April 2023 Bookclub News

 

Julie's List

 

Dear Bookclub,

Unable to attend our discussion of Taylor Jenkins Reid's  "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo", Julie has kindly reported on the evening:

 

 

“Our fearsome foursome had fun discussing The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, while dining on bbq chicken salads and berry pie, at Julie’s on 4/20/2023.  The book was thought to be fair to middling’ and did not engage us or get us thinking about it after reading. 

 

Still, we talked about our favorite husband of Evelyn (Harry, because they were friends) and the theme “Hiding the Truth as Means of Survival” in relation to the relationships of Evelyn and Celia, and Harry and his partner(s).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karen had provided a UT article about the author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, and we were surprised that “Seven Husbands” was written in 2017, well before "Malibu Rising" and "Daisy Jones and the Six" (both on best sellers’ lists.  The article indicated that both Taylor and her husband were surprised that Tik Tok had started a buzz about “Seven Husbands” that drove IT up the charts!  Taylor is interested in getting more of her books into films or series such as Daisy Jones and… Coming soon… “Seven Husbands”!  Question for YOU dear reader… Who do you think will be cast to play Evelyn and Cecilia St. James?

Lastly, we voted (and counted emailed votes) on the upcoming selection.

Please enjoy the full article mentioned above:

 

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/nation-world/story/2023-02-28/taylor-jenkins-reid-writes-her-own-hollywood-success-story

 

 

Julie's suggestions for an upcoming read:

 

"Someone Else’s Shoes" Jo Jo Moyes

 

"Hello Beautiful"  Ann Napolitano

 

"Remarkably Bright Creatures"  Shelby Van Pelt *chosen

 

Up next:

 

Happy reading,

LK

 

 

March 2023 Bookclub News

 

Nothing Mad; only Merry

Dear Bookclub,

"Mad Honey" drew our readers in with a compelling, smooth-as-honey Picoult-style tale and suddenly, the attraction turned wild as page-turning accelerated into madness. Unable to hold back discussion, our group buzzed throughout the entire evening. Sue, not yet having finished the book, graciously agreed to our request to reveal the mystery so that we could freely drone on. Jodi Picoult and Finne Boylan's  collaboration inspired an intense, animated discussion, enjoyed amid a beehive of activity at Lori's kitchen counters. We turned over and over our experiences reading the book and unraveling the intricacies presented. 

Best read without any prior knowledge or research, I was shocked that I hadn't a clue about the book. I'd dismissed the duo of authors as being yet another of the trending, seemingly marketing-related collaborative creations and having no idea of Finne Boylan, I was primed for the roller coaster. Ultimately, there is nothing trite about the book and the authors' notes at the end, along with statements by both Picoult and Boylan online, describe a deep and unique collaboration. With mutual respect, the authors created a well-developed tale using rich characters, relatable emotions and timely debate, all the while educating the readers. 

Back to the kitchen! A honey-laden cheese board provided the backdrop to a very enticing "Bee's knees" cocktail (recipe at the end of book), expertly crafted by Lori. Also expertly crafted, Lori had paper strips for each member: fascinating bee-fact on one side and discussion question on the other. We truly appreciated Lori, our queen bee of the evening!

Mad honey is a hallucinogenic honey from the mountains of Nepal, where bees feed on a specific species of rhododendrons.  I promise the video embedded in this article will be the BEST 20 minutes you spend on any media today!!! Big screen option and prepare to be amazed by the gorgeous surroundings and the cultural aspects.

https://bigthink.com/health/mad-honey/ 

 

If you are so inclined, the medicinal real deal is available from Nepal, the fancy option with your name carved on the box:

https://bestmadhoney.com/

 

Lori's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" Alfred Lansing

"The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise"  Colleen Oakley

"The Sweet Spot" Amy Poepell *chosen

Up Next:

 

Happy reading,

LK

February 2023 Bookclub News

 

Dear Bookclub,

Eschewing the memoir's setting, February's discussion of Javier Zamora's "Solito" enveloped our members in Kim's delightful environs. She reports:

 "We had 6 at Bookclub on Thursday to discuss Solito. We had a lively discussion on immigration, discrimination and about the book in general. Everyone seemed to enjoy the book particularly as it was delivered through young Javier’s voice. We actually spent the majority of the evening in discussion! That tends to happen with small number of attendees.  We had Mexican buffet and margaritas to follow with the Latin theme."

Javier Zamora in El Salvador, not long before he began the arduous migratory journey he recalls in “Solito.”

