BPL

2012-03-07T16:01:00.001-06:00

Our Chatters group met Valentine’s Day morning; we quickly decided that we love books so much we couldn’t possibly choose just one! My favorite is often the one I’m reading, until I start the next one!

Joyce started our discussion: she recently finished Hotel on the corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. This novel is set in Seattle and tells the story of Japanese American interment camps during World War II. The storytelling goes from a young boy’s childhood to his adulthood in the 1960’s. Joyce says it’s well worth reading. On the flip side, she read Double Exposure by Michael Lister, and says “don’t bother” – it is similar to a previous book of the author’s, about a person being hunted, and is not worth reading!

Kay says her two all time favorites are Velveteen Rabbit (she’s given it to lots of kids!) and the Secret Garden. She recently finished reading History of the world in 100 objects, by Neil MacGregor. The staff of the British Museum chose these objects for their importance to the world at the time each was created, or the technological advance it represents. The photographs of the objects are excellent – Kay’s favorite so far is the jade spear point (beautiful!) There are many different countries and cultures represented; from the chronologically oldest tool to the newest (maybe the credit card? She hasn’t finished the book yet!) Kay also recently read Rick Steve’s Travel as a political act. This book covers travelling to foreign countries – not to typical tourist attractions, but off the beaten path, choosing instead to meet the local people & find out what their lives are like. Very interesting!

Mary Ann says two of her favorite things are chocolate and mysteries (me too!) so it makes sense that she loves the Johanna Carl Chocoholic series! She also enjoys Laura Childs books (she has a Tea Shop series, a scrapbooking series and the Cackleberry Club series.)

Florence recently read Devil’s Elixir by Raymond Khoury and Lunatics by Dave Barry. She started 11/22/63 by Steven King, but it didn’t grab her right away, there were too many side stories, so she didn’t finish it. Florence also recently read (and liked) Blood of the Reich by William Dietrich. Although it sounds as though it would be a serious book, Florence read us an excerpt that had several of us laughing out loud! She says it is quite funny, for a book about two American adventurers that must keep Nazi explorers from acquiring a mythical substance that promises them immortality and world domination!

Another book Florence enjoyed is the Anatomist’s Apprentice by Tessa Harris. This mystery is about the beginnings of the science of forensics – similar to the “Bones” character. In eighteenth-century England, the murder of Sir Edward Crick sends a torrent of gossip breezing through Oxfordshire; although, aside from his sister, Lady Lydia Farrell, few mourn the young man. When Lady Farrell's husband becomes the prime suspect in the murder, she enlists the help of Dr. Thomas Silkstone--an anatomist and pioneering forensic detective--to solve the murder and prove his innocence. Though Dr. Silkstone studied medicine in England under the foremost surgeon in the region, his unconventional methods and unfamiliar field of study have made him an outsider. Still, he agrees to examine Sir Edward's corpse, but the keenest blade he will use is his intellect. He must determine both the cause and motive of this suspicious death in what will be the first of many cases. (from Amazon) Florence is reading Believing the lie by Elizabeth George. She’s enjoying this new Inspector Lynley mystery, but says it’s a bit hard to keep track of all the characters!

Marcia just finished reading Blood Memory by Greg Iles. This mystery is set in Natchez and New Orleans, and while it isn’t an uplifting read, as the main focus deals with child abuse, it is a good mystery and offers some insight into this sad issue.

On a lighter note, we discussed the new movie One for the Money – based on the Janet Evanovich novel. Marcia saw it and said even though she had reservations about some of the actors correctly portraying the much loved characters, they all pulled it off & she’s ready for “Two for the dough” J I missed it in the theater, but am looking forward to the DVD!

Sarah shared that her favorite kids book is What’s Wrong little Pookie? by Sandra Boynton. J She recently read Miss Peregrine’s home for peculiar children by Ransom Riggs. This teen mystery is about an abandoned home for orphans – interesting, but strange. Sarah also says a favorite series of hers is the Home Crafting mystery series by Cricket McRae.

Joyce also shared that she recently read In the blood by Steve Robinson. This is a genealogical crime mystery. The main character is researching his wife’s family. After the Civil War, some families left the US and went back to England. While researching abroad, he discovers some loose ends, and finds out someone has gone to great lengths to erase an entire family bloodline from history, this of course makes him want to figure it out even more, which becomes dangerous. Joyce said it had lots of twists & turns and was a fun read!

We then discussed the television show “Who do you think you are?” – it just fit right in to the topic at hand J Most of us agreed that it’s an interesting program, but somewhat misleading to the public – it definitely takes a lot of time and effort to trace your genealogy, but most of us don’t have the funds to take off to Europe or do other globe trotting to track down records!

Judy was unable to join us today, but sent an email to me with some of her favorites – she LOVES To Kill a mockingbird (that’s on my list too) and For whom the bell tolls. She also read The Stand by Stephen King – she thought it was interesting, but agrees with the publisher that it didn’t need the extra pages!

I (Kathy) also had too many favorites to pick just one J I love To Kill a Mockingbird – I just read it for the first time in the last year or so! Other childhood favorites include love the Little House on the Prairie books – I have fond memories of my mom reading them to my sister & me when I was little, and reading them on my own. I really love series fiction – some of those favorites are the Benni Harper mysteries by Earlene Fowler, the alphabet series (Kinsey Milhone) by Sue Grafton, the Joe Grey mysteries by Shirley Rousseau Murphy, and the Dog Lovers mysteries by Susan Conant. I recently finished the second of Kathy Reich’s new teen series, Seizure. There’s lots of action in this second installment – it’s a fun read & Aunt Temperence calls or emails several times. I also started Learning to swim by Sara Henry on my Kindle. This is the story of Troy Chance, a single, unmarried woman who jumps off a ferry to rescue a child dropped overboard. The tale of what happens next is a page turner that really kept my interest – I got about 89 % finished before it vanished from my device – then I had to wait to finish it. With the break in reading, it was a little anticlimactic at the finish, but I enjoyed it :)

That’s it for the month of February! Come join us on March 13^th – we’d love to hear about what you are reading :)

2012-02-08T10:04:00.001-06:00

Hello Book Chatters! – Here are notes from our January 2012 meeting

I brought a report from Cindy that she recently read The Soldier’s Wife, by Margaret Leroy. It’s a story about life in Guernsey following WWII – Cindy chose it because she really enjoyed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, and thought that another book from the same area would be fun. She did enjoy it, but it was different!

I (Kathy) read the book Storied Dishes: what our family recipes tell us about who we are and where we’ve been. This book is a collection of reminiscences and recipes from women around the world – the stories are very interesting; it made me think of people and favorite foods from my past – and wish I’d documented the stories – maybe I still will J I received a Kindle Fire for Christmas, so am getting acquainted with it – I have several books and game apps on it now & am having fun with it! I also read Cat Telling Tales by Shirley Rousseau Murphy – in this cat-centric series, Joe Grey, his lady friend Dulcie, and their friend Kit, possess the ability to speak & read – they help the police department in their small California village to solve mysteries by phoning in anonymous tips J The Joe Grey books are always a fun read!

Joyce recently read Finally Out: letting go of living straight, a psychiatrist’s own story, by Loren Olson. This biography chronicles the life of Olson, who came out in his 40’s, after having been married & raised a family – the challenges of coming out as a mature adult are quite different from those of teens or young adults. The book was interesting on multiple levels for Joyce – she heard the author interviewed on public radio, and realized that she knew him! -- the author grew up in the same small town as her husband. She recognized details about landscape and story throughout the book. It is also very readable – easy to understand, with history and research from the author.

She also recently read Robert W. Fuller’s book on ‘rank ism’ – Somebodies and nobodies: overcoming the abuse of rank. It was quite interesting – the over arcing of all types of “isms” sexism, ageism – we need to realize and embrace dignity for every person.

In January, we welcomed a new chatter to our group – Marcia enjoys reading fiction, mysteries in series in particular (such as Earlene Fowler’s Benni Harper) Several of us agreed that she is a terrific author. Marcia also says that she and her husband enjoy reading biographies – a recent one was about the high rise bicycle, and late 1800’s travel.

Lisa was also new to our group this month. One of her favorite series is the Bones series by Kathy Reichs. The group agreed she writes a great story (both the books and the television series!)

Lisa also recommends the book The Other Wes Moore. The author discovers another man with his name – Wes Moore – who lived in the same neighborhood, both raised by single moms, yet grew up to be very different men: the author, a successful Rhodes scholar with a career in the military, and the other Wes Moore is serving a life sentence in prison for armed robbery.

Joyce also recommended Devil in the White City, by Erik Larsen – this true mystery thriller follows the story of a serial killer at the World’s Fair in Chicago. It studies the ways society changed as the population moved from primarily rural farms to the big city. It weaves a lot of storylines into the book. The author has another book, In the garden of beasts – about Hitler and the US ambassador in Germany. It takes place just as Hitler is coming into power and gives an fascinating behind the scenes look at this crucial time in history. Lisa recommends this one also.

Lisa also recommended James Patterson’s Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas – she says it’s really good, but sad. Also on her recommended list are Slow Waltz in Cedar Bend by Robert James Waller – she really enjoyed it, and Cleopatra: a life by Stacy Schiff. This book combats much of the prejudices about Cleopatra – half truths written by men at a time when men had certain ideas about what women should do & be, and they didn’t like how Cleopatra had power. Very interesting to read about Cleopatra from a female perspective, and get to know who she really was.

That’s it for this month – see you on February 14th at 10:00 a.m., when we’ll talk about books we LOVE!!

2012-01-25T16:45:00.001-06:00

Book Chatter Notes December 13, 2011

We chatted about the upcoming holidays and how our shopping is going – I, for one, buy mostly books for gifts (big surprise!) and a few of the people on my list are kind of a challenge! We encouraged each other & turned to our reason for gathering: discussing books J

Kathy started us off – I read Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn. After graduating from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, Flinn finds herself unsure of what her next move should be. An encounter with a woman in a grocery store leads her to gather friends and acquaintances to teach weekly beginning cooking classes (knife skills, pasta, how to cook a chicken, etc.) The book introduces us to each class member before lessons start & progresses. Her style is very readable, and I found myself, as a very reluctant cook, wishing I could take her classes. I highly recommend it – we also have her first book (The Sharper your knife the less you cry) about her time at Le Cordon Bleu – I haven’t read it yet, but plan to!

Another book I read this past month is It’s Classified by Nicolle Wallace. This political novel follows Charlotte Kramer, the first female president, and her 2^nd term VP, Tara Myers, as the new term begins. Tara appears to be a huge success – the public loves her & she is the most popular VP in recent history – but behind the scenes, she is a different person – what is her secret & how will it affect the president? Very readable & lots of behind the scenes political action!

I also read a holiday book Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts. This light, fun Christmas story follows Ambrose the cat in his ninth life – he makes a desperate plea to the universe to be saved & when Zach the firefighter does save him, Ambrose sets out to make sure he helps Zach find the woman of both their dreams, Merilee, who works at the local pet store – very cute!!

Brenda read the new John Grisham (The Litigators) and said she enjoyed this legal tale of about a small legal firm taking on a larger firm in a class action lawsuit – the characters are well developed and Grisham definitely delivers on this one!

