November/December 2018 Recap

Dear Bookclub,
Our ambitious read month was perfectly balanced with a grand gathering at Palm Springs' Avalon. Now, seemingly so long ago, our post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas jaunt elevated our holiday spirits and fortified our bond. Plied with great food and drink, we reconnected, rested, and discussed.

 A bit disappointed in Jenny D. Williams' "The Atlas of Forgotten Places", most in the group felt it dragged and was at times, not an easy read. However the setting and overall attention to Uganda and the Congo were welcomed. Kristin Hannah's "The Great Alone" was well-received and discussion centered on the different characters and how, despite being such obvious caricatures, the harsh Alaskan life delivers those kinds of people exactly. I personally had a hard time not eye-rolling as the ending unfolded yet the tears dropped down my cheeks. How does that kind of emotional hijacking occur even when you know it is coming?! Maddening!

Upcoming suggestions from Val:
"The Library" Susan Orlean *chosen
"On Sunset: A Memoir" Kathryn Harrison
"An American Marriage" Tayari Jones


Upcoming suggestions from Terrie:
"Virgil Wander" Leif Enger
"Where the Crawdads Sing" Delia Owens
"Being Mortal" Atul Gawande *chosen

Up next: Tara Westover's "Educated: A Memoir"

A distortion of reality is how Tara Westover describes her upbringing. She journeys through the pain and the truth that much of her childhood was beautiful despite the grossly abusive scenario.

"How an abused Mormon child read her way into a top university."* Westover's book begins with a statement declaring that it is not necessarily Mormonism that created her situation but that of an extremist:in this case, a fundamentalist Mormon.

*https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/profiles/how-an-abused-mormon-child-read-her-way-into-a-top-university/

And a deeply ingrained upbringing:

Tara sings a Mormon hymn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlO_QkqQ9cE

Looking forward to our discussion.

Happy New Year reading,
LK

November/December 2018 Bookclub News

Coat of arms for Uganda

Dear Bookclub,

Ambitiously taking on discussion of both the November and December book selections in one fell swoop while on our 'girls' trip*, I decided I'd better sit up and take notice of the task at hand. "The Atlas of Forgotten Places" is described as "A moving, fictionalized account of real-life horrors in Africa" :

 xhttp://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/index.php/bookreview/the-atlas-of-forgotten-places-a-novel

My shallow googling quickly took me to Wikipedia's rundown on Uganda. And Idi Amin. Here is one of his quote's which surprisingly sounds like something that our current leader should say:

Sometimes people mistake the way I talk for what I am thinking.



I am leading us astray from Jenny  D. Williams' work and my task at hand. With Thanksgiving reality looming, I decided to load an audible of "The Atlas of Forgotten Places" only to be stopped short - it doesn't exist. I noticed upon further inspection that reviews of the book were few and a bit obscure. One really caught my attention - that of the Del Mar Times:

https://www.delmartimes.net/art/books/sd-cm-nc-globe-novel-20170622-htmlstory.html

I will read Williams' Atlas and listen to Kristen Hannah's "The Great Alone".

Hannah and her family moving to the Pacific Northwest

Please enjoy Kristin Hannah's February 2018 Newsletter Blog when her book was released:

https://kristinhannah.com/newsletter/february-2018/


Suggestions for upcoming reads:

from Val,
"The Library Book" Susan Orlean
"An American Marriage" Tayari Jones
"On Sunset"  Katheryn Harrison

from  TG.
"Virgil Wander" Leif Enger
"Where the Crawdads Sing" Delia Owens
"being Mortal" Atul Gawande


So looking forward to our upcoming trip!

Happy reading,
LK


*This somehow implies we will just be lounging around eating, drinking, talking, spa-ing, shopping, hiking, talking and talking some more. Oh yes, that's correct.

