February 2023 Bookclub News

 

Lexington

Dear Bookclub,

Geraldine Brooks' "Horse"is the book I yearn for when I long to read. Every book I start, I hope will be this book. "Poisonwood Bible", Kingsolver, "The Optimist's Daughter", Welty, anything, Patchett, anything, Susan Orlean, "Cloud Cuckoo Land", Doerr, anything Oliver Sacks, "River of Doubt", "Homegoing", "Boys in the Boat" .... all this book. The list is long, thank goodness,  but the challenge is to find them and read them among the mass of 'other' pages out there. 

Our gathering to discuss "Horse" and  Anthony Marra's "Mercury Pictures Presents"was attended by only three: Terrie, Terry and Val. Terrie reports:

"We all loved "Horse" and learned new facts about horse racing and its history - Race horses used to be trained for 5 years before allowed to race which gave their bones time to cement properly. Today, horses on the track at two years - probably contributing to all of the race track casualties... Also, we liked the way Brooks interwove the past history with the present day scientist study. The poor treatments of Blacks is always disheartening - even though we think things might be better, the scientist's boyfirend (Theo) meets with an unfair death because of his color....

Terry hadn't finished Mercury Presents; Val was not crazy about it. I liked it but agrred with Val that there were too many characters keep track of everyone.

We had a nice lunch on the Veranda and the weather was perfect."

My shock at Theo's death shifted to recognition as I thought of Brooks' husband, Tony Horwitz, who tragically died at age 60 of a sudden cardiac arrest while on his book tour in Washington D.C.. She'd dedicated the book to Tony.

Tony Horwitz

 

Please read more about Horwitz:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/tony-horwitz-pultizer-prize-winning-journalist-and-author-dies-at-60/2019/05/28/adc64b72-8157-11e9-bce7-40b4105f7ca0_story.html

And please take a moment to enjoy this great interview with Terry Gross:

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/29/727874768/fresh-air-remembers-pulitzer-prize-winning-writer-tony-horwitz

I also did not finish Marra's book. Time just got away from me but I have a feeling it was not going to be one 'those' books.

My suggestions for an upcoming read:

"The Beauty of Dusk Frank Bruni *chosen

"Index, A History of the/ A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age" Dennis Duncan

"Noble Ambitions: The Fall and Rise of the English Country House after World War II" Adrian Tinniswood

"The Last White Man"  Moshin Hamid

Up next:

Happy reading,

LK

December 2022 Bookclub News

 

 

Cook’s “masterpiece,” taken by moonlight on June 3, 1898, with an exposure time of an hour and a half.

Dear Bookclub,

While desperately missing Terrie and Trudy, our get-away gave us much needed resets and merriment to boost! Not wasting a minute... well maybe several to figure out half-price wine night, we got right to discussing Julian Sancton's "Madhouse at the End of the Earth". Fascinated by the work, we were spellbound by the survival story and enlightened by the historical account. 

Our very comfortable La Jolla

Getaway on the Belgica

Around the table in the Antaractic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getaway to The Grande Colonial

Around the table in La Jolla

I envied Sancton's researching for the book. Maybe I could do without the trip to Antarctica but to have read and found the diaries, memoirs and logs would be enthralling. About half of the members of the Belgica kept diaries, which is one of the 7 tips presented in the following short article, "Tips for Surviving Isolation from Antarctic Explorers" by Danielle McCahey, Department of History, University of Idaho:

https://www.uidaho.edu/class/history/news/isolation

Other tips include music (see accordion above) and alcohol:

McMurdo Mule By Mike Santos, Gallagher's Pub, McMurdo Station, Antarctica

 

 

Finally, let me leave you with this idea:

https://legendsabroad.com/tennis-antarctica/

Up next:

Chill reading,

LK

November 2022 Bookclub News

 

Meghan O'Rourke

Dear Bookclub,

Enthusiastic to be together once again, our group delved into Meghan O'Rourke's "The Invisible Kingdom". The personal journey shared was often difficult to endure, driving home her message. Yet the wider issue, along with how the healthcare system and our social structure woefully dismiss the perceived weakness, is addressing chemical pollutants, the industrialized food systems and chronic stressors like poverty and racism, as O'Rourke illuminates. Several of our readers found the book discomforting to read but our discussion was robust, appreciating O'Rourke's gifted ability to write under such circumstances.

Please enjoy this interview with Meghan O'Rourke on facing the challenges of chronic illness:

https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2022/08/meghan-orourke-discusses-the-invisible-kingdom/

a kitty*

*we just needed a little levity....

Wanda's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Shrines of Gaiety" Kate Atkinson *chosen

"The Nickel Boys" Colson Whitehead

"The Rose Code" Kate Quinn

Up next:

Happy reading,

LK

October 2022 Bookclub News

 

 Dear Bookclub,

Autumn gave an outstanding performance on Maxine Lane as the perfect backdrop for an over-the-top luncheon at Terrie's. Treated to a seasonal feast with festive china and adornments, we settled in, enjoying and openly sharing our thoughts and ideas about Daniel Mason's collection of stories. "My Registry of Passages Upon the Earth" wowed us with the weird, the wisdom, and the wacky. 