Brenda is reading Shadow of your smile by Mary Higgins Clark right now. From Amazon: In The Shadow of Your Smile, worldwide bestselling author Mary Higgins Clark weaves a spellbinding thriller revolving around a long-held family secret that threatens to emerge and take the life of an unsuspecting heiress. At age eighty-two and in failing health, Olivia Morrow knows she has little time left. The last of her line, she faces a momentous choice: expose a long-held family secret, or take it with her to her grave. Olivia has in her possession letters from her deceased cousin Catherine, a nun, now being considered for beatification by the Catholic Church—the final step before sainthood. The letters Olivia holds are the evidence that Catherine gave birth at age seventeen to a child, a son, and gave him up for adoption. Now, two generations later, thirty-one-year-old pediatrician Dr. Monica Farrell, Catherine’s granddaughter, stands as the rightful heir to what remains of the family fortune. But in telling Monica who she really is, Olivia would have to betray Catherine’s wishes and reveal the story behind Monica’s ancestry. The only people aware of Olivia’s impending choice are those exploiting the Gannon inheritance. To silence Olivia and prevent Monica from learning the secret, some of them will stop at nothing—even murder. Clark’s riveting new novel explores the juxtaposition of medical science and religious faith, and the search for identity by the daughter of a man adopted at birth. Brenda says she’s enjoying the book – she always like Clark’s writing J

Brenda has also read the Bibliophile series by Kate Carlisle – Homicide in Hard Cover, If Books could kill – it’s a fun series about a book binder who stumbles on dead bodies!

Joyce said she’s been reading a lot of mysteries – Michael Connelly, Janet Evanovich – fun quick reads – and playing Mahjong on her Kindle, her favorite “toy!

We also discussed the possibility of having an author visit via “skype” at a future meeting – Kathleen Flinn is an author who does talks and visits book clubs – she would be a potential one to try. If you have an author you’d love to chat with, please come to Book Chatters on January 10^th and discuss it with us!

2011-11-28T17:29:00.002-06:00

Book Chatter Notes November 8, 2011

At November’s meeting, we had a lively discussion of books, science fiction/fantasy television, and books we wanted to like but didn’t (more on that later.)

Before we began our book discussion, we talked about the upcoming anniversary celebration for the library (it’s been 5 years already!) and the beginning of the new reading discussion series on inventions. We also talked about science fiction and fantasy TV – especially the Twilight Zone J The Stand by Steven King was again discussed as an all-time favorite of some of the group. I’m happy to report the Library has a copy on order, so we will soon have classic in the collection again! (I’ve got it on hold – have been inspired to at least try it :)

I (Kathy) started our book discussion this month with: Reluctant Hero: a 9/11 survivor speaks out… by Michael Benfante. Benfante, along with a co-worker, carried a woman in a wheelchair down 68 flights of stairs in WTC North Tower. He tells of becoming a “hero” and the PTSD and stress that followed him for years after that day – an inspirational story, and incredible first person account. I also read The Power of Six by Pitticus Lore. This is the sequel to I Am Number Four – a teen series that is both supernatural and exciting. The book is action-packed and moves between two groups of young Loriens who are fighting for their lives – the ending totally sets up the next book in the series :)

Brenda shared about a couple of books – the first one was One Summer by David Baldacci – a “sappy” triumph over tragedy story about a terminally ill father who gathers his family at his wife’s family’s beach house. It’s all about relationships – like a “Hallmark” movie – it was very good. The other book Brenda read was Flint Bluff, by James Duermeyer. The author was recently at Burlington By the Book for a signing. It is an historical fiction story, set in the Burlington area. The book follows the lives of two immigrant families from Germany. Brenda says that the story and characters are good, and the book is interesting – one thing she noted was that it discusses how the city was plotted. In our discussion, I also mentioned that Catfish Bend: river town and county seat by Philip Jordan is a good history of the area as well, for those that want to learn more.

Judy read the book The Hypnotist by Lars Keplar in 3-4 days, and said she couldn’t put it down – it is a European murder mystery thriller about a family (dad, mom, sister) that are brutally murdered – only the son survives. Through hypnosis, the son reveals what happened… Judy says it keeps you interested until the end. A through-line of the story is family abuse – all involved with the case have some connection to abuse & how each deal with it, or don’t.

Florence read Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley. She thinks she might have read it before, because it seemed familiar, but she enjoyed it. It’s a time travel story about sisters and friends – one of the sisters dies, and the other tries to come to terms with it and move on – she goes back to their childhood town, and somehow goes back in time. An interesting read.

And now: “Books we wanted to like… but didn’t”: Florence tried to read Queen by Steven James – she tried it, but only read a few pages. Brenda tried Cutting for Stone by A. Verghese, but didn’t like it. I’ve had What Cheer by Zachary Michael Jack at home for quite some time & couldn’t get into it – it’s based in Iowa and sounds good – maybe it’s just not the right time now. I’ll try again later. Brenda and Judy have both started Michener’s Source about Africa – it’s very interesting, but long & detailed, best read in “batches.” We decided it’s important to realize you don’t have to finish a book just because you start – there are too many good books out there & not enough time!!

We also talked about how different movies are than the classic books they are based on – such as Dracula and Frankenstein. Brenda said the Jack Palance version of Dracula in the 1970s had “class” and felt the closest to the book of versions she’s seen.

Another discussion (we were all over the map this month!) was about how your perception is different depending on your age when you read some books – and changes how you feel about it as you grow older. Judy said she went to Phantom of the Opera with her daughter – Judy felt sorry for the Phantom, as he’d grown up with abuse & had a hard life. Her daughter saw him as a creepy stalker. Interesting!

Brenda recently bought Billy Graham’s new book Nearing Home: life, faith, and finishing well – she says it’s very good, whether you’re religious or not. It’s about getting your life in order – especially your relationships with family, and aging in general.

That’s it for this month - Please join us next month on December 13^th at 10:00 a.m. to discuss YOUR latest read!!

2011-11-02T15:43:00.002-05:00

Hello Book Chatters!

September was a tiny group (just two of us!!) so I decided to just report on September and October together – I was glad we doubled our numbers this month !

In September, Cindy recommended The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma. When Alice is in fourth grade, she and her father (a school librarian) promise to read aloud together for 100 nights – when they met their goal, they celebrated and continued reading together…for 8 years, until Alice left for college. The book traces the reading journey, but most interesting is the insight into the relationship between Alice and her dad. Cindy really enjoyed it.

My suggestion from September was The Wilder Life: my adventures in the lost world of Little House on the Prairie, by Wendy McClure. In this funny & thoughtful book, the author attempts to revisit her childhood by getting to “Laura” world; she visits many of the Little House sites over the course of a year and discovers some not-so-well known facts about the famous author. My mom read the whole series to me & my siblings when we were young and I’ve read them several times since. I thoroughly enjoyed reminiscing along with Wendy.

I also received an email from Dawn, telling me that she misses talking about books with us (we miss you too, Dawn!) And that she has been reading Doc by Mary Doria Russell. It’s a fictionalized biography of Doc Holiday, complete with all the legendary heroes and villains of the Old West like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson. She also just picked up The Eleventh Plague, by Jeff Hirsch, a teen post apocalyptic novel that has been getting lots of buzz.

Joyce started our October discussion with the book Lost City of Z: deadly obsession in the Amazon, by David Grann. This book chronicles the history of the search for the lost city. Beginning in the 1800s, explorers set off to try to find the fabled city filled with gold. Many explorers disappeared, never to be seen again! In 2004, the author (a New Yorker & not an outdoor person!) became enchanted with the story & researched it himself, coming to the conclusion that he had to go to the Amazon. Armed with GPS and other technological advances, he was able to locate, not a city of gold, but a city with a moat, connected by remnants of a road, to another city – there were lots of people – but we came and brought disease, & enslaved them, leading to the eventual demise of the city. Joyce found the book very, very interesting, noting that our preconceived ideas about what’s what very often aren’t true.

Judy recently read Central Park Knight, by CJ Henderson. This is one in a series about Professor Piers Knight, curator of a Brooklyn museum where ancient artifacts and human emotions create magic. Another book in the series is Brooklyn Knight. Judy says these are really fun, easy reads! We think they remind us the Noah Wyle Librarian movies J

Welcome to the world baby girl, by Fannie Flagg is another book Judy read this past month. It’s the story of a small town, with neighbors who take care of each other & evokes generations past.

Killer Heels, by Sheryl Anderson, is another favorite of Judy’s. It’s a murder mystery in New York that’s fast and fun – with cool shoes!

Florence has been in a “book funk” for a bit. The last book she read was Taker, a weird book about immortality. The story involves an emergency room doctor with a intriguing patient – a woman who’s murdered someone – who talks of her life in the 1800s. She’s immortal, but not a vampire, and there are others like her. Florence said the story could have been really good, but it was too predictable.

Florence’s past “OMG” books are Moonstone by Collins, and The Stand by Stephen King – it was excellent, with an ending that floored her!

This led to a discussion of movies with really twist-y endings – Joyce said she recently watched My girlfriend’s boyfriend, a movie that completely catches you off guard at the end. Several of us said the Sixth Sense was another of those that we enjoyed. Our discussion again turned to how movies made from books are often changed a lot (The Help is a recent example) & that books are always better!

Kathy shared a couple of recent reads also. The first is Unlikely Friendships: 47 remarkable stories from the animal kingdom, by Jennifer S. Holland. This book chronicles the heartwarming stories of animals who befriend each other – a cat and a bird, Owen the hippo and Mzee the tortoise, the Indian leopard who sneaks into a village every night to sleep beside a calf – incredible and touching. Each story is accompanied by a photo of the pair.

I also read Homicide in Hardcover, by Kate Carlisle. This is the first in the Bibliophile mystery series about Brooklyn Wainwright, a book restorer who stumbles on dead bodies & solves the crimes surrounding them. These are fast & fun reads – Brooklyn was raised in a commune-like environment in California & often visits her Dead Head parents & family J There is also quite a bit of information on book restoration included that is very interesting (especially to a librarian!)

See you at our next meeting!!

2011-08-16T17:18:00.003-05:00

Book Chatter Notes August 2011

I (Kathy) will start our discussion today J I just finished reading The President is a sick man: wherein the supposedly virtuous Grover Cleveland survives a secret surgery at sea and vilifies the courageous newspaperman who dared expose the truth, by Matthew Algeo. From Amazon: The President Is a Sick Man details an extraordinary but almost unknown chapter in American history: Grover Cleveland’s secret cancer surgery and the brazen political cover-up by a politician whose most memorable quote was “Tell the truth.” When an enterprising reporter named E. J. Edwards exposed the secret operation, Cleveland denied it. The public believed the “Honest President,” and Edwards was dismissed as “a disgrace to journalism.” The facts concerning the disappearance of Grover Cleveland that summer were so well concealed that even more than a century later a full and fair account has never been published. Until now. The book is intriguing; beginning with background on Cleveland, and moving to discussing the historical events of the time – desperate economic situation, labor and union disputes, Silver vs. Gold standard controversy. He also gives a good background on oral surgery & medicine from the time period, as well as the newspaper industry. I found it to be very interesting, and read the whole thing (instead of skimming, as was my plan!)

I also read Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder. This is the second mystery thriller he has written about Nick Heller. In Vanished, Nick is introduced as a private spy who is summoned by his nephew to find his missing father. The action is fast paced and keeps you guessing. In Buried Secrets, Nick has returned to his hometown of Boston to set up shop as a private detective. He soon receives an urgent call from an old family friend whose daughter has been kidnapped. The narrative moves from Nick’s perspective to the kidnapped girl, Alexa, who has been buried alive. As Nick begins his search, he finds that the girl’s father is involved in some shady business, and the plot twists & turns. I really enjoyed both books & am looking forward to more in the series.

Paula is enjoying some light summer reading. She just read Eve, by Iris Johansen. It is the first book in a trilogy. The main character, Eve Duncan, is a forensic artist who has starred in previous novels by Johansen. This story is personal to Eve, however – she is closing in on finding her daughter’s killer. Paula says it’s a fast read and she is anxious for the second book to be released!

