December 2019 Bookclub Recap/January 2020 Bookclub News

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Dear Bookclub,
Ahhhhh.... Our annual bookclub holiday party, this year at Dave & Martha's, was absolutely delightful! Atop their hill, the house glowing Christmas, all were welcomed to a festive evening of good cheer, amazing food and great conversation. Fannie Flagg's "A Redbird Christmas" was enjoyed by most and but a murmur among the other more compelling discussions. The kick-off to the holidays put us on the path to brave December and now brings us into the new year and new decade...

Read on!

Embroidery by Sarah K. Benning

New York Times Book Review best books of 2019:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/books/review/best-books.html

 Washington Post best books of 2019:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/entertainment/books/best-books-of-2019/


.... and here is a list of lists!

 https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/2019/best_of

 So interesting how many we have not read. Something to study for upcoming ideas perhaps. What was your favorite in the last year?

BuzzFeed's best books of the decade:

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tomiobaro/best-books-2010s-decade\

Can you remember what you read in the last decade?! This is actually a fascinating list. Enjoy!




 Up next:

Trevor!

Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime"

For a quick read on Comedy Central's press page:
https://press.cc.com/series/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah/bio/435697


Finally Kate's suggestions for an upcoming read:

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
Blow Out by Rachel Maddox


Happy reading,
LK



*** Castle Hotel Thannegg Gröbming, Austria

November 2019 Recap

Thanksgiving Bookclub at Kim's

Dear Bookclub,
Gratefully gathering at Kim's for a festive evening of discussion, we were treated to a feast themed to Beth Duke's "It All Comes Back to You". Not pictured but much appreciated: ham and homemade icebox cake!

Kim herded us from the captivating kitchen to the formal dining room for a more formal discussion, complete with questions on cards. In true Violet style, we gladly complied - for a few minutes and then broke from the discussion points bursting with the need to bare our true feelings. Amazingly ordered, (thank you Martha!), each of us revealed our disappointment in realizing it was not a great book. The underlying current of "romance novel" overpowered our literary sense and despite admission that it was a fast read, it was not well-liked. Murderous, unbelievable, and flat characters were tied up in a bow at the book's end. Something must be noted about the beautiful cover... think we were bamboozled!


Kim's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"A Fire Sparkling" by Julianne MacLean *chosen
 "Olive Again" by Elizabeth Strout

"The Dutch House" by Ann Pachett

 'Tis the season!

 While visiting my mom in October, she shared this article from the Boston Globe. Please enjoy!

The following appeared on BostonGlobe.com:

Headline: A precious holiday family heirloom tells the story of generations - The Boston Globe

Date: Nov 2, 2019

Sixty years later, Mom’s Christmas tablecloth captures our family history.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2018/11/22/precious-holiday-family-heirloom-tells-story-generations/HlnQ2f8eKBBsekyqFsRQIM/story.html?s_campaign=8315


Up next, for our Christmas party:

Jolly reading,
LK

November 2019 Bookclub News

Beth Duke*

Dear Bookclub,

"I accompanied my mother to pick up her cat at a veterinary clinic in Alabama. The place also catered to birds; cockatoos and the like. I began chatting with a woman waiting for her cockatiel, and she had the strongest Eastern European accent. I was enthralled listening to her; she had dramatically dark hair and eyes, and in my mind she was some sort of exotic Gypsy. I finally asked her where she’s from, expecting the Czech Republic or Hungary. Instead, she answered, “Mobile (Alabama).” She gestured to her head. “Eees spider bite. Eees make me talk this way ever since from toxin.” I told her how fascinating I found that, and she nodded to her husband across the room. “He like it very much.” The man grinned and nodded emphatically."

Beth Duke is a storyteller. And the above is a true story, according to her. How much is fiction in "It All Comes Back to You"? *Duke appears to be a little bit Violet.. a little bit Ronni in this depiction. Inspired to write in a voice she misses, her grandmother, Duke claims that every book she writes features a magical old lady. To read more of the interview with Beth Duke that includes the above story, please enjoy:

https://curledupwithagoodbook.co.uk/meet-the-author-beth-duke/

For more on Beth Duke, please check out her website:

 https://www.bethduke.com/



Kim's suggestions for an upcoming read:

  "A Fire Sparkling" by Julianne MacLean

 "Olive Again" by Elizabeth Strout

"The Dutch House" by Ann Pachett

Happy reading,

LK

October 2019 Recap

Karen's October "touch"

Dear Bookclub,

A much anticipated bookclub evening exceeded expectations as the cozy Ferrette home cast its spell. If Halloween were a comfort food, it would be bookclub at Karen’s. Yes, there is the delicious autumn inspired food, and in addition, fall colors and pumpkins envelope, transporting our spirits into a holiday-inspired focus. Frightening enough that Halloween was just two short weeks away, I have perpetuated the terror in writing about this on November 2nd. We are captive in the speeding time vortex! But just in time:

Back to our meeting; Gail Honeyman's  "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" generated good discussion as we agreed the well-written account of this woman's life presented much to ponder. Never really knowing what one's story entails, Eleanor gave us a glimpse into what happens as one ages out of the foster care system. Add to that, an horrific event, and the unimaginable further rocked our beliefs. Julie summed it up with these thoughts: "There are no dramatic acts of valor... No one swoops in and saves her. Little gestures enable her to save herself. We can all fight loneliness by doing random acts of kindness." Discussion of the upcoming Reese Witherspoon movie production can be updated as it is now reported that the screenplay is in the process of being written and that Reese will play a part in the movie (the 'imagined' evil mother?) and Felicity Jones may play Eleanor.

