Of Books and Women

Fanny Hill Meeting

2009-11-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

Book of erotica from the 1700's - $10
One penis cake complete with blue veins and vermillion head - $10
Petticoats for all to throw over their heads - $40
Night of hilarity with the ladies of Book Club - PRICELESS

The Book of Lost Things

2009-10-12T14:58:00.001-07:00

BN synopsis: High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own -- populatedby heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things.

When I first picked this book up, I thought it was maybe a book for young adults, but couldn't find the YA on the book. I then saw that this book won the Alex Award in 2007 which honors adult books that appeal to teen readers. I can see how it would appeal to teens, it takes all the fairy tales we grew up with and twists them into what David, the main character, imagines them to be if they were real. In his fantasy world, Snow White is extremely fat and the dwarfs feel oppressed by 'her' and call themselves Comrade Brother One, Two, Three, etc... It is a little violent and would recommend this for adults and about 8th/9th grade and beyond and has a surprisingly sweet ending.

The Know-It-All

2009-10-12T14:24:00.001-07:00

I'm sure we all remember the set of Encyclopedia Britannica's on the book shelf in the back of our 5th grade class room when we had to do our first research paper on a country and their import/exports, I know I do. A.J. Jacobs, the author/subject of The Know-It-All, takes the Britannica and all the knowledge within, and sets about with a singular goal, to read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from A-Z, about 33,000 pages. The synopsis from BN: Early in his career, A. J. Jacobs found himself putting his Ivy League education to work at Entertainment Weekly. After five years he learned which stars have fake boobs, which stars have toupees, which have both, and not much else. This unsettling realization led Jacobs on a life-changing quest: to read the entire contents of the Encyclopedia Britannica, all 33,000 pages, all 44 million words. Jacobs accumulates useful and less-so knowledge, and along the way finds a deep connection with his father (who attempted the same feat when Jacob's was a child), examines the nature of knowledge vs. intelligence, and learns how to be rather annoying at cocktail parties. Part memoir/part-education (or lack thereof), it's an entertaining (and alphabetical) look at the true nature of knowledge.

I really enjoyed this book, it was out loud funny and an easy read. Jacobs really does go through from A-Z, letting the reader know about a-ak (the first word) while giving us his thoughts on the words, information he learns and insight as to what is going on in his own life as he goes through the books. I recommend this book and will bring it to the underground.

The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace

2009-09-14T07:42:00.000-07:00

From B&N: “Part detective story, part wine history, this is one juicy tale, even for those with no interest in the fruit of the vine. . . . As delicious as a true vintage Lafite.” —BusinessWeek

The Billionaire’s Vinegar tells the true story of a 1787 Château Lafite Bordeaux—supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson—that sold for $156,000 at auction and of the eccentrics whose lives intersected with it. Was it truly entombed in a Paris cellar for two hundred years? Or did it come from a secret Nazi bunker? Or from the moldy basement of a devilishly brilliant con artist? As Benjamin Wallace unravels the mystery, we meet a gallery of intriguing players—from the bicycle-riding British auctioneer who speaks of wines as if they are women to the obsessive wine collector who discovered the bottle. Suspenseful and thrillingly strange, this is the vintage tale of what could be the most elaborate con since the Hitler diaries.

This book is an interesting peek into the world of wine, old wine and the lengths people will go to obtain a piece of history. I learned more about wine from this book than I will probably ever need to know. I personally cannot imagine paying thousands of dollars for bottles of wine either for drinking or display. I have tried some very expensive wines at dinners with my husband. Though I have not tried 200 year old - $156,000 wine, in my opinion, an $800 bottle of wine can taste just as good/bad as a $10 bottle of wine. I think this was one of the points of the book. If you believe that wine tastes better because it costs more, then it does taste better...to you. It is the author's belief, and mine as well that things like wine are meant for enjoying. And, mysteries about wine should be enjoyed too. However, I prefer a smoking gun (cork?) at the end of a mystery, this ending was a little to ambiguous for me. If you like wine, I would recommend this book simply for the information and the history, Wallace does a great job explaining every detail.

Drowning Ruth by Christina Schwarz

2009-09-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

Drowning Ruth opens in 1919, on the heels of the influenza epidemic that followed the First World War. Amanda, who is a nurse suffering from an unknown ailment causing nausea and frequent "nervous" episodes, returns home to live with her sister Mathilde on a farm by Lake Nagawaukee in Wisconsin. Within a year, though, her beloved sister drowns under mysterious circumstances. And when Mathilde's husband, Carl, returns from the war, he finds his small daughter, Ruth, in Amanda's tenacious grip, and she will tell him nothing about the night his wife drowned. Amanda's parents, too, are long gone. "I killed my parents. Had I mentioned that?" muses Amanda.