October 2018 Bookclub News

Alla Dreyvitser/The Washington Post

Dear Bookclub,
Enjoying our lunch at Piacere Mio, we happily caught up with each other and ordered yummy Italian fare before settling down to our book discussion. Jesmyn Ward's "Sing, Unburied, Sing" shook us up with the sad story of one African American family that is unfortunately, very timely and a true characterization of the complicated and ruinous environment that has evolved in Ward's deep South and beyond. Remembering Ginger's comment that she didn't care for this book, I delved into our read, curious about why she felt this way as her likes and dislikes nearly always mirror our taste. Within a few chapters, I understood: this was going nowhere good. That it was not an escape, feel-good work of entertainment was apparent within a few chapters. Necessary to Ward's art is the creation of a piece of literature that responsibly portrays the world she grew up in and still experiences today.

The above illustration for the quote below is from a Washington Post review:

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/a-powerful-new-entry-in-the-literature-of-race-in-america/2017/08/29/45cb2008-8b89-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.934db592e0a2  

'Looking out to the yard, Jojo thinks, “The branches are full. They are full with ghosts, two or three, all the way up to the top, to the feathered leaves.” '

Jesmyn Ward is interviewed by Jeffrey Brown in the PBS News Hour as her book was chosen as the first "Now Read This" selection. Only a few minutes long, she answers readers' question - all very thoughtfully crafted. I highly recommend watching this as it will enhance your appreciation for both Ward and her book.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEpKy0g9saM

Following this video, is another interview that took place in her home and town - excellent!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5E01GVW6gQ

Hoping this smattering of information will stay with you and give a deeper understanding of Jesmyn Ward, her work  and the plight she chooses to illuminate.

Trudy proposed three suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Imagine Me Gone" Adam Haslett
"An American Marriage" Tayari Jones
"Unsheltered" Barbara Kingsolver *chosen

Up next: 

Happy reading!
LK

September 2018 Bookclub News

Minnie, Anna and Mollie Burkhart

Dear Bookclub,

Our September meeting, so efficiently held at the end of August at the Barrel Room(well truly the Barrel Patio), had us delving into the sad story of the Osage Indians. Agreeing that the story is of great import, appreciating the atrocities and understanding the investigation, we also felt a bit bogged down and occasionally confused by Grann's telling. We are not alone, as Dwight Garner of the New York Times stated in his book review:

"If you taught the artificial brains of supercomputers at IBM Research to write nonfiction prose, and if they got very good at it, they might compose a book like David Grann’s “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.”"    He later mentions that this book, "never set its hooks in me" as the previous Grann work,  “The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon” (2009) did.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/books/review-killers-of-flower-moon-david-grann.html

A clean short telling in the following PBS link also includes the photos, not seen by me, as I'd listened to the audible version:

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/the-forgotten-murders-of-the-osage-people-for-the-oil-beneath-their-land


 I hastily grabbed three enticing books from my groaning shelves to present for an upcoming selection:

"The Glass of Time" Michael Cox
"Peggy Guggenheim" Francine Prose
"Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher, The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis"
Timothy Egan. *chosen


As an aside, photographs by Edward Curtis and many others are on exhibit at the Annenberg Space for Photography:

https://www.annenbergphotospace.org/exhibits/not-an-ostrich/

I am so disappointed that I just discovered this because the exhibit closes September 9, 2018. But the museum looks intriguing. Please do watch the short video of the exhibit - just a marvelous collection of photographs from the Library of Congress.

Michael A. "Tony" Vaccaro. Architectural Hats, 1960

Unknown Brünnhilde. 1936

Up next: "Sing Unburied, Sing" Jesmyn Ward

Happy reading,
LK

August 2018 recap

Bernardo Winery - founded 1889

Dear Bookclub,
An old friend updated, the Bernardo Winery's latest restaurant, The Kitchen, was a welcome retreat for our August meeting. Our hostess could not have been anymore inviting; she recognized 'the power' of our bookclub camaraderie as she shared her enthusiasm for San Diego's One Book program. And speaking of "The Power", what an affecting read. Running the gamut from gushes of loving it to wanting it to be over, we all agreed that it was a unique and important work.


Wanda's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"My Way Home" Michael Gaulden
"Educated: A Memoir" Tara Westover*
"The Electric Woman" Tessa Fontaine


 *chosen

 Curious about One Book, One San Diego? Below are the titles being considered for the next city-selection.  This is more about the process and also has the archives : https://www.kpbs.org/one-book/

Up next: David Grann's "Killers of the Flower Moon", as pictured above, top right. We are so relevant.

