Christine is our host this week.
The Room
Of Mice and Men
Monday, August 22, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Kathryn Stockett's 'The Help' Turned Down 60 Times Before Becoming a Best Seller
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/poweryourfuture/kathryn-stocketts-the-help-turned-down-60-times-before-becoming-a-best-seller-2523496/
If you ask my husband my best trait, he’ll smile and say, “She never gives up.” But if you ask him my worst trait, he’ll get a funny tic in his cheek, narrow his eyes and hiss, “She. Never. Gives. Up.”
It took me a year and a half to write my earliest version of The Help. I’d told most of my friends and family what I was working on. Why not? We are compelled to talk about our passions. When I’d polished my story, I announced it was done and mailed it to a literary agent.
Six weeks later, I received a rejection letter from the agent, stating, “Story did not sustain my interest.” I was thrilled! I called my friends and told them I’d gotten my first rejection! Right away, I went back to editing. I was sure I could make the story tenser, more riveting, better.
A few months later, I sent it to a few more agents. And received a few more rejections. Well, more like 15. I was a little less giddy this time, but I kept my chin up. “Maybe the next book will be the one,” a friend said. Next book? I wasn’t about to move on to the next one just because of a few stupid letters. I wanted to write this book.
A year and a half later, I opened my 40th rejection: “There is no market for this kind of tiring writing.” That one finally made me cry. “You have so much resolve, Kathryn,” a friend said to me. “How do you keep yourself from feeling like this has been just a huge waste of your time?”
That was a hard weekend. I spent it in pajamas, slothing around that racetrack of self-pity—you know the one, from sofa to chair to bed to refrigerator, starting over again on the sofa. But I couldn’t let go of The Help. Call it tenacity, call it resolve or call it what my husband calls it: stubbornness.
After rejection number 40, I started lying to my friends about what I did on the weekends. They were amazed by how many times a person could repaint her apartment. The truth was, I was embarrassed for my friends and family to know I was still working on the same story, the one nobody apparently wanted to read.
Sometimes I’d go to literary conferences, just to be around other writers trying to get published. I’d inevitably meet some successful writer who’d tell me, “Just keep at it. I received 14 rejections before I finally got an agent. Fourteen. How many have you gotten?”
By rejection number 45, I was truly neurotic. It was all I could think about—revising the book, making it better, getting an agent, getting it published. I insisted on rewriting the last chapter an hour before I was due at the hospital to give birth to my daughter. I would not go to the hospital until I’d typed The End. I was still poring over my research in my hospital room when the nurse looked at me like I wasn’t human and said in a New Jersey accent, “Put the book down, you nut job—you’re crowning.”
It got worse. I started lying to my husband. It was as if I were having an affair—with 10 black maids and a skinny white girl. After my daughter was born, I began sneaking off to hotels on the weekends to get in a few hours of writing. I’m off to the Poconos! Off on a girls’ weekend! I’d say. Meanwhile, I’d be at the Comfort Inn around the corner. It was an awful way to act, but—for God’s sake—I could not make myself give up.
In the end, I received 60 rejections forThe Help. But letter number 61 was the one that accepted me. After my five years of writing and three and a half years of rejection, an agent named Susan Ramer took pity on me. What if I had given up at 15? Or 40? Or even 60? Three weeks later, Susan sold The Help to Amy Einhorn Books.
The point is, I can’t tell you how to succeed. But I can tell you how not to: Give in to the shame of being rejected and put your manuscript—or painting, song, voice, dance moves, [insert passion here]—in the coffin that is your bedside drawer and close it for good. I guarantee you that it won’t take you anywhere. Or you could do what this writer did: Give in to your obsession instead.
And if your friends make fun of you for chasing your dream, remember—just lie.
The article was written by Kathryn Stockett.
If you ask my husband my best trait, he’ll smile and say, “She never gives up.” But if you ask him my worst trait, he’ll get a funny tic in his cheek, narrow his eyes and hiss, “She. Never. Gives. Up.”
It took me a year and a half to write my earliest version of The Help. I’d told most of my friends and family what I was working on. Why not? We are compelled to talk about our passions. When I’d polished my story, I announced it was done and mailed it to a literary agent.
Six weeks later, I received a rejection letter from the agent, stating, “Story did not sustain my interest.” I was thrilled! I called my friends and told them I’d gotten my first rejection! Right away, I went back to editing. I was sure I could make the story tenser, more riveting, better.
A few months later, I sent it to a few more agents. And received a few more rejections. Well, more like 15. I was a little less giddy this time, but I kept my chin up. “Maybe the next book will be the one,” a friend said. Next book? I wasn’t about to move on to the next one just because of a few stupid letters. I wanted to write this book.
A year and a half later, I opened my 40th rejection: “There is no market for this kind of tiring writing.” That one finally made me cry. “You have so much resolve, Kathryn,” a friend said to me. “How do you keep yourself from feeling like this has been just a huge waste of your time?”
That was a hard weekend. I spent it in pajamas, slothing around that racetrack of self-pity—you know the one, from sofa to chair to bed to refrigerator, starting over again on the sofa. But I couldn’t let go of The Help. Call it tenacity, call it resolve or call it what my husband calls it: stubbornness.
After rejection number 40, I started lying to my friends about what I did on the weekends. They were amazed by how many times a person could repaint her apartment. The truth was, I was embarrassed for my friends and family to know I was still working on the same story, the one nobody apparently wanted to read.
Sometimes I’d go to literary conferences, just to be around other writers trying to get published. I’d inevitably meet some successful writer who’d tell me, “Just keep at it. I received 14 rejections before I finally got an agent. Fourteen. How many have you gotten?”
By rejection number 45, I was truly neurotic. It was all I could think about—revising the book, making it better, getting an agent, getting it published. I insisted on rewriting the last chapter an hour before I was due at the hospital to give birth to my daughter. I would not go to the hospital until I’d typed The End. I was still poring over my research in my hospital room when the nurse looked at me like I wasn’t human and said in a New Jersey accent, “Put the book down, you nut job—you’re crowning.”
