MARCH 2011 BOOKERS MINUTES - Still Alice by Lisa Genova

 “Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.”

                       Cicero

32 met at the home of Jane Freer to discuss this month’s selection, Still Alice, a debut novel by Lisa Genova, who holds a Ph.D in neuroscience from Harvard and is the online columnist for the National Alzheimer’s Association.  March 1^st was a significant day on several levels including the start of the rebuilding process of MN’s Alabama beach house, the return of tee markers and flags to the Pinnacle golf course, and last, but not least, Leslie Mullins’ birthday!  We also offered our condolences to Madelyn Chubb on the loss of her sister, and gave the floor to Janet Noblitt, who thanked everyone for their love and support during her daughter-in-law’s battle with cancer and for our generosity in contributing to her granddaughter’s college scholarship fund.  We welcomed new members, Janet Erwin and Karen Fernald and were delighted to see Linda Hoff, Kathy Mueller, Donna Walter, Judy Lee, and Ann Hays back at Bookers…you have been missed!

We are grateful to Jane Freer for suggesting an honor table paying tribute to loved ones who have suffered from Alzheimer’s.  Jane’s grandmother’s white crocheted tablecloth covered with photos, journals, and articles told the story of adoration blended with heartbreak.  Camellias, the petals reflecting the spirit of a lady…the stem, the strength of a man, were scattered among the faces alongside a vase of white roses, the sign of honor and spiritual love.  The morning got off to an emotional start as we remembered:

Cherry’s father                                 WILLIAM MAURICE HOLLON

Jane’s mother                                   RUTH CLINE           

MN’s mother                                    AGNES SPAFFORD

Bonnie’s father                                 GEORGE PATON

Janet Noblitt’s father                       OBIE HERL

Marlene’s father                              BILLY HIGDON

Barbara Creach’s mother                LUCILLE BARRETT    

Pam Davis’ mother                          MILDRED WALTER

Donna Walter’s mother-in-law        MILDRED WALTER

Melanie Prebis’ mother-in-law        AGNES PREBIS

PWC Member                                   BJ VOLLMER

Leslie Mullins' close friend              MARGIT NILSSEN

Daryl Daniels' close friend               DR. DAVID HILDEBRAND

This is one of those selections that met the criteria for a Bookers’ book, not for the literary value, but for the story it tells and its’ informational message that encourages a proactive approach to early on-set Alzheimer’s.  Our thanks to Kim Hand for convincing us we must address this issue and for taking on the challenge of reviewing the book.  Great job of summarizing the story, providing the documentation for testing and knowing the signs of the disease (copies attached.)  Additional information is available on the web site: http://www.alz.org/ including seventeen slides detailing what the brain is doing during the various stages of this disease.

 Although a work of fiction, the author uses her expertise to accurately write of the “white emptiness” created by Alzheimer’s.  Fifty-year old Dr. Alice Howland is a cognitive psychology professor at Harvard, a world-renowned expert in linguistics whose job it was to “understand the mind, to know the mechanisms driving human behavior and language, emotion and appetite.”  She is the wife of a cancer cell biologist, and the mother of three grown children and through her voice, the symptoms, treatments, consequences, frustrations, and rapid decline over a two-year period are painstakingly vivid from her point of view.  Genova not only chronicles Alice’s experiences, but also shows how differently the family reacts and handles the diagnosis. 

In the beginning, Alice made excuses for her behavior…multitasking, being too busy, age, and menopause, but as the memory disturbances became more frequent, she began the diagnostic process.  Her MRI showed no abnormalities, no cerebral vascular disease, no evidence of stroke, no hydrocephalus or masses – her blood work and lumbar puncture were negative, no HIV, no cancer, vitamin deficiency, mitochondrial disease or other rare conditions – and her recent memory impairment was out of proportion with her age.  She had early on-set Alzheimer’s disease.  It has a stronger genetic linkage and manifests itself much earlier and her children have a 50% chance of inheriting the mutation, which has a 100% chance of causing the disease. 