Mason, a psychiatrist at Stanford, is  - to me - heart-throbbingly talented. His website is the most artistic and altruistic author's websites I have ever visited. Also, extremely helpful with several links to interviews both print and audio. Wikipedia him as well if you would like to be further impressed.

https://www.danielmasonbooks.com/

from Daniel Mason's website

Oh, and of course he is married to another very talented writer, who also has a cool website: Sara Houghteling, author of  "Pictures at an Exhibition".

https://www.sarahoughteling.com/

 

from Sara Houghteling's website

 

Terrie's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Our Missing Hearts" Celeste Ng *chosen

"The Trail" Ethan Gallogly

"Mercy Street" Jennifer Haigh

Up next:

Happy reading,

LK

September 2022 Bookclub News

 

 

Dear Bookclub,

Converging at the counter of the Karl Strauss Brewing Company, we eagerly ordered fabulously healthy lunches, eschewing enticing artwork and descriptions of on-tap nectar, like the Olympic-hopeful athletes that we most certainly are not. Often confused for that discipline, our training is more focused on healthy aging. Ahhhh, for the days when a mid-day brew would not put us nodding off by three, even in triple digit heat.

Poised to discuss Alena Dillon's "The Happiest Girl in the World", we pondered the family's tremendous sacrifices for Sera's endeavor. Agreeing that Dillon's novel, rang true to voice and content, we were amazed and relieved that the inspiration was not from personal experience. Her ability to weave in the real events of the recent gymnastics environment delivered a deep sense of the horrific paths both the gymnasts and their families take when lured by the innate talent and desire of the athletes. Imagining Simone Biles' journey, beginning as a 6 year old, on a day-care field trip trying out gymnastics, to a world champion as a teen, boggles the mind. Please read her story in this good-old Wikipedia piece, noting her early life foster-care-shuffle:

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

 

Simone, now and back then.... please enjoy this video of a very young champ:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-t7x2PEmAUs

Val's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water" Angie Cruz

"Mercury Pictures Presents" Anthony Marra *chosen

"Lucy by the Sea" Elizabeth Strout

"The Sweetness of Water" Nathan Harris

 

Up next:

Happy reading,

LK

August 2022 Bookclub News

 

Dear Bookclub,

Cobb salad on Terry's patio far surpassed the Veranda-emulated luncheon she had in mind. Treated to Terry's thoughtful and delicious afternoon, we appreciated every aspect, being sure to stretch the 'discussion' to a nice four-hour span. Truly, we did have three books to discuss. With a quick mention of "The Night Watchman", (barely given its due in June's sparsely attended meeting), tagging up to "Better to Have Gone" and finally, taking a deeper delve into our current selection, Andrea Yaryura Clark's "On a Night of a Thousand Stars", we discussed, paving the way for true catching-up.

Clark's novel, inspired by her generation of Argentinian youth, coming of age during the country's turmoil of hushed atrocities, gave us pause in our feeble understanding of the country's political upheaval of that time.  The stories of the 'disappeared' during the military dictatorship of the 1970's became the foundation for Clark's story. Please check out this piece from Literary Hub about the author's experience writing the novel:

Madres de Plaza de Mayo

https://lithub.com/those-who-were-left-behind-by-argentinas-dirty-war/

We appreciated the enlightenment about the "Dirty War" and the novel's vehicle, an entangled, dare I say 'melodrama', gave a good ride. 

 

For further enlightenment, here is a list of Dirty War films:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Dirty_War_films

Terry's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Count the Ways" Joyce Maynard

"Horse" Geraldine Brooks *chosen

"Lessons in Chemistry" Bonnie Garmus

Up next: 

 

Happy reading!

LK

July 2022 Bookclub News

 

Mother playing tennis

Dear Bookclub,

Squeezed around a corner table on the terrace of Del Mar's Poseidon, our discussion of Akash Kapur's "Better to Have Gone" skimmed the surface of Auroville's inception and demise. Terry, Trudy and I missed our fellow members, as the latest viruses invaded. Focus on the utopian society, as excavated by Akash and his wife, Auralice, was fleeting as sharing recent travels dominated.  The lure of fish tacos and margaritas at the edge of the Pacific's surf did not help. 

requisite food photo

 

Collectively, with contributing opinions from those absent, we agreed that the book startled with wild, liberating concepts that ultimately crashed and burned, leaving our readers saddened but wiser. We are eager to hear Val tell any shredded detail of her 'new-found' sister's friends' experiences who'd lived there. Wow, man.

Mira Alfassa

Thinking better, as I considered inserting links on Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease), images of female personalities instrumental in Kapur's book felt more appropriate. Early childhood visions Mira Alfassa experienced being unusual, were mere sprouts of fascinating ideas yet to come: supramental manifestation upon earth, evolving with cell transformation, and transcending the body.

Mira, as a child (c. 1885)

 

 

Auralice

 

Diane Maes

Trudy's suggestions for an upcoming read:

"Madhouse at the End of the Earth" Julian Sancton *chosen

"Next Year in Havana" Chanel Cleeton

 "Ask Again" Mary Beth Keane

Up next:

 

 

Happy reading,

LK