"I killed them because I felt a little fatigued and suffered from a slight, persistent cough. Thinking I was overworked and hadn't been getting enough sleep, I went home for a short visit, just a few days to relax in the country while the sweet corn and the raspberries were ripe. From the city I brought fancy ribbon, two boxes of Ambrosia chocolate, and a deadly gift... I gave the influenza to my mother, who gave it to my father, or maybe it was the other way around."

I liked this mystery. The author is very good at releasing small breadcrumbs of truth along the way but saves the answer to the mystery of whether Amanda killed her sister until the very last page. I would recommend this book on a cold, blustery day with a fire and a nice, hot cup of tea.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2009-09-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

I was really looking forward to reading this book, especially since the first sentence is, "It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." I was looking for fast paced action packed Austen. Instead, I got an agonizingly slow moving read. The scenes with the zombies, or 'unmentionables', and how Elizabeth and Mr Darcy fight the zombies are fun as they are both trained in 'the deadly arts'. There are a few lines that had me snicker but they are few and far between. I can totally see this becoming a movie. I also saw that later this month the same publisher is coming out with Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monster. I think I'll skip that one.

Bright Shiny Morning by James Frey

2009-09-09T13:09:00.001-07:00

I was initially hesitant to pick this book up because the controversial author, James Frey, wrote A Million Little Pieces which was heart wrenching 'memoir' of addiction and rehab that blurred the lines between fact and fiction. I read a review of this novel (it really is a novel) when it first came out and the reviewer liked it. The New York Times - Janet Maslin,
"The million little pieces guy was called James Frey. He got a second act. He got another chance. Look what he did with it. He stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park. No more lying, no more melodrama, still run-on sentences still funny punctuation but so what. He became a furiously good storyteller this time."

This is a fast paced quick read. Frey tells several stories about the people who live in Los Angeles. From a young couple from the Midwest escaping west, to a homeless alcoholic on the Venice Boardwalk who lives in a bathroom, to a iconic movie star whose homosexuality is hidden from public view. The author also interweaves stories or history of Los Angeles, from the founding in 1781 through the Rodney King riots. Living in LA for years, several of the locations and people were familiar to me and some of the stories stayed with me for a few days and left me wanting more.

Passing the torch

2009-09-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

DiscoSplitz (a.k.a. Tracy) will be taking over authorship of the blog for a while. Otherwise, we'll never get updated on Book Club Meetings, Book Picks, etc.

Love you all - Burpykitty (a.k.a. Michelle or Library Mistress as Bethany calls me)

The Girl from Junchow by Kate Furnivall

2009-08-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

The Girl from Junchow is the sequel to The Russian Concubine. The plot of this novel has been woven into Stalinist Russia and the way the author portrays the time period is incredible. The book continues the struggles of Lydia, a teenage Russian refugee brought up in 1920's China, as she returns to Russia in search of her imprisoned father. She is accompanied by her half-brother Alexei and friend Liev. Her Chinese lover from the first book becomes a much more believable character in this book. There are also numerous secondary characters which Furnivall develops well. All in all a great historical fiction.

Highwire Moon by Susan Straight

2009-07-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

This book had me from the moment I opened it. It is the story of a young Mexican-Indian girl, Serafina who in California illegally. Due to her inability to speak Spanish or English, (she speaks an Indian dialect) she is violently separated from her beloved three year old daughter, Elvia. The story picks up, 15 years later with Elvia, pregnant, and desperate to find her mother. She thinks her mother left her because she didn't want her anymore. At the same time Serafina is trying to find the daughter she has never stopped thinking about.

Susan Straight writes so compellingly that we are willing to look at things we would normally never want to see. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, although I know it is a bit bleak for some readers. I would encourage even them to read it because of the hope and love that permeates this book.

The descriptions of migrant camps and border crossings make you feel as though you are there. I have no idea how the author got some of the details she put into the book.

The book is set in South Riverside County. Readers from this area will recognize many landscape markers, and the Indian tribes names.

I knew instinctively how this book would end. I was right and wrong at the same time. You will be to, no matter how you think it will end.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

2009-07-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Aaaahh...Book Club. What a wonderful evening! We had, for the first time in a long time, every member present...oops, except our newest member Meredith but we have only met her once. You all know what I mean! The theme for Something Wicked... was Carnival. We had warm pretzels with mustard, spicy-candied pecans, apples with caramel dip, hot dogs and french fries, pinwheel pasta salad, green salad with fruit, roasted corn on the cob, Lynchburg Lemonades and Peanut Butter/Chocolate Fudge. Everything was delicious, of course!
The Book? It was well-liked by everyone, some more than others. There were a few of us who found it hard to get into but enjoyed it anyway. I personally loved this story. I thought it was creepy and scary but poetic and beatifully written at the same time. We all agreed that it would have been a better choice for October but...cest la vie. As always, we all had a wonderful time! As Bethany put it,"this is home."