 Most of us were critical of how Alice’s husband, John, handled the news, but as quick we were to judge, we were reminded that he too “lost his future.”  Perhaps the only way he could deal with that was to throw himself into his work and obsession on finding an acceptable treatment and/or cure for “his Alice’s Alzheimer’s.”  A pre-symptomatic test is available for early on-set…if you were one of the children, would you want to know?  The eldest daughter, Anna, and her husband were trying to have a child…she tested positive.  The middle child, Tom, was negative, and the youngest, Lydia, opted not to know.  Alice said she would rather have cancer than this disease because those with cancer could expect community support whereas she “expected to be an outcast…even the well-intentioned and educated tended to keep a fearful distance from the mentally ill.”  Alice wanted to “live to hold her grandbaby, to see Lydia act in something she was proud of, to see Tom fall in love, to have one more sabbatical year with John, to read every book she could before she could no longer read…to have more sunny seventy-degree days and ice cream cones, and when the burden of the disease exceeded the pleasure of that ice cream, she wanted to die.”

The group shared a part of their lives with us.  We walked in each other’s shoes with both heartache and humor and always with love and respect for the human spirit.  We learned about patience, about placing blame and judging too quickly, about regretting not recognizing the frustrations that ruled the simplest tasks of their daily lives and sorrow for not dealing with the situation with more empathy.  This novel could be re-titled, Still William, Still Ruth, Still Agnes, Still George, Still Obie, Still Billy, Still Lucille, Still Mildred, Still Agnes, Still BJ, Still Margit, or Still David as each would most likely echo Alice’s message as she addressed the Dementia Care Conference:

“We are not utterly incompetent, we are not without language or opinions, yet we are not competent enough to be trusted with any of the demands of our former lives – we are neither here or there – like some crazy Dr. Seuss character in a bizarre land – it is a very lonely and frustrating place to be.  I’m losing my yesterdays – I might guess a few things…I’m an excellent guesser… but I have no control over which memories I keep and which ones I lose.  I fear tomorrow…I am a wife, a mother, a friend, soon to be grandmother…I still feel, understand and am worthy of love and joy in those relationships, and am still an active part of society although my brain no longer works.  I use my ears for unconditional listening, my shoulders for crying on, my arms for hugging others with dementia.  I am not someone dying; I am someone living with Alzheimer’s.  Don’t write us off.  Look directly in the eye, talk directly to us, don’t panic or take it personally if we make mistakes, misplace things, forget your names.  Empower us, not limit us…work with us, help us develop tools to function around our memory loss, language, and cognition.  If my yesterdays are disappearing and my tomorrows are uncertain, what do I live for…each day, each moment.”

In the lighter moments we are hear Cherry’s Dad telling her to “Dance to Life.”  Bonnie’s instructing her to “Buy the boys in the band a drink.”  We are told of Barbara’s Mom eating the “panhandle” of a Texas Independence Day cake, Pam’s announcing she was having her period, and MN’s Mom stating her memory was “just fine, but her husband’s was horrible.”  We know that everyone traveled a similar road but no one lacked the tender care that accompanied the long journey.  They were loved and on some level, they knew it.

       Recommended Reading List:

We always embrace suggestions for extra reading.  Lee Durso shared Labor Day by Joyce Maynard.  It is written through the eyes of a 13-year old boy living with his long-divorced mother and deals with the range of emotions and circumstances that go along with adolescence.  MN & I both read it and liked it…very interesting story.

 We love it when our men care about books enough to recommend their favorites as John Magee did.  He shared his passion for historical novels by suggesting the Aubrey/Maturin series of naval adventure novels about an English sea captain in the Royal Navy and a physician who sails with him during the Napoleonic wars.  The author, Patrick O’Brian, has been compared to Jane Austen and Homer (pretty good company) and this series includes twenty novels listed in order as follows and are available in paperback at Half Price Books among other places.

Master and Commander  

Post Captain

H.M.S. Surprise

The Mauritius Command

Desolation Island

The Fortune of War

The Surgeon's Mate

The Ionian Mission

Treason's Harbour

The Far Side of the World

The Reverse of the Medal

The Letter of Marque

The Thirteen Gun Salute

The Nutmeg of Consolation

The Truelove

The Wine-dark Sea

The Commodore

The Yellow Admiral

The Hundred Days

Blue at the Mizzen

Bonnie mentioned The Invisible Wall: The Mystery of the Germans and the Jews by Michael Blumenthal, which Aulsine’s other book club is reading, as a possible choice for anyone wanting to hear the story from another point of view.

 

                                                               On the business side:

Leslie read an update on movie version of Water for Elephants scheduled for release on April 15^th starring Reese Witherspoon and Hal Holbrook.

