah’s life was taking, I suppose we should not have been surprised at the shocking, tragic conclusion of this book—which this writer will NOT share, so as not to be a spoiler!

All in all, we had a great discussion of not only Mamah and Frank’s characters, but also of the peripheral characters—Frank’s wife, other members of their family, friends, coworkers and hangers-on. We all seemed to agree that this book was well-written and well researched, especially considering it was a first novel for the author.

Thanks to Carolyn for providing the book as well as delectable dinner delicacies. We chewed on some great food and some great thoughts—as usual!

Women of the silk

review by Amy

In attendance: Jayne M., Jane E., Frances, Carolyn, Pam, and Amy. Thadd (Jayne M's son) was also there, built a great fire, and it was nice to catch up with his plans.

Frances went overboard with an array of Chinese-inspired snacks (fried rice, shrimp rolls, sauces, noodles, etc.), tea and wine. At first everyone said they enjoyed the book, until Jane E. dared to say she didn't. No one disagreed with her opinion that it was hard to keep the characters straight and that the story was oversimplified. "Better to just reread The Good Earth" was her remark, more or less. Much of the story seemed to rely on what was not said between the characters, which revealed a lot about Chinese culture. However, as Pam pointed out, it was a great introduction for someone who knows nothing of China during this time period and what life might have been like for young women there. Frances is ordering the sequel, which might be interesting for the group to read one day.

I think there will be some good follow-up discussion, although few suggestions were offered. In bringing up the lesbian element to the story, and the atmosphere that these girls lived in, and that there didn't seem to be one sympathetic male character (save the brother of Lin [was that Pei's friend's name?]), I recalled a book I read several years ago about an ethnic group in China, near Tibet, that is matrilineal. Sons live with their mother. Daughters can take as many lovers as they like and raise the children themselves along with their sisters and mother. The core of the family is the mother and her home, but I forget all the details about how this system really works. It's called "Leaving Mother Lake: A Girlhood at the End of the World."

Interesting List

Found this list of favorite book club books for December.

1. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
2. The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
5. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
6. Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
7. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
8. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
9. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
10. The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
11. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
12. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
13. The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty
14. We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
15. March by Geraldine Brooks
16. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
17. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
18. Eye Contact by Cammie McGovern
19. Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
20. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
21. The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
22. World Without End by Ken Follett
23. Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
24. A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
25. Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

Blogging, meetings, etc.

Hello book club members!

First of all I would like to thank all our new folks for joining us. I hope you stick with it. You have all been invited to be authors on this blog. You will need to create a blogger account to do that. I would love it if people would help me keep this up with interesting updates on things we discussed and links to articles and movies we reference. Or you can just comment below an entry to keep it interactive. This blog is open to the general public so let's keep it on a first name basis for privacy.

Also - We now have 12 people on the rosters, which is probably the maximum we can handle between the food, the living room and getting a word in edgewise. Let's hold off on inviting anyone new for a little while.

Here is a schedule of upcoming events:(all events start at 7 at Reid's).

March 2: Free Read. Potluck. Topic should relate somehow to Change of Heart. Book, movie, article etc.

April 6: Women of the Silk Frances's Choice. Book host will bring the food and info on the author as well as discussion topics. Please remember to bring a favorite quote or passage to meetings.

May 4: Free Read. Potluck.

June 1: Loving Frank Carolyn's Choice

July 6: Free Read. Potluck. (possible summer break)

August 3: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. Reid's choice.

September 7: free read. potluck

Change of Heart

Here's are some discussion questions for Change of Heart.

