Thanks again Johanna! Retreat was a blast.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
This is the book for May (at Shanna's house)
There are 8 copies floating around from the bookclub kit, so if you need one ask around:).
In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, a city of great wealth and glamour, the home of millionaires and beggars, gangsters and gamblers, patriots and revolutionaries, artists and warlords. Thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father’s prosperous rickshaw business, twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Though both sisters wave off authority and tradition, they couldn’t be more different: Pearl is a Dragon sign, strong and stubborn, while May is a true Sheep, adorable and placid. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree . . . until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find Chinese brides.
As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through the Chinese countryside, in and out of the clutch of brutal soldiers, and across the Pacific to the shores of America. In Los Angeles they begin a fresh chapter, trying to find love with the strangers they have married, brushing against the seduction of Hollywood, and striving to embrace American life even as they fight against discrimination, brave Communist witch hunts, and find themselves hemmed in by Chinatown’s old ways and rules.
At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection, but like sisters everywhere they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. They love each other, but each knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other the most. Along the way they face terrible sacrifices, make impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are–Shanghai girls.
There are 8 copies floating around from the bookclub kit, so if you need one ask around:).
In 1937, Shanghai is the Paris of Asia, a city of great wealth and glamour, the home of millionaires and beggars, gangsters and gamblers, patriots and revolutionaries, artists and warlords. Thanks to the financial security and material comforts provided by their father’s prosperous rickshaw business, twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Though both sisters wave off authority and tradition, they couldn’t be more different: Pearl is a Dragon sign, strong and stubborn, while May is a true Sheep, adorable and placid. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree . . . until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth and that in order to repay his debts he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from California to find Chinese brides.
As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, one that will take them through the Chinese countryside, in and out of the clutch of brutal soldiers, and across the Pacific to the shores of America. In Los Angeles they begin a fresh chapter, trying to find love with the strangers they have married, brushing against the seduction of Hollywood, and striving to embrace American life even as they fight against discrimination, brave Communist witch hunts, and find themselves hemmed in by Chinatown’s old ways and rules.
At its heart, Shanghai Girls is a story of sisters: Pearl and May are inseparable best friends who share hopes, dreams, and a deep connection, but like sisters everywhere they also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. They love each other, but each knows exactly where to drive the knife to hurt the other the most. Along the way they face terrible sacrifices, make impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are–Shanghai girls.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
This Month's Book: Flowers for Algernon
This month's book is Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes.
"With more than five million copies sold, Flowers for Algernon is the beloved, classic story of a mentally disabled man whose experimental quest for intelligence mirrors that of Algernon, an extraordinary lab mouse. In poignant diary entries, Charlie tells how a brain operation increases his IQ and changes his life. As the experimental procedure takes effect, Charlie's intelligence expands until it surpasses that of the doctors who engineered his metamorphosis. The experiment seems to be a scientific breakthrough of paramount importance--until Algernon begins his sudden, unexpected deterioration. Will the same happen to Charlie?" -- via Amazon.com
I chose this book because I discovered that it is a crazily high-rated book that apparently everyone has read. I haven't. And according to Goodreads, none of you have either. So we should. It's not my typical flavor of book, but it's also not a common flavor amid our book club choices. I thought it might be a refreshing change, a nice addition to our flavor pallet if you will. I'm excited to read it (I already peeked via the Amazon's "Look Inside" feature, and I was intrigued). I hope I like it as much as the rest of the world seems to. And I hope you all do too!
It's available for as little as $4 (used) via Amazon. The Kindle edition is about 9 bucks. L library has two copies; the NL library has a couple as well. And S library has one. I hope this availability will be enough. So get reading! You won't regret it.
*We will be reviewing this book at Book Club Retreat in April (which will likely be the 20th and 21st). See you then!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Book club meeting this Thursday, 3/22!
Hey, girls.
Just a reminder that we have BOOK CLUB this Thursday, 3/22.
It will be at 7pm at Missy's house.
Book: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (It's a good'un.)
Hope to see you all there!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
"Unbroken" by Lauren Hillenbrand
Our book for this month is "Unbroken" by Lauren Hillenbrand. The following review was taken for amazon.com:
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.
The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.
Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.
In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.
So far I am riveted by this book. I can't wait to discuss it with all of you. We will meet at Amy's house on February 23rd at 7:00 PM. Please comment if you have questions or need a copy of the book. See you all there!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
"Running Out of Time" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Jessie lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana, in 1840 -- or so she believes. When diphtheria strikes the village and the children of Clifton start dying, Jessie's mother reveals a shocking secret -- it's actually 1996, and they are living in a reconstructed village that serves as a tourist site. In the world outside, medicine exists that can cure the dread disease, and Jessie's mother is sending her on a dangerous mission to bring back help.
But beyond the walls of Clifton, Jessie discovers a world even more alien and threatening than she could have imagined, and soon she finds her own life in jeopardy. Can she get help before the children of Clifton, and Jessie herself, run out of time?
Copies are floating around, and also available at the local libraries. Please leave comments if you have a copy available or need a copy.
Book club will be held on January 26th, 7:00 PM at Johanna's house. Please do your best to be on time. Let Mindy know if you have any questions.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Christmas Party/ December Book Club
For December we will be having our annual Christmas party in conjunction with our regular book club. This month we will be reading The Autobiography of Santa Clause by Jeff Guinn.
Where exactly did Santa Claus come from? How did he meet Mrs. Claus? Who named the reindeer? We've all asked these questions and a million more, and Jeff Guinn uses a wonderful mix of scholarship, fantasy, folklore, and faith to answer them all. According to this "authoritative" autobiography, St. Nicholas began giving gifts in the third century A.D. and never looked back. John H. Mayer's warm and leisurely reading certainly puts one in mind of the classic nineteenth-century Claus, but it's the generous sprinkling of facts that draws one in. Did you know the Roman calendar had only 10 months and 355 days and that Christmas caroling was introduced to the world in the thirteenth century? A fine way for the whole family to receive a dash of history and humor relating to holiday cheer.
We will also be doing a book exhange this year. Please bring a wrapped book to exchange at the party. We will have the chocolate fountain again! The following items are a suggestion only. Bring what you want if you don't like your list item.
Where exactly did Santa Claus come from? How did he meet Mrs. Claus? Who named the reindeer? We've all asked these questions and a million more, and Jeff Guinn uses a wonderful mix of scholarship, fantasy, folklore, and faith to answer them all. According to this "authoritative" autobiography, St. Nicholas began giving gifts in the third century A.D. and never looked back. John H. Mayer's warm and leisurely reading certainly puts one in mind of the classic nineteenth-century Claus, but it's the generous sprinkling of facts that draws one in. Did you know the Roman calendar had only 10 months and 355 days and that Christmas caroling was introduced to the world in the thirteenth century? A fine way for the whole family to receive a dash of history and humor relating to holiday cheer.
We will also be doing a book exhange this year. Please bring a wrapped book to exchange at the party. We will have the chocolate fountain again! The following items are a suggestion only. Bring what you want if you don't like your list item.
- Mindy- chocolate
- Krista- bananas
- Caron- peanute butter goodness, ie: cookies, pb balls, ect.
- Linda: large marshmallows
- Leah- potato chips
- Angie- strawberries
- Shanna- cinnamon bears
- Becca- pineapple
- Amy- pretzels
- Ann- angel food cake/pound cake
- Missy- gummy orange slices
- Johanna- brownie bites
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