COLOR CODING SYSTEM:

WHITE:                        Light read

PINK:                           Moderately challenging

RED:                             Challenging

April 12^th:                     Room by Emma Donoghue

                                    PINK

                                    Recommended by MN & JoDee

                                    Home of MN Stanky.

                                    Reviewers: MN & JoDee

May 10^th:                     4^th annual Wine and Cheese Evening Meeting

                                    WHITE or RED or PINK (wine, that is…your choice)

                                    1^st annual “Book Share & Chat”

                                    6:00 PM @ the home of Melanie Prebis

            Pick one of your favorite books; give a brief synopsis

                        and offer to share your copy

                                    Bonnie Magee, food czar.  Please contact her directly to sign up

                                                to bring something.

June 14^th:                      Summer meeting added

                                    Book: TBA

                                    Home: TBA

                                    Reviewer: TBA

July/August:                  Summer Break

                                    Summer Read TBA

September 13^th:            Bookers resumes

We assume our loved ones will remain indelible canvases protected within the layers of our memories.  Sadly, there might be a time when we stare into the hollow eyes of the person who gave us life and we must face the reality that they are seeing a stranger with a kind face…nothing more.  Cherish your time together.

Happy Reading,

JoDee

FEBRUARY 2011 BOOKERS MINUTES - The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

“The human race is unimportant.  It is the self that must not be betrayed.  I suppose I could say that Hitler did not betray himself.  You are right, he did not.  But millions of Germans did betray their selves.  That was the tragedy.  Not that one man had the courage to be evil.  But that millions had not the courage to be good.”

                                           John Fowles from The Magus

‘I have never been popular, but aptly was voted most likely to succeed by my peers.  We don’t need to be formally introduced.  I’m called a lot of things, though none are to my liking – they all sound so…dreary for lack of a better word – so, if you don’t mind, could you just call me Omega.  Think of me as the black crow to your white dove, the Ace of Spades to your Queen of Hearts, the second trump over the first, the box end to Alpha.  I understand none of you want to meet me on Main Street or in the produce aisle of Wal-Mart, but you all will shake my hand at some time.  My hope is that it is on your terms, not mine and you feel a gentler touch than you imagined possible.  I’m seen by some as both an ending and a metamorphosis…the conclusion of one phase leading into the existence of another path.  Marcus Zusak wrote The Book Thief using my voice to try to make sense out of the horrors of World War II.  He narrates a story about a young German girl, whose book-stealing and story-telling talents helped sustain her family, neighbors, and the Jewish man they were hiding.  19 of you met at the home of Jean Alexander to discuss this work of literature and Melanie Prebis, in her first review, did an excellent job of reviewing this story, especially since the novel was color- coded “RED,” and for good reason.  Speaking of colors, I see the world through the colors of the sky and today looks very gray, like Europe.’

We are delighted to have new member, Gail Fankhauser, joining us and adding to the growing number of educators we have in our group…Welcome Gail!  Our collective hearts mourn alongside Janet Noblitt and her family and hope healing soon begins to overtake grief.  You are in our thoughts and prayers.

The majority of Bookers at the meeting were singing praises for this novel with comments like, “best book I have ever read…one I would have never picked up on my own, but so glad I did…should be required reading…had to finish it…loved it.”  We are aware some of our members struggled with it and we certainly understand.  We were asked to close our eyes and try to picture death…to some (he) took on a human form, some pictured (him) with a long black robe but no facial features, others only a vapor, while a few heard a voice rather than forming a mental picture.  It is difficult to put (him) in an abstract form when the author humanized the character.  We all have our cups of tea and that’s what makes Bookers Bookers.

 

We are told this is a book about many things, “It’s a small story really, about, among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.”  Our group unanimously agreed what this book was NOT about was the Holocaust.  Granted, it is set in the background of war in Nazi Germany in the midst of the tragic events surrounding this era, but the story is about survival, the human spirit, love and unbreakable friendships, decency, trust, and the power of words.  Hitler launched his war with words as depicted in The Word Shaker…  “I will never fire a gun,” he said.  “I will not have to.”  The author sees nine-year old Liesel Meminger as metaphorically stealing words and freedom back from him.  “He is destroying people with words, but she is stealing books and rewriting history.”  Zusak’s unique style personified in his use of short chapters, short sentences, his all-knowing narrator, artistic renderings, the use of foretelling previewing “what’s next” in bold print created a personal look at the characters of this historic period rather than a textbook outlining the minutiae of the era.  His words, saturated with heartache and expectation, allows us to reside inside the souls of the story’s stars.  Even the book jacket typifies how even the most carefully planned endeavor can collapse with the touch of the hand.

