Book Club Gathering #4

Last Saturday, our book club met at Jennifer's home to enjoy a meal together, and to discuss, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. This book has been on bestsellers' lists this past year, and many of us were eager to read it. Since it is set in the South and there were many references to food in the book, we decided that our meal should reflect a Southern meal. We enjoyed pulled pork sandwiches, corn on the cob, collard greens, salad, potato salad, coleslaw, watermelon, homemade corn salsa, chocolate pie, peach pie, and black bottom cupcakes. After some time to catch up on events of the summer, we sat down to a wonderful discussion. Some of our discussion revolved around our favorite parts, how relevant the story is to "today," oppression, relationships between different groups of women, how we treat others, the impact of how things are perceived, and even whether or not men would enjoy the book (since it is about women and their relationships), etc... Everyone in our group agreed that this was a fantastic read- we all highly recommend it! The next book we will be reading is The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. For many of us, reading non-fiction will be a challenge, but it will be good to go outside our comfort zone. I am sure that this book will bring up many points of discussion when we gather together next month!

Book Club Gathering #3

Everyone has different interests and preferences when it comes to books, and so with a book club, it's important to be open-minded to books that we usually might not choose to read on our own. Our club met this past Saturday to discuss our latest read, Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None (also known as Ten Little Niggers, Ten Little Indians, Ten Little Soldiers). Some of us don't typically read books in this genre, but part of the reason why our club selected this book is that it is one of the best-selling books of all-time. Since the book is a mystery, we decided to do a "mystery dinner" (thanks to Lotti for the great suggestion). The book is based on the poem, Ten Little Indians, and so people were given a line from the book and had to bring a dish based on that particular line. We really had no idea what people were going to bring! Fifteen of us met at Karen R.'s house for dinner and discussion. She came up with wonderful centerpieces for the tables involving different items from the book. She also created a "mystery punch" and several wines' labels were hidden for people to try. It was so fun to see what people came up with- the dinner was wonderful! Here are the lines of the poem:

Ten little Indian boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine.
Nine little Indian boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight.
Eight little Indian boys travelling in Devon; One said he'd stay there and then there were seven.
Seven little Indian boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in half and then there were six.
Six little Indian boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one and then there were five.
Five little Indian boys going in for law; One got in Chancery and then there were four.
Four little Indian boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one and then there were three.
Three little Indian boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one and then there were two.
Two Little Indian boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up and then there was one.
One little Indian boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were none.

Here are the dishes that people brought. See if you can figure out which dishes and lines match!There are 11 dishes and 10 lines- there is one extra dish and it might throw you off!

White Capped Mushrooms

Hang Woman Bread

Baked Vegetable Omelet

Bear Claws

Honey-Glazed Salmon

4 kinds of veggies with 4 kinds of hummus

Honey Sesame Wings

Chow Mein w/ Chopsticks

Fruit Salad w/ Devonshire Cream
Coffee Cake
Red Pepper & Artichoke Dip

Of our group, only one person correctly matched all of the lines with the corresponding dish- Shawna!After dinner and the chance to chat with friends, we headed inside to discuss the book. Some people really enjoyed the book, and others didn't care for it. Some loved the "gotcha" and some were disappointed by the lack of character development, and lack of clues for the reader to uncover the mystery. We even delved into topics of guilt, manipulation, justice, and societal influences. For more information about And Then There Were None, click HERE or HERE.

Aside from our book discussion, we also discussed possible choices for upcoming book club reads and have decided on the next few titles for those who will have a little extra time to read this summer. Up next is The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. After that will be The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan, followed by The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.

The Road

I know many people who have read The Road, by Cormac McCarthy and it's also been on the bestseller list in the past, so I thought it'd be worth reading. I got a copy from a friend and started in January... I just finished the book this past weekend! I can't recall a book taking me that long to get through (okay, I take that back- I started The Remains of the Day some time ago and still haven't gotten through half of it).

The Road is set during post-apocalyptic times and is about the journey of a father and son as they travel... well, readers never do find out where it is that they're traveling to. There is so much unsaid in this novel- what causes complete destruction of all that we know Earth to be, what the characters' names are, where are the duo is headed, where all the people are, etc. It sounds intriguing enough, but I simply could not get over the depressing and hopeless scenario that this father-son is in. I will say from a literary standpoint that the author is very creative- I am amazed at how well he describes the utter devastation. There are pages upon pages of vivid details and dark descriptions. Ultimately, what saves this book for me is to read about the relationship between the father and son. His love for his son is so deep and apparent. It did make me think about the depths I would go for the sake of my kids.

I do not regret reading the book, but I don't highly recommend it. I don't even know if I enjoyed the book enough to want to see the movie. However, Jason also read it and really enjoyed it- in fact, it was a fast read for him because he was hooked. I'd be interested to know if there are any women out there who enjoyed this book!

Nefertiti and The Other Boleyn Girl

I love learning about historical times, particularly through fiction. There's something that intrigues me about how society was during those times- the hierarchy, the monarchy, roles of women/men, the importance of having a son, kingdom expansion, religion, culture, etc. Two books that I have really enjoyed are The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory and Nefertiti, by Michelle Moran. I have decided to write about them in one post because they are quite similar.

