The three suggestions for our summer read are listed below. Please vote via the blog. Voting closes Thursday July 12, 5pm. Let's schedule our next meeting for Thursday August 23rd.
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
http://www.amazon.com/Stardust-Neil-Gaiman/dp/0061142026/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1568824-9454249?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183748975&sr=1-1
Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
http://www.amazon.com/Seven-Years-Flamingo-Modern-Classics/dp/0006550924/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1568824-9454249?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183749059&sr=1-1
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
http://www.amazon.com/Devil-White-City-Madness-Changed/dp/0375725601/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1568824-9454249?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183749119&sr=1-1
Friday, July 6, 2007
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
OK, so not many of us read the book. We're blaming the Berkeley Public Library for that. A few did manage to get a copy.
Animal Dreams is the story of Codi Noline, a failed medical student, who returns home to care for her ailing father and ends up coming to terms with a seemingly unhappy childhood. Mix in a little bit of environmental catastophe and a civil war just for flavour. Did we like it? I suppose consensus was that the book was a pleasant story, nicely written. The plot was in many ways predictable and the "tall, dark, handsome hero" was just a little bit "too perfect". Really now, what man gives up the his favourite pastime when his girlfriend says "eeewww, icky"? And what woman spends that much time obsessing about the ugly shoes she wore as a child? Does this really qualify as introspection? self-examination? personal growth? It must, if only to qualify for such a happily-ever-after ending.
So, Animal Dreams is a pleasant summer read. Those who have read other Barbara Kingsolver novels suggested we might appreciate her other books more, Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer in particular.
Animal Dreams is the story of Codi Noline, a failed medical student, who returns home to care for her ailing father and ends up coming to terms with a seemingly unhappy childhood. Mix in a little bit of environmental catastophe and a civil war just for flavour. Did we like it? I suppose consensus was that the book was a pleasant story, nicely written. The plot was in many ways predictable and the "tall, dark, handsome hero" was just a little bit "too perfect". Really now, what man gives up the his favourite pastime when his girlfriend says "eeewww, icky"? And what woman spends that much time obsessing about the ugly shoes she wore as a child? Does this really qualify as introspection? self-examination? personal growth? It must, if only to qualify for such a happily-ever-after ending.
So, Animal Dreams is a pleasant summer read. Those who have read other Barbara Kingsolver novels suggested we might appreciate her other books more, Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer in particular.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Run-off Election
I think that those of us who finished "The Shadow of the Wind" really liked it. It was a mystery with no big suprises, and a made for movie ending....one that many of us were disappointed in. An climax we've seen so many times on the screen doesn't belong in a novel driven by the charaters' clear love of books. Perhaps the disappointment was due to the fact that the lives of Julian and Daniel paralleled one another so closely. The latter's happily-ever-after ending seemed anti-climactic after Julian's prolonged suffering.
Many of the male characters were intriguing, but the women were ultimately cardboard cut-outs. They seemed simply targets of Daniel's teen-aged hormones, mother-figures, or simply vehicles to progress the plot.
So, with these complaints, why did we keep reading? Because there was a mystery? a romance? some really wonderful writing? I'd love to see your comments posted to this page.
What will we read next? Since we're going to need a run-off, let's plan on finishing the first round by Friday, 5pm and the second Monday at 5pm. The nominees, in no particular order are:
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
http://www.amazon.com/Plainsong-Kent-Haruf/dp/0375705856/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179427925&sr=8-2
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer
http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Coffee-Elsewhere-ZZ-Packer/dp/1841955566/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179427965&sr=1-1
Remainder by Tom McCarthy
http://www.amazon.com/Remainder-Tom-Mccarthy/dp/0307278352/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179427994&sr=1-1
Good News: A Novel by Edward Abbey
http://www.amazon.com/Good-News-Novel-Edward-Abbey/dp/0452265657/ref=pd_bbs_3/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179428022&sr=1-3
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
http://www.amazon.com/Prodigal-Summer-Novel-Barbara-Kingsolver/dp/0060959037/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179428059&sr=1-1
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Dreams-Barbara-Kingsolver/dp/1568496923/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179428104&sr=1-1
Hullabalo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/102-3211001-0607323?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=guava+orchard&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/102-3211001-0607323?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=guava+orchard&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/102-3211001-0607323?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=guava+orchard&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
Many of the male characters were intriguing, but the women were ultimately cardboard cut-outs. They seemed simply targets of Daniel's teen-aged hormones, mother-figures, or simply vehicles to progress the plot.
So, with these complaints, why did we keep reading? Because there was a mystery? a romance? some really wonderful writing? I'd love to see your comments posted to this page.
What will we read next? Since we're going to need a run-off, let's plan on finishing the first round by Friday, 5pm and the second Monday at 5pm. The nominees, in no particular order are:
Plainsong by Kent Haruf
http://www.amazon.com/Plainsong-Kent-Haruf/dp/0375705856/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179427925&sr=8-2
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer
http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Coffee-Elsewhere-ZZ-Packer/dp/1841955566/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179427965&sr=1-1
Remainder by Tom McCarthy
http://www.amazon.com/Remainder-Tom-Mccarthy/dp/0307278352/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179427994&sr=1-1
Good News: A Novel by Edward Abbey
http://www.amazon.com/Good-News-Novel-Edward-Abbey/dp/0452265657/ref=pd_bbs_3/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179428022&sr=1-3
Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
http://www.amazon.com/Prodigal-Summer-Novel-Barbara-Kingsolver/dp/0060959037/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179428059&sr=1-1
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Dreams-Barbara-Kingsolver/dp/1568496923/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179428104&sr=1-1
Hullabalo in the Guava Orchard by Kiran Desai
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/102-3211001-0607323?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=guava+orchard&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/102-3211001-0607323?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=guava+orchard&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/102-3211001-0607323?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=guava+orchard&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
Monday, April 9, 2007
Vote for April's Read
We didn't get too many suggestions for our next book. So far, our choices are
Fiction:
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/0143034901/ref=s9_asin_image_1/102-3211001-0607323?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=14AS0J4HH2M9S4WH41SM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846
Non Fiction:
Stiff by Mary Roach
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141007451/sr=1-1/qid=1176146257/ref=olp_product_details/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&qid=1176146257&sr=1-1&seller=
Any other ideas? Let me know and we'll add them to the list. Otherwise, polls close Wednesday at noon.
Fiction:
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/0143034901/ref=s9_asin_image_1/102-3211001-0607323?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=14AS0J4HH2M9S4WH41SM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846
Non Fiction:
Stiff by Mary Roach
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141007451/sr=1-1/qid=1176146257/ref=olp_product_details/102-3211001-0607323?ie=UTF8&qid=1176146257&sr=1-1&seller=
Any other ideas? Let me know and we'll add them to the list. Otherwise, polls close Wednesday at noon.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Jane Eyre it is!!!
Get your hankies ready. Or your feminist ire. Either way, I'm sure you'll have a strong opinion on the merits of Mr. Rochester when we meet on April 5.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)