The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka

The April 23 Book Club meeting will feature The Buddha in the Attic.  Please feel free to join us!

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus was our March, 2013 Book Club discussion.  It appeared that most of those at book club didn't like the book and wouldn't recommend it, but some of us loved it immensely.

One person who said she didn't like the book said that she "trudged through" the book and felt it was scattered.  Another said she questioned what the characters are doing and how are they going to get involved.  Another said Bailey ties everything together but we don't find out about it until the end.  Someone said they felt that the character development never connected together.  One person said they would love to see a movie as she couldn't see it in her head.

Of those that liked it, they said that initially it was hard getting into the book.  "The more I got into it, the more I found I really liked it and her style of writing."  "It drew me in as I got going into it."  Another person said they read it awhile ago and re-read it again closer now to book club discussion.  She said it was so much better reading it a second time.  Another loved the circus tents that were different rooms, you could really feel like you were there, experiencing what they were feeling and seeing.  Another person couldn't be there, but she absolutely loved this book and felt it was a cross between Cirque du Soleil and a Stephen King novel.  We agreed it definitely fit the category of fantasy.

We enjoyed the night aspect of the book, that they met at midnight for dinner, along with the black and white theme.  We felt the romance between Celia and Marco had characteristics of Shakespeare books, like Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet.  The book used non-linear time line which made it confusing, you had to make sure you read the dates and times in front of the chapters.  Some felt there were too many flash backs.  We wondered could she have written it differently or through another perspective?  We thought it interesting that in the book, the twins and Bailey aged but not the rest of the circus performers.  We liked how it traveled and would just show up.  We liked the rêveurs and other outside characters like Herr the clock maker. 

"In the chapter titled:  The Wizard in the Tree, Barcelona, November 1894 I noted that "Secrets have power," Widget begins.  "And that power diminishes when they are shared, so they are best kept and kept well.  Sharing secrets, real secrets, important ones, with even one other person, will change them.  Writing them down is worse, because who can tell how many eyes might see them inscribed on paper, no matter how careful you might be with it.  So it's really best to keep your secrets when you have them, for their own good, as well as yours."  I like that in the book.  There were many secrets among the characters at this Circus and there are many secrets in magic.  Secrets create an intrigue, and I believe this book fit that well.

Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

Some love it, some are not too sure what all the excitement E L James has brought out in the Fifty Shades Trilogy.  Fifty Shades of Grey is our February 2013 read.  Our February discussion of Fifty Shades of Grey also brought out communication via email.  Received this before the book club meeting: 

"I thought it was a relationship book not an S & M book. It amazes me that the series is on the best seller lists. Why do people want to read about the subjugation of one person to another without resolve? I found the book to be poorly written with little or no character or plot development. There are too many unanswered questions left hanging. What motivated these two main characters? Why did he not want to be "touched" and why was she so easily drawn into this arrangement? These are major questions. I found the book to be a series of trysts but leading nowhere. The writing reminded me of MAD LIBS; fill in the verb, adjective, adverb. The sentence structure the same over and over; ending sentences with a description word rather than altering the phrase and clauses. Also word choice for her was dull. How many times can she fall off the precipice or say "oh, my?" 

Since I had not finished the book, I chose to not attend.  I received this information from a fellow Book Club member:  "A few of us seemed to think that Ana had a lot of control. I didn’t see it that way. In the discussion, someone said that at one point he hit her with a belt – enough to draw blood and she didn’t like it."  

I hope that any of my fellow Book Club members would feel comfortable to say what they felt in the comments.   I was able to complete the book, because I wanted to see if Christian Grey truly found a relationship or if Ana.  It was not a book I really would recommend because I found it disturbing that a woman would even consider such a proposition from anyone.  

World Book Night Deadline Friday, January 25

"World Book Night is an annual celebration dedicated to spreading the love of reading, person to person.  Each year on April 23, tens of thousands of people go out into their communities and give half a million free World Book Night paperbacks to light and non-readers.  In 2012, World Book Night was celebrated in the U.S., the UK, Ireland, and Germany."

World Book Night Web Site (click here) stated this in their first paragraph about what they are about.  You have an opportunity to join in this amazing evening, April 23, by sharing in passing out books, free books, to a community you think would love to read.

Check out the web site to see how to sign up.  The deadline was January 23, now extended to January 25 (I believe because they didn't have their web site up for a few days).  Choose what books you may want to give away, share with them who you would give them to (no book club or family/friends) and why you would want to do this.  Easy Peasy.

I have submitted my request and will see if it is granted.  Please share if you have entered your request.  There will be publicity when this happens so watch for it in local papers.  Good luck and enjoy! 
 

Rez Life by David Treuer

Rez Life by David Treuer was our January 2013 Park Grove Library Book Club selection.  Those of us that were there had a lively discussion about our views we have seen in our life regarding Native Americans.  We shared that some of us had been to Indian Reservations in Northern Minnesota when they were younger and what they had seen, and another member who had been to several pow-wows.  Someone had family in Washington State that were Native American and their experiences with that.  Another member found out she has some Native American history and is exploring that. At Book Club, someone said Rez Life was "hard to read, and parts I didn't want to put down."  Someone said it was "hard to follow, jumps around different time periods." Although we felt there was a lot of material and it was hard to read, we felt that it was interesting.  Someone, who wasn't there, said "hope we're not quizzed on this," because of all the information that is in the book.  She told me she loved the book, and all the stories that were written in the book!

One member of Book Club wrote:  "I now feel I have an understanding of so many loose ends about our native population and the problems. The USA policy as dealing with Indians is appalling. Over and over again the US tried to exterminate, assimilate or make them go away. Imagine if the Indians were able to make money for themselves with their natural resources of land, oil and gas, minerals, timber, etc before the government took that away from most of the tribes. Imagine if there were never Indian schools designed to break up families and culture. Imagine if the Indians had not been cheated into moving into big cities for jobs that never materialized. Luckily some of the tribes are making money and using it wisely with gaming. I will look at their casinos with news eyes after this book."