Happy reading,
LK

August 2018 Bookclub News

***

Dear Bookclub,
Fantasizing about spending 5 days in Aspen, doing nothing but read, actually came to fruition as I felt way less than my 110%, handicapped by altitude sensitivity and a cold.  Truly drained and drugged, 'lounging', i.e., trying to get through the days, I began and finished "The Power" in two dreadful days. I had planned to participate in far more: a bike ride designed for conference spouses, historic tour and fly fishing for the same, shopping in a mecca designed for Lynn Kaufman. Instead, cocooned in a vast suite in Snowmass, I entered Naomi Alderman's fiercely imagined world of power. Devouring the first half or so of Alderman's "The Power", I transitioned to a 'get-this-over-with' mode as discomfort from the pages overpowered, pun intended, any other distress. The parallels to a reversed society are eerie and clever. Looking forward to talking this one inside out and backwards.

'... in my world, nothing happens to a man that is not happening to a woman in the world we live in today. So if we find my world to be a dystopia, then we are already living in a dystopia.'

Naomi Alderman on "The Power"

...from little NPR blurb:
https://www.npr.org/2017/12/26/573507226/in-the-power-women-develop-a-weapon-that-changes-everything

The girls: Margaret Atwood and Naomi Alderman

***(Hiking around Maroon Bells, above, once I had acclimated, was cleansing - it smelled sooooo good!)



Wanda's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"My Way Home" Michael Gaulden
"Educated: A Memoir" Tara Wetover
"The Electric Woman" Tessa Fontaine

See you tomorrow!
LK

June 2018 Bookclub News

Al fresco* at TG's

Dear Bookclub,
A perfect afternoon on Terrie's patio for our discussion of "The Baker's Daughter", with an amazing lunch complete with German, well... Edelweiss, rolls and butter. The book was enjoyed by all although conversation was heavy into catching up - so much news every month! I do believe the lasting impression from our June 2018 meeting will be Michael and Kelsey's engagement. Our excitement for TF bubbled over like the champagne!

Back to the book... the alternating narrative allowed much character development and an ease with the alternating time frames. Despite this technique not so unique anymore, as yet another book on WWII, both the format and content were again appreciated. Thinking about Elsie's hidden Jewish boy, exploited for his musical talent, made me wonder if Tobias was based on a real character or more likely, an imagined composite. Some sleuthing did not produce a solid answer but I did find this:

https://www.ushmm.org/exhibition/hidden-children/insideX/

Please read through this website and explore the many links... it is heart-breaking.

Suggestions for an upcoming read:
"The Great Alone" Kristen Hannah **chosen
 "Educated" Tara Westover
"Alternate Side" Anna Quindlen

Up next:

Finally, I want to mention that the many tragedies of Anthony Bourdain's passing include the very sad occurrence of Eric Ripert being the one to discover his dear, best friend unresponsive in a French hotel room. Ripert's memoir was something we much enjoyed as our June 2017 selection, "32 Yolks". So sad.

Bourdain and Ripert

Thoughtful reading,
LK


*check it out - from that know-it-all, Wikipedia:

 'The phrase al fresco is borrowed from Italian for "in the cool [air]", although it is not in current use in that language to refer to dining outside. Instead, Italians use the phrases fuori or all'aperto. In Italian, the expression al fresco usually refers to spending time in jail.' 

Whoa. Hardly. Thanks again, Terrie, for a beautiful meal outside in your beautiful garden.

May 2018 Recap

Dear Bookclub,

May gray days on end set the tone for our 1918 Spanish flu pandemic affair. Gathering at Lori's for our evening with author, Sue Meissner, to discuss her latest work, "As Bright As Heaven", our fabulous groups united with sweet anticipation. And sweetly welcomed, we were. Lori had created supper of nurturing soup jars, yummy meatballs, delicious salad and dainty pralines.