The Other Boleyn Girl is a fictional account of what it was like to be in court at the time of Henry VIII in England. If you don't recall, one of the things King Henry VIII was known for was having six wives. This book fictionalizes how the Boleyn family orchestrated for Anne Boleyn to become queen (she was the 2nd wife). It was so interesting to read about Henry VIII, Anne's reign, and then of course how she died. The story is inspired by the life of and told from the perspective of Anne's sister, Mary Boleyn. Through this book, I also came to understand why Henry VIII chose to separate from the Church of Rome, a decision that has greatly impacted religion in England. Philippa Gregory is well-known for writing in this particular genre, and she has since written about Henry's other wives. I will admit that I have already read many of them, but loved this one the most.

Nefertiti is also a fictional account of what it was like to be in court, but it was during the time of Pharaoh Amunhotep in Egypt. It is also a story of two sisters and the roles they play as Nefertiti is chosen to marry Amunhotep. Nefertiti is chosen because her family believes that she will be able to temper Amunhotep and help to bring him back to the royal family's religion. Not only does she not bring back Amunhotep, she joins him. Amunhotep has chosen to worship a god that the Egyptians don't recognize, and with Nefertiti his decisions alienate his royal court, and eventually, the army, the clergy, and Egypt's allies. The story is told from the sister, Mutnodjmet's perspective. The power that Nefertiti gains and her manipulating ways greatly impact Egypt during that time. I loved reading about Egyptian culture! Michelle Moran has also written other books set in Egypt. I am looking forward to reading The Heretic Queen next.

These books were quick reads for me- I was so drawn into the time periods that I had trouble putting the books down. (I should mention that even now, I can't remember all of the characters in Nefertiti because of their long Egyptian names- that didn't put me off!). I also found the books to be easy reads. They were pretty straight forward and did not involve critical thinking! If you're looking for a quick and easy read, try either of these titles! And then let me know what you thought of them!

A gorgeous read for Earth Day

True to the goal of this blogsite, I am always looking for good books for me or my kids to read! With summer around the corner, many people are coming out with their lists and picks for "great summer reads". I came across a couple great web pages that have lists of notable books, mostly for children and young adults. However, I usually find that I enjoy reading young adult fiction as well (some of my favorites, Milkweed and Eggs by Jerry Spinelli, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon). Click HERE for 10 Summer Reading Lists for Kids and Teens. Click HERE for the Association for Library Service for Children and their list of 2010 Notable Books. Enjoy perusing their selections!
One book mentioned on the latter list was a present to my daughter at Christmas that has gorgeous illustrations and is very apropos for this post considering tomorrow is Earth Day. Check it out at your local library, or at your local bookstore as a gift for your favorite child for Earth Day tomorrow!

Book Club Gathering #2

Our Book Club met together for the second time last night. The book we've been reading is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

I love that we incorporate a meal with our gathering. It's a nice way to get to know the others without diving right in to the book. This time, we had baked potatoes and a green salad, followed by a Ladyfinger Cake. Since the book wasn't as "controversial" as the last one we read, our discussion was much more easygoing. Everyone there enjoyed reading the book, and some have already recommended it to others. For most of us, this was the first time we've read a book that consists entirely of letters. The main character is named Juliet Ashton, a writer living during World War II. The story is told through different perspectives gained through Juliet's letters to and from various characters. We all agreed that it was hard at the beginning to remember the different characters, but there was a depth to the story because of the many perspectives. A lot of the story takes place on Guernsey Island, located in the Channel Islands between England and France. We enjoyed learning things about World War II interlaced throughout the book. In the end, most of us would describe this book as a love story, or as a woman's journey to understanding herself. For more information about this book, visit its website- click HERE.

Our 3rd book club selection is Agatha Christie's, And Then There Were None.

Gregor the Overlander (The Underland Chronicles)

The Underland Chronicles, by Suzanne Collins, is a series of five books written for older children (but adults will enjoy them also). It starts with Gregor the Overlander, "…a kid from New York City, who falls out of his laundry room into a fantastical subterranean world called the Underland. Accompanied by his toddler sister, Boots, he encounters giant talking creatures-- cockroaches, bats, spiders and rats--and an unusual society of humans. And they’re all expecting him...(Scholastic Press, 2003)"

I came across this series while searching for more books for my son to read. He just finished The Lightening Thief (Percy Jackson), so I went to author Rick Riordan's website to see if he had any recommendations.

I gobbled this series up, as did my then nine- or ten-year-old. (If I'm not familiar with a book, I like to read through it before my kids do.) It has action and adventure, themes of compassion and loyalty, and life-size talking rodents and insects (great for boys!). It also introduces the uninformed about what a prophecy is in a kid-friendly way. This is a great way to parallel how prophecies in the Bible are understood and is a great conversation starter. Advancing toward the last book in the series, Gregor matures in the way that only experiencing pain and suffering can bring.

This series is great for older kids (like eight to ten) or preadolescents, depending on reading comprehension. Child readiness would also depend on how prepared they are for subjects like illness, injury and death. Like I said earlier, adults will also enjoy this as the series is a quick and easy read.

Read this if you like: Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings trilogy, Chronicles of Narnia.