Paula also read Survivor in death, by JD Robb. This is part of a series by Robb. She enjoyed it, and has listened to several others in the series. Paula says even though you think the plots would be repetitious, they aren’t – each one is enjoyable.

Cindy read What Alice forgot, by Liane Moriarty. This novel is about a woman who wakes up on the floor of a gym – she has lost her memory – she thinks she’s 29 years old & expecting her first child, when she’s really 39, with 3 kids and is in the midst of a divorce. The book moves from the back story to the present, and how Alice deals with how different the life she thinks she’s led is from her current situation. Cindy enjoyed it – it was better written than some “memory loss” stories.

Cindy also read My Year with Eleanor, by Noelle Hancock. This memoir tells of the adventures the author, after losing her job and feeling adrift, has when she decides to follow Eleanor Roosevelt’s advice to “do one thing every day that scares you.” Cindy says the parts she enjoyed most were about Eleanor’s background – she’s thinking she needs to read more about her! The rest of the book was interesting, but Cindy didn’t really see the point in doing the most terrifying things to prove the point. Also, if she hadn’t done anything else that day, she ran down the hall outside her apartment naked!

Florence read Adrenaline by Jeff Abbott. This is the fast paced story of a CIA agent whose job brings him an “adrenaline” rush. The plot of this story involves secret societies fighting each other. Florence says the ending sets up the inevitable sequel.

She also read Language of the sea, by James McManus. This novel tells the story of a controversial marine biologist who loses his job as college professor. Before he leaves, he takes a group of students out to an island. He is washed off the boat & is presumed dead. He survives, and becomes part of a seal pod – eating with them, swimming with them. He is eventually found, but has trouble returning to a human existence. Florence said it was a very good story, with interesting information about the biology of the sea and how it is changing.

Florence also read Iron House, by John Hart. This is the story of the orphaned boys who live in the Iron Mountain Home for Boys. The story focuses on two brothers, Michael and Julian. Julian is bullied a lot, and survives because Michael protects him. In the midst of an altercation, when a boy is killed, Michael takes the blame (though he is innocent) and flees the home. Florence said it was a good book, with mystery and psychology, but hard to explainJ !

Nancy read A New Vision of Iowa Food and Agriculture by Francis Thicke. She said the book has lots of positive ideas for farmers to help create a more sustainable environment. One of the ideas she told us about was farms that produce energy to use for the farm itself, and also as an energy source that can be marketed.

Nancy also read A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold. Nancy gets the “kudos” award this month for reading a book that the rest of us know we should read, but haven’t yet J She liked the poetical style of the writing, as well as its philosophical nature. She really enjoyed it! We discussed the local Leopold connections – a local group has a writing contest each April, there is a shop downtown that sells benches made from a Leopold design.

Joyce recently read The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. She says it’s really good, and she’s anxious to see the movie! The novel is set in the early 1960s in Jackson, MS. The characters were good, the story included historical events – it was very enjoyable. (I can’t wait to read it – I’m #22 on the wait list!)

Joyce also read Killer of little shepherds: a true crime story and the birth of forensic science, by Douglas Starr. The book is about a vagabond wandering Europe in the late 1800s murdering shepherds. He walked up to 40 miles a day, so he’d kill someone then take off & no one put the murders together for a while. The story of how Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne and Emilie Forquet and their colleagues developed forensic science as we know it is also interwoven with the story. The book also delves into trying to figure out what makes people criminals.

As we continued to discuss our books, Nancy shared that her family went to Wisconsin on vacation recently and saw an interesting crane exhibit. If you’re visiting up north, she highly recommends it!

Our next meeting will be September 13^th at 10 a.m. Hope to see you there!

2011-08-12T08:31:00.002-05:00

Book Chatter Notes July 2011

Hello Book Chatters! It was a very small group this month (even I missed it!, thanks Cindy for taking notes!)

Kay reported on several books she has read. The first one, Bloodshed in this war: Civil War illustrations by Captain Adolph Metzmer. The artist was a German immigrant in an Indiana unit in the Civil War. He was a gifted artist, making all these sketches that had never been published before. He survived the war, and later formed Hamilton Tile Works in Hamilton, OH. The company became famous for their art tiles. The book started off with rather comical depictions, but the drawings became more and more tragic as the war went on.

Kay also read Great Reset by Richard Florida. This is a sociology book about how the great recession we’ve just been through is a milestone in the same way the Depression was. It talks about the kinds of things that will bring the economy back, but it’ll be different: more public transportation, resurgence of small city living, move away from the South because of the water issues. Very interesting. We need to rebuild our infrastructure.

Kay is currently reading Wichita Divide: the murder of Dr. George Tiller and the battle over abortion by Stephen Singular. The book is about the murder of Tiller, and is a history of bloody Kansas, John Brown, etc. She isn’t sure if she can finish it, it’s pretty intense.

Another book Kay is reading is It happened on the way to war: a marine’s path to peace, by Rye Barcott. This is the story of a young man who went on safari with his parents. He was struck dumb by the begging, starving children he saw. When he was in college, he went back to Kenya and started a NGO. He becomes a marine, following in his father’s footsteps. The book is priced at $26.00 because the first project he did cost $25.00 and made a huge difference in someone’s life, and he knows that amount of money can change the world.

Paula sent a review of a book she read – In Stitches: a memoir by Anthony Youn. From the book jacket: Tony Youn learned early on that cool has a short shelf life. In this humorous and heartwarming memoir, Tony shares the angst, the flubs, the triumphs, the nonstop studying, the intermittent heavy drinking, the sexual frustration, and the dear friends of the next four years helped him resurrect his confidence and find his true self. He entered med school a shy, skinny nerd with no nerve, no game, and no clue. He left a plastic surgeon.

Cindy read Dreams of Joy, by Lisa See. This book picks up the story of sisters Pearl and May where Shanghai Girls left off: on the night in 1957 when Pearl’s daughter, Joy, discovers that May is her true mother. While Shanghai Girls followed the sisters from their time as models in the glittering “Paris of Asia” to their escape from the Japanese invasion and their new life in Los Angeles, its sequel sends Pearl back to Shanghai twenty years later in pursuit of Joy, whose flight to China is propelled by anger, idealism, and a desire to find her true father, Z.G., an artist who may be falling out of favor with the party. Joy goes with him deep into the countryside to the Green Dragon commune, where they take part in the energetic inception of Mao’s Great Leap Forward. The best estimate puts the death toll of China’s Great Leap Forward at 45 milion, and See is unflinching in her portrayal of this horrific episode. In clean prose, she gives us a resounding story of human resilence, independent spirits, and the power of love between mothers & daughters. Cindy says it was good, but she didn’t enjoy it as much as Shanghai Girls.

Cindy also read American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin. “Be careful what you wish for. Travelling abroad with her mother at the turn of the twentieth century to seek a titled husband, beautiful, vivacious Cora Cash, whose family mansion in Newport dwarfs the Vanderbilts, suddenly finds herself Duchess of Wareham, married to Ivo, the most eligible bachelor in England. Nothing is quite as It seems, however: Ivo is withdrawn and secretive, and the English social scene is full of traps and betrayals. Money, Cora soon learns, cannot buy everything, as she must decide what is truly worth the price of her life and her marriage” Cindy says it’s a light, quick read, but very enjoyable.

Cindy is currently reading The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: five sisters, one remarkable family, and the woman who risked everything to keep them safe, by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. “The life Kamila Sidqi had known changed overnight when the Taliban seized control of the city of Kabul. After receiving a teaching degree during the civil war – a rare achievement for any Afghan woman – Kamila was subsequently banned from school and confined to her home. When her father and brother were forced to flee the city, Kamila became the sole breadwinner for her five siblings. Armed only with grit and determination, she picked up a needle and thread and created a thriving business of her own. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana tells the incredible true story of this unlikely entrepreneur who mobilized her community under the Taliban.

That’s it for this month, again sorry the notes are coming out so late – next week we meet again!! August 9^th – 10 a.m. – back in Meeting Room A – see you there!

2011-08-12T08:30:00.001-05:00

Book Chatters Notes June 14, 2011

Paula read two books that Cindy has previously recommended – Dry Grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew, and Paris Wife by Paula McLain. She enjoyed both, and says she may read The Son also rises, which Hemingway wrote while he was married to the “Paris Wife.” She also read Little Heathens: hard times and high spirits on an Iowa farm during the Great Depression, by Mildred Armstrong Kalish – absolutely loved this one! (Ann agreed with her J ) It’s a charming book that draws you in – each chapter tells of a different household / farm activity: cooking, livestock, medicine, - everything that affects life on a farm.

Ann read Rawhide Down: the near assassination of Ronald Reagan, by Wilber Del Quentin. She says it was very good, and very interesting – lots of behind the scenes details. She also read Lost in Shangri-La: a true story of survival, adventure, and the most incredible rescue mission of WWII, by Mitchell Zuckoff.

This takes place in 1945 and tells the story of 24 American servicemen & women whose plane crashed in Dutch New Guinea – how they survived, existed with the natives, and were rescued – fascinating! Her very favorite this month was The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak – she couldn’t put it down! This fictional story, narrated by Death, is about Nazi Germany – you have to read every word, but you want to. It’s not morbid, it is riveting: the story of 11 year old Liesel who lives with foster parents for 4 years during the war. Her foster dad teaches her to read - but they don’t have books, and she is forced to steal them. Florence really liked this one too. Ann also read Jackie as editor: the literary life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, by Greg Lawrence. She says it is interesting to read about what book editors do.

Kathy read Stories I only tell my friends, by Rob Lowe. Very interesting & entertaining – Lowe is a true story teller. He chronicles his life from childhood (living down the street from the Sheens and shooting 8 mm films with Charlie & Emilio) to his first auditions – the section on the Outsiders movie really interested me – about casting, filming, etc. He also talks about his problems with alcohol addiction & his recovery, his time on West Wing, and the amazing number of celebrities he has befriended.

Florence read The Kitchen Daughter, a new fiction release by Jael McHenry. This is the story of a little girl with Asperger’s Syndrome – her parents die & she is left to struggle with various family members. She is a strong girl who overcomes challenges & works to be independent. Another book Florence read is Mozart Conspiracy, by Steve Mariani. This story is full of artifacts, hidden secrets, and a letter Mozart wrote – part of a conspiracy with the freemasons? It’s a mystery thriller that she enjoyed.

Cindy says she read books this past month, but she can’t remember which ones!

I got an email from Kay with her report – “I won’t be there tomorrow, but I will report that I tried my best with Land of the Painted Caves (Jean Auel). I thought parts of it read like an herbal manual. I read the first third and the last quarter – that was the best I could do” She also said she hopes to be back in July J

Joyce is enjoying her Kindle; she’s finding lots of books available for free, or cheap, and loves it! Right now, she’s working on Sherlock Holmes, the Father Brown crime stories, and Agatha Christie. She’s also read several Michael Connolly books – they follow a similar pattern & she has enjoyed them. She also shared that the Kindle is great for travelling – lightweight & fun to use. She is eager for Wilbor to unveil their app for Kindle users. Since we discussed WWII books earlier, Joyce shared that she read Girl in the Green Sweater, by Krystyna Chiger. It’s the true story of the author, whose family lived with other families in the sewers under the city of Lvov. Very interesting.

Florence also shared that she has read the Diane Gabaldon time travel series. The first one (Outlander) is great! The others are okay. Florence read Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen, a story of high school classmates who discover skeletons in their closets that threaten their families with mysteries from the past.