It got worse. I started lying to my husband. It was as if I were having an affair—with 10 black maids and a skinny white girl. After my daughter was born, I began sneaking off to hotels on the weekends to get in a few hours of writing. I’m off to the Poconos! Off on a girls’ weekend! I’d say. Meanwhile, I’d be at the Comfort Inn around the corner. It was an awful way to act, but—for God’s sake—I could not make myself give up.
In the end, I received 60 rejections forThe Help. But letter number 61 was the one that accepted me. After my five years of writing and three and a half years of rejection, an agent named Susan Ramer took pity on me. What if I had given up at 15? Or 40? Or even 60? Three weeks later, Susan sold The Help to Amy Einhorn Books.
The point is, I can’t tell you how to succeed. But I can tell you how not to: Give in to the shame of being rejected and put your manuscript—or painting, song, voice, dance moves, [insert passion here]—in the coffin that is your bedside drawer and close it for good. I guarantee you that it won’t take you anywhere. Or you could do what this writer did: Give in to your obsession instead.
And if your friends make fun of you for chasing your dream, remember—just lie.
The article was written by Kathryn Stockett.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Our next selection is: Room
"Room" by Emma Donoghue is our selection this month
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck is our optional Book
Christine will be our host. We will have a date shortly.
"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck is our optional Book
Christine will be our host. We will have a date shortly.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Movies made from books that we have read.
I was noticing that a lot of the stories that we have read over the last year have been made in to movies. I thought that I would provide links to the films here and perhaps we could check some of them out together.
Comes out on August 10th
Skeeter played by Emma Stone
Abileeen played by Viola Davis
Minny played by Octavia Spencer
Hilly played by Bryce Dallas Howard
Celia played by Jessica Chastain
Sarah's Key
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1668200/
Was in theaters 2010, DVD release date currently unknown
Kristen Scott Thomas stars
The Kite Runner
http://www.kiterunnermovie.com/
Starring Khalid Abdalla
Available now on DVD
The Glass Castle
It looks there is a development deal on this book. Hopefully a movie will be in the not too distant future!
Water for Elephants
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067583/
Starring Robert Pattison and Reese Witherspoon
Released in April 2011. DVD release date unknown.
The Help
http://thehelpmovie.com/us/Comes out on August 10th
Skeeter played by Emma Stone
Abileeen played by Viola Davis
Minny played by Octavia Spencer
Hilly played by Bryce Dallas Howard
Celia played by Jessica Chastain
Sarah's Key
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1668200/
Was in theaters 2010, DVD release date currently unknown
Kristen Scott Thomas stars
The Kite Runner
http://www.kiterunnermovie.com/
Starring Khalid Abdalla
Available now on DVD
The Glass Castle
It looks there is a development deal on this book. Hopefully a movie will be in the not too distant future!
Water for Elephants
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1067583/
Starring Robert Pattison and Reese Witherspoon
Released in April 2011. DVD release date unknown.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Next Meeting Date July 19th
Thursday, June 2, 2011
We met!
We met at Julie's tonight and discussed our selections for the previous month. Julie had some snacks Thank you Julie for a lovely evening on the deck!that were homemade delicious! Cake balls!
Max joined Sidney and that little guy is so cute!
Max joined Sidney and that little guy is so cute!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Our next meet up: Wednesday June 2nd 7PM
Discussing The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sloot
Optional Book Discussion:Water for Elephants
Optional Book Discussion:Water for Elephants
Meet at Julie's House!
Discussion Questions for The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Back in March, I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I was so impacted by the story that I decided to choose it as a reading selection for my book club. However, as much as I searched, I was unable to find a published discussion guide for the book to facilitate a discussion. So my friends Robin, Angela, and I collaborated and came up with a list of the following discussion questions, which I hope might help anyone else out there looking on the internet for a discussion guide for this book:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Discussion Questions
1. The passage in which the initial fated cells were removed from Henrietta Lacks’s body reads as follows (see page 33):
“With Henrietta unconscious on the operating table in the center of the room, her feet in stirrups, the surgeon on duty, Dr. Lawrence Wharton, Jr., sat on a stool between her legs. He peered inside Henrietta, dilated her cervix, and prepared to treat her tumor. But first – though no one had told Henrietta that TeLinde was collecting samples or asked if she wanted to be a donor – Wharton picked up a sharp knife and shaved two dime-sized pieces of tissue from Henrietta’s cervix: one from her tumor, and one from the healthy cervical tissue nearby. Then he placed the samples in a glass dish.”
Bearing in mind that those two tissue samples removed from Henrietta were not removed in an attempt to treat her cancer, but rather purely for purposes of research, was it wrong for the doctor to remove the sample tissue in the first place? Was it wrong for Dr. Gey to collect those samples for the purpose of trying to grow them in controlled conditions? Does the end – i.e., the immeasurable benefit to humankind resulting from those tissue samples – justify the means – i.e., removing tissue from a person without their consent or knowledge?
2. Discuss the process of taking these cancerous cells and growing them in the “auger” or medium that allowed them to continue to multiply. Was it her human cell line?
(Note: As genetic knowledge has increased HeLa is: not really a human cell line at all because it involves a genetic fusion of a papilloma virus and Henrietta’s cervical cells. The hybrid has its own genome and attempts have been made to have the cell line recognized as a species in its own right. Of course this cell line also contaminated other cell lines in labs around the world. In a Feb. 2010 paper, HeLa was found as a contaminant of 106 out of 306 cell lines tested.
3.
Did you get the impression that Henrietta was treated any differently than a rich, white woman would have been (assuming the hospital was also collecting cell samples)?
4. How do you feel about knowing that you still do not have total control over your body once you go to see a doctor? If you discovered that tissue routinely removed from your body at some point in the past went on to significantly benefit science and research, would you feel that you should somehow be compensated? What do you think is more important – a person’s personal rights over their own tissue, or contributing to science and research for the benefit of all humankind?
5. Was it a good thing for the members of the Lacks family that the author wrote this book? Was this attempt different from previous attempts to write about the Lacks family and Henrietta in particular?