A young mother is forced to give up her children in order to save them.  A foster family opens their hearts to give a young girl, who has already witnessed war’s tragedies, the safety of their home.  The boy next door and the young girl forge a life-long friendship, marked by stealing, the game of soccer, and the promise of a kiss.  A soldier pledges the impossible – to harbor “a man who was despised by his homeland even though he was born in it.”  The mayor’s wife, a mother bearing the loss of her only child, finds solace in becoming a secret angel of books for the young girl.  The young girl recognizes the power of words to calm, to distract, to entertain, to transport, and to open doors and shares her gift of reading with those huddled in fear.  The young foster child with her family, the boy next door, and the Jew hiding in their basement live on Himmel Street, which ironically means “heaven.”  To them it probably was.  And in the end, the narrator says, “I have seen a great many things in the world…I attend the greatest disasters and work for the greatest villains…but there are other moments…like giving Liesel The Book Thief rescued from the ashes of disaster…I am haunted by humans.”

There has been much discussion as to the prudence of young adults reading this novel.  A recent outing of Malakoff Middle School Gifted and Talented classes and English Language Arts students visited the Dallas Holocaust Museum to hear survivor, Mike Jacobs, relate his story.  The following are a few comments taken from thank you notes written to Mr. Jacobs by these students.  You can judge for yourselves.

            “You are one of my heroes.  This is my promise to you.  I will be an UPSTANDER and

            help the people who need someone to stand up for them.”

            “You’ve opened a door inside of me that’s never been opened.”

            “I hope our generation will stomp out bullying.  Sticks and stone might break my bones,

            but words will never hurt me isn’t true.  That’s how everything starts, with words.”

The author says that young adults will have to “step up” to read and understand his book.  These middle school students seem ready to take on any challenge.

On the business side:

As you know, our next meeting has been moved up a week to March 1^st.  The book, Still Alice, chronicles the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease of a fifty year-old psychology professor at Harvard.  Jane Freer suggested anyone who has a loved one affected by this disease to bring a photo of them to display at the meeting.  She will have an “honor” table set aside for this purpose, which will include her mother’s photo.  The reality of this horrible disease is in the faces of its victims…and their families.  We thank Jane for thinking of this fitting tribute.

Normally our “year” ends with the May meeting, but by popular demand, we are going into June this year.  Also, MN and I were asked to continue in our roles with Bookers.  We graciously accept and appreciate your continued support entering our 8^th season in September.

If you need a good book for winter weather reading, we suggest trying Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah that asks the question…how can a woman know herself, if she doesn’t really know her mother?  Two estranged sisters are “forced” into discovering the answer to this question when they begin to unravel their mother’s past. 

.

COLOR CODING SYSTEM:

WHITE:                        Light read

PINK:                                    Moderately challenging

RED:                                    Challenging

MARCH 1^ST:             NOTE CHANGE OF DATE

                                    Still Alice by Lisa Genova

                                    PINK

                                    Recommended by Kim, MN & JoDee

                                    Home of Jane Freer

                                    Reviewer: Kim Hand

April 12^th:                     Room by Emma Donoghue

                                    PINK

                                    Recommended by MN & JoDee

                                    Will probably be at MN’s house..  we’ll keep you posted as this is still a

                                                work in progress.

                                    Reviewers: MN & JoDee

May 10^th:                     4^th annual Wine and Cheese Evening Meeting

                                    WHITE or RED (wine, that is…your choice)

                                    1^st annual “Book Share & Chat”

                                    6:00 PM @ the home of Melanie Prebis

            Pick one of your favorite books, give a brief synopsis at the meeting, and

                         offer to share your copy

                                    Bonnie Magee, food czar.  Please contact her directly if you would like to

                                                bring something.

June 14^th:                      Summer meeting

                                    Details to be determined.

At times, we should ask ourselves…do I have the courage to be good?  Would I hide a Jew in my basement in Nazi Germany?  It’s a tough one to answer while staring into the faces of our loved ones.