Susan Meissner and Lori

Fortified with flu shots(ginger beer, vodka & rosemary sprigs), we settled in to share our appreciation for Meissner's work. Sue enlightened with us her development of the book, passing around pictures depicting some scenes from the pandemic. Her revelation of plotting the novel with the deaths of certain individuals (no spoiling in this paragraph), in order to allow other character development was especially interesting, as was her admiration of the structure of Kingsolver's "Poisonwood Bible".

We neglected to chose a new selection for an upcoming read, but we are months and months out there so not adding to our calendar this month may actually be helpful.

Up next: Sarah McCoy's "The Baker's Daughter".

Terrie's suggestions for an upcoming read:
"The Great Alone" Kristen Hannah
 "Educated" Tara Westover
"Alternate Side" Anna Quindlen

This will be a tough decision!

Happy Reading!
LK

May 2019 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Our evening with Sue Meissner to discuss her latest book, "As Bright as Heaven", an historical novel imagining one family's journey through the most catastrophic pandemics ever, is just a few days away. A few days in 1918 could determine fate beyond our imagination as the Great Influenza Pandemic devastated populations worldwide.

To learn more about what made this flu so deadly, please read this short piece from Time about the Spanish Flu:
http://time.com/3731745/spanish-flu-history/

To prepare for our evening, please check out the Book Club Kit from Sue's website:
http://susanlmeissner.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/AsBrightAsHeaven_BookClubKit.pdf

Our combined meeting with A Novel Group at Lori's, will include the opportunity to vote on one of her recommendations for that group's upcoming selection, to also be an upcoming selection for our group. Just a thought - it would be fun to share another month through a shared read. So if you like, here are her titles to ponder....

Lori has recommended the following books for choosing an upcoming selection:
"An American Marriage" Tayari Jones
"The Wife Between Us" Sarah Pekkanen
"Circe" Madeline Miller
"My Antonia" Will Cather

Healthy reading,
LK

April 2018 Bookclub News

my dream dog to thwart visitors (MOCA Chicago)

Dear Bookclub,
A strangeness ensued upon my arrival for our much anticipated April meeting at Madeiras, to discuss "Little Fires Everywhere".  As a realization that someone had been in my home to 'adjust' the family room big screen, panic set in and I had to return to the scene. No explanation still for the odd happening (don't even ask about the strange fork found at my feet in the driver's side of my car). A great discussion of Celeste Ng's novel must still be had - please! Apologies for the interruption.

artwork from Elizabeth, Chicago http://www.elizabeth-restaurant.com/

It was decided to move our May meeting (see below) but our next gathering will be to lunch with Ginger(!) on April 24, 12:30, Vintanna.


Considered for a future read from Val:

"The Atlas of Forgotten Places" Jenny D. Williams *chosen
"Pachinko" Min Jin Lee
"Being Mortal" Atul Gawande
"A Spy in Canaan, My Secret Life as a Jewish-American Businessman Spying for Israel in Arab Lands" Howard Schack

Our next meeting will be May 24 at Lori Kimball's for an evening with Sue Meissner discussing her latest book, "As Bright As Heaven".

Happy reading!
LK

March Bookclub News

The Copper River

Dear Bookclub,
An afternoon on the Veranda contrasted mightily to Col. Allen Forrester's 1885 Alaska expedition in our latest read. Ahhh, the limited vision and comfort of routine. Why did we not seek lunching on chinook salmon and sipping hearty spirits instead of imbibing water and nibbling Cobb salad (ex. TF with spicy tortilla soup)? An immersion of the adventure invited by Eowyn Ivy's "To the Bright Edge of the World" proved to be a delight for our group despite omitting the culinary parallel. How did I not think of it?!!

The tale of the explorer never fails to captivate. The mystical blurring of man and animal enticed. The saccharine unnecessary. Especially appreciating Ivy's method of bringing the present day characters into focus to expose the adventurers' tale while developing Sophie's journey, we had no problem grasping the scope and absorbing the incredulous.

Books I recommended for an upcoming read:

"Behold the Dreamers" Imbolo Mbue
"Pachinko" Min Lin
"Sing, Unburied, Sing" Jesmyn Ward *chosen

Up next:

 

Happy reading!