6. How much impact on the Lacks family members’ long term lives did Henrietta’s early demise have? Do you think that her children’s lives would have turned out significantly different had Henrietta not died so young?
7. Was it hubris, lack of “patient experience,” or frankly, sheer stupidity on the part of the researchers who contacted the family later for blood/DNA samples, to think the family understood what they were doing and why were they doing it?
8. Why has the discovery of the existence of HeLa cells been so difficult for the Lacks family? Discuss the family’s ignorance and their lack of medical knowledge. Why did it take until 2001, 50 years after Henrietta’s death, for a researcher at John Hopkins to show Deborah the cells and tell her these weren’t Henrietta’s regular cells, just trillions of cancerously transformed cells, and that there was never going to be a clone of her mother?
9. Do you think the family is owed money for the sale of the HeLa cells? Do you agree with their feeling that they should be compensated?
10. Do you think that the attitude among some of the Lacks family members that they should be monetarily compensated for Henrietta’s contribution to science is born out of their poverty and/or oppression based on their race? Do you think if the family were financially comfortable, white, and not the subjects of regular discrimination that their feelings of being owed compensation might be different?
11. When the doctor of the patient, Mr. Moore, lied to him about the financial value of his cells, do you think the doctor behaved unethically, and the court should have ruled against him?
12. What did the author hope to accomplish by writing this book? Did she accomplish what she set out to do? To what do you attribute the family’s change of heart regarding the HeLa cells?
13. Was the presence of the author in the book disruptive or appropriate?
14. How realistic was the characterization, especially of Deborah and Zakariyya? Would you want to meet any of them? Did you like them?
15. What life lessons can be learned from this account?
16. Do you think the bad things that happened to the family were based on their race, particularly in regards to Elsie (Henrietta’s daughter who was institutionalized) and Henrietta’s hospital care? Was it forgivable based on the time period or should amends be made?
17. How does the setting figure into the book? Is the setting a character? Does it come to life? Did you feel you were experiencing the time and place in which the book was set? How did you feel at the end when Clover was gone? Do you think this was an allegory for Henrietta’s family’s travails?
18. How realistic is it for Courtney Speed, the grocery store owner in Turner Station, to start a museum?
19. Discuss the medical breakthroughs from HeLa cells. Have your attitudes or ideas towards medical research changed in any way due to reading this book?
20. Ownership of genetic material is still a vexed issue. Many human genes have been patented and a battle is currently being fought through the U.S. courts between doctors and a biotech company owning the patents for genes used in breast-cancer research screening. What are your thoughts about research and patents in this now “profit making” industry?
Back in March, I read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. I was so impacted by the story that I decided to choose it as a reading selection for my book club. However, as much as I searched, I was unable to find a published discussion guide for the book to facilitate a discussion. So my friends Robin, Angela, and I collaborated and came up with a list of the following discussion questions, which I hope might help anyone else out there looking on the internet for a discussion guide for this book:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Discussion Questions
1. The passage in which the initial fated cells were removed from Henrietta Lacks’s body reads as follows (see page 33):
“With Henrietta unconscious on the operating table in the center of the room, her feet in stirrups, the surgeon on duty, Dr. Lawrence Wharton, Jr., sat on a stool between her legs. He peered inside Henrietta, dilated her cervix, and prepared to treat her tumor. But first – though no one had told Henrietta that TeLinde was collecting samples or asked if she wanted to be a donor – Wharton picked up a sharp knife and shaved two dime-sized pieces of tissue from Henrietta’s cervix: one from her tumor, and one from the healthy cervical tissue nearby. Then he placed the samples in a glass dish.”
Bearing in mind that those two tissue samples removed from Henrietta were not removed in an attempt to treat her cancer, but rather purely for purposes of research, was it wrong for the doctor to remove the sample tissue in the first place? Was it wrong for Dr. Gey to collect those samples for the purpose of trying to grow them in controlled conditions? Does the end – i.e., the immeasurable benefit to humankind resulting from those tissue samples – justify the means – i.e., removing tissue from a person without their consent or knowledge?
2. Discuss the process of taking these cancerous cells and growing them in the “auger” or medium that allowed them to continue to multiply. Was it her human cell line?
(Note: As genetic knowledge has increased HeLa is: not really a human cell line at all because it involves a genetic fusion of a papilloma virus and Henrietta’s cervical cells. The hybrid has its own genome and attempts have been made to have the cell line recognized as a species in its own right. Of course this cell line also contaminated other cell lines in labs around the world. In a Feb. 2010 paper, HeLa was found as a contaminant of 106 out of 306 cell lines tested.
3.
Did you get the impression that Henrietta was treated any differently than a rich, white woman would have been (assuming the hospital was also collecting cell samples)?
4. How do you feel about knowing that you still do not have total control over your body once you go to see a doctor? If you discovered that tissue routinely removed from your body at some point in the past went on to significantly benefit science and research, would you feel that you should somehow be compensated? What do you think is more important – a person’s personal rights over their own tissue, or contributing to science and research for the benefit of all humankind?
5. Was it a good thing for the members of the Lacks family that the author wrote this book? Was this attempt different from previous attempts to write about the Lacks family and Henrietta in particular?
6. How much impact on the Lacks family members’ long term lives did Henrietta’s early demise have? Do you think that her children’s lives would have turned out significantly different had Henrietta not died so young?
7. Was it hubris, lack of “patient experience,” or frankly, sheer stupidity on the part of the researchers who contacted the family later for blood/DNA samples, to think the family understood what they were doing and why were they doing it?
8. Why has the discovery of the existence of HeLa cells been so difficult for the Lacks family? Discuss the family’s ignorance and their lack of medical knowledge. Why did it take until 2001, 50 years after Henrietta’s death, for a researcher at John Hopkins to show Deborah the cells and tell her these weren’t Henrietta’s regular cells, just trillions of cancerously transformed cells, and that there was never going to be a clone of her mother?
9. Do you think the family is owed money for the sale of the HeLa cells? Do you agree with their feeling that they should be compensated?