 

Happy Reading

JoDee

Recommended Reading

The Land of Painted Caves: A Novel (Earth's Children)
The Shelters of Stone
The Plains of Passage: Earth's Children
The Mammoth Hunters: Earth's Children
The Valley of Horses: Earth's Children
The Clan of the Cave Bear: Earth's Children
A Week in Winter : A Novel
Ladder of Years: A Novel
Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference
Cutting For Stone

Bookers Book Selection - March 2011

We have moved this selection to March instead of May.

JANUARY 2011 BOOKERS MINUTES - The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

"We've come a long way baby."

Braving twenty-four degree temperatures, 20 members of The Clan of Bookers gathered at the hearth of Bonnie Magee to discuss Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children novel, The Clan of the Cave Bear.  Rosemary Farmer co-hosted the meeting making certain the hunter-gatherers felt right at home by displaying a table set with an animal skin, a bowl of nuts, and baskets of fresh rosemary.  Bonnie’s idea of sharing responsibilities for our meetings clearly shows what a good thought looks like when implemented.  Great job and thanks to both of you for contributing to Bookers.

MN’s sister, Dianne, attended her last Bookers meeting as she is returning home this week, much to the chagrin of those who have become accustom to seeing her.  Personified in this charming example of gentility is the true language of the South.  We are going to miss her and hope she will come back to Bookers the next time she is in town.

Pat Faherty, slated to lead the review of this selection, was blindsided by a snowstorm in the midst of moving to her new house and was unable to join us.  Flexibility being our strong suit…really!...MN pulled a couple of reviews from the Internet and Lorene used her velvet voice to deliver us back to the dawn of modern humans in prehistoric Europe during the Ice Age. 

Animal totems played a significant role in Auel’s book as each child of the Clan was “anointed” with a spirit identifying their persona.  Instead of The Mog-ur determining our totems, our animal personality was revealed in a warm-up exercise of ‘Name Your Totem.’  Eunice, the spirit of owl, hovered quietly above observing the scene sharing air space with our other feathered friends – Bonnie, the spirit of flittering bird, Madelyn, the spirit of bluebird, and Rosemary, the spirit of chickadee.  A match of wills emerges as Lorene, the spirit of bull and Daryl, the spirit of ram squared off with Aulsine, the spirit of mountain goat, and Marsha, the spirit of horse.  Janet and Lois, both spirits of prairie dogs, continuously popped up out of their holes curiously eyeing the aquatic group of Pam, the spirit of crab, Sandy, the spirit of beaver, Leslie, the spirit of dolphin, and Patsy, the spirit of penguin.  In the corner Donna, the spirit of golden retriever, growled playfully at JoDee, the spirit of cat who hissed at Cherry, the spirit of peacock, strutting her colorful feathers in front of Melanie, fittingly in the spirit of our medicine woman.  MN…(have you ever heard the spirit of tiger roar with a southern drawl?)  …  signaled an end to the naming game, corralling us in to listen to the discussion of the book while Dianne, being quiet as a mouse, settled in to endure yet another discussion of yet another book.  (Alabama, I’m coming home!)  Rest assured we were not chewing on any root or swallowing anyone’s essence, nor were we tempted to dance naked until we dropped from exhaustion, just attending another monthly (ho-hum) meeting of fellow book lovers.

Jean M.Auel is seventy-five years old and the latest (and reportedly the last) novel in this series, The Land of Painted Caves, is due to be released March 29, 2011.  Between 1980 and 1990 she published the first four in the series, The Clan of the Cave Bear, The Valley of Horses, The Mammoth Hunters, and The Plains of Passage, but her fans had to wait twelve years before the fifth, The Shelters of Stone was released.  She is “not a trained novelist and certainly not a trained scientist,” but her attention to detail and passion for prehistory endears her to anthropologists, archeologists, and book lovers.  She admits freely to taking literary license throughout the novels (defined as speculative alternative historical fiction,) but does so for the sake of the story.  As a whole, the series is a tale of personal discovery, coming-of-age, invention, and cultural complexities, encompassed within a profound study of humanity.

