Athens Women's Book Club

The blog lives!

2011-03-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Emily Robertson, we sure miss you. Thank you for maintaining this blog and keeping such a great record for book club. Looking back through the archives brings up so many memories of evenings spent with friends, talking about our lives AND our books! For a girl who was always happiest with her "nose in a book" it is a dream come true to belong to such an interesting group of women.

Last month we met at Lisa Joyner's house to discuss To Kill a Mockingbird. It was a great night, and it was very interesting to see how much this book continues to resonate with modern readers. We even had a teenager in our company (Alyssa Beckstead came with her mom.) Thanks Lisa, for both your insight and hospitality!

We also discussed what we would like to read throughout the rest of the year, and I am putting together a schedule now. If you have suggestions please contact me.

Here's our next book:

May Book
Bloodroot
By Amy Greene
(291 pp)
Discussant: Laura Lease
Date: May 3, 2011 at 7pm
Location: 1020 W Canyon Creek Ct, Watkinsville (Amy's house)

Named for a flower whose blood-red sap possesses the power both to heal and poison, Bloodroot is a stunning fiction debut about the legacies - of magic and madness, faith and secrets, passion and loss - that haunt one family across the generations, from the Great Depression to today.

Thank you for the suggestion and offer to lead the discussion, Laura. I just finished Bloodroot and haven't stopped thinking about it. The characters, setting, and story seem to have worked some "magic" on me.

See y'all in May!

Revised reading list

2010-05-06T12:14:00.000-07:00

May Book

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

by Richard Lyman Bushman

(~784 pgs)

Discussant: Shelley Graham

Host: Wendy Paulukaitis

Wed, 19 May

How should a historian depict a man's life when that man, and his religion, remain a mystery to so many 200 years after his birth? Bushman, an emeritus professor at Columbia University and author ofJoseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, greatly expands on that previous work, filling in many details of the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and carrying the story through to the end of Smith's life. Many continue to view Smith as an enigmatic and controversial figure. Bushman locates him in his historical and cultural context, fleshing out the many nuances of 19th-century American life that produced such a fertile ground for emerging religions. The author, a practicing Mormon, is aware that his book stands in the intersection of faith and scholarship, but does not avoid the problematic aspects of Smith's life and work, such as his practice of polygamy, his early attempts at treasure-seeking and his later political aspirations. In the end, Smith emerges as a genuine American phenomenon, a man driven by inspiration but not unaffected by his cultural context. This is a remarkable book, wonderfully readable and supported by exhaustive research. For anyone interested in the Mormon experience, it will be required reading for years to come.

No book in June

But don't go on vacation yet because some of our upcoming books are INTENSE, so get your copies early and get reading!

July Book

The Education of Little Tree

by Forrest Carter (~228 pgs)

Discussant: Amy Harris

Host: Still needed...

Thu, 8 Jul

The Education of Little Tree tells of a boy orphaned very young, who is adopted by his Cherokee grandmother and half-Cherokee grandfather in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee during the Great Depression. “Little Tree” as his grandparents call him is shown how to hunt and survive in the mountains, to respect nature in the Cherokee Way, taking only what is needed, leaving the rest for nature to run its course. Little Tree also learns the often callous ways of white businessmen and tax collectors, and how Granpa, in hilarious vignettes, scares them away from his illegal attempts to enter the cash economy. Granma teaches Little Tree the joys of reading and education. But when Little Tree is taken away by whites for schooling, we learn of the cruelty meted out to Indian children in an attempt to assimilate them and of Little Tree’s perception of the Anglo world and how it differs from the Cherokee Way.

August Book

Look Homeward Angel

by Thomas Wolfe (~522 pgs)

Discussant and host: Ruth Monson

Date TBA--early August

I feel sorry for anyone who can't find echoes of their own youth in Wolfe's undeniably Romantic writing. You won't find clipped Hemingway-esque sentences, nor the pages-long obscure wanderings of fellow Southerner Faulkner, but Wolfe recreates his world so perfectly that filming it would be redundant. Achingly, achingly nostalgic, beautifully written, TRUE to itself, sparing nothing of the author or his vision. This and its immediate succesor "Of Time and the River" are, to me, arguably the finest books ever written describing not just life in America but more importantly the sense of loss through time and distance of love, family, and home and the emotional maturation that follows. If you haven't become too sophisticated to remember what it was really like to be young, lonely, in love, or homesick, or to see though a child's eyes the wonder in a leaf, a stone, a door; to cry "Oh, lost!" over a memory, you will find much to cherish in this book.