This book, while not one of the best from a literary perspective, possibly generated one of the best conversations we've ever had. First of all, TEN women attended this meeting (a record) and so it was a bit challenging to even get a word in edgewise. The topics ranged from discussions on the death penalty to organ donation to gay rights. No topic was left untouched. Frances pointed out, and Reid agreed, that the book too closely followed many of the plot lines in "The Green Mile," almost to the point of seeming stolen at times. We also debated our favorite characters. Some preferred redemption-seeker Michael while others preferred wise-beyond-her-years Claire. Jane E. liked the honest voice of Lucius. Many agreed that June was underdeveloped. And Amy said she was disappointed in the "Chick Lit" relationship between the too-good-to-be-true Doctor and Maggie. We would highly recommend this book to other reading groups because of the nature of the discussions it generated, and we can't wait to see where people go with this for their free read next month. Thanks Kerri for recommending a great book!

The Quality of Life Report

Click Here for a Reading Group Guide on this book.

This was our book for December. (Hoping somebody will write a review here).

Those Who Save Us

Thanks everyone for coming last night. It was fun, though we missed
Reid, Jayne, Amanda, and Elizabeth, and I now have leftover
sachertorte.

I think we all agreed with Elizabeth's remark that Those Who Save Us
was somewhat predictable. To me, I felt that the author took a good
story line and then decided to add what was needed to give it movie
potential. Somehow, inconsistencies, lack of plot development, and
preposterous but happy coincidences are more acceptable in a movie
format. However, despite the inconsistencies, and the lengthy and
overdone sex scenes, it was a good read.

Some of us felt confused that Anna could be so cold to her adult
daughter after having sacrificed everything for her when she was a
child, and showing so much love for her early on. Perhaps this was
understandable since she had to block out her past as a survival
technique, and did not want to dwell on actions that were done in
desperation. In part, this is a theme of the entire book -- trying to
understand how such horrible events could have occurred, how people
felt about being a part of those events -- even condoning the events
-- and how survivors dealt with their past.

Frances posed the interesting possibility that Trudy's German-Jewish
survivor boyfriend Reiner was in fact a Nazi who has been in hiding as
a Jew in Minnesota all these years and that is the reason that he
suddenly must leave for Florida. Hadn't thought of that, but it's a
good possibility.

When I was in Chile, I chatted in Spanish with a blue-eyed elderly man
in the supermarket who had a strong German accent. I later thought --
this man might have been a Nazi!! He seemed so friendly and harmless
and I would have liked to have asked how it was that he had come to
Chile. Many Nazis as well as Jews escaped to South America after the
war, though he might have come for business or family. Anyway, it is
interesting to ponder the question of the "banality of evil" and
wonder what you would have done as a German or a Jew in Nazi Germany.

Pam suggested reading "The Quality of Life Report" by Meghan Daum for
the December meeting -- something light and not war related.

November meeting will be at Reid's.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

Click here for a Reading Group Guide on A Thousand Splendid Suns

Well, we rarely read a book that we don't like, but this one ranks up there among our favorites. We've been floating around the literary Middle East for three months now and we're beginning to feel like experts on the region. We read Kite Runner a few years ago, but we all liked this book better. Here's another example of a guy who can give a pretty good female perspective (See One Thousand White Women) It's a book about hope and sacrifice. We found a lot to talk about with this book, which isn't always the case.

Charlie Wilson's War was recommended as a possible follow-up book or movie.

Up For October: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

Three Cups of Tea

Jayne introduced us to this book after meeting the author at a book fair in Charlottesville last March. (Visit the link for an audio bit from Greg). She had become a groupie at first sight and spoke so warmly of Mortenson that we were compelled to add his book to our reading list. Needless to say, we all fell a little bit in love with Greg after reading his book. His bumbling way of saving the world was endearing and inspiring.

We decided that it's one of the best books we've read so far, which is saying a lot if you look at the list of everything we've read. Mortenson opened a window to another part of the world for us, and in a very readable way. We listen to the news more carefully now, and we understand the region and its people far better than we did before. Amanda even xeroxed the map out of the book to use as a reference. And, most of us were inspired to go on and read more about Pakistan and Afghanistan.

For more information, visit the Three Cups of Tea website.