An earthquake left five-year old Ayla orphaned and near death.  The Clan, on the move in search of a new cave, stumbled upon her lifeless body.  From the onset, they knew she was not one of them…they were The Clan (Neanderthals) – stout and short.  This child was blond with eyes “the color of the sky,” – long and lean…clearly a product of “The Others” (Cro-Magnons.)  The novel follows her journey into this new world and details the clash of two diverse cultures striving for the same resources, space, and survival.  This helpless child wins the hearts of medicine woman, Iza, and Creb, The Mog-ur; chief of spirits, the holiest of holy men, and the most skilled and powerful magician of the Clan, and finds a home within their “hearth.”  Signs, omens, and superstitions dictate everyday life of the Clan and manifests in their ritual naming ceremony in which Ayla is anointed with the powerful totem, the Spirit of the Cave Lion.  Confusion, awe, and dissention follow the ceremony, especially since she was not by birth, “one of them.”  This designation set the tone for her emergence into their lifestyle at the same time alienating her from full acceptance into her new family.  The Clan could not conceive a future any different from the past – everything they did was a repetition of something that had been done before.  They were dependent on their racial-genetic memory.  A child’s brain is encoded with this information, which makes Ayla’s grasp of medicine an anomaly to the Clan members – she was capable of absorbing her “mother’s” medicinal memories ensuring her path as heir apparent to the Clan’s medicine woman.

Communicating with body and sign language, it was impossible to lie to the Clan because “spelling an untruth with one’s hands is possible, but one’s posture will betray you.”  Additionally, they used a formal language or spirit language to converse with ancestors.  Although she struggled to grasp it, to Ayla, it was a language of compassion amid a few foreign grunts, gestures, and signs – a universal language of nurturing instinctive without verbalization.  She knew she was cared for.

When battle lines were drawn between Ayla and Broud, the Clan leader’s “child of his mate,” the story developed into a test of wills fueled by extreme jealousy (or was it love?) leading to an explosion of graphic violence, submission, and revenge.

The tenderness of the book amid the brutality of the times in which they lived endeared the reader to the characters and quite possibly, to the Internet to order the rest of the series…“The last thing Ayla heard as she disappeared behind the broken ridge was (her son’s) plaintive wail – Maama, Maaama, Maamaaa!”… heart wrenching and leaving the reader wanting more…well done!

       On The Business Side:

Most of you either are currently members of other book clubs or have been in the past.  The emphasis of Bookers has always been the books, rather than the social aspect of getting together.  Last month’s meeting again set a record (37) for attendance and no one can argue that the mood was festive and in line with the celebration of the season.  However, it highlighted the need to address what we do in the future as it applies to our two “party-themed meetings.”  The combination of eating, drinking, business, warm up, a book review and discussion was too much to pack into our allotted time.  MN & I feel strongly the book and the person who has volunteered to review the selection suffers because of the current format, and it is unfair to ask you to spend time reading something that is not going to be given due credit.  We discussed several options to balance the issues and voted to eliminate the book and review from our May Wine & Cheese evening meeting.  We will substitute either a book sharing or exchange or just swap stories of our favorite books.  There was a reluctance to give up the holiday party so, next December our book reviewer will be first on the agenda; we will simplify our food choices, but continue to toast the spirit of the season.

                  Recommended Reading List:

Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese, an epic tale of twin sons of a secret love affair between a Nun and a brilliant British surgeon unfolds across five decades in India, Ethiopia, and America.

 Outcasts United by Warren St. John, a non-fiction account of a settlement center near Atlanta for refuge families from war zones in Africa and the Middle East.

 Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler is about a 40 year old wife and mother feeling unappreciated, unnoticed, and unnecessary who walks away from her “normal” life and starts over in a new town.  Vintage Anne Tyler – quirky characters addressing mid-life issues.

 A Week in Winter, Marcia Willett who is hailed as the new Rosamunde Pilcher delivers an easy escape into the English countryside chocked full of characters that draw us into their lives, at the middle of which lies an old family farmhouse named Mooregate.

                   COLOR CODING SYSTEM:

WHITE:                        Light read

PINK:                           Moderately challenging

RED:                             Challenging

February 8^th:                 The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

                                    RED

                                    Recommended by MN, Cherry, & Jane Freer

                                    Home of Jean Alexander

                                    Reviewer: Melanie Prebis

MARCH 1^ST:             NOTE CHANGE OF DATE

                                    Still Alice by Lisa Genova

                                    PINK

                                    Recommended by Kim, MN & JoDee

                                    Home of Jane Freer

                                    Reviewer: Kim Hand

April 12^th:                     Room by Emma Donoghue

                                    PINK

                                    Recommended by MN & JoDee

                                    Home: TBA

                                    Reviewers: MN & JoDee

May 10^th:                     4^th annual Wine and Cheese Evening Meeting

                                    Bonnie Magee, food czar

                                    Format to be discussed – no book selection

                                    Home: TBA

If you can’t find me, I’ll most likely be lolling around Ernest Hemingway’s home in Key West.)