Kathy also read Sixkill, the last Spenser novel by Robert B Parker – it was very good, as Parker’s books always are; but kind of sad since it is the last one. I also read the latest two books in the series by Beverly Connor about Diane Fallon, museum director/forensic investigator (Night Killer and One Grave Less). The latter book weaves two storylines together, and drops clues throughout that lead to a satisfying conclusion. I always enjoy Connor’s books!

Thanks for sharing, everyone ! Our next meeting is July 12^th!

2011-05-11T14:59:00.000-05:00

Book Chatters
May 10, 2011

Brenda started us off with “Confessions of a Prairie Bitch” by Alison Arngrim who played Nellie Olsen on the “Little House on the Prairie” television series. Arngrim suffered sexual abuse by her older brother as a child and she found the “Little House” cast more of a normal family than her own. She worked to change an old law on the books in California that prevented family members from being charged with abuse. Arngrim also worked on AIDS awareness. She currently is doing a stand-up routine and is very popular in France. She shares that the real nasty person on the “Little House” set was Melissa Sue Anderson. An interesting read.

Cindy read “Dry Grass of August” by Jean Mayhew. It is just the sort of family story she likes. It is told by a young girl who grew up in the South in the 50s with an African-American caretaker. Cindy liked the author’s use of language. She called the book, “charming, but not all happy.” She recommends it for readers who liked “The Help.” She also read “The Paris Wife” by Paula McLain. It is about the romance and first marriage of Ernest Hemingway. Cindy liked the description of their time in Paris as part of the “lost generation.” There was plenty of namedropping that made those famous people come to life. Cindy also returned to a childhood favorite, “Mist on the Mountain,” by Jane Flory which is the story of eight daughters struggling to work their family farm. Cindy also read Lisa Scottoline’s “Why My Third Husband Will be a Dog” which is a collection of essays originally published in the Philadelphia Inquirer. She says the pieces are very funny. It is a great book if you want something to pick up, read a little, and put down.

Kathy read “The Mountains Bow Down” by Sibella Giorello. This is the third in the Raleigh Harmon series. Raleigh is an FBI geologist. She lives with her mother who has mental problems and this is part of the storytime because Raleigh doesn’t tell her mother she is with the FBI. This novel is set on an Alaskan cruise. Raleigh believes the suicide on board is actually a murder. There is also the possibility of romance with the other FBI agent working the case. Reluctant to start it, Kathy could put “Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels” by Ree Drumond, down. The book is the courtship and marriage of a city girl and her Marlboro man. Drummond was raised in Oklahoma but never imagined she be a rancher’s wife. “Lobo’s Tale” by Christopher Kastensmidt is a teen book Kathy enjoyed this past month. It is the story of the well-known fairytale told from both the wolf’s point of view as well as Little Red Riding Hood. They are quite different accounts. Kathy also reviewed “Crunch Time” by Diane Mott Davidson which is a Goldy Schulz mystery. Chef Goldy investigates arson and murder.

Paula just finished Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. She enjoyed the book and doesn’t know if she wants to see the movie. The main character is a veterinary student who ends up working for a circus during the Depression. He falls in love with the cruel circus boss’ wife. Paula used NoveList to help her find something to read after she finished reading “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn” (which she loved) and “Girl in Translation” by Jean Kwok was one of the recommendations. It is the story of a young Chinese girl and her mother who immigrated to New York City. Both work in a factory but the girl excels in school and succeeds because she is so smart. Paula cringed to think about all the not so exceptional girls who didn’t make it. Her next read was “The Mozart Conspiracy” by Scott Mariani. She describes it as Dan Brown meet Jason Bourne meets James Bond. The novel is an historical puzzle thriller surrounding the death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Former British SAS officer Ben Hope is trying to solve the mystery while dodging assailants from a secret cabal.

Joyce brought her new Kindle to the meeting. She likes reading electronically. It’s good for traveling and she loves that she can change the size of the font. She doesn’t miss the physical book at all. The book she read on her Kindle was “Too Close to Home” by Lynette Eason. This is the first in the “Women of Justice” series. In this opener, teenage girls are disappearing and later found dead. Joyce said it is a Christian mystery that is a little heavy handed but the suspense is good to the end. She also read Donald Harstad’s “Know One Dead” because he was the speaker at the Friends annual dinner. She said it’s a fun mystery with an enjoyable pattern.

The May NOT WORTH THE WAIT award, bestowed by Cindy and Paula, goes to Jean Auel’s “Land of the Painted Caves.” This is the long-awaited sixth and final installment in the Earth’s Children series that began 30 years ago with “Clan of the Cave Bear.” Both Cindy and Paula quit after a few pages. They realized they didn’t care anymore and nothing in the opening grabbed them enough to keep reading. Lesson to authors, don’t make readers wait too long for the next book.

I am currently reading “Unfamiliar Fishes” by Sarah Vowell. It is a true history of Hawaii and how the citizens of the island nation resisted becoming a U.S. state. Sarah Vowell is a well-known essayist and often a guest on liberal talk shows. I am sad to report that this is my last Book Chatters meeting since I am moving to Dubuque. I have taken the director position with the Dubuque County Library. I so hope we can start a book sharing group in our system. As a parting message I want to share what I want to read in the coming months. The list is kind of long, but it’s my last chance to entice you to read one of these potentially great books. So here goes:
“Doc” by Mary Doria Russell (This is the story of Doc Holliday that is getting fantastic reviews. I can’t wait to see what Russell does with this very complex person. Russell is the author of my all-time favorite book, “The Sparrow.” Besides my childhood favorite of “The Wind in the Willows.”)
“Caleb’s Crossing” by Geraldine Brooks. Brooks won the Pulitzer a few years back for “March” which was the story of “Little Women” told from the father’s point of view. She also wrote “The Year of Wonders” which is a fictionalized account of Eton, England in 1665-1666 which quarantined itself to “burn out the plague.” Her newest book is also set in 1665, about a young man from Martha's Vineyard who became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Brooks truly makes history come alive.
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson. Larson wrote the infamous “Devil in the White City” about the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and a horrendous serial killer. Reading “Devil” was like watching a train wreck but I couldn’t stop. His newest book is a vivid portrait of Berlin during the first years of Hitler’s reign, brought to life through the stories of two people: William E. Dodd, who in 1933 became America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime, and his scandalously carefree daughter, Martha. I find the rise of Hitler a cautionary tale with lots of lessons for contemporary America. If you want to read a novel of the same era, check out “The City of Shadows” by Ariana Franklin. It is up there with one of the best books ever.
“These Things Hidden” is by Dubuque author, Heather Gudenkauf. Her first book was “The Weight of Silence” about the disappearance of two young girls. It is a serious family story with depth and suspense. Amazon says, the current release “opens with the release of 21-year-old Allison Glenn from prison, where she has served five years for an unspecified but particularly horrible crime. Allison returns to her hometown of Linden Falls, Iowa, secures a job at a local bookstore, and tries to resume some sort of normal life. Meanwhile, one little boy holds the key to the tragedy that led to Allison's imprisonment. The author slowly and expertly reveals the truth in a tale so chillingly real, it could have come from the latest headlines.”
And two speculative (science fiction) titles: “The Last Four Things” by Paul Hoffman which is a sequel to “The Left Hand of God” that continues the story of Thomas Cale and an army of monks called the Redeemers that is preparing to go to war for the soul of the world. “The Vaults” by Toby Bell (recommended several months ago by Florence) is the story of an archivist and librarian in the City’s criminal records. Amazon says, “Three men will undertake their own investigations into the dark past and uncertain future of the City---calling into question whether their most basic beliefs can be maintained in a climate of overwhelming corruption and conspiracy.”

Be sure and tell your friends to come and enjoy talking about books. The next meeting is June 14th at 10:00 a.m. Happy reading! Dawn

2011-04-19T15:29:00.001-05:00

March 8, 2011 Book Chatters Notes

Dawn started by reminding us of the upcoming All Iowa Reads discussion on April 18th. The book this year is Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos. The discussion copies will be here on March 29th.

Florence read Discovery of Witches by Debra Harkness. She says it’s it appears to be capitalizing on the recent Twilight/vampires theme. From Amazon: “It all begins with a lost manuscript, a reluctant witch, and 1,500-year-old vampire. Dr. Diana Bishop has a really good reason for refusing to do magic: she is a direct descendant of the first woman executed in the Salem Witch Trials, and her parents cautioned her be discreet about her talents before they were murdered, presumably for having "too much power." So it is purely by accident that Diana unlocks an enchanted long-lost manuscript (a book that all manner of supernatural creatures believe to hold the story of all origins and the secret of immortality) at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, and finds herself in a race to prevent an interspecies war.” Florence said it wasn’t as interesting as she had hoped, and skimmed through parts of it.

The Oracle of Stamboul, by Michael David Lukas, is the second book Florence reviewed for us. It is a magical, historical novel. From Amazon: “Late in the summer of 1877, a flock of purple-and-white hoopoes suddenly appears over the town of Constanta on the Black Sea, and Eleonora Cohen is ushered into the world by a mysterious pair of Tartar midwives who arrive just minutes before her birth. ‘They had read the signs, they said: a sea of horses, a conference of birds, the North Star in alignment with the moon. It was a prophecy that their last king had given on his deathwatch.’ But joy is mixed with tragedy, for Eleonora's mother dies soon after the birth.” Florence liked the book & recommended it.
I (Kathy) read a variety of things in the past month. I finished I am Number Four by Pitticus Lore. It’s a hot new teen novel (the movie just came out recently) It was “booktalked” to me by a co-worker & I had to read it! From Amazon: “Despite the amazing powers that many of the people of Lorien possess, the planet was defeated and its natural resources looted by Mogadorians in a matter of days. Only nine children escaped with their guardians to Earth, where they planned to hide until they developed their powers in order to defeat their enemies and revive Lorien. The Mogadorians hunt the Nine and have already killed three of them. And that's just the backstory” It reminded me a bit of the Roswell TV series from a number of years back; I enjoyed it & will want to read the next one (The Power of Six) coming out later this year.
I also read my first (and probably last) novel with zombies: Allison Hewitt is trapped, by Madeleine Roux. It’s written in blog format, which was interesting, about Allison and her bookstore coworkers: “When the zombie apocalypse breaks out, bookstore clerk Allison escapes the trap and finds a group of survivors at a community center.” from Amazon.com. The cover is what caught my eye – Allison breaking out of shelves of books with an axe in her hand. I finished this, but skimmed the gory parts!
I also read Buffalo West Wing, by Julie Hyzy – the latest in the White House Chef mysteries – “With a new First Family, White House executive chef Olivia Paras can't afford to make any mistakes. But when a box of take-out chicken mysteriously shows up for the First Kids, she soon finds herself in a "no-wing" situation. After Olivia refuses to serve the chicken, the First Lady gives her the cold shoulder. But when it turns out to be poisoned poultry, Olivia realizes the kids are true targets” from Amazon.com. These are fun, light paperbacks that read pretty quickly!
My last book (and I’ll quit taking advantage of writing the notes J ) is Tales of an African vet, by Ron Aronson. This entertaining book, written by South African vet Aronson, shares stories of his 25+ years career, ranging from routine work at his clinic to “house calls treating some of the world’s largest and most dangerous creatures - except that in Aronson’s case, the “house” was anywhere from a rhino’s cage at the renowned Pretoria Zoo to a lion’s pride in the densest African bush.” from amazon.com. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, much different from the usual dog and cat tales!!
Joyce shared about Mysteries of Faith, by Episcopal priest Mark MacIntosh. This is a book she read for a study at church & is now re-reading it, and learning more & more. She says it is about faith: creation, revelation, salvation, the Trinity – living our faith. The central theme is our relationship with Jesus and our neighbor. It is very good.
The last four books Cindy read are non-fiction, the one she’s reading now was recommended at one of the first Book Chatter meetings- The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Craft Rubin. She’s about ½ way through & is finding it interesting. She also read Growing Up Laughing, by Marlo Thomas, which she found light and very funny. The stories about growing up around comedians, and the interviews with current comedians were really interesting.
Cindy also read Pioneer Woman: black heels to tractor wheels, by Ree Drummond. “Though Drummond grew up in Oklahoma, she never imagined she’d end up there for good. After four years of college in Los Angeles, Drummond was only making a pit stop home before moving to Chicago. A chance encounter with a devastatingly masculine cowboy in a local bar changes everything. Though several months elapse before Marlboro Man calls her, the spark between them ignites as soon as they start dating.” from amazon.com. Cindy says she also follows the hugely popular blog that the Pioneer Woman. She liked the book - it was a fun, light read.
The last book Cindy talked about was The Moneyless Man: a year of freecomonic living by Mark Boyle. Boyle writes about his decision to live for an entire year with no money exchanges – he gave up his apartment & lived in a trailer in a co-op community, working for them in exchange for living there, and using food grown there. He made a stove, used a cold-water shower, and used a bicycle or hitch-hiked to get around. At the year’s end, he did go back, but kept some of the habits & practices. His purpose was to educate us all about the abuse of earth’s resources, the huge amount of waste we create, and how we need to learn to be more kind to the earth. Cindy said she like this one the best of the four, and admires that he could do it – it was very interesting reading.
Dawn says she’s in a bit of a “reader’s” block – she got stuck on Immanuel’s Veins by Ted Dekker – it wasn’t quite what she expected! She wants the authors she loves to write more! (I think we all agree with that J) She talked about how your favorite books stick with you & you just want more – like Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood – which was hard to get through, but exciting, and the author Heather Gudenkauf, who wrote The Weight of silence. She has a new one out (These Things hidden) out that Dawn hasn’t read yet.
Related to Cindy’s book The Moneyless man, Joyce said she recently saw on television (ABC) part of a series called Made in America: they took all the items not made in America out (left it pretty much bare) and filled it up with things made in America – she said they had a hard time finding many of the replacements. It was interesting & we should all buy more American made products!!
Florence said she is currently reading The Relic, by Tom Egeland – it is about archaeology – the main character finds a golden shrine in Norway, but comes up against people who want to sell it. Our hero takes the shrine and hides it – quite involved – templars, a Norwegian group, etc. Florence says she just wants to know “what’s inside the shrine?!?”
That’s it for this month, our next meeting is April 12th
: ) Kathy