Ophelia by Lisa Klein

2009-07-09T16:55:00.001-07:00

As a college professor, Lisa Klein the author of Ophelia had taught Shakespeare's Hamlet countless times. She always thought that one of the minor characters, Ophelia, was shortchanged by Shakespeare on her character development. With her novel Ophelia she has told a new version of Hamlet with a smart, eloquent, brave heroine at its center. She gives the story a new twist and new insight into a possible turn of events.
I loved this story! It was very well-written, in an old, poetic style but more understandable than the original Shakespeare. It wasn't a suprise twist, I could tell where the author was going with the story but I still enjoyed every page. This is no child's story, I would recommend this book for 9th grade through adult.

Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes

2009-07-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Many of us know and love Kevin Henkes as the hilarious author/illustrator of Childrens Picture Books likeLilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, Julius: the Baby of the World, etc. With Olive's Ocean Henkes ventures into tween fiction and does a good job. The main character in this book is Martha, a girl whose life and perspective changes after Olive, a classmate of Marthas, dies in a tragic accident. Although Martha and Olive were never really friends, Martha can't seem to stop thinking about her over summer vacation. While Martha spends time with her grandmother and her friends at the ocean she learns a great deal about life, love and friendship. With Olive's Ocean,Henkes has managed to capture the essence of a tweens girl's mind. I liked this book. It wasn't earth shattering or life changing but it was a good read. I think any 6th through 8th grade girl might enjoy this story.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

2009-07-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

Re-read this one because the movie is coming out the 15th of this month and I wanted to remember what happened to compare. So far the Harry Potter movies have closely matched the books. Rowling's writing just got better and better with each book. It was just as entertaining and fast paced the second time around. If you haven't read the series, I recommend it. It gets especially good at Book #4.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

2009-07-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

I heard about this book years ago when it was first published. I read "A Handmaids Tale" and "Alias Grace" by the same author and enjoyed them. The Blind Assassin won many awards including the Booker Prize. I made a point to get it from the library a while ago. Between my own writing, and reading I was doing for research, or book club I had to renew it twice. I am so happy I finally got around to reading it. It was so thick and lush. It is described as novel within a novel, but it is even more complex than that. It spans three distinct time periods, and the novel within the novel has various sci-fi stories told within it. Atwood has a sort of vagueness to her writing. She does not spell anything out, and yet everything is quite clear. I was very caught up in the stories, all of them. I always have the feeling of wanting more, whenever I read Atwood, and yet I always feel satisfied. Like a meal that is so unusual and delicious you wish it would never end, but you are not unpleasantly full when you are finished. If I had a complaint, it would be the two-dimensionality of the villains, a brother and sister. They are completely without redemption, and a little like stock characters. Some of the other characters are so well-developed that these two really stand out. It is a small complaint. The book was mesmerizing.

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry

2009-06-22T11:11:00.001-07:00

For those of us who are familiar with Lois Lowry from The Giver, this book was a kick in the pants. It is total satire that both makes fun of and pays homage to good, old-fashioned stories like Pollyana, Anne of Green Gables and James and the Giant Peach. It is full of needlessly big words like "nefarious" and "ignominious" with a glossary in the back. I think the author is poking fun at the blythe use of big, twenty-five cent words in childrens literature. There is also a short synopsis of the novels she refers to in the back of the book so we can understand what is so funny even if we haven't read the stories. In the novel, the Willoughby children decide that they should be orphans because all "worthy and winsome" children are orphans. They concoct a plan to become orphans, at the same time the parents have decided to rid themselves of their children and both diabolical plans are set in motion. The parents are villainous, the children are parodies of characters in other books, there is a benefactor, and abandoned baby and a no-nonsense but loving nanny - a la Mary Poppins. It is pretty hilarious. Without the nostalgia of the good, old-fashioned stories I am not sure younger readers would really get the joke. However, I do think it would still be entertaining in a Series of Unfortunate Events kind-of-way. I started the book thinking it was aimed at 4th-6th graders but after I read it I think it would fit more with 6th-Adult. I loved it, who knew Lois Lowry was so versatile?!?

Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura E. Williams

2009-06-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

From the back cover:

"It is 1942. Korinna, a thirteen-year-old girl in Germany, is an active member of the local Jungmadel, a Nazi youth group, along with many of her friends. She believes that Hitler is helping Germany by dealing with what he calls the "Jewish problem", a campaign she witnesses as her Jewish neighbors are attacked and taken from their homes.

When Korinna discovers that her parents - who are secretly members of an underground resistance group - are sheltering a family of Jewish refugees behind her bedroom wall, she is shocked. As she comes to know the family, her sympathies begin to turn, and when someone tips off the Gestapo, Korinna's loyalties are put to the test. She must decide what she really believes and whom she really trusts."

Sometimes it is difficult to read children's literature as an adult because of what I know. In this case it was especially hard because of the other books I have read about Nazi Germany (Night by Elie Weisel or Diary of Anne Frank) and of course, what I have learned about Auschwitz and other concentration camps in history. I thought the book was well-written with just enough awful information to be shocking (in a good, teaching-sort-of-way) to an adolescent. These young people in Germany were having fun. At the youth group they baked cookies, played games and sang patriotic songs... all while being brain-washed into believing that the Jews (and the infirm, the handicapped or the elderly) were the reason that Germany was in a Depression and if these could be "taken care of" the country would be great again. They were encouraged to harass the other Jewish children and report anyone who was being un-patriotic.

I always read stories like this with a sense of awe for the people who choose to do the right thing, in this case, Korinna's parents helping the Jewish family to escape the "work camps". I wonder if I would be strong enough to risk my life and my family to do what is right. This book addresses those issues but from the standpoint of a teenage girl. It was definitely worth reading. I would be interested to know what a thirteen-year-old might think of this book. I'll have to see if Nick will read it too.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

2009-06-06T10:37:00.000-07:00

This book is perfect for 6,7,8th grade girls. It is about an orphaned girl from Barbados who comes to a Puritan community to live with relatives. While she is there, she befriends an old Quaker woman, known as the "Witch of Blackbird Pond". When her friendship is discovered, Kit is faced with suspicion, fear and anger and is even accused of witchcraft herself. This book is historical but it has enough suspense and light romance that it would be interesting to an adolescent girl. So far the Newbery Award Winners have lived up to their award status.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

2009-06-01T14:06:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe I never read this book as a child! What a great story! I am definitely keeping this one in my arsenal of Read-Alouds for the Library. It is a well-written, fun, not too scary good vs. evil story with a great ending. What more could you ask for in a children's' book? This summer is going to be great!

What Are You Reading This Summer?

2009-05-30T09:37:00.000-07:00

Bethany asked this question at Book Club on Tuesday night. I just finished reading Warriors: Into the Wild, a youth fantasy adventure novel. That is what I will be reading this summer - various childrens' novels that either my kids have asked me to read because they enjoyed the book or because I have it in the library at school and I am curious. My summer will be filled with fun in the sun and childrens literature, with the exception of what I am reading for Book Club of course!

What was your favorite book as a child? Mine was a book called Ghosts I Have Been by Richard Peck. I have it in the library at school perhaps I should check it out for the summer for the nostagia...

What are you reading this summer?

Madame Bovary Book Club Night

2009-05-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

French Onion Soup, Stuffed Savory Cornish Game Hens, Brie with Lemon Thyme Honey Sauce, Baked Brie with Flaky Crust, Spanish Style Artichoke Dip, Trifle with Angel Food Cake, Whipped Cream and Brandied Strawberry Sauce and of course, French wine...Book Club is always a feast of good food and good company. Not everyone was able to finish this classic novel but it is an age-old tale of bored, unhappy wife turns to selfish, handsome player for entertainment while ho-hum, cuckold husband is clueless. It just happens that in 1857, it was a fairly new concept to put on paper.

I started to struggle through this book about a third of the way through because I didn't like or care about any of the characters but I am happy I stuck with it. Definitely a worthwhile read, if only because it is a classic and Flaubert was really sailing into uncharted literary territory for the time but also because he uses some beautiful language. For example, when describing the act of reading he says,"Your head is empty,the hours slip away. From your chair you wander through the countries of your mind, and your thoughts, threading themselves into the fiction, play about with the details or rush along the track of the plot. You melt into the characters; it seems as if your own heart is beating under their skin." *sigh* Just beautiful.

When I read the commentary after I finished the novel, I learned that I had missed much of the sexual/erotic imagery. Phallic candlesticks and cigars permeated the novel. Big, pink conch shells dressed the mantel, while large, decorative balls hung from the curtain rod. I took the descriptions of surroundings at face value, forgetting that this was the erotic novel of the time.

