February 2017 Recap

Santa Barbara Art in Nordstrom Paseo Nuevo

Dear Bookclub,
Terry's round table set the perfect stage for our discussion of Ann Patchett's "Commonwealth". Soup, salad and saga. We really liked this book. As refreshing as lunch, Patchett's writing style and story re-energized our imaginations about a particular time in suburban America and our appreciation for a well-told tale.

Terry suggested a long list for an upcoming read but the first three were the official suggestions; the second three were old wannabe's from Terry's stacks:

"A Gentleman in Moscow" Amor Towles
"Hillbilly Elegy" J.D. Vance *chosen
The Underground Railroad" Colson Whitehead

"Swamplandia!" Karen Russell
"We the Animals" Justin Torres
"The Submission" Amy Waldman

Up next,  Ivan Doig's "Last Bus to Wisdom":

Happy reading,
LK

February 2017 Bookclub News

Baker Museum, Naples, FL

Dear Bookclub,
Ann Patchett's "Commonwealth" was a welcome read while R&R'ing it in Naples, FL this past week. Filling my head with lots of ideas and images (see above), the romp through decades of one 'family's' journey will give us lots to discuss this Wednesday at Terry's. Feeling a familiar thread as I read, I revisited Patchett interviews and confirmed the voice from a Terry Gross interview for "This is the Story of a Happy Marriage" - (one of my very favorite books!!):

http://one.npr.org/?sharedMediaId=265228054:265260723

I knew these stories underlying "Commonwealth"; straight outta Patchett.

Just as interesting,  AP's discussion from the Diane Rehm interview (if you can't listen, hit the transcript button and quickly take it in):

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-09-12/ann-patchett-on-her-seventh-novel-commonwealth


The book cover is too beautiful not to include:

The secret edition has patterned endpapers featuring:

Happy Reading,
LK

January 2017 recap

Channel Island Fox

Dear Bookclub,
Tucked away in an accommodating booth at the Veranda, discussion of "When the Killing's Done" kept us chatting as salads disappeared and thoughts turned to appreciation of T. C. Boyle's clever unveiling of the manic behaviors of man and the delicate balance of nature. His annoying name choices for the female characters aside, we adored this novel. Thinking that all I've read previously was "The Tortilla Curtain", mention of my forgotten read of "The Women", prompted me to find a description which did indeed bring the memory back. And "The Inner Circle" was another old time favorite I'd neglected to remember. He is prolific. Here is a link to "Chicxulub", the TCB short story read by Lionel Shriver, Terry had mentioned:

http://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction/lionel-shriver-reads-t-c-boyle

Wanda's great proposed titles for an upcoming read:

"32 Yolks:From My Mother's Table to Working the Line" by Eric Ripert and Veronica Chambers*
"The Underground Railroad"  by Colson Whitehead
"The Return" by Hisham Matar

*chosen

Up next for February 8, Ann Patchett's "Commonwealth".

Happy reading!
LK

January 2017 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
The holiday beast swallowed me whole and despite the enjoyable ride, I have yet to totally emerge. I apologize for the 'silent night' blog page.



Dana Point delivered! 

Our little holiday, kicking off the Christmas season, lingers on and just like a nap, a good book, a glass of wine......leaves me wanting more!

Here are our pix; please pardon the stutter in the beginning when I was figuring things out :)

https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0kGgZLKuG31moQ


And not to be too redundant:

 So much fun!

Trudy recommended for an upcoming selection:

"The Undoing Project" Michael Lewis
"The Gene" Siddhartha Mukharjee    *chosen
"Everybody's Fool" Richard Russo




Up next - very up as in Wednesday: "When the Killing's Done" by T.C. Coo-ul. Mr. Boyle's just so cool with yet another great read. Looking forward to our discussion on the Veranda (or inside as weather dictates).