10. Do you think that the attitude among some of the Lacks family members that they should be monetarily compensated for Henrietta’s contribution to science is born out of their poverty and/or oppression based on their race? Do you think if the family were financially comfortable, white, and not the subjects of regular discrimination that their feelings of being owed compensation might be different?
11. When the doctor of the patient, Mr. Moore, lied to him about the financial value of his cells, do you think the doctor behaved unethically, and the court should have ruled against him?
12. What did the author hope to accomplish by writing this book? Did she accomplish what she set out to do? To what do you attribute the family’s change of heart regarding the HeLa cells?
13. Was the presence of the author in the book disruptive or appropriate?
14. How realistic was the characterization, especially of Deborah and Zakariyya? Would you want to meet any of them? Did you like them?
15. What life lessons can be learned from this account?
16. Do you think the bad things that happened to the family were based on their race, particularly in regards to Elsie (Henrietta’s daughter who was institutionalized) and Henrietta’s hospital care? Was it forgivable based on the time period or should amends be made?
17. How does the setting figure into the book? Is the setting a character? Does it come to life? Did you feel you were experiencing the time and place in which the book was set? How did you feel at the end when Clover was gone? Do you think this was an allegory for Henrietta’s family’s travails?
18. How realistic is it for Courtney Speed, the grocery store owner in Turner Station, to start a museum?
19. Discuss the medical breakthroughs from HeLa cells. Have your attitudes or ideas towards medical research changed in any way due to reading this book?
20. Ownership of genetic material is still a vexed issue. Many human genes have been patented and a battle is currently being fought through the U.S. courts between doctors and a biotech company owning the patents for genes used in breast-cancer research screening. What are your thoughts about research and patents in this now “profit making” industry?
Water for Elephants Discussion Questions
Though he may not speak of them, the memories still dwell inside Jacob Jankowski's ninety-something-year-old mind. Memories of himself as a young man, tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Memories of a world filled with freaks and clowns, with wonder and pain and anger and passion; a world with its own narrow, irrational rules, its own way of life, and its ownway of death. The world of the circus: to Jacob it was both salvation and a living hell.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out --- orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act --- in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air. top of the page
1. To what extent do the chapters concerning the elderly Jacob enhance the chapters recounting the young Jacob's experiences with the Benzini Brothers circus? In what ways do the chapters about the young Jacob contribute to a deeper understanding of the elderly Jacob's life?
2. How does the novel's epigraph, the quote from Dr. Seuss's Horton Hatches the Egg, apply to the novel? What are the roles and importance of faithfulness and loyalty in Water for Elephants? In what ways does Gruen contrast the antagonisms and cruelties of circus life with the equally impressive loyalties and instances of caring?
3. Who did you, upon reading the prologue, think murdered August? What effect did that opening scene of chaos and murder have on your reception of the story that follows?
4. In connection with Jacob's formal dinner with August and Marlena in their stateroom, Jacob remarks, "August is gracious, charming, and mischievous" (page 93). To what extent is this an adequate characterization of August? How would you expand upon Jacob's observation? How would you characterize August? Which situations in the novel reveal his true character?
5. August says of Marlena, "Not everyone can work with liberty horses. It's a God-given talent, a sixth sense, if you will" (page 94). Both August and Jacob recognize Marlena's skills, her "sixth sense," in working with the horses. In what ways does that sixth sense attract each man? How do August and Jacob differ in terms of the importance each places on Marlena's abilities?
6. After Jacob puts Silver Star down, August talks with him about the reality of the circus. "The whole thing's illusion, Jacob," he says, "and there's nothing wrong with that. It's what people want from us. It's what they expect" (page 104). How does Gruen contrast the worlds of reality and illusion in the novel? Is there anything wrong with pandering to people's need for illusion? Why do we crave the illusions that the circus represents?
7. Reflecting on the fact that his platitudes and stories don't hold his children's interest, the elderly Jacob notes, "My real stories are all out of date. So what if I can speak firsthand about the Spanish flu, the advent of the automobile, world wars, cold wars, guerrilla wars, and Sputnik --- that's all ancient history now. But what else do I have to offer?" (page 110). How might we learn to appreciate the stories and life lessons of our elders and encourage people younger than ourselves to appreciate our own?
8. Looking at himself in the mirror, the old Jacob tries "to see beyond the sagging flesh." But he claims, "It's no good. . . . I can't find myself anymore. When did I stop being me?" (page 111). How would you answer that question for Jacob or any individual, or for yourself?
9. In what ways and to what degree do Uncle Al's maneuvers and practices regarding the defunct Fox Brothers circus reflect traditional American business practices? How would you compare his behavior with that of major businessmen and financiers of today? What alternative actions would you prefer?
10. As he lies on his bedroll, after his night with Barbara and Nell, Jacob cannot empty his mind of troubling visions and he reflects that "the more distressing the memory, the more persistent its presence" (page 143). How might the elderly Jacob's memories corroborate or contradict this observation? What have been your experiences and observations in this regard?
11. In his Carnival of the Animals, Ogden Nash wrote, "Elephants are useful friends." In what ways is Rosie a "useful" friend? What is Rosie's role in the events that follow her acquisition by Uncle Al?
12. After Jacob successfully coaches August in Polish commands for Rosie, he observes, "It's only when I catch Rosie actually purring under August's loving ministrations that my conviction starts to crumble. And what I'm left looking at in its place is a terrible thing" (page 229). What is Jacob left "looking at," how does it pertain to August's personality and Jacob's relationship with August, and what makes it a "terrible thing"?
13. How did you react to the redlighting of Walter and Camel, and eight others, off the trestle? How might we see Uncle Al's cutthroat behavior as "an indictment of a lifetime spent feigning emotions to make a buck" (in the words of one reviewer)?
14. After the collapse of the Benzini Brothers circus and Uncle Al's having "done a runner" (page 314), Jacob realizes, "Not only am I unemployed and homeless, but I also have a pregnant woman, bereaved dog, elephant, and eleven horses to take care of" (page 317). What expectations did you entertain for Jacob and Marlena's --- and their menagerie's --- future after they leave the Benzini Brothers circus? How do the elderly Jacob's memories of Marlena and their life together confirm or alter those expectations?