Book Chatters Notes April 2011

Kathy started our discussion – she read the book Heaven is for real: a little boy’s astounding story of his trip to heaven and back by Todd Burpo. The book is written by 4 year old Colton’s dad. Colton has a very brief (minutes) brush with death while he is in surgery for a ruptured appendix. Months after the surgery, he begins talking about his experiences sitting on Jesus’ lap, meeting John the Baptist, as well as his own grandfather (who died before Colton’s birth) and the sister he never knew ( a miscarriage that also happened before his birth). I saw this when I received it, and was skeptical about it. I was totally caught up in it though, and read it very quickly – The things Colton knows about, but shouldn’t, present very powerful and reassuring evidence of heaven’s existence.

I also read 365 Thank Yous: the year a simple act of daily gratitude changed my life, by John Kralik. In this memoir, Kralik describes how, at having reached a very low point in his life (his law firm was failing, he was going through a painful divorce, growing distant from his children, etc) he realized that maybe things would seem better if he could focus on what he had instead of what he didn’t. A former girlfriend’s beautiful, simple thank you note for a Christmas gift inspired him to begin writing thank yous – for gifts or kindnesses – to everyone from the coffee counter cashier to college friends to co-workers. As he wrote more & more thank yous, his life began to change. I found it very interesting & thought provoking. An attitude of gratitude can really change your life.

The fiction book I talked about is Rock Bottom, by Erin Brockovic (yes, the one the movie was made about a number of years ago) with co-author CJ Lyons –. Writing about what she knows, Brockovich creates the character of AJ Palladino, who left Scotia, W.Va., population 867, as an unwed 17-year-old mother following a terrible accident that almost killed her. Ten years later, after success and fame in a battle against Capital Power that earned her the title "the People's Champion," she returns to Scotia, to assist lawyer Zachariah Hardy in a fight against Masterson Mining's new mountaintop removal project. When Hardy dies before AJ's arrival, she teams with Hardy's lawyer daughter, Elizabeth, to combat the company owned by dastardly Kyle Masterson and run by Kyle's son, Cole, father of AJ's son, David. (from Amazon). I enjoyed it – it’s a quick read with likeable characters. The end sets up an obvious second book.

Brenda read the book Still Alice by Lisa Genova. “Neuroscientist and debut novelist Genova mines years of experience in her field to craft a realistic portrait of early onset Alzheimer's disease. Alice Howland has a career not unlike Genova's—she's an esteemed psychology professor at Harvard, living a comfortable life in Cambridge with her husband, John, arguing about the usual (making quality time together, their daughter's move to L.A.) when the first symptoms of Alzheimer's begin to emerge. First, Alice can't find her Blackberry, then she becomes hopelessly disoriented in her own town. Alice is shocked to be diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's (she had suspected a brain tumor or menopause), after which her life begins steadily to unravel” (from Amazon). Brenda says it really touched her – the impact the disease has on the person affected, as well as the entire family is just heartbreaking.

Brenda also read Christmas at the Mysterious Bookshop, edited by Otto Pentzler.
Pentzler owns the Mysterious Bookshop, and every year commissions a Christmas story to be written taking place at the Bookshop. He then gives copies of the stories to his customers for Christmas. This book is a compilation of those gifts. Brenda says she really enjoyed these neat stories.

Florence read The Informationist, by Taylor Stevens. The main character is a woman (Vanessa Michael Munroe) who gathers information for businesses. She gets hired to go to the jungles of Africa (she grew up in Cameroon & has survival training) to find a billionaire’s missing daughter. Secrets & thrilling adventures ensue. Florence says it was an interesting and fun read. Amazon says readers will eagerly await the sequel!

Florence also read Tiger’s Wife, by Tea Obreht. From Amazon: “The sometimes crushing power of myth, story, and memory is explored in the brilliant debut of Obreht, the youngest of the New Yorker's 20-under-40. Natalia Stefanovi, a doctor living (and, in between suspensions, practicing) in an unnamed country that's a ringer for Obreht's native Croatia, crosses the border in search of answers about the death of her beloved grandfather, who raised her on tales from the village he grew up in, and where, following German bombardment in 1941, a tiger escaped from the zoo in a nearby city and befriended a mysterious deaf-mute woman. The evolving story of the tiger's wife, as the deaf-mute becomes known, forms one of three strands that sustain the novel, the other two being Natalia's efforts to care for orphans and a wayward family who, to lift a curse, are searching for the bones of a long-dead relative; and several of her grandfather's stories about Gavran Gailé, the deathless man, whose appearances coincide with catastrophe and who may hold the key to all the stories that ensnare Natalia. Obreht is an expert at depicting history through aftermath, people through the love they inspire, and place through the stories that endure; the reflected world she creates is both immediately recognizable and a legend in its own right. Obreht is talented far beyond her years, and her unsentimental faith in language, dream, and memory is a pleasure.” For some reason, I didn’t write down what Florence thought of this one – we’ll have to ask next month J

Anatomy of ghosts by Andrew Taylor is another book Florence talked about. Set in Victorian times, she says the book has a “Sherlock Holmes” cadence – the main character’s wife and child have died, and he has taken on the task of debunking a local charlatan who claims ghosts exist. Our hero is determined to proved ghosts don’t exist. Florence shares that there is a surprise ending.

Paula read Little Bee by Chris Cleave. She says it was an interesting, fast read (it took her just a day and a half!) The plot is complex, and to reveal very much would spoil it – Amazon says “all you should know going in to Little Bee is that what happens on the beach is brutal, and that it braids the fates of a 16 year old Nigerian orphan (Little Bee) and a well-off British couple – journalists trying to repair their strained marriage with a free holiday – who should have stayed behind their resort’s walls.” Paula says she would recommend it, but not whole-heartedly. The ending was a bit disappointing for her; while a compelling story, she expected at different ending.

She also re-read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. Paula last read this years ago & loved it then. She picked up the audio version recently and listened to it. She does recommend this one whole-heartedly! “if you’ve never read it, you have to!” From Amazon: “ Francie Nolan, avid reader, penny-candy connoisseur, and adroit observer of human nature, has much to ponder in colorful turn-of-the-century Brooklyn. She grows up with a sweet, tragic father, a severely realistic mother, and an aunt who gives her love too freely--to men, and to a brother who will always be the favored child. Francie learns early the meaning of hunger and the value of a penny. She is her father's child--romantic and hungry for beauty. But she is her mother's child, too--deeply practical and in constant need of truth. Like the Tree of Heaven that grows out of cement or through cellar gratings, resourceful Francie struggles against all odds to survive and thrive. Betty Smith's poignant, honest novel created a big stir when it was first published over 50 years ago. Her frank writing about life's squalor was alarming to some of the more genteel society, but the book's humor and pathos ensured its place in the realm of classics--and in the hearts of readers, young and old.” Paula says she thoroughly enjoyed it again & found the parts about poverty especially fascinating in light of BPL’s recent staff day presentation. Another thing that impressed her in the story was that Francie’s mother read to them every day – a page from Shakespeare and a page from the Bible.

Florence commented that the book Moonstone was what got her into reading. I didn’t get the author – but BPL has this title by Wilkie Collins.

Joyce said she hasn’t done a lot of reading this past month – she’s been working on her basement. While sorting & organizing, she found a big old book – lots of detailing on the cover & part of the clasps that held it together – really neat – that belonged to her husband’s grandfather. It’s dated 1861 & is in Swedish (Brenda confirmed that) but we’re still unsure of what it is exactly – it doesn’t appear to be a Bible, maybe a history of some kind. Joyce has sent an inquiry to a Swedish museum – maybe she’ll have an update for us next month J She also brought a tiny little hymn/song book (very cute!), also in Swedish inscribed Suzanne Anderson, 1877 – also a mystery! Another exciting find was a notebook of poems written by her husband’s father – some of the family didn’t even know he had written poetry! I’m thinking I need to go through some boxes in my basement & see what’s there! ( I don’t think I’ll be so lucky though J )

Our next meeting will be at 10:00 a.m. on May 10th – see you there!

2011-02-11T10:41:00.000-06:00

Book Chatters Notes
February 8, 2011
10:00 a.m.

I announced that the All Iowa Reads book discussion has been re-scheduled for April 18th. The 2011 selection is “Sing Them Home” by Stephanie Kallos. Books will be available for check out near the end of March.

The book I reported on is “Immanuel’s Veins” by Ted Dekker. It was recommended to me by a staff member who loves Ted Dekker. Dekker is a Christian fantasy writer and this novel is one of his “stand alone” titles. The story involves a coven of Russian vampires in the time of Catherine the Great. Dekker is very good at setting the mood and drawing you into the inner lives of his characters. His introduction of vampires is subtle and very different from your run-of-the-mill Dracula stories.

Cindy: She read “The Personal History of Rachel Dupree” by Ann Weisgarber. It is a family saga that begins in 1903 as a black couple leaves Chicago to become ranchers in the South Dakota Badlands. Surviving the drought of 1917 means more than just providing for their cattle; it changes their lives forever. We talked about how hard pioneer life must have been and how strong women had to be in those times. Cindy also reported on “Emily Hudson” by Melissa Jones. At the beginning of the Civil War, orphan Emily is a kicked out of boarding school for “dubious” behavior and sent to her stern uncle in Rhode Island. She doesn’t do well there either and moves to England with her cousin William. Emily learns about life in this well-drawn historical novel.