Frances followed up by reading Lone Survivor, a book she says she couldn't put down. Reid is in the process of reading Ghost Wars, which won the Pulitzer Prize and tells the history of the region from the Soviet Invasion up through 9/11. Amanda started reading Benazir Bhutto's autobiography, which the author finished in the months before she was assassinated. Our August book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, will carry on the theme. The meeting is at Reid's house August 4.

Up Next - Straight Man

William Henry Devereaux Jr., is almost 50 and stuck forever as chair of English at West Central Pennsylvania University. It is April and fear of layoffs--even among the tenured--has reached mock-epic proportions; Hank has yet to receive his department budget and finds himself increasingly offering comments such as "Always understate necrophilia" to his writing students. Then there are his possible prostate problems and the prospect of his father's arrival. Devereaux Sr., "then and now, an academic opportunist," has always been a high-profile professor and a low-profile parent. Hank tries to explain to one class that comedy and tragedy don't go together, but finds the argument "runs contrary to their experience. Indeed it may run contrary to my own." It runs decidedly against Richard Russo's approach in Straight Man, and the result is a hilarious and touching novel.

Meeting Chez Reid at 7 pm April 7

EAT, PRAY, LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert

We had mixed opinions on this book. Frances and Carolyn thought that the narrator was terribly self-centered and had no compassion for her whatsoever. Reid thought she took the first part of the book to rake her ex-husband across the coals. We all found it interesting that she is about to publish a second book on her continued travels - rough life!

But the concept of going on a year's journey around the world (three places with a four-month mission in each place) inspired us all. We've since been discussing where we would go and what we would study in each place. Jayne has a plan that would involve studying different kinds of textiles, perhaps in Nepal, New Zealand and Ireland?). Reid likes the idea of studying the cuisine of different countries (Mexico, Thailand and ??- still thinking on that). Frances wants to go to Israel, but is having a hard time finding somebody who wants to go along with her.

Carolyn recommended an interesting audio book as a follow up about a woman who travels around the world on a bicycle before the turn of the 20th century: Around the World on Two Wheels

Also - Looks like Julia Roberts is making this into a movie

Up Next - Eat, Pray, Love

Plagued with despair after a nasty divorce, the author, in her early 30s, divides a year equally among three dissimilar countries, exploring her competing urges for earthly delights and divine transcendence. First, pleasure: savoring Italy's buffet of delights--the world's best pizza, free-flowing wine and dashing conversation partners--Gilbert consumes la dolce vita as spiritual succor. "I came to Italy pinched and thin," she writes, but soon fills out in waist and soul. Then, prayer and ascetic rigor: seeking communion with the divine at a sacred ashram in India, Gilbert emulates the ways of yogis in grueling hours of meditation, struggling to still her churning mind. Finally, a balancing act in Bali, where Gilbert tries for equipoise "betwixt and between" realms, studies with a merry medicine man and plunges into a charged love affair.

Meeting Chez Frances 7 pm March 3

Meeting!

We met on January 7. Frances, Carolyn, and Amanda came to my house. Reid didn’t attend—something about bringing the baby home from the hospital….

One Thousand White Women proved an interesting jumping off point for exploration. Amanda watched two films, The Long Riders and Jessie James (the old one, not the recently released one) Both deal with the West and the Indian Wars, in the same time frame as OTWW.

Frances found a fascinating volume—Texas Women on the Cattle Trails, edited by Sara R. Massey. The book tells the stories of 16 women who drove cattle during the last half of the 19th century. These women, like the heroine of OTWW, stepped out of conventional roles and took on many hardships. (you left the book at my house, Frances. I’ll bring it to you)

Carolyn read Where the Road Goes by Joanne Greenberg, who, under the name of Hannah Greene, wrote I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. It is a book of diaries and letters and concerns a grandmother who, following a cause, decided to leave her children and grandchildren to walk across the country. Her family objects, tragedy ensues.