LK

February 2018 Bookclub News

Eden Rose

Declan Patrick

Dear Bookclub,
In trying to imagine the meeting that I'd missed, a setting was necessary. Opening a bottle of wine seemed appropriate (The Barrel Room) for a thoughtful discussion of the page-turning "Before We Were Yours". But I must get on a plane soon, so drinking alone is out (Whiskey doesn't imbibe), and discussing anything with a deaf dog is fruitless. A report of just the facts must make due:

*Wanda  also missed, out with pneumonia(!).... hope you are feeling much better.
*Trudy was present and on baby-watch (welcome to Declan Patrick born 2/9!)
*TG reported on her new granddaughter, Eden Rose.
* Finally, I am guessing that Val and Terry ordered the caprese sandwich or tomato soup with half a grilled cheese sandwich. (not really a fact but sounds good)

I am hoping we can do a mini discussion of  Lisa Wingate's "Before We Were Yours" next time, as it was a thought provoking read. The fact that the book is based on an actual account of horrific incidents makes it all the more powerful.

Terry's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Botox Nation:Changing the Face of America" Dana Berkowitz
"Killers of the Flower Moon:The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" David Grann *chosen
"The Heart's Invisible Furies" John Boyne

Next up:

Eowyn Ivey's "To The Bright Edge of the World" 

Happy reading,
LK


PS Please check out this news report of a dump collapsing in Mozambique this past week. Eerily reminiscent of "The Rent Collector".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43117116

January 2018 Recap/February 2018

Dear Bookclub,
Camron Wright's "The Rent Collector", discussed 'round a cozy fireside table at Le Bistro de Louisa, presented a world far distant from our cocoon in space and content. The emphasized power of reading endeared us to the characters and provided a renewed clarity as to why it is we read. The reality of the existence of these families, not only in Cambodia, but in dumps in many other countries, is astounding. An NGO built school near a dump in the Philippines  became a magnet as amazingly, more people moved to the dump for the free food and schooling.
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/oct/11/hell-earth-great-urban-scandal-life-rubbish-dump  

The Stung Meanchey dump was closed several years ago, but many still live and work there. 

 - The Guardian

Conversation steered away from the plight of the dump families as talk of approaching due dates and very-present grandchildren rang clear. We may need an Excel spreadsheet soon!

Wanda's well-researched suggestions for an upcoming read:
"The Leavers" Lisa Ko
"The Power" Naomi Alderman * chosen
"Saints for All Occasions" J. Courtney Sullivan

Up next: "Before We Were Yours"  by Lisa Wingate

For Huffington Posts' Jackie K. Cooper's glowing review from last summer, touting it to be 'one of the best books of the year':

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/before-we-were-yours-is-one-of-the-years-best-books_us_59376890e4b04ff0c46682c5

Happy reading,
LK

December 2017 recap/January 2018 news

cozying up to Sunnyland

Dear Bookclub,
Like many fine publications, this blog has been on hiatus through the holidays. Representing the December/January thing like Garden & Gun magazine, Agriview, out of Saskatchewan, Giggle, a Tallahassee parenting magazine, Sactown, Sacramento happenings, and of course the ever exclusive, Sotheby's, here is a smattering of our happenings. (Actually, I only subscribe to the first.)

With our beloved gathering as a kick-off to the holiday season, Palm Springs was perfection. The Avalon housed, fed and spa'd us with panache. The unexpected quality and quantity of aforementioned, was surpassed by the discovery of the very nearby Tahquitz Canyon trail.

joyful exploration

Ginger, I must say it again, we missed you! Enjoying much chat time, our discussion of Candice Millard's "Hero of the Empire" focused on Churchill's youthful exuberance and lucky circumstances.
Trudy's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"The Baker's Daughter" Sarah McCoy*
"Beneath a Scarlet Sky" Mark Sullivan
"Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder" Caroline Fraser

*chosen

 Our January read, Camron Wright's "The Rent Collector", was inspired by the author's son's documentary film, "River of Victory". See the trailer and disturbing images, not unlike what was in your imagination while reading:

http://riverofvictory.com/index.htm

Camron Wright

 Please check out this interview with Camron:

http://www.scriptsandscribes.com/2012/08/qa-with-camron-wright/

See you soon!
Happy reading,
LK