Judy: Her recommendation was “God and Sex” by Michael Coogan. She said it is a fast read that is well referenced. The author’s point is that the Bible is an anthology created with books written ages apart and that explains the Bible’s contractions on many subjects. Coogan also says that the pervasive biblical assumption that women are “subordinate” reflects the Bible's foreign and ancient context. Judy says it was very interesting and authoritative. She also read “I Speak for this Child” by Gay Courter which is a collection of stories from a guardian ad litem in Florida. It is a real view of how children who are removed from their homes are treated in the child welfare system.

Kathy: “Virals” is Kathy Reichs (“Bones”) first foray into young adult literature. The protagonist is Temperance Brennan’s fifteen-year-old great niece and a group of friends at an exclusive South Carolina school. The story revolves around virus research and is a mystery/thriller. Kathy said it is a fun, wild read that is definitely written for adolescents. She also read “Naked Heat” by Richard Castle which is linked to the current “Castle” TV series. This is also a fun read.

Kay: She read “Shaking the Family Tree” which was recommended by Judy and is about genealogy research. And she read three biographies. “Backing into Forward” is by Jules Feiffer who is an editorial cartoonist. He came from a very dysfunctional family and drawing was his way out and his determination led to his success. Quite the opposite is Marlo Thomas’ “Growing up Laughing” about her loving, normal family that entertained her father’s friends like Milton Berle and Sid Caesar. Thomas also includes interviews with contemporary comedians. She also read “From Funny Face to Eloise” by entertainer, Kay Thompson. It is the story of a woman’s survival in the tough world of show business. Thompson coached and mentored many singers and dancers. She describes Eloise as an alter ego. Thompson grew up in hotels just like her character.
Paula: She read “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins (yea!!) Paula said she couldn’t put it down and read it almost in one sitting. It is very compelling and she says has to read the second and third books. Her other favorite right now is Vince Flynn who writes about a life so different from her own. She read the next two in the Mitch Rapp series. Rapp is a CIA special ops assassin and Paula likes the stories because they revolve around current, real news events and take a very different “insider’s” point of view on the news stories.

Joyce: She said she is reading a book for her church discussion group.

Judy had read “Used and Rare” by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone about traveling the world in search of rare books. She asked if our library has rare books. Paula talked about our Burlington collection which has items of value to our community. We collect and preserve local history in diaries, letters, photos, yearbooks, directories, organization records, maps, etc.

Kay said she listened to her first book on CD; “What on Earth Have I Done?” by Robert Fulghum. It is rather a sedate book except for a very funny story Fulghum told about jogging in Greece. Fulghum, who is best known for his “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” which was a national best seller, took the latest title from what his mother always said to him and attempts to answer about what his life has been about.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 8th at 10:00 a.m. Come join us and happy reading! Dawn Hayslett

2011-02-08T08:50:00.000-06:00

Book Chatters January 11, 2011

We were a small group this morning (Iowa winters – ugg!)

Paula started our discussion; she read American Assassin by Vince Flynn. She enjoyed this book about Mitch Rapp, a CIA spy. This is a prequel to Flynn’s series of books starring Rapp. “As action-packed, fast-paced, and brutally realistic as it gets, Flynn’s latest page-turner shows readers how it all began. Behind the steely gaze of the nation’s ultimate hero is a young man primed to become an American Assassin” – Amazon.com. The only things that she didn’t like were the torture parts, which she skimmed.

Rhonda read previously recommended books this month – she really enjoyed Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran; and is currently reading The Girl who kicked the hornet’s nest, the third in the series by Stieg Larsson, and really likes it! She also read Wolves of Andover, which didn’t grab her L this is the prequel of sorts to Heretic’s Daughter, which she did enjoy.

Judy is reading books about book collectors. While reading Used and Rare: travels in the book world, by Lawrence Goldstone, she learned a lot about classics and authors that are collected that she hadn’t heard of. Shaking the family tree, by Buzzy Jackson, tells of the author’s trip into her genealogy. It is inspiring Judy to work on her own genealogy! From Amazon.com: This handbook combines a friendly introduction to genealogical research with a memoir about how the author came to be interested in bridging the gap between her ancestors and her progeny. Throughout the book, Jackson exudes appreciation for the institutions that enable her research—genealogical organizations, libraries, historical societies, official repositories, and family members (several of whom she first met in the course of her research). Judy definitely recommends This child will be great, by Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson. Sirleaf-Johnson is the president of Liberia, and her story is fascinating. The book not only chronicles her life, but also the history of her country – from Amazon.com: Africa’s first elected female president, Sirleaf chronicles her rise from an abused young wife and mother to a woman with a career in government finance and international banking to the president of Liberia since 2006. Sirleaf confronted corruption and incompetence through several Liberian governments and suffered imprisonment and exile for her controversial positions before ultimately returning and challenging the long and troubled history of her nation. Liberia was created by the U.S. to repatriate former slaves, creating a tension between Americo-Liberians and indigenous peoples that continues.

Cindy read a lot over the holidays. One of her favorites was Some Sing, Some Cry, by Shange & Bayeza. This novel traces seven generations of emancipated slavewomen in post civil war South Carolina. From Publishers Weekly:
Sisters and playwrights Ntozake Shange (for colored girls who have considered suicide) and Ifa Bayeza (the play The Ballad of Emmett Till) have composed a sweeping African-American saga animating 200 years of history through the voices of seven generations of the Mayfield family's women, beginning with Elizabeth (Ma Bete), a freed slave, and her granddaughter Eudora.

Kathy read Play Dead, by David Rosenfelt. Rosenfelt has a series of mysteries with Andy Carpenter, part time lawyer/full time dog lover (especially golden retrievers!) From Publishers Weekly: Edgar-finalist Rosenfelt's riveting sixth legal thriller (after 2006's Dead Center) brings independently wealthy Paterson, N.J., lawyer Andy Carpenter to the defense of a very special domestic violence victim, Yogi, a golden retriever alleged to have bitten its owner. Andy uses the court system to spring Yogi from an animal shelter's death row and adopt him, adding the dog to a small family that includes longtime pet golden Tara. But when the gang goes for a walk that leads to a joyful reunion between Yogi and a woman named Karen Evans, Andy learns Yogi is actually Reggie, presumed dead five years earlier after the conviction of Karen's brother, U.S. Customs Inspector Richard Evans, for the murder of his fiancée, Stacy Harriman. Suspecting Richard's innocence, Andy tackles the case like a dog on a chew toy, undeterred by an intricate web of deception involving a possible government coverup. No shaggy dog story, this puppy's alive with reliable Rosenfelt wit and heart.
This is the second Andy Carpenter mystery Kathy has read – being a dog lover & avid mystery reader, she is finding them very addictive! The humor reminds her a bit of Spenser (Robert B Parker).

Dawn read The Fall, by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan. She was hoping to like this book by Del Toro about a virus that turns people into vampires, but she couldn’t get into it. This is the second in a trilogy – The Strain, book one, was also about a virus “way out there” and bizarre. Dawn also tried Rhetoric of Death, about French Jesuits in the late 1500s, but it was really slow. She really liked My name is Mary Sutter – previously recommended by both Rhonda & Cindy – it takes place before & after the civil war & is about a midwife who really wants to be a doctor. Due to the war, she becomes a nurse and more. In the course of the story, Mary meets a lot of real life people, which is also interesting.

Dawn just started Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy – she’ll let us know how it’s going next month.

We also discussed March by Geraldine Brooks. This is a re-telling of Little Women from the father’s point of view. Some thought it was very good, but we decided if you are a die-hard Little Women fan, you should probably pass it up J

Dawn also mentioned that the new All Iowa Reads title is Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos. This book tells the story of three sisters who are estranged but are called back home after their father’s death.

We also talked about humorous fiction authors. We decided it is really subjective. Some of the authors we thought of are: Harlan Coben, Janet Evanovich, Patrick McManus, Robert Asprin’s Myth series, Diane Mott Davidson, Helen Fielding ( Bridget Jones’ diary).

2011-01-12T10:14:00.001-06:00

Book Chatters
Notes from December 14, 2010

Announcements: Book Chatters notes are now available through the Library’s website. Our next meeting will be January 11th.

Paula listed to Eat, Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert which was read by the author. She loved all three sections (food, ashram, and Bali). Paula watched the movie after reading the book and said the book is so much filler and more insightful. It is a good book for those going through life changes.

Ann read Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay. It takes place in present day Boston but the story harkens back to Russia in 1950 when the protagonist was a ballerina with the Bolshoi. Now she is auctioning off her jewelry which sets in motion a mystery involving a love letter, a necklace, and poem. Ann connected with the story because her granddaughter is a ballet student. Ann also read Dewey’s Nine Lives which is the sequel to the library cat story by Vicki Myron of Spencer, Iowa. The sequel was not nearly as good.

Brenda talked about Used and Rare: Travels in the Book World by Lawrence and Nancy Goldstone. This is the true story of a couple who became book collectors. It all began with a challenge to find an inexpensive birthday gift. They meet lots of interesting characters along the way. The Goldstones have written a sequel titled, Slightly Chipped.

Judy described Elizabeth Street: a Novel Based on True Events by Laurie Fabiano. Fabiano comes from Italian immigrants who came to America at the turn of the 20th century. Judy said she didn’t know how much these immigrants were abused (used for cheap labor with no civil rights). The story centers on the beginning of the Mafia in America based on Fabiano’s interviews with family here and in Italy. The Mafia didn’t really protect Italians; they exploited them and protected their own families.

Florence read two Indiana Jones-style mysteries: The Templar Salvation by Raymond Khoury and The Emperor’s Tomb by Steve Berry. She described both as Indiana Jones adventure stories. Amazon says, “In 1310, Templar knight Conrad of Tripoli stumbled on a trove of writings documenting the early days and divisions of Christianity. The Catholic Church has kept this material hidden since the fall of Constantinople in 1453, fearful that its release would undermine the church's authority and rock the foundations of Christian belief. In the present, Mansoor Zahed, an Iranian motivated by revenge for the CIA killing of his family in the 1950s, is bent on finding the trove and releasing it to undermine Western religion and stability. Meanwhile, FBI special agent Sean Reilly visits the Vatican on a quest to find a document that may help in his effort to rescue his love interest, Tess Chaykin, who's been kidnapped.” Amazon calls this a member of a relatively new subgenre, “religious thriller.” In The Emperor’s Tomb, “Cotton Malone teams with old heartthrob Cassiopeia Vitt on a dangerous mission to retrieve a priceless Chinese lamp from the third century B.C.E. Two high-ranking Chinese government ministers, hard-liner Karl Tang and more liberal Ni Yong, both of whom are vying to be China's next premier, covet the lamp.” The action is fast-paced and the story is full of Chinese history.

Joyce shared with us a find from her attic. She brought in an 1879 geography school book owned by a family member. Not only was it fun to look at how the whole world was described for children back then, but the book also had family history notes in it which are a goldmine for genealogists.