(Javier Zamora)*

Zamora's recounting of his childhood journey from El Salvador to Arizona at the age of 9, contrasts heavily to the coming-of-age stories found in our bookclub's reading history. I was intrigued by his detailed recollections and perhaps a bit skeptical. How could he recount such detail? Therapy. Working to overcome the shame and confusion, Zamora told of his techniques in an interview with the L.A. Times:

"Dreaming, therapy, Reiki would give me an image, a detail or a sentence or name. I would try to capture it by writing about it. That was one day, one paragraph. A typical day, I would have therapy in the morning, then I would try to write because it would unlock a memory.

I was also reading “The Body Keeps the Score,” and that made me honor all the aches that writing this book caused me. I would wake up and the left side of my body would ache. There’s a section in the book where my left arm hurts, and I don’t know why, and in the next paragraph, I realize that Chino [one of the immigrants he met] has been pulling my left hand the entire time. To this day, when I’m stressed, the left side of my body is always where the knots begin."

For more of this interview, please enjoy:

*https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2022-09-15/javier-zamora-on-his-harrowing-journey-from-el-salvador-to-the-u-s-at-age

 Zamora, poet, activist, reads the audible version of "Solita". Upon first reading my hardcover copy, the peppering of Spanish, the  ¿'s, the Latin ambience charmed.  Switching to audible as I chopped vegetables, I was star-struck. It was him. The little boy is now speaking. After quite a bit, the awe subsided and a mild annoyance at the cadence set in. The halting language and clipped sentences bobbed like the boat described. A thought popped into my head that this was the reading of a poet, pausing with the very intentional style, emphasizing well-chosen words. I was calmed with the concept although I don't know if this observation is true.. just my idea.

 

 

https://poets.org/poem/let-me-try-again

 

Kim's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Foster" Claire Keegan

"The Circus Train" Amita Parikh

"The Marraige Portrait" Maggie O'Farrell *chosen

 

Up next:

 

 Happy reading,

LK

 

December 2022/January 2023 Bookclub News

 

Blessed animals

 

Dear Bookclub,

 December's holiday celebration at Chuck and Diane's, festive and blissfully over the top, shot us through and through with the spirit of the season. Pockets of discussion of Susan Orleans' "On Animals" popped up as did tableaus of a pigeon, a chicken, a dog, a tiger, a whale, a dog, a mule, a panda, an ox, and a lion. Did you notice?

  

 

 

 For throwback-author-interview, please enjoy this piece on Susan Orlean from the always entertaining Garden & Gun magazine:

 https://gardenandgun.com/articles/always-get-the-name-of-the-dog/

 

 

I know we have moved on - a lot! - since it is now February, but if you'd like a bit more, here is another good read about the author and her storytelling strategies from the Los Angeles Review of Books:

 

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/storyteller-strategist-a-conversation-with-susan-orlean/ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our group collected books for Pomerado Elementary School's library, thanks to Diane's efforts in finding a worthy recipient of our holiday literary giving. 

Our books...

 

Emily Comstock, Library Media Technician, Pomerado Elementary with the books!

 

 

 

Discussed next at the January meeting, so graciously hosted by Kate:

I was not able to attend. Kate has also graciously provided an account of the evening:

"We had a lengthy discussion about a lot of aspects of the book: cast of characters and their disparate life circumstances, the plot both violent and reflective, the setting of the 1940’s, the setting of an African safari, etc. It was a unanimous conclusion that this book was a departure from the author’s usual focused style and, in general, not as remarkable, but still enjoyable.

A lot of time was spent discussing amazing safari experiences. Those of us who have been on safaris couldn’t have been more encouraging for others to do the same."

 

 

 Kate's selections for an upcoming read:

 

"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" Gabrielle Zevin

"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo"  Taylor Jenkins Reid  *chosen

"The Heart's Invisible Furies" John Boyne

Up next:

 

 

 

Happy reading in 2023!

LK

November 2022 Bookclub News

 

 

Lexington

Dear Bookclub

Geraldine Brooks' "Horse" championed our hearts, upholding our endearment to the author, widening our views on the history of horse racing, the art world and race.... just to name a few themes. Immensely readable, the historic novel kept discussion at a pace to last the evening, already heightened by Karen's Famous Celebration of Autumn. We loved it all!

