My book club met last night to discuss Bittersweet by Nevada Barr. As always, it was a treat to get out of the house, hang out with friends, consume wine and cheese, and talk about books. The book, however, left much to be desired.
Category Archives: Book Group
An astonishing discovery
Plot, plot, plot. Of course I read for plot. Who doesn’t? All I’m saying is, I do recognize that there can be more to a book than just plot. I will probably pick up The Plot Against America again some time. I’m sure it’s a great book. Maybe it was just bad timing. Have you ever had it happen that you don’t like a perfectly good book just because it clashes with the book you just finished? I might have liked Kite Runner if I hadn’t just read Atonement, for example. Anyway, enough of that. Movin’ right along . . . .
Run, run, as fast as you can . . .
. . . to the nearest library and get yourself a copy of Parnassus on Wheels.
We discussed it last night at book club, though there’s really not much to discuss. We just went around the room going “I loved it!” “Me too!” “Me too!”
Birds Without Wings
I did finish it, with a half hour to spare before my book club meeting. As I mentioned before, the book starts out as a very charming portrait of this little village in the Ottoman Empire — what’s now Turkey — just prior to the start of World War I. Very charming. In this village live Muslims and Christians, Greeks, Turks & Armenians, living side by side, intermarrying happily and even attending each others’ houses of worship on occasion. There are all kinds of “characters” like the aphorism-spouting potter, the imam who’s deeply in love with his horse (not that way, shame on you!), the two young boys who play that they’re birds, the beautiful young girl and her betrothed, the village drunk, the weird deformed hermit-beggar, the Armenian pharmacist: quite a cast. The first part of the book has a flavor that reminded me of The Sotweed Factor, which I never finished but loved all the same. And here’s something: the author has a wonderful ability to write with different voices. Chapters are told from the point of view of many of the characters, and they are each very different in tone and style. A real treat.
In which I go to a seminar, meet a fellow blogger, and debate whether or not to finish a book
So, I went to this parenting seminar that was jointly sponsored by several elementary schools, including ours. Normally I don’t “do” parenting seminars. I rarely even read parenting books. First of all, none of the situations they describe ever seem to fit my kids. Second, who do they think their audience is? The handout at this seminar listed things not to say to your kids, including: “You’re the reason we’re getting a divorce!” Hell-LO! The people who say stuff like that are NOT the ones who come to parenting seminars. And third, I admit it: I have an arrogant streak, and I believe I know better than a total stranger what works for my children.
Sparse . . . and a little romance . . . and something spooky
Once again I seem to have gotten behind in my blogging. It’s been several days since I’ve posted or visited. I apologize. I got distracted by the sudden need to change my template. Six months is way too long to go without changing the template. I need — I need! — variety. I’m not one of those people who fears and hates change. I say: Bring it on! Give me something new! Every day! This time, I went sparse.
Read more on Sparse . . . and a little romance . . . and something spooky…
Food, glorious food
Book group last night was food for the soul indeed.
It was so nice to get together with friends that I hadn’t seen for quite a while. It was almost an hour before we even started talking about the book.
