December 2017 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Preparing to discuss our latest read, Candice Millard's, "Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill", I had a moment..... what, wait, what??? Boer War? What exactly is the Boer War.....  Boer, the Dutch and Afrikaans name for farmer, tags the revolution against the British Empire. Really so much more but let's get prepared with a little 3 minute video from youtube:

Stop!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-9sd5Q_ifQ


More curiosity ensued with descriptions of Lady Randolph Churchill, Winston's mother. Feeling every so dowdy and dumb, I had to see what this lovely creature. Jenny Jerome(named after Jenny Lind), was all about.  Two hundred lovers indeed:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083772/Earls-counts-future-King--200-lovers-younger-son-As-new-documentary-reveals-wonder-high-society-wits-called-Winston-Churchills-wayward-mother-Lady-Randy.html

Look!

Listen! Churchill's speech impediment, not an impediment at all, given his passion to speak. Hear his linguistic gift:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYajy1quyr4


Looking forward to our desert escape with WC.

Which is your favorite? From Trudy:

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

See you soon and happy reading!
LK

November 2017 Recap

crashing the Veranda

Dear Bookclub,
Amazingly discovering unknown facts and concepts in Graham Moore's "The Last Days of Night", the theme developed, as we amazingly discovered the fact that the Veranda was not truly open at 3:30 pm for our tea & 'tea' bookclub. As boldly as an Agnes Huntington, Fanny or Marguerite Westinghouse, we settled ourselves into a Veranda corner after storming the bar to spin the napping servers' heads with requests of chamomile tea and a bottle of wine. So began the discussion.

Model S

Adoring the book, we shared our remarkable revelations and enjoyment.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/07/10/tesla-quotes_n_7771358.html

 Aside, favorite quote from Tesla:

"The female mind has demonstrated a capacity for all the mental acquirements and achievements of men, and as generations ensue that capacity will be expanded; the average woman will be as well educated as the average man, and then better educated, for the dormant faculties of her brain will be stimulated to an activity that will be all the more intense and powerful because of centuries of repose. Woman will ignore precedent and startle civilization with their progress."

Back to our meeting: Layers of history and character development, shaken with a novelist's constructs, produced a forgiving collection, described at the end of the book, of 'what was real'. Initially put-off by the idea that any of Moore's telling was a fabrication, the reasoning and weight of fact to fiction became understood and accepted. Validation of what was needed to create an historical narrative was embraced by all. We are brighter for it.

Val's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Young Jane Young" Gabrielle Zevin
"Little Fires Everywhere" Celeste Ng* chosen
"Rule of Capture" Ona Russell
"Ramblings with My Family, starting in China" Wendy Maitland



Up next:
adventures in Palm Springs Paradise via Candice Millard's "Hero of the Empire".

Happy reading,
LK

November 2017 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Thinking that George Westinghouse's salad dressing recipe had to be something amazing, I searched and searched and searched, spending waaaaaaaayyy too much time, and found nothing. Except a gentleman's request to author Graham Moore on Facebook for the recipe - no response. My tenacity has worn thin - hardly the stuff of the War of the Currents. Enjoying "The Last Days of Night", this recipe hunt will not be my big 'take-away'. But I am curious.

Moore's descriptions have also piqued my interest about Marguerite which led to discovering their home, "Solitude":

..... which led to an architect's blog, 'At Home and Afield', that has the most interesting article with wonderful pictures, fun and 'enlightening': 'On Buildings and "The Last Days of Night"'


https://michaelgimberblog.com/2016/11/11/on-buildings-and-the-last-days-of-night/


Val's discovery of Moore's website, 'illuminates' the  cast of characters along with a timeline:

https://mrgrahammoore.com/books/the-last-days-of-night/cast-of-characters/

Finally, suggestions from Val for an upcoming read:

"Young Jane Young" Gabrielle Zevin
"Little Fires Everywhere" Celeste Ng
"Rule of Capture" Ona Russell
"Ramblings with My Family, starting in China" Wendy Maitland



 Looking forward to an electrifying 'tea' at The Veranda!