These Are A Few of Our Favorite Things

Our December Book Club had us meeting at Gingers for our Holiday Party, sharing appetizers and treats, beverages and storytelling.  We talked about the beginning of the book club, in July 2007, and that some are still members of that start, which will be starting it's 6th year next summer.  On this blog, we are fortunate, that we can look back to see what was read.  Some members mentioned they liked some books, and a comment was heard, "Didn't we read that in book club?"  There continues to be new members joining our group, bringing new thoughts, new shared likes and stretching our ability to open our mind to new books to read, some we thought we would never enjoy.  We may not like a book, we don't always agree, but we agree to common civility of our discussion, and to our pleasure, humor and laughter!

Thank you to Diane, I am copying the list that she sent out with the list of everyone's favorites that they have read recently. 

Char
The Paris Wife, Paula McLain 

The Murderer’s Daughter, Randy Susan Meyers              

Barb 
View from Delphi, Jonathon O’Dell

One Thousand White Women, Jim Fergus

Sarah’s Key, Tatiana de Rosnay                 

Monica
Trickster’s Point, William Kent Krueger  

Pat
Holiday Inn, Kevin Kling

In the Shadow of the Angel, Kathryn Blair

The Tomten, Astrid Lindgren

Ginger
The  Cape Ann, Faith Sullivan

Iron Lake, William Kent Krueger

Ellen Foster:  A Cure For Dreams

Diane
Secret Keepers, Kate Morton

The Roundhouse, Louise Erdich

Botany of Desire, Michael Pollen

Cora
Pearl of China, Anchee Min

Annette
Life of Pi, Yann Martell

Sue
Pot Luck Club series, Linda Evans Shepherd

The Hotflash Club series, Nancy Thayer

Isil
50 Shades of Grey series, E.L. James

Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz

Istanbul: Snow, Orhan Pamuk

Mary
Running the Rift, Naomi Benaron

Light mystery series, Louise Penny

Natalie
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith

Anne of Green Gables, Lucy Maud

Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck

Book Club members -- please share any other comments or thought you have about some of your favorite books you have recently read or any other suggestions for books you think others might enjoy!  These listed were members that were at the December book club.  We missed many others that weren't able to attend that evening, so hope they will share their thoughts with us.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Our November Book Club selection was HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET by Jamie Ford.  We all liked reading the book, and some of our members have lived in Seattle area, so they could relate to the story.  Several had read the book before and someone said "worth reading again."

Ginger started out by sharing a bit of history about the author.  I'm posting directly from his web site www.jamieford.com.  "If you're Chinese, how did you get the name "Ford?"  JF answered:  "My great-grandfather was a man named Min Chung, who immigrated from Kaiping, China around 1865. Later, while working in Tonopah, Nevada, he adopted the very western name of William Ford.  Oddly enough, his son, George William Ford, was an actor in Hollywood and had to switch back to make his ethnicity more demonstrative. He appeared as a bit actor and extra in numerous films as George Chung. He also taught martial arts and was a consultant on the 70s series, Kung-Fu."

We talked about the differences between Henry and his father, between Henry and Marty, his son.  We saw positive changes with Henry and his son.  Henry thought Marty was only interested in himself, was not empathetic.  We know that he was watching his father, he was paying attention.  We found this out when Marty introduces his girlfriend to Henry, and she shares all that Marty has told her.

One item we questioned in the book was, did Henry really go to China?  Some felt he did not go, some felt he had to.  He'd do what he always did, find the sweet among the bitter.

We talked about the differences with Keiko's family and Henry's family.  There were similarities too, both of them were born in the same hospital.  Henry's Dad had him wear a button that said "I am Chinese."  He was worried so much about the sentiment during the war against the Japanese, and having someone think that Henry was Japanese.  Keiko's family was very open to Henry, even at the camp they were sent to.  Interesting characters Henry met along the way in his life, Sheldon & Mrs. Beatty.  Sheldon was very protective of Henry and Mrs. Beatty took risks for Henry, and crossed lines to help Henry and Keiko.  We liked the jazz, "good background for love story" someone said.  We felt, in this story, that being 13 years old, Henry was very brave and did not act like a child.

We discussed struggles that immigrants have, about holidays and foods.  We talked about WWII.  We talked about books that reminded us of this era, "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay and "Snow Falling on Cedars" by Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel by David Guterson.

On a personal note, I was reading this while waiting for a friend who was having a medical procedure done.  I was reading while in the clinic sitting area, and had a laugh out loud moment in one part of the book.  The gal next to me, with a kindle in her hand, said she had read the book also and loved it!   I loved imagining what it must have been like to be Henry as a young boy & Henry as an older man, who lost his wife, whom he dearly loved but yet, remembered his youth and the love he had at that time, with Keiko.  I liked that Sheldon was still a part of his life, and loved that music played an important part in the book.  Someday it would be interesting to see the Panama Hotel and the area where I imagine Keiko & Henry spent so much time together.  Did Ethel know about Henry and Keiko and their love?  Some of us at the book club weren't sure.  I think that she did.  Although she may not have known all what had happened, she saw the pain in Henry's heart, and chose to be there for him, to love him.  This was a love story in the book, along with Keiko's and Henry's love story.  It swells our emotions that engage us through the book, wanting to finish to see if Keiko and Henry meet one more time.  It was one of those books you hope is turned into a movie. I don't think it has been yet.  I did find that this was made into plays and performed in the Seattle area.  It was one of my favorite books.