I really enjoyed Book Club this month! I mean I enjoy it every month but with life being so crazy this year, I haven't been able to put the energy into Book Club that I usually do. I was so happy I was finally able to contribute something yummy that I hadn't purchased moments before the meeting, I had time to dress up a la sophisticated Madame and my brain was actually engaged...I had a lovely time! Now that school is ending and I should really have to time, I can't wait for our summer meetings! Please remember to bring ideas next month for July, August, September - our themes will be Africa, Chick Lit and Banned Book.

The Midwife by Jennifer Worth

2009-05-19T16:29:00.001-07:00

"Why did I ever start this?" Jennifer Worth asks herself in her memoir 'The Midwife'. "Only an idiot would choose to be a midwife. " This first sentence in the book made me smile. Nice to know I'm not the only one who has thought that. Worth shares her incredible career as a midwife during the 1950s in the London Docklands. The Docklands were poverty stricken, dirty, and recently bombed during World War II. People lived in condemned buildings among rats, grime, and violence. Worth worked out of a Nunnery, providing prenatal care, delivering babies in their homes, and checking up on the moms and babies afterward. It was a busy life with highly unpredictable hours.
Some may be turned off by the subject, fearing gore, blood, and other unpleasant things often associated with birth. But this is one book you don't want to judge by its cover. The Midwife is, more than anything, the story of an amazing woman in 1950s London and the people she met. I recommend this book to anyone interested in history, motivating stories, or who just wants a good read. (Consider reading the appendix first to help with the Cockney dialect.)

The True Story of Hansel and Gretel by Louise Murphy

2009-05-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Everybody knows the story of Hansel and Gretel, the two children abandoned in the woods by their father and evil stepmother, who then discover the witch's hut. In this moving book by Murphy the story is changed but, the main pieces are still there: the stepmother, the bread crumbs, and the 'witch'. This is WWII during the occupation of Poland and two children are left in the forest by a desperate father and stepmother who are trying to flee the Nazis. The children are told they must forget their names because their real names will reveal their Jewishness and are renamed 'Hansel' and 'Gretel'. The parents hope someone will take them in and think they are Christian. The first person they find in the forest is Magda, the village 'witch'. She takes them in and protects them in her small hut that is heated by an enormous old bakers oven. This is a gut wrenching story of the Holocaust. The voices of Jews who hid in the forests, of men and women who participated in resistance movements, and of Polish civilians.
Hearing those voices was chilling. And this author does a remarkable job at giving them all voices.

The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble

2009-05-05T15:59:00.000-07:00

This book was a best seller in the UK and I almost didn't pick it up, thought it would be too 'chic-lit' and foo-foo and I didn't want to waste my time. But then I opened the book and saw the list of books this fictional book club read and saw that they have three of the books we've read this past year, Rebecca, Heartburn & Atonement. This was a great palate cleanser between Irving and Flaubert and not that mindless. The book follows the five members of the reading group from different backgrounds and age groups, they bond closely while coping with such matters as a philandering husband, a mother with dementia, a pregnant but unmarried daughter, an infertility crisis, a wedding and a funeral. It took a little bit to get all the characters separate in my mind, the five group members with their husbands & kids, but once I did I enjoyed this book.

With summer coming up, this would be a great beach read or even a possible suggestion for our 'chic-lit' book selection. Either way, I'll bring this to our next meeting so it can start to make it's way through the BC Underground.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

2009-05-01T10:09:00.000-07:00

Our Book Club meeting for A Prayer for Owen Meany wasn't as in-depth of a discussion as it could have been but in all fairness this was a book that needed more than one month to read. It certainly was not a book that could be easily skimmed and with all the busyness in all of our lives it was no suprise that not everyone could finish the book in time. Everyone said that they enjoyed it though and wanted to finish it in the coming months.

We all agreed that John Irving managed to write a Christian novel that’s not the least bit inspirational. At no point in the novel does the author suggest that the reader adopt Christianity, however, this is a very religious book in the sense that God plays a large role—and the main character himself is a Christ figure. I loved the way this novel was written, it is truly a novel that waits until the very end to wrap up it's plot. I love a book that makes you turn the page. This book covered some huge issues: religion, war, politics, friendship, sacrifice, duty...you name it, it was probably covered. I think we all agreed that this book was a worthwhile read, in fact, a recommended read.

And, of course, the food and company were wonderful. Our Book Club is the nicest blend of personalities, worldviews and cooks. It is always a delicious suprise to see what everyone has brought to share. The theme for the night was "small foods a la Owen Meany" chosen by Bethany. See what I mean?

Thanks ladies! I am looking forward to many, many more shared books and recipes.