September Book

The Sound and the Fury

by William Faulkner (~326 pgs)

Discussant: Laura Lease

Host: ?

Date TBA

Ever since the first furore was created on its publication in 1929, "The Sound and the Fury" has been considered one of the key novels of this century. Depicting the gradual disintegration of the Compson family through four fractured narratives, "The Sound and the Fury" explores intense, passionate family relationships where there is no love, only self-centeredness. At its heart this is a novel about lovelessness - 'only an idiot has no grief; only a fool would forget it. What else is there in this world sharp enough to stick to your guts?'

October Book

Les Miserables

by Victor Hugo

(~1376 pgs)

Discussant and host: Amie Dunford

Date TBA

What do I really need to put in explanation of this one?! Feel free to read the unabridged or an abridged version. :) Text (not audio) also available at gutenberg.org, if you really enjoy staring at your computer screen for months on end.

A few notes on THE LIST

2010-02-20T19:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, that is a lot of reading, including some particularly long books. I'm hoping that having this list out ahead of time will aid all of us in 1) getting our books ahead of time, 2) deciding what dates and what amount of reading fit into our schedules, and 3) potentially picking which books we want to make a priority over others. This is my foray into what an organized person's life must be like, so we'll see if it serves us well in our book group. My apologies if it doesn't. :)

No, none of this is set in stone. More like...dried-out modeling clay. I'm hoping things won't change too much. The dates probably won't change a whole lot but that will just be up to the person hosting. A Wednesday could possibly get changed to a Thursday or the meeting get pushed back a week but again, not too much I don't think. Some of the books in the latter part of the year may get pushed back a bit if we fall behind, but generally we shouldn't have to compete with the holiday season unless we decide we want to read something seasonal at that time.

Yes, Rough Stone Rolling and Les Mis are beasts! And Look Homeward Angel is pretty long too. And I know not everyone is interested in reading these. But for those who are interested, the idea is that now you have your advanced notice and can get started at least a few months in advance.

Oh, and thanks to Amazon for some assistance with the book descriptions. Don't know how I'd know what books were out there without that website!

Drumroll...THE LIST for 2010

2010-02-20T18:57:00.000-08:00

March Book

A Study in Scarlet

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

(~120 pgs)

Discussant and host: Celeste Spurline

Thu, 18 Mar

Text and audio available online (free!) at www.gutenberg.org

A Study in Scarlet is a popular Sherlock Holmes book written by author Arthur Conan Doyle. Being the first novel is the Holmes detective series by Doyle, A Study in Scarlet largely introduces the reader to the forthcoming series by Doyle. The story features the introduction of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson through mutual friends and a mystery revolving around a corpse found at a derelict house in Brixton, England. A Study in Scarlet is highly recommended for those who enjoy Sherlock Holmes detective novels and also individuals who enjoy the works of Arthur Conan Doyle.

April Book

One Hundred Years of Solitude

by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

(~464 pgs)

Discussant and host: Amber Robbins

Thu, 15 Apr

Garcia Marquez tells the story of a family and a town, Macondo. The things that happen there are surreal; strange murders, sleeping disorders, scientists, soldiers, all revolve around the mansion of the Buendia family in Macondo. The tales introduce the reader to 20th century Latin American literature, with tales of love, sadness, desperation, hurt, and loss. This is Garcia Marquez's most famous work, and arguably his best. It is a book to be savored slowly, page by page, contemplated and reflected upon.

May Book

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling

by Richard Lyman Bushman

(~784 pgs)

Discussant: Shelley Graham

Host: ?

Wed, 12 May

How should a historian depict a man's life when that man, and his religion, remain a mystery to so many 200 years after his birth? Bushman, an emeritus professor at Columbia University and author of Joseph Smith and the Beginnings of Mormonism, greatly expands on that previous work, filling in many details of the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and carrying the story through to the end of Smith's life. Many continue to view Smith as an enigmatic and controversial figure. Bushman locates him in his historical and cultural context, fleshing out the many nuances of 19th-century American life that produced such a fertile ground for emerging religions. The author, a practicing Mormon, is aware that his book stands in the intersection of faith and scholarship, but does not avoid the problematic aspects of Smith's life and work, such as his practice of polygamy, his early attempts at treasure-seeking and his later political aspirations. In the end, Smith emerges as a genuine American phenomenon, a man driven by inspiration but not unaffected by his cultural context. This is a remarkable book, wonderfully readable and supported by exhaustive research. For anyone interested in the Mormon experience, it will be required reading for years to come.