Meow….

December 2010 Bookers Minutes - Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

                               “Walk in my shoes before casting the first stone.”

37 (another record) attended the annual holiday party at the home of Daryl Daniels, which was beautifully decked out in the spirit of the season.  Bookers might consider writing a cookbook as the food and beverages were again yummy!  Thanks to food czar, Bonnie Magee, for coordinating this for us. 

MN’s sister, Dianne, was our special guest and hopefully she enjoyed the camaraderie of our group.  She “reads by osmosis” listening to her sisters go on and on about books and we thank her for being such a trooper amongst the book lovers.  Last month, MN was not able to attend our regular meeting as she was tending to the business of rebuilding their beach house after fire destroyed it in September.  Patsy and Patty reviewed the book Broken For You, and in the process, we created a mosaic cross to be presented to her at this meeting.

To MN:  “In the review of Broken For You when a Booker made a comment about a character in the book, she placed a tile to created a mosaic as depicted in the story.  After losing your home to the fire, we want to gather around you to give support and hope.  This mosaic cross represents our friendship and love.  We appreciate all you have done for us in Bookers and pray for the rebuilding of your life and home.”

Love,

Bookers

We decided an appropriate warm-up for our party/meeting would be to join voices and sing a few Christmas carols.  Melba and Leslie agreed to lead us in song and we appreciate their willingness to participate.  Unfortunately, we might have packed too much into the “program,” so we only had time to sing one song.  We apologize for having to cut this part short, but our reviewer had been waiting patiently in the wings for quite a while.  It was worth it as we were treated to “vintage Bernie’s special touches.”

Bernie donned several hats in her presentation of this book to our group.  Her first voice, seventeen year old, Lily told us she desperately needed someone to talk to – someone to listen to her.  “I’m a high school senior with awesome grades and my mother is the principal of the school, and I’m pregnant and it wasn’t an accident…I know that look, but let me explain…my closest friends and I made a pact to get pregnant…I don’t even have a boyfriend, but I “recruited” a neighborhood friend, but I don’t want him in our lives…we just want babies…something of our own.”  When the pact was revealed, the “town went crazy, and the media attention was coming from everywhere…life would never be the same.”

Susan, Lily’s mother and high school principal took the floor next.  “Where do I begin…Lily is the perfect daughter – she is a good student, popular and responsible.  I wanted her to have an easier path than I had.  I was horrified when I found out about her pregnancy, much less the pact between the best friends.  I struggled not only with the fact that Lily was going to be a mother, but with questions like, whose responsibility is it to prevent this type of thing…the parents, schools, church, the media?  Did I fail as a Mom?”

Bernie, the reviewer, was next.  “I thought it was an easy read, loved the title, but was disappointed in the lack of development of the mother/daughter relationships.  I was waiting for that big ta-da moment and it never came.  I understood the characters but didn’t connect with them emotionally.  If the ‘dying wool’ segments were a metaphor for the novel, I didn’t get it.  The ending was all tied up in a neat package, a happy-ever-after conclusion to an unlikely story.”

Bernie, the reader, asked, “ What do you think?”  The group responded with a burst of applause for a job well done…she is the consummate professional and a dear member of our group.

As always, our book selections bring to the forefront, the back-story of our own lives as was the case with this novel.  It hit pretty close to home for a couple of our members, bringing to light how an unplanned pregnancy changes your whole life and wonderment if subconsciously this provided an escape from their relationship with their own mothers.  We talked about the unlikelihood that these bright, college-bound teens would be stereotypical of  “pact behavior.”  They chose to end their childhoods by forcing themselves into adulthood, but within the confines of their parent’s safety net - an example of having your cake and eating it too.  They thought it would be “fun” to have something of their own…how about a cat?  We discussed the study of how the frontal lobe of the brain in teenagers is not fully developed until later in their teens, whereby an idea is formed, but it doesn’t connect with the consequence.  The book focused on relationships, moral issues, family values and the making of a good mother, described as one who is vigilant, trusting, teaches right from wrong and then takes off the training wheels, provides structure, a schedule, and above all, unconditional love.  The mothers in this book questioned their culpability in the situation, wondering if they had parented wrong.  There was some anger expressed about how Ms. Delinsky acted irresponsibly in writing such a book…remember it was ripped from the headlines, like a Law & Order story, and it did accomplish the very thing that identifies Bookers – did it promote discussion – the answer is, yes it did.  We strive to bring variety in our reading choices and understand each selection will have its critics and supporters, but it is important to judge the book on its merits and continue to respect the process by which we choose what to read as a group.