15. At the end of the novel, Jacob exclaims, "So what if I'm ninety-three? . . . why the hell shouldn't I run away with the circus?" (page 331). What would you project to be the elderly Jacob's experiences after he runs away with the circus the second time? How does his decision reflect what we have learned about his early years?
16. Sara Gruen has said that the "backbone" of her novel "parallels the biblical story of Jacob," in the book of Genesis. On the first night after his leaving Cornell, for example, Jacob --- as did his biblical namesake --- lies "back on the bank, resting my head on a flat stone" (page 23). In what other ways does Water for Elephants parallel the story of the biblical Jacob? How do the names of many of the characters reflect names of characters in the biblical account?
17. In the words of one reviewer, Water for Elephants "explores . . . the pathetic grandeur of the Depression-era circus." In what ways and to what extent do the words "pathetic grandeur" describe the world that Gruen creates in her novel?
These book-group discussion questions were prepared by Hal Hager, of Hal Hager & Associates, Somerville, New Jersey.
Jacob was there because his luck had run out --- orphaned and penniless, he had no direction until he landed on this locomotive "ship of fools." It was the early part of the Great Depression, and everyone in this third-rate circus was lucky to have any job at all. Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, was there because she fell in love with the wrong man, a handsome circus boss with a wide mean streak. And Rosie the elephant was there because she was the great gray hope, the new act that was going to be the salvation of the circus; the only problem was, Rosie didn't have an act --- in fact, she couldn't even follow instructions. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
Surprising, poignant, and funny, Water for Elephants is that rare novel with a story so engrossing, one is reluctant to put it down; with characters so engaging, they continue to live long after the last page has been turned; with a world built of wonder, a world so real, one starts to breathe its air. top of the page
1. To what extent do the chapters concerning the elderly Jacob enhance the chapters recounting the young Jacob's experiences with the Benzini Brothers circus? In what ways do the chapters about the young Jacob contribute to a deeper understanding of the elderly Jacob's life?
2. How does the novel's epigraph, the quote from Dr. Seuss's Horton Hatches the Egg, apply to the novel? What are the roles and importance of faithfulness and loyalty in Water for Elephants? In what ways does Gruen contrast the antagonisms and cruelties of circus life with the equally impressive loyalties and instances of caring?
3. Who did you, upon reading the prologue, think murdered August? What effect did that opening scene of chaos and murder have on your reception of the story that follows?
4. In connection with Jacob's formal dinner with August and Marlena in their stateroom, Jacob remarks, "August is gracious, charming, and mischievous" (page 93). To what extent is this an adequate characterization of August? How would you expand upon Jacob's observation? How would you characterize August? Which situations in the novel reveal his true character?
5. August says of Marlena, "Not everyone can work with liberty horses. It's a God-given talent, a sixth sense, if you will" (page 94). Both August and Jacob recognize Marlena's skills, her "sixth sense," in working with the horses. In what ways does that sixth sense attract each man? How do August and Jacob differ in terms of the importance each places on Marlena's abilities?
6. After Jacob puts Silver Star down, August talks with him about the reality of the circus. "The whole thing's illusion, Jacob," he says, "and there's nothing wrong with that. It's what people want from us. It's what they expect" (page 104). How does Gruen contrast the worlds of reality and illusion in the novel? Is there anything wrong with pandering to people's need for illusion? Why do we crave the illusions that the circus represents?
7. Reflecting on the fact that his platitudes and stories don't hold his children's interest, the elderly Jacob notes, "My real stories are all out of date. So what if I can speak firsthand about the Spanish flu, the advent of the automobile, world wars, cold wars, guerrilla wars, and Sputnik --- that's all ancient history now. But what else do I have to offer?" (page 110). How might we learn to appreciate the stories and life lessons of our elders and encourage people younger than ourselves to appreciate our own?
8. Looking at himself in the mirror, the old Jacob tries "to see beyond the sagging flesh." But he claims, "It's no good. . . . I can't find myself anymore. When did I stop being me?" (page 111). How would you answer that question for Jacob or any individual, or for yourself?
9. In what ways and to what degree do Uncle Al's maneuvers and practices regarding the defunct Fox Brothers circus reflect traditional American business practices? How would you compare his behavior with that of major businessmen and financiers of today? What alternative actions would you prefer?
10. As he lies on his bedroll, after his night with Barbara and Nell, Jacob cannot empty his mind of troubling visions and he reflects that "the more distressing the memory, the more persistent its presence" (page 143). How might the elderly Jacob's memories corroborate or contradict this observation? What have been your experiences and observations in this regard?
11. In his Carnival of the Animals, Ogden Nash wrote, "Elephants are useful friends." In what ways is Rosie a "useful" friend? What is Rosie's role in the events that follow her acquisition by Uncle Al?
12. After Jacob successfully coaches August in Polish commands for Rosie, he observes, "It's only when I catch Rosie actually purring under August's loving ministrations that my conviction starts to crumble. And what I'm left looking at in its place is a terrible thing" (page 229). What is Jacob left "looking at," how does it pertain to August's personality and Jacob's relationship with August, and what makes it a "terrible thing"?
13. How did you react to the redlighting of Walter and Camel, and eight others, off the trestle? How might we see Uncle Al's cutthroat behavior as "an indictment of a lifetime spent feigning emotions to make a buck" (in the words of one reviewer)?
14. After the collapse of the Benzini Brothers circus and Uncle Al's having "done a runner" (page 314), Jacob realizes, "Not only am I unemployed and homeless, but I also have a pregnant woman, bereaved dog, elephant, and eleven horses to take care of" (page 317). What expectations did you entertain for Jacob and Marlena's --- and their menagerie's --- future after they leave the Benzini Brothers circus? How do the elderly Jacob's memories of Marlena and their life together confirm or alter those expectations?
15. At the end of the novel, Jacob exclaims, "So what if I'm ninety-three? . . . why the hell shouldn't I run away with the circus?" (page 331). What would you project to be the elderly Jacob's experiences after he runs away with the circus the second time? How does his decision reflect what we have learned about his early years?