June Book

The Education of Little Tree

by Forrest Carter (~228 pgs)

Discussant: Amy Harris

Host: ?

Wed, 2 Jun

July Book

The Sound and the Fury

by William Faulkner (~326 pgs)

Discussant: Laura Lease

Host: ?

Thu, 8 Jul

August Book

Look Homeward Angel

by Thomas Wolfe (~522 pgs)

Discussant and host: Ruth Monson

Date TBA

September Book

TBA

October Book

Les Miserables

by Victor Hugo

(~1376 pgs)

Discussant and host: Amie Dunford

Date TBA

Whew! What a list! It sounds like a year's worth of great reading, doesn't it? Thanks to everyone who made suggestions and who is hosting/leading a discussion.

January and February Meetings

2010-02-20T18:25:00.001-08:00

Wow! I'm pretty behind on keeping this updated (no surprise there, I know). But Jan and Feb were fabulous Book Club months nonetheless, and we SO appreciate those who contributed to the meetings those months, whether through hosting, leading the discussion, or simply attending.

We met in January at Eva H's beautiful house, which required a little perseverance for some of us to find amid all the streets with nearly identical names, but was well worth the effort. :) We had about 12 people there and Amber W led us in a great discussion about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows. I think we all agreed that Elizabeth was pretty amazing (though we don't know we would have made all the same choices she did), that we had mixed feelings on Dawsey and on the letter format of the book, and that we were glad all Eva did not make potato peel pie for the refreshments. Yes, the fruit and dessert breads were so much better. Thanks so much Eva and Amber!!

About eleven of us met last week at Margaret M's home to discuss Villette by Charlotte Bronte. It was a long book, so not all of us there had finished it, but I think the conversation about the book was still pretty good. It was interesting to learn how much Villette speaks to Charlotte's life and yet in other ways is its own creature. I particularly loved it and ran off my mouth about it--my apologies, ladies--but you know me and the classics. It's a love affair that just keeps growing stronger. :)

One of the great things about this month's reading is that many of you have told me it made you discover (and like!) something you probably never would have read otherwise. In addition, we all found different things to like/dislike about it and had different observations we could share with each other. And ain't that what Book Club is all about???

Thanks to Margaret for all of her excellent information she shared with us about the enigmatic Charlotte, as well as for hosting us in her beautiful home and for the delicious food. Thanks for your support, ladies! :)

January and February Books

2009-12-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

Hope y'all had a merry Christmas! And that you're ready to get into a new year of great books and fun meetings. I've got a book list for the new year that I'll be posting on the blog soon--I just have one or two more months to iron out.

But for now...here's the plan:

January book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann

Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Discussion led by Amber Westfall

Thu, Jan 21st

7:00pm

Location: Yet to be determined (volunteers?)

This book is only about 250 pages and, according to Amber, a very fast read. The libraries have tons of copies, though you may have to place a hold on it. Here's a customer review from Amazon:

"Set in both London and Guernsey Island, this novel follows author Juliet as she becomes friends with the inhabitants of the island shortly after the end of World

War 2. Told in epistolary style, Juliet learns of the occupied island and its deprivations, as well as the resounding spirit of the people who live there. As she writes, she becomes more and more intrigued with the stories of the people who survived the hard times, and she decides to create a book based on their experiences. In order to gather more information, Juliet moves temporarily to the island and soon finds herself immsersed in the culture and relationships.

"This is absolutely one of the most delightful books I've read all year. The characters are real, the relationships are unique, and Juliet is hysterically funny, as well as warm hearted and genuine. I did have a bit of trouble keeping all the characters straight in the beginning, but once I caught on, I was enthralled. The pages just fly by and while you will learn a little of what happened to Guernsey during World War 2, you will learn much more about love and friendship. Highly recommended!"