Kathy read Cat Coming Home: a Joe Grey Mystery by Shirley Rousseau Murphy which is her 17th title in the series. Joe Grey is a talking cat who helps local authorities solve crimes. Amazon says, “A week before the holidays, feline detective Joe Grey is investigating a series of violent home invasions that even the top-notch sleuth can’t get his paws around. Could the crimes be connected to the return to Molena Point of Maudie Toola, who arrives with her orphaned grandchild after his father and stepmother were killed in a brutal attack? Meanwhile, another new arrival, a mysterious yellow tomcat, has caught the fancy of Joe’s pal, the ever-wild Kit. With the town in an uproar over the attacks, and the local police taking heat from the newly hostile local paper, Joe and his hardworking friends soldier on, desperate to keep the residents of Molena Point safe. Because Murphy succeeds in weaving the holiday elements into her mystery plot seamlessly, this novel is every bit as strong as the other entries in the series—a rarity for so many holiday mysteries. A heartwarming and satisfying tale that shows, yet again, why the Joe Grey novels have won the Book of the Year award from the Cat Writers’ Association eight times.”

Dawn read The Wolves of Andover by Kathleen Kent which is a prequel to Kent’s first novel, The Heretic’s Daughter. Kathleen Kent is a descendant of Martha Carrier, the first women to fall victim to the hysteria of the Salem witch trials. In The Heretic’s Daughter we hear Martha’s story from her 12-year-old daughter’s point of view. The Wolves of Andover takes us back to Martha’s early years and her romance with the Welshman who served in Cromwell’s army before escaping to America. Unfortunately, knowing how it all turns out, I didn’t think the second book had the dramatic tension that permeated the first book. Martha is still an incredible character but I wish Kent had written The Wolves of Andover first.

Kay talked about Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Prof. Gail Steketee and Prof. Randy Frost. She said she can relate to keeping things and could go overboard but these cases describe individuals with real psychological problems. Sometimes whole families are hoarders. The authors are therapists who work with these people.

Florence also read a trilogy of Ann Benson novels The Plague Tales, Burning Road and The Physician’s Tale. These are great historical fiction combined with speculative fiction about the Black Death ravaging France and England in the time of King Edward III around 1348 and a new eruption in the near future. Written in 1994, the novels alternating chapters move between the 14th century and 2005. The two heroes are Alejandro Canches, a Spanish physician called to Edward’s court and Janie Crow, a contemporary physician who discovers the site of the original outbreak. These are detailed yet fast-paced reads.

Kathy described Pavement Chalk Artist: The Three-Dimensional Drawings of Julian Beever. In the book, there are “58 chalk drawings, street artist Beever takes us around the world--to Brussels, Istanbul, London, Tokyo--to the public squares and piazzas where he creates breathtaking colored chalk anamorphic drawings--pictures rendered in perspective and appearing three-dimensional when viewed from a particular angle. The photographs of his immense paintings leap off the page, creating a whimsical wonderland of giant insects and animals, superheroes, gaping chasms, and subterranean waterways that ape and then distort reality.” (Amazon)

Kay also read In the Neighborhood. Social historian, Peter Lovenheim, learned about the residents of his suburban Rochester, N.Y. street by sleeping over at their houses (his impetus was a murder-suicide on the street that helped reveal the extent to which his neighbors remained strangers).

Cindy read, As Always, Julia: the letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto. The letters were so interesting and fun to read. Besides all the cooking/cookbook talk they shared their personal lives and a huge interest in politics. You get a true picture of Julia Child, the person. It was Amazon book of the month December 2010. “Though this collection of letters between Julia Child and her savvy friend cook, and confidante, Avis DeVoto, may be voluminous, its narrative force is immediate. Julia and Avis shared a voracious curiosity about ingredients, gadgets, recipes, and methods that any home cook worth her salt will find wonderful to read. Their testing and tasting in large part fueled Mastering the Art of French Cooking; the now-legendary and game-changing cookbook that Avis, upon reading an early chapter, said ‘could be a classic and make your fortune and go on selling forever.’ Avis was an instant and unwavering champion of the book and shepherded its long journey towards publication stateside, as Julia and her co-authors in France worked doggedly on the manuscript, and there couldn't have been a better or brighter for advocate for the book's target audience.
As a mid-century American housewife, Avis participated both eagerly and critically in the renaissance age of culinary convenience: she details her experiments with the frozen, freeze-dried, canned, and casseroled with a wonderful sense of humor and taste. These pieces are particularly fascinating to read now, as we resurrect the slow, local approach to home cooking, and her perspective on what was available to American cooks at that time is a seamless counterpart to her commentary on the cookbook itself, which she praises time and again for its classical richness and modern practicality. Julia writes to Avis early on that "people who love to eat are always the best people," and certainly nothing could be truer of these two formidable and gracious gourmandes.” --Anne Bartholomew

Happy holidays and good reading to everyone. See you in 2011!
Dawn

2010-11-20T15:54:00.003-06:00

Welcome book lovers! This blog will publish our monthly Book Chatters notes. Book Chatters is a book sharing group where everyone talks about what they have been reading. We began the group in September. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at the Burlington Public Library. The group has members from the public as well as library staff members. Everyone is welcome to come. We have coffee and treats. The next meeting is Tuesday, December 14th.

Following are the notes from our first three meetings:

Book Chatters Notes 9/14/2010

This was our first meeting of the group. Kathy Gerling, library staff member, took the notes for us. Thanks, Kathy.

Kathy just finished Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Picard. It is a mystery about a young woman whose father was murdered when she was 3 years old on the same night her mother disappeared. It begins in the present day, when the man sentenced for the murder is released from prison. The story then jumps back to the time of the crime for a good chunk of the book, then returns to the present when the true killer is revealed (a real plot twist!) I picked it up based on the title & cover art & was glad I did. I enjoyed the characters and relationships. I thought I had it figured out, and was totally surprised by the ending!

Florence recommends Daniel Silva’s Remembrandt Affair. She likes books about art and art heists, with an Indiana Jones “feel.” This book captured that for her. It is fiction, but with vivid descriptions and lots of historical detail. The pace moves rapidly, and she enjoyed it tremendously.

Mary enjoys Earlene Fowler’s Bennie Harper mystery series. The latest one is State Fair. Each title in the series is a quilt pattern. She has recently discovered them, and has two left to read in the series. Bennie is a art museum curator who is married to the chief of police in her small California city. She’s also an amateur sleuth.

Brent likes reading series fiction, and long fantasy books. He recommends George Martin’s Song of Fire and Ice series, as well as all the Tolkien books. He likes eclectic subjects also, having recently read Gone with the Wind (particularly enjoying the depth of the characters.) He also mentioned War and Peace as a favorite.

Linda has moved from romances to mysteries. She enjoys the light, funny style of Jennifer Crusie – the latest Crusie title is Maybe this Time, which Linda liked, but it was a bit of a departure from her usual fare – ghosts make an appearance & there isn’t quite as much humor.

Joyce reads a lot of non fiction. She picked up Intrepid Explorer: James Hector’s Explorations in the Canadian Rockies, by Ernie Lakustra, after a vacation in Canada this summer sparked her interest in what the early explorers through the mountains must have gone through. She really enjoyed the history and detail it gave about the area and time period.

Brenda’s favorite authors are Linda Fairstein and Kathy Reichs. Fairstein is a former officer in the New York City crimes division, so her forensic fiction is very detailed, with vivid characters that draw you in to their lives. Final Jeopardy is a recent read of Brenda’s that she enjoyed. Reichs is author of the popular Bones series, on which the television series is based. The authors background in the forensic field also brings much detail and realism to her books as well.

Betty reads a lot, and loves the homebound service that the library provides. She particularly enjoys art books, especially with lots of beautiful photographs. She also recently read Rose’s Garden by Carrie Brown (who also wrote Rope Walk). The book is very interesting, about a widower dealing with his wife’s recent death. He finds comfort in her gardens and her friend Hero. Betty especially enjoyed the descriptive language and the detail given to the flowers.

Cindy reads a lot of fiction, but chose today to talk about a recent non-fiction read, Lost Girls: three friends, four continents, one unconventional detour around the world by Jennifer Baggett. It’s about three New York City women who decide to leave the corporate world, their jobs & boyfriends for a year long trip around the world. Cindy enjoyed the details of the relationships and the adventure of it – truly more than just a travel book.

Our second Betty in the group recently read Dirt: the quirks, habits, and passions of keeping house. The book is about keeping your house clean – each chapter is written by a different author – very good writers, Betty says, not so good housekeepers! Very interesting and entertaining.

Judy reads lots of books, usually 2 or 3 at a time! Currently, she’s reading Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, by Helen Simonson. She’s about halfway through & is really enjoying the setting in the United Kingdom, and the attitudes and relationships portrayed.

Fred prefers non-fiction. Three titles he highly recommends are God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, (“it changed my life”), Grand Design – the new book by Stephen Hawking, and American Lion by Jon Meacham about Andrew Jackson.

I’m sorry, I missed the name of our next chatter, but her recommendation is for fiction by the writing team of Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer. Their books keep your interest throughout and the language is “clean.”

Edna enjoyed The Happiness Project: or why I spent a year trying to sing in the morning,
clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle, and generally try to have more fun, by Gretchen Rubin. She says it was very very interesting. Each month, the author focused on a different theme – for example, during the month of May, she focused on “playing.” Edna highly recommends it, and found it fascinating.

Paula reads non-fiction and fiction, and enjoys mysteries. She’s currently reading The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larrson. This is the first of a currently popular trilogy. It is Swedish, and really draws you in to the story. She warns there are some graphic scenes, but she’s really enjoying the series.

Our second Joyce in the group reads primarily non-fiction. She has just read Christianity: the first 3000 years by David MacCulloch. It is an excellent historical book, and brings a lot of understanding to the impact Christianity has had on culture.

Rhonda just read House Rules by Jodi Picoult. This is Picoult’s newest book – a mystery about a teen with Asperger’s syndrome who is charged with murder – and the people surrounding him. The story alternates points of view with each chapter. Rhonda says it was compelling enough to finish, but did seem a bit “bogged down” at the beginning. She loved the multiple characters points of view.

Dawn didn’t like a recent read: Hangman Blind by Cassandra Clark. The story takes place in 13th century England (similar to Brother Cadfael). She didn’t have a problem with the idea of the story, but the context was not clear, nor were the politics of the time or events clearly defined.

Other titles discussed after our first “round” are:

Called out of Darkness by Anne Rice (Brenda didn’t recommend this – says it was very disjointed & repetitive. The descriptions of New Orleans were good however. She preferred Interview with a vampire (first of her vampire series)

Peter Tremayne’s Sister Fidelma mystery series – is really really good

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – a dystopian future, dark & has received a lot of press.

Children of Men by PD James – Dawn suggested this one. It’s speculative fiction (what if no new babies could be born? What would happen?) She says it isn’t as dark as you would think, and is extremely well written. Also, the movie is nothing like the book!

Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose – it reads “like you’re there”

Safe Haven by Allis Radosh – about Truman and Israel – Fred had hopes for this, but said there were outrageous errors in the first few pages, which left him disappointed, and feeling that any other information given was questionable.

After a question about book selection, Cindy, who is a fiction selector, explained that BPL selectors use a variety of review journals to choose material, as well as some basic criteria for selecting. Bestsellers are generally always purchased.
The next meeting will be October 12.

Book Chatters
October 12, 2010
Meeting Notes

Following are the titles discussed at our October meeting:

Judy: She read Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson. Amazon describes this debut novel; The Major epitomizes the Englishman with the "stiff upper lip," who clings to traditional values and has tried (in vain) to pass these along to his yuppie son, Roger. The story centers on Pettigrew's fight to keep his greedy relatives (including his son) from selling a valuable family heirloom--a pair of hunting rifles that symbolizes much of what he stands for, or at least what he thinks he does. The embattled hero discovers an unexpected ally and source of consolation in his neighbor, the Pakistani shopkeeper Jasmina Ali. Judy said it is a quick read. She also read The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell. She describes it as very different—she didn’t care for how it is written but it gets better at the end. The novel portrays two love stories in two different time periods in London. Surprisingly, Judy said it isn’t what you think it is. Also on her list was Alexander McCall Smith’s series set in Edinburgh. There are now seven entries in the series featuring moral philosopher Isabel Dalhousie. Judy likes the setting but the books are heavy on philosophy and manner.