16. Sara Gruen has said that the "backbone" of her novel "parallels the biblical story of Jacob," in the book of Genesis. On the first night after his leaving Cornell, for example, Jacob --- as did his biblical namesake --- lies "back on the bank, resting my head on a flat stone" (page 23). In what other ways does Water for Elephants parallel the story of the biblical Jacob? How do the names of many of the characters reflect names of characters in the biblical account?
17. In the words of one reviewer, Water for Elephants "explores . . . the pathetic grandeur of the Depression-era circus." In what ways and to what extent do the words "pathetic grandeur" describe the world that Gruen creates in her novel?
These book-group discussion questions were prepared by Hal Hager, of Hal Hager & Associates, Somerville, New Jersey.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The Glass Castle gets 5 Stars and Our New Selection!
It was a great night for our book club. We discussed a five star book and we have two new members, Julie and Carolyn. I am happy to see how Julie and Carolyn got right into the discussion. They are both a good fit for our group. We are happy to have you both along for the ride. Welcome!
We also had a special visitor. Baby Max accompanied his Mom Sidney. Max is so good looking and a perfect angel. Join us any time!
Thank you Maggi for your selection and for hosting tonight. Great job!
We also had a special visitor. Baby Max accompanied his Mom Sidney. Max is so good looking and a perfect angel. Join us any time!
Thank you Maggi for your selection and for hosting tonight. Great job!
Our next selection:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sloot
Optional Book:
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Our next host is Julie Cook.
Annette has volunteered to host in June. June will be our one year anniversary.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Glass Castle Discussion Questions
1. Though The Glass Castle is brimming with unforgettable stories, which scenes were the most memorable for you? Which were the most shocking, the most inspiring, the funniest?
2. Discuss the metaphor of a glass castle and what it signifies to Jeannette and her father. Why is it important that, just before leaving for New York, Jeannette tells her father that she doesn't believe he'll ever build it? (p. 238).
3. The first story Walls tells of her childhood is that of her burning herself severely at age three, and her father dramatically takes her from the hospital: "You're safe now" (p. 14). Why do you think she opens with that story, and how does it set the stage for the rest of the memoir?
4. Rex Walls often asked his children, "Have I ever let you down?" Why was this question (and the required "No, Dad" response) so important for him -- and for his kids? On what occasions did he actually come through for them?
5. Jeannette's mother insists that, no matter what, "life with your father was never boring" (p. 288). What kind of man was Rex Walls? What were his strengths and weaknesses, his flaws and contradictions?
6. Discuss Rose Mary Walls. What did you think about her description of herself as an "excitement addict"? (p. 93).
7. Though it portrays an incredibly hardscrabble life, The Glass Castle is never sad or depressing. Discuss the tone of the book, and how do you think that Walls achieved that effect?
8. Describe Jeannette's relationship to her siblings and discuss the role they played in one another's lives.
9. In college, Jeannette is singled out by a professor for not understanding the plight of homeless people; instead of defending herself, she keeps quiet. Why do you think she does this?
10. The two major pieces of the memoir -- one half set in the desert and one half in West Virginia -- feel distinct. What effect did such a big move have on the family -- and on your reading of the story? How would you describe the shift in the book's tone?
11. Were you surprised to learn that, as adults, Jeannette and her siblings remained close to their parents? Why do you think this is?
12. What character traits -- both good and bad -- do you think that Jeannette inherited from her parents? And how do you think those traits shaped Jeannette's life?
13. For many reviewers and readers, the most extraordinary thing about The Glass Castle is that, despite everything, Jeannette Walls refuses to condemn her parents. Were you able to be equally nonjudgmental?
14. Like Mary Karr's Liars' Club and Rick Bragg's All Over But the Shoutin', Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle tells the story of a wildly original (and wildly dysfunctional) family with humor and compassion. Were there other comparable memoirs that came to mind? What distinguishes this book?
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Poll for our optional April Book
There is a poll to the right for our optional book. Since it will be a second book, I thought I would choose some of the shorter selections. Please vote for one book. The last day to vote is Friday the 8th. Vote for whatever you would like even if you suggested the book.
Thanks R&B!
Michelle
Thanks R&B!
Michelle
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Book Selection Policy
We have established an official book selection policy. The host chooses the book. No discussion or vote unless the host seeks the opinion of other book club members. Simple and fair.
An optional book will be selected each month by popular vote. A poll will be posted on our blog each month.
After our fantastic meeting at Panera last night we might have a new permanent meeting spot. It was a great pick and so was the book. Thank you Megan!
An optional book will be selected each month by popular vote. A poll will be posted on our blog each month.
After our fantastic meeting at Panera last night we might have a new permanent meeting spot. It was a great pick and so was the book. Thank you Megan!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Four Stars for The Long Run
Thank you Megan for hosting our book club at Panera. It was wonderful. We gave the book four stars. Maggi will be our next host. Once she chooses a book I will put a poll up for an optional read.
While we handled the reading portion, Sidney took care of the breeding portion. Congrats on the birth of Baby Max!
While we handled the reading portion, Sidney took care of the breeding portion. Congrats on the birth of Baby Max!
Monday, March 28, 2011
A Few Other Book Selections to Consider
I have a few other suggestions, in no particular order, to add to our list:
Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Paris Wife by Paula McLains
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My Formerly Hot Life: Dispatches from Just the Other Side of Young by Stephanie Dolgoff
Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards
Room by Emma Donoghue
The Paris Wife by Paula McLains
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
My Formerly Hot Life: Dispatches from Just the Other Side of Young by Stephanie Dolgoff
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Book Title Correction on Reading Suggestions
The book title posted as "Sun Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See" is actually called SNOW Flower and the Secret Fan.
Here is a link to Lisa See's website and the recommended title: http://www.lisasee.com/snowflower.htm
I have read this book and really enjoyed it. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars on http://www.shelfari.com. I also read another book by Lisa See entitled Peony in Love and rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
Here is a link to Lisa See's website and the recommended title: http://www.lisasee.com/snowflower.htm
I have read this book and really enjoyed it. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars on http://www.shelfari.com. I also read another book by Lisa See entitled Peony in Love and rated it 4 out of 5 stars.