Bright reading,
LK

October 2017 Recap

Dear Bookclub,
Our philosophical-love-story read, "American Philosophy" steeped in Piacere Mio, 'my pleasure', was just that. I adored the references to the American Transcendentalists(Concord!) while we all took pleasure in Kaag's story, savoring Del Sur-authentic-Italian. Val, we missed you.

My recent trip to Concord included a walk around Walden Pond with my mom. It is a peaceful place, especially the day we were there (it can get touristy). Check out the man, pond-side. From afar we imagined he was a plein air painter. Upon further inspection, clearly his 'paints' were a computer inside a box on his lap. A laptop. Maybe he lives under a tree up the hill.

laptop man on left shore

Finally Terrie's suggestions:
Elizabeth Strout "Anything is Possible"
Eowyn Ivey "The Bright Edge of the World" * chosen
Emily Ruskovich "Idaho"


Up next: Graham Moore's "The Last Days of Light"

Happy reading,
LK

October 2017 Bookclub News

 'Tis the good reader that makes the good book; in every book he finds passages which seem confidences or asides hidden from all else and unmistakenly meant for his ear; the profit of books is according to the sensibility of the reader; the profoundest thought or passion sleeps as in a mine, until it is discovered by an equal mind and heart."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

West Wind, Hocking Library, Chocorua, NH

Dear Bookclub,
John Kaag's challenge, "is life worth living", takes the author/philosopher on a strange path, with fate-driven opportunities propelling him on an upward journey into freedom and choice. In researching just who is this John Kaag, I discovered some of his other published works.... surprisingly "Drone Warfare(War and Conflict in the Modern World)" and "Idealism, Pragmatism, and Feminism the philosophy of Ella Lyman Cabot". Not kidding. Just to be clear, I adore this book. Googling further had me reading an Australian article about Carol Hay, John's wife, and John taking the same job and the quickly divergent paths their careers have taken due to her being a woman. Fascinating:

http://www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/what-happens-when-a-husband-and-wife-take-the-exact-same-job/news-story/a7ed57b6f3d7f053a508cb6a992b3765

Look forward to discussing the book this Wednesday!

Happy reading,
LK

September 2017 Recap

"What you don't know would make a great book."

Sydney Smith

Dear Bookclub,
A reprieve from the heat while being enveloped in a perfect setting at the Maderas Grill, set the stage for a most enjoyable bookclub. Val, we missed you! It truly was so pleasant.

"History of Wolves" delivered good discussion as anticipated. The descriptions and character developments were much appreciated; some parts - the creepy teacher specifically, had questionable relevance.

Mary Baker Eddy

Wondering about Church of Christian Science, I found much information on both the official website and our beloved Wikipedia:

http://www.christianscience.com/what-is-christian-science

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Christ,_Scientist

Après lunch meeting of the minds

"Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate was chosen for our February selection.

Up next: John Kaag's "American Philosophy".

Thoughtful reading,
LK

September 2017 Bookclub News

 "To read without reflecting is like eating without digesting."  Edmund Burke

 

"Origami Wolf" by Todd Gilloon

 

Dear Bookclub,

Wanting to read a bit of "History of Wolves" before writing our blog, I ended up reading the whole thing, trying to find a hook for this entry. Not easily categorized but being a tantalizing mash-up, Fridlund's novel pokes your heart and mind with images, characters and events that will be marvelous to discuss. I don't want to say much for fear of any revealing; the book itself is one big slow reveal. Once you start to read, you will be 'hooked'.

"Mystery Wolves" by Walt Barker

Trudy's suggestions for an upcoming selection:

"What She Ate" by Laura Shapiro

"Before We Were Yours" by Lisa Wingate

"Endurance" by Alfred Lansing

Please research and be ready to vote next week.

Finally, I came across a lovely article about Elizabeth Strout - well lovely sounds like lace and tea and really this is more black linen and saltines. A great piece.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/05/01/elizabeth-strouts-long-homecoming

Happy reading,
LK