My search for plucky women who take a leap into the unknown lead me to Amy Bloom’s recent book Away. Lillian Leyb flees to New York after all her family is killed in a pogrom in Russia. When word comes that her daughter may have survived, she tries to get back home, by crossing the US, traveling through Canada to cross the Bering Strait. Stepping off into the unknown, indeed! Locally, we have the example of Emily Howland, who left her comfortable New England life to found a school for the children of freed slaves in Northumberland County. There’s a book in the library, Miss Emily, by Mildred D. Myers, classified historical fiction.

Book Club, my place

Don't forget, Monday evening, January 7, 7 p.m. at my house.
directions are easy--head for Reid's house but keep going straight to the end of the road, don't turn right toward Reid's. Last drive on the left. There should be enough parking space in front of the house.

Topic: taking off from One Thousand White Women
Have you read a book in diary or letter form you liked? Something on the Wild West? A book that describes someone who makes a total life change? American Indians? US History, post Civil War? Traveling to an unknown place? Chicago? Insane aslyums and involuntary incarceration in same? Seen a movie that relates? This should be interesting!

And maybe Baby Girl Pierce will be available to attend!

JayneTheLibrarian

1000 White Women

This Reading Group Guide offers some interesting discussion points and a Q&A with the author. Sometimes I find that books I didn't love lend themselves to better meetings. Trying to find a review that can critic the historical accuracy of the book.

BTW, Jim Fergus has published another book, The Wild Girl : The Notebooks of Ned Giles, 1932, but, I don't think it did too well because the paperback edition was given a new name and a whole new publisher: Last Apache Girl

1000 White Women

Just a reminder that we will be meeting at my house at 7 pm on Dec 3 to discuss lots and lots of white women. I'm still working on the book - trying to plow my way through. It's a bit slow moving so far, and not the best-written book we've encountered. But I'm hoping it will pick up in the chapters to come.

Also, at the last meeting we discussed using our "free months" to springboard off the previous month's book to a related topic. So next month, for example, we may choose to read books about the Cheyenne or women's journals from that time period, or to watch a movie even. That way we still have some common ground for discussion the following month. That meeting will be January 7th at Jayne's house.

Carolyn said she would like to do Eat, Pray, Love for February 4 at her House.

Other books we added to Our BIG List of good reads are: Ahab's Wife;
Love in the time of Cholera; When the Emperor was Divine; Down River; Blue Highway; The Spellman Files and Where the Road Goes.

Frances gets to choose a book for April.

I can't believe I got signed in-even us old dogs can learn new tricks occasionally. I just finished listening to Roots the 30th Anniversary edition. I got it from the library and will return it tomorrow. Of course I read it 30 years ago when it first came out but the audio version is even better. It was beautifully read by Avery Brooks (I think) and it was very moving. 24 discs?!! It gave a powerful account of black history and slavery-the history buff would surely like it but of course it is very intense. I'm not reading anything right now-library closed today

Monday meeting?

Did you meet on Monday? I'm sorry I missed it! I was sitting on a runway in Minneapolis, hoping to make my connection in Chicago. Luckily, the flight attendant declared Happy Hour in progress and passed out free wine. I made it to Chicago with plenty of time, because the flight to Richmond was also delayed. The reason? Wind in Chicago--hey, that's why they call it The Windy City!! I finally got home to Water House at 4:00a.m. And was in bed by 4:10, accompanied by warm cats.

If I'd been there, I'd have discussed The World Without Us by Alan Weisman. This book discusses what would happen to the world if all the people disappeared in some non-violent way, just walked (flew?) away and left everything as it is. The ecological side of The Rapture, perhaps. Weisman discusses how things fall apart, what would go first. New York City and its subways? Very fast because pumps are constantly pumping out the subways and once they stopped....Bronze sculpture? Lasts a long long time, and Mt. Rushmore, made of granite, practically forever. Not so happy parts of the book discuss other things that would last a long time--PCBs and other nasty contaminents, the aftermath of nuclear reactors left unattended. Another topic covers places on earth that have been undisturbed like the Korean DMZ, Chernobyl and a pristine forest in Poland. Fascinating, accessible science, and very thought provoking.

What's up next for the group?

Jaynethelibrarian