Monday, March 14, 2011
March 29, 2011 6:30PM PANERA
We will meet at Panera on March 29th at 6:30 PM to discuss The Long Run. Our host is Megan!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
NEW SELECTION IS: THE LONG RUN
The Long Run
When Long, a New York City firefighter with East Harlem's Ladder Company 43, was crushed by a bus while riding his bike to work one winter's day, he was transformed from a man who ran marathons to a man who might never walk again. Having recently completed the 2005 New York City Marathon, in just over three hours, Long was training for Boston. "Each day I was up and out, sometimes early, sometimes late, but always looking for something new to do. And one more finish line to cross." After the accident, and a prognosis he didn't want to hear (a slim margin for survival; likely paralysis), Long endured 40 operations and spent five months in the hospital, never taking his mind off the finish line at the end of the 2008 NYC Marathon. Completing the marathon after his recovery at 42 years of age was a major accomplishment, and it motivated him to begin speaking publicly, and to create the "I Will" foundation to help people recover from traumatic life-altering illnesses or injuries. Like Long himself, his memoir is full of the heartfelt can-do attitude sure to appeal to the Iron Man in everyone.
When Long, a New York City firefighter with East Harlem's Ladder Company 43, was crushed by a bus while riding his bike to work one winter's day, he was transformed from a man who ran marathons to a man who might never walk again. Having recently completed the 2005 New York City Marathon, in just over three hours, Long was training for Boston. "Each day I was up and out, sometimes early, sometimes late, but always looking for something new to do. And one more finish line to cross." After the accident, and a prognosis he didn't want to hear (a slim margin for survival; likely paralysis), Long endured 40 operations and spent five months in the hospital, never taking his mind off the finish line at the end of the 2008 NYC Marathon. Completing the marathon after his recovery at 42 years of age was a major accomplishment, and it motivated him to begin speaking publicly, and to create the "I Will" foundation to help people recover from traumatic life-altering illnesses or injuries. Like Long himself, his memoir is full of the heartfelt can-do attitude sure to appeal to the Iron Man in everyone.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Meeting Reminder
Meeting 7pm Feb 24th at Christine's Home. Watch for the email she sent with directions.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Next Meeting is Thursday, February 24th
Christine will be hosting our discussion of "Family Matters" on Thursday, February 24th.
Please make sure you know her new address as she has moved since our last gathering in her home.
Please make sure you know her new address as she has moved since our last gathering in her home.
Family maid sues author of best-seller 'The Help'
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110217/ap_en_ot/us_books_the_help_lawsuit
JACKSON, Miss. – A black woman who once worked as a maid for a relative of novelist Kathryn Stockett is suing the author of the best-selling book "The Help," claiming she was the basis for a black servant character who she thought depicted her in a poor light.
The novel is based on relationships between white families and their African-American maids in the segregated South of the 1960s, and a driving character in the book is a woman named Aibileen.
Now, a real-life woman named Ablene Cooper, who said she worked for Stockett's brother, is claiming Stockett used her name and likeness without permission and with embarrassing results.
The lawsuit was filed Feb. 9 in Hinds County Circuit Court in Jackson, Miss., where Stockett grew up. It asks for $75,000 in damages, an amount chosen to keep the litigation from ending up in federal jurisdiction, where larger actions are often decided.
Cooper referred questions to her attorney when contacted Thursday. Her attorneys did not immediately respond to messages.
Penguin USA publisher Amy Einhorn said she doesn't think there's any basis to the lawsuit.
"This is a beautifully written work of fiction and we don't think there is any basis to the legal claims," Einhorn said Thursday in an e-mail.
The six-page lawsuit claims, among other things, that Stockett's refusal to publicly admit that she based the character on Cooper's likeness "is so outrageous in character, and so extreme as to go beyond all bounds of human decency, and is utterly intolerable in a civilized community."
It quotes passages from the book, including one in which Aibileen's character describes a cockroach: "He black. Blacker than me."
The lawsuit said Cooper found it upsetting and highly offensive to be portrayed as someone "who uses this kind of language and compares her skin color to a cockroach."
"The Help" tells the story of black maids Aibileen and Minny, who work with a white woman named Skeeter on a book about their experiences as domestic help. The black characters fear retribution for working with the white woman on such a book, but Aibileen decides to help in part because black maids are forced to use outside restrooms.
Cooper's lawsuit claims it was offensive to be portrayed as someone who must use a segregated toilet.
Stockett told The Associated Press in 2009 that growing up her family had a maid named Demetrie, who used a restroom on the outside of the family's house. Stockett said Demetrie died in the mid-1980s.
"The Help" debuted in 2009, and there are 2.5 million hardcover copies in print in the U.S., according to the publisher's website. Scenes for a movie based on the book were shot in Mississippi. The film has not yet been released.
JACKSON, Miss. – A black woman who once worked as a maid for a relative of novelist Kathryn Stockett is suing the author of the best-selling book "The Help," claiming she was the basis for a black servant character who she thought depicted her in a poor light.
The novel is based on relationships between white families and their African-American maids in the segregated South of the 1960s, and a driving character in the book is a woman named Aibileen.
Now, a real-life woman named Ablene Cooper, who said she worked for Stockett's brother, is claiming Stockett used her name and likeness without permission and with embarrassing results.
The lawsuit was filed Feb. 9 in Hinds County Circuit Court in Jackson, Miss., where Stockett grew up. It asks for $75,000 in damages, an amount chosen to keep the litigation from ending up in federal jurisdiction, where larger actions are often decided.
Cooper referred questions to her attorney when contacted Thursday. Her attorneys did not immediately respond to messages.
Penguin USA publisher Amy Einhorn said she doesn't think there's any basis to the lawsuit.
"This is a beautifully written work of fiction and we don't think there is any basis to the legal claims," Einhorn said Thursday in an e-mail.
