September 2026 Bookclub News

How I read "Catherine the Great":

1) Casually listen on audible after finishing 'other book club' selection earlier in the day. A few chapters later, trouble-in retention-city. 

2) Vow to dig out book and seek a family tree due to mass who's-who confusion. 

3) Find book. Admire book. First edition signed by the author thank you La Jolla Literary Society. No family tree. 

4) Make tea and sit in comfy chair. Read first few chapters in book, v-e-r-y slowly.

5) Read kindle many nights in bed. Enjoying.

6) A week left; do a little math, return to audible. Bump up speed.

7) T-5 hours; go chipmunk. Ta-da!

 

Dear Bookclub,

Robert Massie's "Catherine the Great" gave our grateful readers an understanding of the remarkable life of the Russian empress and her unique journey. We appreciated Massie's thorough account of Sophia Augusta Frederica, amassed from his research and the translated memoirs of Catherine herself. Our wonder about the wealth (castles gifted, etc.) turned to the reality of the great expansion of serfdom during Catherine's reign. 

Please read about Anne Bobroff-Hajal's satirical visualization about Russian culture and history in her blog: https://annebobroffhajal.com/2011/06/catherine-the-great-a-satirical-visualization-of-russian-history-and-society/

 

Great Gatchina Palace (for Count Grigori Orlov), above, and his original dressing room, below:

1780's

 

Thomas Jefferson's alcove bed at Monticello, 1790's 

American slave owner, Thomas Jefferson held over 400 of his 610 slaves at Monticello. During Catherine the Great's reign, Russia had 36 millions serfs, making up 90% of the population. Approximately 20% of the American population were slaves during the 18th century. Hence this castle situation.

Trudy's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession and Shipwreck" Sophie Elmhirst

"The Calamity Club" Kathryn Stockett

"The Keeper" Tana French *chosen

Up next:

 

Happy reading,

LK 

 

 

 

August 2026 Bookclub News

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry

Dear Bookclub,

A tidy foursome sat at a Cafe Luna table, catching up before settling into a discussion of Kiran Desai's "The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny". The epic novel has been stewing in my reading realm since I read the August 11, 2025 New Yorker short story, "An Unashamed Proposal" by Desai. To my surprise, the excerpt was from this novel, which when released, got loads of attention. I was very happy when it was the chosen selection from Trudy's suggestions last February, as it was already in my possession and being sampled between reading bookclub books. I've read/listened to this lengthy tale 2.3 times counting all the start-overs and going-backs; the prose deserved cherishing, characters begged understanding. Days before our meeting, I stood in the shower thinking how everyone would be so excited to discuss this book that they loved. Then TG sent out her email! Little did I l know the loneliness of liking the book.  

Terrie's points about her annoyances with the characters and the negativity about both the U.S. and India, coupled with the arduous read, were shared by several other members. Only Val and I loved the book, relishing the details and delighting in the underlying humor and satire. Val noted that each chapter could be a stand-alone short story. Next came Trudy's share of the New York Times article about "DNF":

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/09/books/review/dnf-goodreads-finish-books.html?searchResultPosition=1

Igor Bastidas - New York Times

 

 

This timely debate again illuminates the variety of thoughts and style amongst groups of readers. I am in the category of DNS (does not start) just as I would not eat or wear something unappealing; I know what I like. Reading a book I do not enjoy for a discussion is not a problem, for as Terrie pointed out, the bookclub commitment rises above personal choice and often makes for spicy conversation!

Spicy, please enter stage left. Startled by AI when researching Sonia and Sunny: "People also ask ..... Is the Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny spicy?" Really? This is asked?? The reply was 'No' and also "Low Spice: Any intimate scenes are mostly descriptive or kept out of focus rather than graphic or central to the plot." (Readers looking for spice will turn to DNF once this is learned.) The spicy I noticed was Ulla's dislike of curry and Sunny's vexation of said dislike and her misunderstanding of curry. The significance of the out-of-step cultural element is fundamental to the roiling waves mismatched relationships navigate throughout the novel.

 

Anita Desai and Kiran Desai

More research on Kiran Desai, revealed a most interesting string of characters and events. Anita Desai, Kiran's mother, is an Indian novelist and the emerita John E. Burchard Professor of Humanities at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anita_Desai

Please enjoy this conversation between mother and daughter (from November 11, 2011) to appreciate the unique brilliance of this family: 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/nov/11/kiran-desai-anita-desai-in-conversation 

Wanda's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"This Vast Empire: A New History of Lewis and Clark"  Craig Ferhman

"London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth" Patrick Radden Keefe *chosen

"The Pirate Queen" Ariel Lawhon

Up next:

 

 

 

Happy reading,

LK