Happy Reading!
LK

November 2016 Recap

Dear Bookclub,
Le Bistro de Louisa gave a pleasant mildly-French cushion to the harsh realities of the very unpleasant-American anvil of day-after-ugly-election for our bookclub's discussion of C.W. Gortner's "Mademoiselle Chanel". Long live the LBD. Agreed that Coco was an extraordinary woman, the novel was enjoyed by all and the peek into the German occupied Paris life was a new view from our literature shelves. I know Coco would NEVER dress up like someone else but here goes:

photo credit: V. Quate

Val recommended three (ok, two; Eleanor was shot down) alluring titles for an upcoming selection:

"Foreign Affairs" Alison Lurie * chosen
"The Light of the World" Elizabeth Alexander
"Loving Eleanor" Susan Wittig Albert


Up next: Our adventure to Dana Point! Ahhhhh - will be such a nice respite.  Blue Lantern Inn, here we come to discuss Alice Thomas Ellis' "The Birds of the Air" and everything else under the sun.

Happy Reading,
LK

November 2016 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
I confess this past month has been a doozy so when realizing that there was never a recap to our September 28th "October" meeting, I am at at a loss as to what we really discussed. It was a beautiful day on the Veranda, I think I ordered a cheeseburger, Trudy was absent, and we chose Ivan Doig's book for the next upcoming selection.

An early portrait of Coco Chanel, 1910

Moving on, our fast approaching meeting this Wednesday to discuss C.W. Gortner's "Mademoiselle Chanel" is much anticipated by moi! It will be so great to be together. Coco has been an entertaining read as this historical novel narrates the enigma behind the legend. But shocker(!), as described in Holly Sneeringer's April 21, 2015 review of the book in the Washington Independent Review of Books, 

"Mademoiselle Chanel also brings to light the central and quite sad thing about Coco: Despite her professional achievement, despite her vitality and curiosity, she seemed incapable of finding happiness. At the height of her fame, the true joy and inner peace that she desired, that filled her dream life, eluded her."

 http://www.washingtonindependentreviewofbooks.com/bookreview/mademoiselle-chanel-a-novel

Gortner's sermon on this subject becomes a bit tiresome to me but I still look the other way and am enjoying the book.

Coco circa 1971

 Happy Reading!
LK

October(!) 2016 Bookclub Newsletter

Dear Bookclub,
Titles are the window to a book's soul. Distinct: "Barkskins", "A Constellation of Vital Phenomena", "Dr. Zhivago". Unforgettable: "We Need to Talk About Kevin", "The Boys in the Boat", "All the Light You Cannot See", "The Poisonwood Bible".  Descriptive:  "Dead Wake", "The Door", "Little Women".   Unfortunate: "Heat & Light", "Some Luck", "Home Leave", "Art of Power", "Art of the Deal", "Art of Racing in the Rain".

Jennifer Haigh's latest book, "Heat & Light" was labeled to have a "not helpful" title in the NY Times April 28, 2016. Unfortunate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/books/review-with-heat-and-light-jennifer-haigh-drills-below-the-surface.html

I was actually thrilled when I reached the point in the book when the title was revealed; hidden in a school report about the benefits of petroleum being heat and light. Still does not carry the weight of the memories this book will leave with me. This is a truly enjoyable ...... dare I say it..... intelligent soap opera/horror story. Horrific because of the environmental truths and the human weaknesses. Enjoyable because the deft writing brings rich characters to the extremes of emotion, tragedy, consequences.

Hope you are also enjoying it! Look forward to discussing at TG's this Wednesday.

Advance notice of TG's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Last Bus to Wisdom: A Novel" by Ian Doig

'The Symphathizer: A Novel" by Viet Thanh Nguyen

"Everyone Brave is Forgiven" by Chris Cleve

 Happy reading,

LK

 PS I lived in Export, PA from 1964-1970. A coal mining town long before the suburban neighborhood sprouted kickball, Barbies, swim team, big Catholic families etc. There was always a distant shadow of the history settled into the dingy black dust in our school-girl white socks and the 'taverns' on Main St. with seemingly unemployed flocking. The candy counter at McHughes Variety Store was awesome.

http://patheoldminer.rootsweb.ancestry.com/export.html

Our school bus drove past an abandoned and much dilapidated version of this daily: 

Shockingly, I just googled 'fracking in Export PA' and got this link to a fracking company... very odd actually. Turns out I could google Rancho Bernardo fracking and get another version of the same thing!

http://drillfrackingnews.com/ExportPennsylvania

  

http://drillfrackingnews.com/RanchoBernardoCaliforniafracking

Weasels!

PPS: Our little December read(note how little and cute this book is):