Brooks' use of the familiar jockeying between past and present (sorry, these horsey references keep cropping up), skillfully kept us page turning. The current events reflected in the novel were shocking and did not sit well with all. But such thought-provoking can be appreciated for making us think and feel. Another level of understanding may perhaps be reached by learning about the author's personal history. Her husband, Tony Horwitz, also a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, tragically collapsed while walking in Washington D.C., dying of a sudden cardiac arrest while on his 2019 book tour for "Spying on the South". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Susan Heilbron, Washington Post)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please read more about Tony: 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tony-horwitz-pultizer-prize-winning-journalist-and-author-dies-at-60/2019/05/28/adc64b72-8157-11e9-bce7-40b4105f7ca0_story.html

And a fabulous interview with Terry Gross:

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/29/727874768/fresh-air-remembers-pulitzer-prize-winning-writer-tony-horwitz

I promise you will really enjoy this!!!!

 

Karen's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Mad Honey" Jodi Picoult *chosen

"When We had Wings" Susan Meisner

"Lessons in Chemistry" Bonnie Garmus

 

Up next:

 

Happy reading,

LK

October 2022 Bookclub News

 

The Morgan Library & Museum

 Dear Bookclub,

Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray's "The Personal Librarian" spanned the readers' ideal realm, offering fact, fiction and fantasy. The trifecta for a balanced bookclub proved to satisfy our group's discussion.

Bella de Costa Greene by Clarence White, 1911

 

 

From Lynne:

We had a good turnout with seven members attending.

We enjoyed a beautiful Fall evening on the patio and filled up on Chicken Kabobs, Rice and Greek Salad as we discussed The Personal Librarian.

Overall most enjoyed the book but were conflicted on Belle’s choice to live a life as a white woman.  Would she have achieved what she did if her race was revealed?  Would JP Morgan have hired her?  Was Belle’s decision to hide her identity contradictory to her father’s fight for Civil Rights and equality for all?  Many questions…

It was generally agreed that Belle made the right choice given the times and the discrimanation that African American women then faced.  Belle not only protected her family in that regard but provided for them financially as well.  That would not have been possible without her having hidden her identity.  We were all impressed with how Belle navigated the world of art and antiquities with her intellect and savvy.    A world and profession dominated by men who’s respect she earned.  

We discussed that in a way Belle did champion the equality her father fought for by orchastraing the change in status of the Pierpont Morgan Library from private collection to a public institution.  “Yes, it’s been described as the most meaningful cultural gift in American History.”  

Several of us thought a Bookclub excursion to NYC and visit to the Pierpont Morgan Library would be wonderful!!!!

Unable to attend, and grateful to Lynne for her reporting, I wondered about the writers' process. As I read, I sensed distinct styles, oscillating between chapters yet there is no evidence that this was intended. The authors have shared on many forums about their experience writing together, sharing work through the pandemic, the black and white perspectives, historical fiction vs. contemporaries, researching and editing.... all fascinating and a stand alone story itself. Please enjoy this interview with the authors:

https://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm/author_number/3524/victoria-christopher-murray 

 

 

https://www.themorgan.org/about/introduction

Yes, let's go!  Reminiscent of our Huntington Library visit, I know we would love it.

Lynne's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Our Missing Hearts" Celeste Ng

"Solita" Javier Zamora* chosen

"Memphis" Tara M. Stringfellow

 

Up next:

Happy reading,

LK
 

September 2022 Bookclub News

 

 

 

Loray Mill Strike, Gastonia, 1929

 

Dear Bookclub,

Wiley Cash's "The Last Ballad", based on the true story of the Loray Mill Strike in Gastonia, North Carolina in 1929, reads like Chuck McShane's historic account, "Strike!" in "Our State", a North Carolina magazine. Fred Beal is real. As is - or was - Ella May Wiggins.

Please delve into McShane's January 2014 published account for more great pictures and the complete story:

https://www.ourstate.com/loray-mill-strike/

To be fair, Cash's historic novel brilliantly wove rich character development into the historic account. Our group of six, shared thoughts about Cash's imagining, notably Ella's situation, marveling at her committed yet doomed journey. In contrast, Claire, Katherine (Kate) and Richard, being more complex characters given the tangled circumstances, tossed about our feelings. Chillingly, this was not that long ago, and although the labor movement brought about great change, many of today's conditions still beg for change.

Harper Collins Publisher employees participate in a one-day strike in Manhattan, July 20, 2022.

For more on U.S. labor support being at a 57-year high: 

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/31/1120111276/labor-union-support-in-us

My suggestions for an upcoming read:

"The Lioness" Chris Bohjalian *chosen (January)

"On Animals" Susan Orlean *chosen (December)

"Lessons in Chemistry" Bonnie Garmus

Up next:

Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

Happy reading,

LK