The six-page lawsuit claims, among other things, that Stockett's refusal to publicly admit that she based the character on Cooper's likeness "is so outrageous in character, and so extreme as to go beyond all bounds of human decency, and is utterly intolerable in a civilized community."
It quotes passages from the book, including one in which Aibileen's character describes a cockroach: "He black. Blacker than me."
The lawsuit said Cooper found it upsetting and highly offensive to be portrayed as someone "who uses this kind of language and compares her skin color to a cockroach."
"The Help" tells the story of black maids Aibileen and Minny, who work with a white woman named Skeeter on a book about their experiences as domestic help. The black characters fear retribution for working with the white woman on such a book, but Aibileen decides to help in part because black maids are forced to use outside restrooms.
Cooper's lawsuit claims it was offensive to be portrayed as someone who must use a segregated toilet.
Stockett told The Associated Press in 2009 that growing up her family had a maid named Demetrie, who used a restroom on the outside of the family's house. Stockett said Demetrie died in the mid-1980s.
"The Help" debuted in 2009, and there are 2.5 million hardcover copies in print in the U.S., according to the publisher's website. Scenes for a movie based on the book were shot in Mississippi. The film has not yet been released.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Our Meeting
Our group was small but mighty. We talked about a lot of our favorite kid's books and we talked about a lot of of children's favorite subjects!
Christine will be in touch about our next meeting date for "Family Matters".
Christine will be in touch about our next meeting date for "Family Matters".
Monday, January 24, 2011
January 31 at 7PM Kid's Book Meeting
We will meet at 7pm at Michelle's home for our Kid's Book Discussion. Be sure to bring your favorite Children's Book to share with the group.
See me email for location specifics.
See me email for location specifics.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Kid's Book Night! Please respond to the poll on the right!
We are all busy people with difficult schedules that too often rely on on the availability of other people. It is difficult to get everyone together on the same evening. I have created a poll that should help determine which night would accommodate the most people for a Kid's Book Night Discussion. If you can not make it do not worry, our regular book club selection will be coming up shortly!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Kid's Book Meeting-Jan 19th or the 25th
Hi Everyone
I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. We had a great holiday and now I am ready to get started on a great new year!
We will be setting up a date for our official book club meeting on our book "Family Matters' . Until then, I would like to invite everyone to my home to reschedule the meeting on kid's books that we were going to have right before Christmas.
Thursday nights are out for me for the next six weeks. We are taking Matilda to doggie training those evenings! I would like to suggest either this Wednesday, January 19th or the following Tuesday, January 25th.
Bring your favorite (or favorites) Children's Book(s) and we can discuss them all. Perhaps Annette will bring some of the Usborne books to show us since they have so many fantastic selections.
So let me know who is into it and what day works best for everyone. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and since our lower level (I no longer call it a basement) is finished, we will have plenty of buffer between us and my kids!
I will post this to the blog as well.
Readers and Breeder Michelle
I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. We had a great holiday and now I am ready to get started on a great new year!
We will be setting up a date for our official book club meeting on our book "Family Matters' . Until then, I would like to invite everyone to my home to reschedule the meeting on kid's books that we were going to have right before Christmas.
Thursday nights are out for me for the next six weeks. We are taking Matilda to doggie training those evenings! I would like to suggest either this Wednesday, January 19th or the following Tuesday, January 25th.
Bring your favorite (or favorites) Children's Book(s) and we can discuss them all. Perhaps Annette will bring some of the Usborne books to show us since they have so many fantastic selections.
So let me know who is into it and what day works best for everyone. I am looking forward to seeing everyone and since our lower level (I no longer call it a basement) is finished, we will have plenty of buffer between us and my kids!
I will post this to the blog as well.
Readers and Breeder Michelle
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Banned and Challenged Classics
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/frequentlychallenged/challengedclassics/index.cfm
1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses, by James Joyce
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
9. 1984, by George Orwell
11. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov
12. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
17. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
18. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
19. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
20. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway
23. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
24. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
25. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
26. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
27. Native Son, by Richard Wright
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey
29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
30. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway
33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
36. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin
38. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren
40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
48. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence
49. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
50. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
53. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
55. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie
57. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron
64. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence
66. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
67. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
73. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs
74. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
75. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence
80. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer
84. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller
88. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser
97. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike
1. The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
3. The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
5. The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
6. Ulysses, by James Joyce
7. Beloved, by Toni Morrison
8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
9. 1984, by George Orwell
11. Lolita, by Vladmir Nabokov
12. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
17. Animal Farm, by George Orwell
18. The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway
19. As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
20. A Farewell to Arms, by Ernest Hemingway
23. Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston
24. Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
25. Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison
26. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
27. Native Son, by Richard Wright
28. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey
29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
30. For Whom the Bell Tolls, by Ernest Hemingway
33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
36. Go Tell it on the Mountain, by James Baldwin
38. All the King's Men, by Robert Penn Warren
40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
48. Lady Chatterley's Lover, by D.H. Lawrence
49. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
50. The Awakening, by Kate Chopin
53. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote
55. The Satanic Verses, by Salman Rushdie
57. Sophie's Choice, by William Styron
64. Sons and Lovers, by D.H. Lawrence
66. Cat's Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
67. A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
73. Naked Lunch, by William S. Burroughs
74. Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh
75. Women in Love, by D.H. Lawrence
80. The Naked and the Dead, by Norman Mailer
84. Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller
88. An American Tragedy, by Theodore Dreiser
97. Rabbit, Run, by John Updike
Monday, January 3, 2011
'Tis January!
Welcome to 2011
To those of you who are like me and have not started or finished the book, "Family Matters", get busy because we will be meeting this month to discuss the book!
Look over the list of book ideas that we have or bring some new suggestions to our group.
"The worst thing about reading new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones."
— Joseph Joubert
To those of you who are like me and have not started or finished the book, "Family Matters", get busy because we will be meeting this month to discuss the book!
Look over the list of book ideas that we have or bring some new suggestions to our group.
"The worst thing about reading new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones."
— Joseph Joubert
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