February book: Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Discussion led by Margaret Morrison

Wed, Feb 10th

7:00pm

Location: Margaret Morrison's house

Villette is supposed to be the most autobiographical of Bronte's works, moreso than Jane Eyre. The libraries have copies of it but I found you have to search for "Villette" as a keyword and not as the title or for some reason it didn't bring it up. Most copies of it are within a book of her (and sometimes Emily's) complete works. Again, another Amazon customer review:

"It was her last completed book, always in the shadow of Jane Eyre. It was insightful, irreverent, angry, tragic, funny, bizarre, gothic and wonderfully honest. At the time, the novel was harshly criticized by men, even feminist men like George Eliot's lover. But George Eliot herself and Virginia Wolf believed it to be her best work.

"How unusual first of all to have a heroine like Lucy Snowe, not of noble blood, not rich, not charming, not even good-looking as women (esp in the Victorian period) were expected to be. Like the other characters, she is flawed, contradictory and multi-faceted in a way one rarely sees in literature but continually witnesses in real life. Yet she is decidedly brilliant, original and imaginative like no other. Unconventional and delightfully subversive! In many ways, this is a truly modern novel to this day. I've never read a novel that so honestly and unflinchingly captures the plight of a woman-artist making her own way in the world despite the obstacles thrown in her path."

Villette is a little beefier than Guernsey--about 600 pages. So if you're planning on coming to both meetings, I'd go ahead and get Villette and begin working on that since there is only about 3 weeks between them.

I'm really excited about both these books and the ones we have planned through the end of summer. Happy reading and enjoy the rest of your Christmas break!

What a wonderful Christmasy/Hanukkahy meeting!

2009-12-26T12:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to everyone who came to our Dec 1st meeting, who brought food, insightful comments, and their sparkling personalities with them. :) We had a great meeting and learned a lot more about our holiday short stories. Thanks especially to Lee Anne for hosting us in her beautiful home and getting all of us in the Christmas spirit. Thanks also to Shelley for her help obtaining and researching, "Menashe and Rachel" for us. It was the perfect evening!

December Book Club--two seasonal short stories

2009-11-17T10:16:00.001-08:00

Pardon my lateness for those of you I haven't spoken to already...

We are meeting this month, but we have chosen two short stories to read due to the fact that I know all of us are super-busy at this time of year--not the best time to dive into a big book.

The first story is one I know everyone knows of but perhaps few of us have actually read: The Gift of the Magi by O Henry. This one is available lots of places online (the link below is one option) and is absolutely delightful.

http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/1014/

The second one is a Hanukkah story Shelley found for us that is also wonderful: "Menashe and Rachel" by Isaac Bashevis Singer. We have a pdf copy that I will email everyone on the email list as an attachment (send me an email if you are not on that list and I'll be sure to send it to you--emilyeyringrobertson@gmail.com).

It can also be found in the book, The Power of Light by Singer which is a collection of his stories, several copies of which can be found at the Athens library. The stories all tie somewhat together, so you may want to check it out and read more than one!

We are meeting at Lee Anne Pope's house (thanks Lee Anne!) which is a great central location close to Athens and Watkinsville:

Tuesday, Dec 1st

7 pm

1431 Lakewood Manor Drive

Athens

706-850-6477 (Lee Anne)

Finally, we asking everyone who would like to to bring a Christmas goodie to share. Shelley is leading our discussion, which is always very enlightening and, um . . . exciting. :) Just kidding, Shell. She's amazing. We all know it.

Looking forward to it!!!

URGENT: Still looking for a few good books...

2009-11-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

All right, most of you have heard that we're compiling a new list of books to read for the next 9 months or so. But I've gotten very little feedback!

So I want everyone who reads this to take a second to leave a comment with one book they'd like to read. Otherwise we'll be stuck with all of my and about 2 other people's choices, which I guess I wouldn't entirely mind.

And here are some of the suggestions so far:

The Guernsey Potato Peel Pie Literary Society
Daniel Deronda by George Elliott
Vanity Fair by William Thackeray
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell
Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman (scheduled many months in advance to give us time!)
Les Mis by Victor Hugo (also scheduled well in advance)

Thanks!

A Poem For Your Reading Enjoyment

2009-11-09T17:15:00.000-08:00

I ran across this poem the other day, and I really liked it and thought I'd share it.

The Dream

O God, in the dream the terrible horse began
To paw at the air, and make for me with his blows.
Fear kept for thirty-five years poured through his mane,
And retribution equally old, or nearly, breathed through his nose.