Cheers!

Delighting in the endearing parts of the book, Karen treated us to some Irish cider:

Magners for all!

 Karen's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Born a Crime" Trevor Noah *chosen

"Little Fires Everywhere"  Celeste Ng

"The Silent Patient" Alex Michaelides

My suggestions for a December read:

"The Night Before Cbristmas" Nikolai Gogol
"Redbird Christmas" Fannie Flagg * chosen
"Mr. Dickens and His Carol: A Novel" Samantha Silva

Martha's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Sing, Unburied, Sing" Jesmyn Ward

"Manhattan Beach" Jennifer Egan

"There There" Tommy Orange

Up next:

Happy reading!

LK
 

October 2019 Bookclub News

Stanley Street statue

 "All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?"

Lennon-McCartney

Dear Bookclub.

Eleanor is two of them. Rugby and Oliphant. The lonely people. Gail Honeyman’s first novel deftly enters the world of a lonely woman. Not explaining if the name is a coincidence, Honeyman does describe (in her honeyed Scottish accent) her experience in writing this book in a short interview from PRX:

http://exchange.prx.org/pieces/246396

Gail Honeyman

And again in this article:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jan/12/gail-honeyman-didnt-want-eleanor-oliphant-portrayed-as-victim


And of course, the movie. Reese Witherspoon is behind the workings of a production:

Reese/Eleanor

https://the-bibliofile.com/eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine-movie-what-we-know/ 


 Karen's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Born a Crime" Trevor Noah

"Little Fires Everywhere"  Celeste Ng

"The Silent Patient" Alex Michaelides

My suggestions for a December read:

"The Night Before Cbristmas" Nikolai Gogol
"Redbird Christmas" Fannie Flagg
"Mr. Dickens and His Carol: A Novel" Samantha Silva

Looking forward to our discussion.

Happy reading!
LK 

 

September 2019 Bookclub News

Lovely Lynn's 

Dear Bookclub,
Tradition prevailed as a September bookclub night at Lynn T's promises the welcoming of fall along with her welcoming of us! Her glowing home and enticing homemade nibbles thrilled us almost as much as just being together. 

it was as good as it looks!!

After a healthy dose of catching up, we settled into the elegant living room to discuss Elizabeth Gilbert's "City of Girls".













A richly crafted novel centered on Vivian Morris looking back on her life in a letter (a really, really, really long, rambling letter... I forgot about it being a letter for a huge chunk of the book), we all enjoyed the romp around NYC beginning in the 1940's. Our favorite character was the theater but alas, it was 'killed' off and the book still continued for hundreds of pages. Vivian's independent spirit and Gilbert's descriptions pulled us through to the end and spurred on hearty discussion.

Please check out this Fresh Air interview of Elizabeth Gilbert on "City of Girls" (only about 7 minutes)

 https://www.npr.org/2019/06/08/730898457/elizabeth-gilbert-on-city-of-girls

Lynn's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"The Downstairs Girl" Stacy Lee
"Lying Next to Me" Gregg Olsen
"It All Comes Back to You" Beth Duke*
"The Hotel Neversink" Adam O'Fallon Price (a suggestion from Jim who really enjoyed it)

*chosen


Up next, Gail Honeyman's "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine":

Happy reading,
LK

August 2019 Recap

Glowing at Lori's

Dear Bookclub,
Treating us to delicious Asian dishes, Lori challenged us with chopsticks, and along with forks, we  scooped up and enjoyed. Less appealing to Lori (see below), authentic Korean fare was also eagerly sampled.

Plunging into our discussion of Lisa See's "The Island of Sea Women", we quickly moved from topic to topic just as the author had bounced from decade to decade touching upon the many layers built and revealed. Marveling at the Jeju setting and the world of the matrifocal, haenyeo society, the underlying dark tone of the tragic history overshadowed the intense story of a friendship, as was implied in the promising descriptions of the novel. The question of the importance to include the difficult-to-read details arose as that inclusion overshadowed the reader's appreciation of the complicated aspects of friendship, that is the core of the story. Another point made was that perhaps the author was overly ambitious in trying to create too much: an historic novel and a history text. In truth, most readers, this one included, probably knew nothing of this history and despite the weighty aspect the ambitious undertaking created in the book, the knowledge gained at the end result is valued.

Lori's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell" Robert Dugoni

"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" Gail Honeyman *chosen

"The One in a Million Boy" Monica Wood


Up next:
 







Happy reading!
LK