Joyce: The Arabic Scholar’s Son was written by a man (Frederic Harris) who lived in Burlington for a time. The book is a memoir and describes his life in China where his parents were missionaries. They tried to convert Muslims in a remote area of the country. Harris led and interesting life including time in a detention camp during the Communist Revolution. Unfortunately the book is somewhat tedious but still quite a story.

Florence: She read a nonfiction title The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett. The book is about a book thief and talks about the lure and motivation behind book collecting. In this case, we are talking about illegal book collecting. For some people book collecting can be almost like an addiction. The obsession is often fueled by how much the book is coveted by others. She also read A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cosse which was originally published in France. It was interesting to get a peek into the publishing and bookstore industries.

Paula: She listened to Dead Time by Stephen White. The dead time in this mystery is the shock and grief just after the discovery of a mutual friend’s sudden death in a terrorist bombing attack in Israel. The story brings Boulder psychotherapist Alan Gregory (in his fifteenth appearance as White’s series hero) and ex-wife Meredith back together at the friend’s memorial. The novel was so compelling that, even though she normally walks and listens, Paula had to sit down in her living room at the end of her walk to finish the book. Paula says that listening to books (downloaded from the Library’s website-WILBOR) contribute to her walking longer. She is still working on The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest which is the third in the Steig Larson trilogy. Paula says it is slow going.

Kathy: Wanting something light, she is reading the latest Shirley Damsgaard. The book continues the series set in small town Iowa with the heroine (Ophelia) who is a librarian as well as a witch. The Seventh Witch takes the reader back to Grandma Abby’s origins in North Carolina and we watch as the family past unravels. Damsgaard writes and is postmaster in Stewart, Iowa. Kathy said the books are just fun.

Dawn: Loved The Watermark by Vanitha Sankaran which is a first novel. The setting is 14th century France during the time of the Inquisition. The plot centers on the local papermaker and his mute, albino daughter. The family is in danger because of local superstitions and the Church’s repression of anything that is out of the ordinary or likely to spread education and information to the masses. Anyone can be charged as a heretic. Dawn learned a lot about the revolutionary nature of paper in history. Who knew a watermark could be your ticket to burning at the stake? It’s a great, fast-paced story. The author is working on a second novel about the Renaissance in Italy. Right now Dawn is finishing The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. This is a young adult series set in a postwar future. The narrator is a seventeen-year-old girl forced to battle to the death in the nation’s annual Hunger Games. Dawn will let us know what she thinks next time.

Cindy: She read How to be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway. The story is about a Japanese woman who marries an American GI after the war and comes to America. The title derives from the pamphlet she was given to help her assimilate. Her story is compared to her daughter’s life and it is ripe with generational clashes. The book is based on the author’s own experiences and each chapter begins with a bit of wisdom from the actual housewife training manual.

Ann: The Cape Ann by Faith Sullivan centers on a six-year-old girl living through the Depression in Harvester, Minnesota. She and her mother yearn for a house like the Cape Ann she sees in a magazine. Lark narrates her family story as well as the Catholic culture in her small town. Ann also read Coco Chanel biography (Coco Chanel: the Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie) which is her personal story as well as the history of fashion. Contrasting with those two, Ann also read Blood and Guts by Richard Hollingham which is a history of surgery from Galen treating gladiators in the second century B.C.E. to Stuart Carter, the first person to have electrical brain implants to treat Parkinson's disease. Hollingham gives us a tribute not only to saving lives but to making them better.

Brenda: Brenda read Sister’s Choice by Emilie Richards. This fiction series always has an emotional/social issue (hoarding, drunk driving, immigration, marriage, divorce) plus each one includes a quilt woven into the story. Amazon says, “In Richards's latest stand-alone Shenandoah Album saga, childless Kendra Taylor and husband Isaac accept an offer from Kendra's younger sister—single mom Jamie—to conceive and carry a child for them.”

Fred: Fred talked about American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Newsweek magazine editor, Jon Meacham. Fred is also reading The Grand Design which is the new book by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinow. Fred is amazed at how simple the authors keep the text. They don’t talk down to the reader but the concepts are understandable to the lay person. The premise of the book is that current physics has the capability to prove the God wasn’t necessary to create the universe. They don’t attempt to dispute the existence of God but only that science can explain the origin of our universe. Fred said that it is also interesting that both of the author’s have written children’s books. Lucy and Stephen Hawking wrote George’s Secret Key to the Universe and Leonard Mlodinow wrote The Last Dinosaur which is in the Kids of Einstein Elementary series.

At the end of our meeting we spent some time debating the merits of fiction. Some people only read nonfiction and can’t seem to understand why others read fiction. People brought up that there is much to learn from fiction. Joyce said it is surprising what you find in a book. In The Lost German Slave Girl by John Bailey she learned about a famous 1843 case in New Orleans. Amazon’s begins their description, “Who was Sally Miller: was she Salomé Müller, a long-lost German immigrant girl enslaved by a Southern planter? Or was she really a light-skinned black woman, shrewd enough to exploit her only opportunity for freedom?” Joyce also read fascinating descriptions of the Civil War in The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester which is about the making of the Oxford English Dictionary. Dawn commented that she has learned a lot about Pre-Revolutionary America through the Sally Gunning novels (The Widow’s War, Bound, and The Rebellion of Jane Clarke) or about the Salem witch trials through Kathleen Kent’s The Heretic’s Daughter. They are all examples of outstanding research done by novelists. Some of us like to learn through a good story.

Debbie: Debbie wasn’t able to join us but contributed her latest good read: The Postcard by Tony Abbott. “The phone range and 13-year-old Jason’s life changed forever. When Jason’s Grandmother dies he is sent to Florida to help his father clean out her things. An old yellowed postcard, a phone call from a person with a raspy voice, and entourage of freakish funeral goes, a bizarre magazine story—all contain clues that send Jason a thrilling journey to uncover family secrets. This is an intriguing and entertaining mystery in a mystery of adventure, friendship and family. Junior fiction, 359 pages, middle grades (4-8).”
Join us for our next meeting on November 9th at 10:00 a.m. at the Library.

Book Chatters Notes
November 9, 2010

Cindy started our discussion: she read Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. This book has won numerous awards, such as the National Book Award, and is one of Oprah’s “picks.” Cindy says she’s never read anything quite like this before! It is an epic novel covering family life, along with huge issues of the time (set during the Bush administration in Minnesota). Politics figure heavily in this sweeping tale of a dysfunctional family.

Brenda talked about Sisters Choice by Emilie Richards. She had just started this entry in the quilting/sisters series at our last meeting. “It was very very good.” It is set in the Shenandoah Valley and covers the emotional issues involved when one of the characters decides to be a surrogate for her sister. As with others in the series, quilting also figures in the storyline.

Ann read Grant Wood by R. Tripp Evans, the new biography on the popular artist. She said she was impressed by the complexity of the book; how Wood was haunted by his childhood through adulthood. There are nice sections with plates of his art, which the author interprets. Ann says she loves Grant Wood, and read the book in just 7 or 8 days (impressive J as it’s quite a large book!)

Ann also read Read My Pins by Madeleine Albright. This is a fascinating book about Albright and her collection of decorative pins. She collected 1000’s of pins during her career, and often used them to send a message or convey her feelings on a subject, without verbally voicing them. A fun read with lots of beautiful photos of the pins and the stories behind them.

Florence read a lot this past month, while watching her granddaughter ice skate! The first book she discussed was Juliet by Anne Fortier. This is a modern day take on Romeo & Juliet that even reads like Shakespeare. Florence says it is an intense but fun tale of intrigue. She also read Year Zero by Jeff Long. This is an action packed thriller with archaeology and disaster as the theme. She picked it up because she was intrigued by the cover J Florence also recommends The Source by Michener, and recently finished Spider Bones, the latest Kathy Reichs novel – this one was great!

Florence also suggests Lady Matador’s Hotel, by Cristina Garcia. This tells the story of five people who live in Lady Matador’s Hotel and how their lives intertwine. She said it was a fun read. Little Stranger by Sarah Waters “reflects on the collapse of the British class system after WWII in a stunning haunted house tale whose ghosts are as horrifying as any in Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House.” (amazon.com) Florence recommends this spooky story.

Paula finished The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, the final book in the trilogy by Stieg Larsson. She really liked it (her favorite of the three), although it was a bit more graphic that she would have liked. She said the main characters are compelling. Paula also read Caught by Harlan Coben. It’s a mystery with humor, although this one is a little heavier than his usually are. She said she totally didn’t see the end coming.

Kathy read Scout, Atticus, and Boo, by Mary McDonagh Murphy. This book celebrates 50 years of To Kill a Mockingbird, which the author believes would be our national book, if we had such a thing. Kathy really enjoyed this book – but wished she had To Kill a Mockingbird at the same time to refer to. Murphy’s book is a collection of essays by a variety of well known people (including Oprah Winfrey, Tom Brokaw, Roseanne Cash, Harper Lee’s sister, Mary Badham-she played Scout in the movie) She just read To Kill a Mockingbird a few months ago, and already wants to go back and read it again! Kathy also read Wicked Appetite, by Janet Evanovich – a new series with more crazy, likeable characters – it’s a fun, quick read J Also, Painted Ladies, the last Spenser novel by Robert B. Parker – as always it was wonderful! She will really miss new Spenser novels, as Parker passed away earlier this year.

Dawn finished the Hunger Games trilogy (Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay) – wow! It was awesome – incredible characters, fast paced & keeps you thoroughly engaged. What the book says about society is compelling. There’s all the action, plus a love triangle that keeps you on edge. It is contemporary – the instant access of “reality” TV. It’s a young adult series, but Dawn says it’s very compelling for adults & a fascinating look at our society – she highly recommends it!

Dawn also read The Left Hand of God, by Paul Hoffman. The cover made her pick it up. The book is set in the future, where Roman Catholics are fighting the rest of the world. The Redeemers are training thousands of young boys to fight for the cause. It’s really contemporary. Three young athletes discover a horrible secret & escape the sanctuary to get to a nearby metropolis. There’s political intrigue and a love story. It is well paced, with incredibly well developed characters and totally “gotcha” ending – Dawn says there better be a sequel!

Joyce has been busy with other projects this past month, but did read the latest Richard Castle novel, Naked Heat. This fun read is patterned after the television show “Castle,” and is “written” by the main character. The writing is very good, and especially fun if you also watch the TV show. She wonders who is the “real” author…

Extras:

Brenda also shared that she read Watermark (Dawn recommended it last month) and loved it! She said it was hard to put down, and can’t wait for the author’s next book. Dawn is reading the new Michael Cunningham book (By Nightfall) His previous book (The Hours) got good reviews, but Dawn did not care for it – who writes these reviews? Florence also said she read Spartan Gold, by Clive Cussler – it is about salvagers who get into trouble – it was okay, but kind of “cutesy.” It was just a good one to pass the time at the ice rink J Ann also suggested A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. It is written from the point of view of the dog, and chronicles his three lives and how they are connected. She said it was very interesting. Joyce recently read Homer’s Odyssey by Gwen Cooper. This is the true story of her blind cat – everyone thought he’d just sit & do nothing – how wrong! He scales bookshelves & scares off would-be attackers! Very entertaining!

Please let me know what you are reading and I will be happy to share it with our group and on the blog. Happy reading!