Coward complete, I lay and wept on the ground
When some strong creature appeared, and leapt for the rein.
Another woman, as I lay half in a swound,
Leapt in the air, and clutched at the leather and chain.

Give him, she said, something of yours as a charm
Throw him, she said, some poor thing you alone claim.
No, no, I cried, he heates me; he's out for harm,
And whether I yield or not, it is all the same.

But, like a lion in a legend, when I flung the glove
Pulled from my sweating, my cold right hand,
The terrible beast, that no one may understand,
Came to my side, and put down his head in love.

Louise Bogan (1897-1970)

My Sister's Keeper meeting and please post suggestions for new books

2009-10-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

We have a plan for our next book club meeting.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Piccoult
Tuesday, Oct 13, 2009
7pm
Ruth Monson's house at 579 Milledge Circle

Looking forward to having a fun time discussing this book. Also, we'd like to make a 9-12 mo. schedule of books for this meeting so please bring your suggestions or email them to me if you won't be able to make it. We won't plan a lot for the next few months due to the holidays (maybe one holiday-related book to discuss in November) and then we'll have a monthly book after that starting in Jan.

I'd like to be better about having a meeting every month, perhaps back to always having it the first week of the month. I know for most of us, obtaining and completing the book club book every thirty days is a bit much, but we also have such a variety of genres people are interested in. I think if we have a book for every month but have different types of books then people can read the books they're most interested in and still be able to participate regularly. Plus there are a few long books that people would like to do but that would require us to know about well in advance to get them done in time (Rough Stone Rolling, Les Mis). I hope getting a schedule will allow us to fit in some of those longer works as well.

Maybe what I'll do is make another quiz on the website after our next meeting with all the books we've recently discussed and the ones that come up then, we'll have it open for a week or two, and then I'll put together a schedule based on the top ones. Please don't forget to also volunteer to host us if you're willing to. If we have you scheduled for a date that, as it gets closer, won't work for you, we can always change it later.

Thanks. Looking forward to next Tuesday!

And a few things I forgot...

2009-08-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

I was going to mention this last night and forgot:

First, Greg Mortensen is scheduled to be the Forum speaker at BYU on Oct. 27th. I wish I could go! I'm telling all my family there to have read his book by then and try to go. I'm sure the Marriott Center will be packed. Just thought you'd find that interesting.

Also, they're working on a second book (not with Relin as the writer this time though) that's due out in December. It's like, "Stones into Schools" and sounds like it follows up the progress in Afghanistan and Pakistan since the last book.

Oh, and we need a location and discussion leader for next time. Volunteers???

Three Cups of Tea...and some fruit and dip, crackers, homemade bread, etc.

2009-08-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came to last night's Book Club. Thanks so much to Debbie for allowing us to have it in her beautiful home. Seriously, it was worth coming just for the wonderful smell of her famous homemade bread that hits you when you walk through the door. Amazing! We had 3 hrs. of great discussion and I think we covered just about EVERYTHING, in the book and out of it. We all agreed that Greg Mortensen certainly is cut from a different cloth and we're glad he is and able to do what he does (and that his amazing wife supports him).

I think we all are a little more committed to doing what we can do in our own spheres of influence, and heaven knows there is plenty of need for service and promoting education in our own community. It was very interesting to hear Kathy's experience sharing it with her 4th grade class. And we got some money together to pass onto Bozeman to support the cause. If any of you who weren't there wanted to contribute, two others will be bringing me something on Sunday and I'll be sending it in next week.

So, just a reminder that next month is, "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Piccoult, well liked by several who have already read it. We'll aim to meet mid-Septemberish so get reading! :)

(And by the way, any of you can just let me know when you want to have a girls' movie night at my house for "Shopaholic." Or "The Magic Flute" for that matter.)

Happy reading!

TUESDAY NIGHT! Aug 18th

2009-08-16T19:21:00.000-07:00

Book Club meeting to discuss "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortensen and Mr. Relin

7:00 pm

Debbie Stephens' (new) house

Please call for address/directions

706-621-3775 (Emily)

Refreshments will be provided.