On The Business Side:

We are always looking for ways to improve Bookers and are considering a couple of options for next year.  Please think about these suggestions (and feel free to offer your own to the mix) and we’ll discuss them soon.  We could have a nighttime holiday party celebrating the season but not have a specific book to read and review…maybe just talk about your favorite Bookers’ book and why it is special to you.  Or, we could have a regular Bookers meeting with a book and review and add a separate holiday party.  I think we all enjoy getting together during the holidays, but the current format seems to be getting a little difficult to manage with the food and beverages, business, book review and discussion.  Let us know your thoughts…as usual; we are a work in progress.

Bonnie Magee reported hearing on several occasions that an individual would like to contribute and host a meeting, but either lived outside the Pinnacle, or felt their home was too small to accommodate our ever-growing group.  She suggested pairing up – one would provide the home and the other would take care of the coffee and beverages, sharing set up and clean up duties.  We all think this is an excellent idea and a solution to the problem.  Please keep this in mind when we are in need of a “host” home.

Jane Freer has located Clan of the Cave Bear at a used bookstore in Seven Points and has offered to take orders and purchase them.  They are $3.00 and please contact her if you are interested in this arrangement.

Generally we discourage moving our meeting dates, but it is possible that both MN and I will be gone during the second Tuesday in March.  Due to Spring Break and other travel plans, many of us will not be able to attend the meeting on the 8^th so we voted to move it to the first Tuesday in March instead.  Please mark your calendars for March 1^st instead of the 8^th.

Bookers-online.blogspot.com is rocking right along.  We have six followers and our total revenues have reached $50.00 – our percentage is now about $2.00…nibble, nibble!  Thanks to everyone who has ordered books through the site.  Beth Hoffman, author of Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt, found us and posted a wonderful note in response to our review of her book…the sky is the limit!

While I was in the company of my hero, Pat Conroy, as he addressed the Arts & Letters Series at the Dallas Museum of Art recently, MN was among 250 ladies all dressed in tiaras and donning pageant sashes paying homage to her favorite, Fannie Flagg.  It would be impossible to tell who had more fun!

Dale Molander, husband of Sandy, was at our table at the philanthropy luncheon and, of course, Bookers came up.  He has recommended, Outcasts United, a non-fiction account of a settlement center located near Atlanta for refuge families from war zones in Africa and the Middle East.  Stay tuned – it might be our selection for March.  We’ll keep you posted. 

I’m about 250 pages (1/2 way) into Cutting for Stone and love the story, but getting bogged down in the medical and cultural terminology.  Admittedly, I find myself skipping chunks of the novel, but since I’m not finished, the jury is still out on a recommendation.

Color code rating system:

                                                WHITE:         Light read

                                                PINK:              Moderately Challenging

                                                RED:                Challenging

January 11^th, 2011:               The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

                                                PINK

                                                Recommended by Pat Faherty, Patty Evans, & MN

                                                Home of Bonnie Magee

                                                Reviewer: Pat Faherty                                                 

February 8^th:                             The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

                                                RED

                                                Recommended by MN, Cherry Fugitt, Jane Freer   

                                                Home of Jean Alexander

                                                Reviewer: TBA

MARCH 1^ST                         NOTE CHANGE OF DATE

                                                Book TBA

                                                Home of Jane Freer

April 12^th:                                 Room by Emma Donoghue

                                                PINK

                                                Recommended by MN & JoDee

                                                Home: TBA

                                                Reviewers: MN & JoDee

                                   

                       

May 10^th:                                 4^th annual Wine & Cheese Evening Meeting

                                                Still Alice by Lisa Genova

                                                PINK

                                                Recommended by Kim Hand, MN, & JoDee

                                                Home: TBA

                                                Reviewer: TBA

                                                Bonnie Magee, food czar

Happy Reading,

JoDee

Bookers Book Selection - April, 2010

Bookers has selected Room by Emma Donoghue for April 2010.  Narrated through the voice of a five year old boy whose entire world is confined to one room - it is where he was born - it is where he learned to read - it is where he eats, sleeps, and plays.