I know all of us have been really moved by the story in this book. It's amazing how one person willing to serve and with a little financial help, can make such important changes in the world. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the "Pennies for Peace" campaigns where schoolchildren pool all their pennies together to raise money for the Central Asia Institute (Kathy, didn't you say that your class did that together?).

Anyway, I thought we should do a "Pennies (and spare change) for Peace" drive at our Book Club meeting. What if all of us empty out our couches, dressers, purses, and cars and bring it to the meeting and see what we can easily pull together to pass onto Bozeman without putting anyone out? Every little bit helps--even if we just scrape together a group check for $20. I'll put a jar by the door if you have some you want to drop in.

Not only are we going to have a larger than usual group this time from what I hear (because everyone loves this book!), but we may even have a representative or two from the opposite sex. Just passing that along in the chance that any other spouses/friends/coworkers would care to come along. We're more than happy to make exceptions. :) It'll be a fun meeting, a good one to invite someone new to.

See you there!

Our July/August book choices

2009-07-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who came last Tuesday to our book club meeting. We had a great discussion, great dessert, a lot of great people there--the usual. :) Thanks so much to Charis for having us to her lovely house and providing such a delicious treat. Thanks to Karen for digging up the info on Afghanistan and helping us understand better the background for the story.

We're continuing one more month on our Afghanistan/Taliban/Pakistan theme by reading, by popular demand...(drumroll)..."Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortensen and David Oliver Relin.

Many of you have recently read this and loved it. Several more of us already had wanted to read it. I'm 1/3 of the way through it and love it and am trying to convince James to read it. It's an amazing story, made so much better by the fact that it's true!

That being said, we again neglected to figure out a discussant and a meeting location. If you would be interested in either, please shoot me an email.

Also, for the following month, in case you've already read "Three Cups of Tea," we're reading "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi (Jody?) Piccoult. It's been made into a movie that's recently come out and raises a lot of good topics for discussion.

Happy reading!

June book

2009-06-05T06:01:00.000-07:00

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Several people at our last meeting suggested we read this one next. It's about two women in Afghanistan and the challenges they face. I grabbed it when I was at the library last Wednesday and I'm nearly done with it (and I usually take my time reading most books). I can't put it down. It's very good and very, very thought-provoking. I think we'll have a very good discussion from it--probably a little like after reading, "To Destroy You is No Loss," which means bring your Kleenex!

Although several recommended this book, we never actually decided on a discussant or a location (and it can be anyone--not necessarily someone who previously read it). So let me know if you're interested. Let's plan to meet around the end of June or very first part of July.

The local libraries and the library system has lots of copies--they're also cheap on Amazon. Here's a link if you want to see more about the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Thousand-Splendid-Suns-Khaled-Hosseini/dp/159448385X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244207038&sr=8-1#

Madame Bovary

2009-05-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, 26 May
7:00 pm
Amber Robbins' house

Amy Harris is leading the discussion. See you there!

Plans for Spring

2009-03-30T11:30:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

Thanks to everyone who came and participated in our Wednesday Letters night! It was a lot of fun and I think we all gained a few insights on the book. Sorry about the scheduling conflicts for those who read the book but couldn't make it. Hopefully, we'll have better luck next time picking a good day.

Speaking of which, continuing on our theme of women and their wild ways, our next book, which we'll be discussing the first part of May, is Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.

From Amazon: For this novel of French bourgeois life in all its inglorious banality, Flaubert invented a paradoxically original and wholly modern style. His heroine, Emma Bovary, a bored provincial housewife, abandons her husband to pursue the libertine Rodolphe in a desperate love affair. A succès de scandale in its day, Madame Bovary remains a powerful and arousing novel.

Amy Harris is leading the discussion and the meeting will be held at Charis Call's house, possibly May 7th or 14th (both Thursdays). However, it's looking more and more like Thursdays are not as good for everyone, so if you'd prefer we tried a Tuesday in May (the 5th or the 12th) please leave a comment or let me know.

Finally, sometime soon we also want to schedule a book club meeting to discuss The Hundred Dresses, our theme for our Relief Society service project, which will probably be a big meeting. We'll plan a few fun things for that in addition to discussing the book--I'll keep you posted.

Happy reading!

The Wednesday Letters

2009-03-15T19:03:00.000-07:00

Current plans for this month's meeting are:

Thursday, Mar. 26th

7 pm

Emily Robertson's house

We'll look forward to seeing you there!

Plans for March

2009-02-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

First, thanks a ton to all who came and participated in our last meeting about dear Martha Ballard and her many adventures as a early colonial midwife. As usual, the book sparked lots of great conversation topics (some of them more relevant to the book than others but all of them great)! Thanks to April (and Breanna) for opening their home to us and for the amazing spread of food. It was lots of fun!

Once again, we're going to make a slight deviation from our previously posted calendar and squeeze in a shorter read before we launch into Madame Bovary--New York Times bestseller The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright. It's readable in an afternoon or so and is a very enjoyable book.

I think it will be a nice change of venue as we've been reading many wonderful but also intense AND LONG books the last several months. And if you haven't come for awhile because you don't have much time to read, then this is the perfect month for you to join us!

The Athens Library has two copies and most of the area libraries have at least one copy. Also, Deseret Book is clearancing it out for $1.99 and I'm sure there's plenty available for cheap at Amazon and the usual places. Also, there may be a copy or two among our members if you'd prefer to just borrow one.

I'm also looking for a location and possibly a discussant for this if anyone is interested. Otherwise, you'll be driving to the southern recesses of Oconee County to join me at my place, which I'll be more than glad to have you do! :) If you are planning on reading this book and coming to the meeting for it, please either email me or leave a comment about which Tuesdays and Thursdays you'd be available to meet this month. As far as I know, only Mar 19th is for sure not an option (RS Birthday Enrichment).

Happy reading!

New Plans For the New Year

2009-01-07T14:50:00.000-08:00

Discussion of A Midwife's Tale: The Story of Martha Ballard, based on her diary and other books on midwifery

Pick any of several currently popular books about midwives and we'll discuss their stories and common themes we find at our next meeting.

Feb. 5th at 7pm

Location and discussant yet to be found! Please let Emily know if you're interested in either/both!

Some great poetry...and now onto Tolstoy

2008-10-21T16:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who helped out with and attended our poetry night. We all had a really, really great time! Shelley and Katie--your presentations were terrific! I think we all learned quite a big about poetry and about Cummings and Yeats that we didn't know before. I thought it was really fascinating--from the balloon man to the "heart's deep core" to "anyone's any was all to her." Love it! Thanks so much for opening up those poems to us. And Katie, the posterboard with illustrations?! Talk about amazing, girl! Plus, we all know it was a good night if tears were shed by more than our usuals. :) So thanks everyone for helping us have such a nice time.

And can I even say enough about the crepes? Although I didn't try the clear winner of the night, peanut butter and chocolate, I thought they were the perfect treat. Let's definitely have them again sometime.

Now onto November...

I hope all of you have had a chance to get started on Anna Karenina. It is a bear, but I think many of us are finding it more enjoyable and entertaining than we'd anticipated it being. It's no Twilight, but it's not one of those classics you trudge through and have to really be committed to reading. Plenty of late nights spent reading are going on already.

If you haven't gotten started yet, there's still time--particularly if you want to read an abridged version or listen to the audio book, as many of us are. Our book club meeting for Anna Karenina is scheduled for Nov. 6th at Amie Dunford's home. It's not very far away. There's a chance of pushing it back a bit if we need to, but let's try to have it done by the 6th if we can.

There's also some talk of having a movie night sometime after the meeting to watch one of the many film adaptations of the novel. That will also be something fun to look forward to.

Please let me know if you have any questions. Happy reading!

Poem Selections for Yeats

2008-09-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

I WILL arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made:
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.

And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the mourning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight's all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet's wings.

I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.

When You Are Old

WHEN you are old and gray and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;

And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face among a crowd of stars.

Poem Selections for cummings

2008-09-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

anyone lived in a pretty how town
e.e. cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town
(with up so floating many bells down)
spring summer autumn winter
he sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)
cared for anyone not at all
they sowed their isn't they reaped their same
sun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a few
and down they forgot as up they grew
autumn winter spring summer)
that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leaf
she laughed his joy she cried his grief
bird by snow and stir by still
anyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyones
laughed their cryings and did their dance
(sleep wake hope and then)they
said their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon
(and only the snow can begin to explain
how children are apt to forget to remember
with up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess
(and noone stooped to kiss his face)
busy folk buried them side by side
little by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deep
and more by more they dream their sleep
noone and anyone earth by april
wish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)
summer autumn winter spring
reaped their sowing and went their came
sun moon stars rain

in just-
e e cummings

in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's
spring
and
the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee

(More excellent cummings poems can be found at http://www.theotherpages.org/poems/cumming1.html)

Book Schedule For the Next Six Months

2008-09-25T09:20:00.000-07:00

October meeting--Two 20th century poets: e e cummings (America) and W. B. Yeats (Great Britain)

Thu, Oct. 9th at 7pm
Katie Hobbs's home

injust--Spring and anyone lived in a pretty how town by cummings
Discussion led by Shelley Graham

The Lake Isle of Innisfree and When You are Old by W. B. Yeats
Discussion led by Katie Hobbs

(Please feel free to bring any additional poems you'd like to share by these or other poets)

November meeting--Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Thu, Nov. 6th at 7pm
Amie Dunford's house
Discussion led by Amie. You may choose to read an abridged or unabridged version, but you'll need to get cracking ASAP either way. The unabridged is about 800-900 pages and many abridged ones are still 400+! (This is why we're doing a simpler poetry month in October.)

No December meeting

January meeting--A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Thu, Jan. 8th at 7pm
No discussant or location yet. Volunteers? Suggestions?

February meeting--Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

Thu, Feb. 5th at 7pm
Location TBA (any volunteers?)
Discussion led by Amy Harris.

March meeting--Villette by Charlotte Bronte

Thu, Mar. 5th at 7pm
Margaret Morrison's house
Discussion led by Margaret. This book is Bronte's most autobiographical (moreso that Jane Eyre!). Should be good.

Our August Meeting--Breaking Dawn

2008-09-17T21:19:00.001-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came and participated in our meeting for Breaking Dawn. It was sure a lot of fun--it's was great to hear everyone's opinions on how they liked the book. And thank goodness Nov. 21st is not too far away!

Thanks to Shauna for having us in our home and providing treats like the wonderful AB- and O+ beverages. Very nice. And to Lorene for putting together the fun and challenging quiz. Molly, your hidden obsession is now revealed! Also thanks to Lorene for the lovely red velvet wedding cake (did no one get a picture of that?!) and everyone else who helped provide refreshments. And thanks also to Amy H. and Nancy for these pictures. Enjoy!

What a beautiful and intelligent group of women!

Two of the night's littlest Breaking Dawn participants

OK, this picture is pretty funny. I don't know what it is I'm so emphatically telling Amy about, but she looks pretty interested and Johanna looks like she's not sure I'm a trustworthy source. This must have been during our discussion about Sarah Palin. (Yay for Palin power!)

Breaking Dawn

2008-08-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, after a long and busy and hot summer, I'm feeling about ready to get some cooler weather, read some good books, and chat endlessly with you about them and everything else under the sun. This month we'll be discussing (what else?) Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. Did all of you hear that the Twilight movie's release date was moved up to Nov. 21st, Harry Potter VI's old release date? Whoo hoo!

Here's the information for this month's meeting:

When: Thursday, Sep. 4th @ 7pm

Where: Shauna Vess's house

1071 Glen Lane

Bishop

706-769-6322

What to bring: Lots of fun, delicious food for the group to enjoy, preferably that will go along with our lovely vampire/werewolf theme.

This will be a lot of fun--we want everyone to come! There are a lot of new people in the ward. Please feel free to come out, get to know us, and have a good time. We always have fun. And it's certainly not requisite that you've read and finished the book to be able to come. If there's someone new you'd like to invite who didn't get the email, please let them know. See you Thursday!

A very old Book Club meeting

2008-08-31T13:38:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, the pictures I have of Book Club events are very few and far between, but here's some pictures from a Book Club circa April 2005. I think we were discussing Killer Angels in Margaret Morrison's home. Addy Cagle (one of our members who now lives in Idaho) had made two cakes because we were saying goodbye to another member, Amber Rockwood, who moved to Marietta. Wow, how many of us have moved since then (and moved back again, in Sherry's case)!

Last Year's Twilight Party

2008-08-31T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from last year's Twilight series Book Club meeting. That was by far and away our biggest turnout for a meeting, like 25 women plus a few random babies, and we had a BLAST! Nancy Peterson let us invade her house and we had a great time debating the various merits of Edward versus Jacob. And Amie and Katie's respective "Edward" and "Jacob" shirts were just lovely.