SEPTEMBER 2013 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

                                 "O wonder!
        “How many goodly creatures are there here!
      How beauteous mankind is! O brave new world”

              William Shakespeare, The Tempest

Happy 10^th Birthday Bookers

Happy 110^th Birthday Crayola

It all began September 14, 2004. Bookers met at the home of MN Stanky. Our first selection was a classic, Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns. 25 avid readers returned not only to the site, but to where our quest began – to solidify with each other our mutual love of the written word – to learn, grow, and discover what lies deep inside the covers of a book and within us. Amongst birthday balloons, cake, and mimosas (we told you it was a celebration!) we each chose a crayon (what does your choice of color reveal about yourself?) and we raised our glasses in a toast to Bookers and to Crayola (and silently to those who celebrate Patriot Day, etc...on September 11^th)

“We can learn a great deal from crayons. Some are sharp; some are pretty; some are dull; some have weird names. All are different colors, but, they all have to live in the same box.”

Then, Pat Faherty hijacked our well-planned out agenda, and on behalf of all the co-conspirators, showered MN and I with a wonderful poem, red roses, cards, and presents. What a wonderfully unnecessary treat…but, Oh my we both do love presents. Our Dreams Come True garden art is poignant and timely on so many levels. In the words of Little Bee, “a bee flew in from the sea, touched down on a pale flower, flew off without any fuss, but left the flower beautiful.” You’ve pollinated our lives with your support and enthusiasm. You all are our “bees.” Thank you! buzzzzzzzzzzz…………..

Our gang has officially read 88 books. Additionally, we’ve studied happiness and the Amish, ‘typed’ our personalities, and enjoyed a classic played out on stage. We dressed in character and created rooms from books, traveled the world, and discovered the depths within each other. A Holocaust survivor accounting the horrors of her detention silenced us as she softy spoke of her ordeal, void of malice and laced with hope. Stories from our own World War II veterans flooded us with patriotism. We munched and imbibed our way through our annual evening meetings, sharing books, triumphs, joys, and heartaches. We’ve oooo’d and aaaaah’d, cried both inside and out, passed the tissues, and sometimes belly laughed (only to again pass the tissues)… we’ve discussed and maybe mildly cussed. MN and I are grateful for the opportunity to be part of this amazing group of women for the past nine years and here’s to the start of a new decade.

Advances in science and technology since the 1930’s have enabled us to move from coal oil lamps to electricity, horse-drawn buggies to the automobile, battery-powered radios to high definition televisions, rotary phones to smart phones, and because of our understanding of the atom, we see success stories such as Google, Twitter, and Facebook. What’s next on the horizon? Stem cell therapies and genetic engineering procedures replacing damaged and aging organs; nanorobotics installed in countertop replicator machines providing household necessities such as food, medicine, clothing, and appliances; tiny nanorobots swimming through our bodies, inspecting cells and making repairs to faulty DNA, eliminating nearly every disease; non-biological body parts could be developed – immune to disease, accidents, and violence – but should a fatal disaster occur, mind and memories could be transferred to a new “housing unit” allowing life to continue – patients would wake up in their new body not even realizing they had died; and by 2150 there will be more humans living in space than on earth. Talk about another “new world”…Rest assured there’s another Huxley in the wings ready to take us on this journey!

Brave New World

Aldous Huxley, raised in a family of scientists, writers, and teachers, was an intellectual who had mastered the use of the English language but also knew about cutting-edge developments in science and other fields. Most of his earlier works focused on conflicts between the interests of individuals and society, these themes reaching their zenith in Brave New World where he combined satire with his fascination with science creating a world in which a totalitarian government controlled society by use of science and technology. He was an ardent pacifist, experimented with hallucinogenic drugs, was interested in occult phenomena such as hypnotism and séances, and wrote several books about these experiences making a profound impact on the sixties counterculture. The Doors of Perception influenced singer Jim Morrison whose band, The Doors, was named. Huxley died on November 22, 1963.

Penny Barshop, our reviewer for Brave New World, captured the attention of our “elder AP English class” as she deftly walked us through the nuances of this 1932 classic – somehow fitting a two-hour review into thirty minutes. Bravo Penny!! The author, considered a prophetic genius and one of the most important literary voices of the twentieth century, used the blueprint of Shakespeare’s The Tempest  to create this satirical look at a utopian (idyllic) or dystopian (utopia gone bad) world. The society was prosperous and full of contented people always provided for and programmed to like their life in all aspects.

The setting is future Earth, 632 years after “Ford” (Henry that is) where the citizens of the World State are mass produced on an assembly line and conditioned for lives in a rigid caste system featuring the Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas, and Epsilons, all united under one government, ‘under Ford.’ Huxley opens the book by allowing us to eavesdrop on a tour of the Fertilizing Room of the Central London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre, where the high-tech reproduction takes place, rigidly controlled through technological and medical interventions. An authoritarian system sterilizes two-thirds of the women, requires the rest to use contraceptives, and surgically removes ovaries when needed to produce new ‘humans.’ The act of sex is controlled by a system of social rewards for promiscuity and lack of commitment. Individuals, or ‘production products,’ view happiness as the ability to satisfy needs, and success as a society equates with economic growth and prosperity. They do everything possible to avoid facing truth about their own situations. Willful self-delusion produced by use of their happy pill, Soma, is a tool for promoting social stability. They believe they are better off with happiness or instant gratification than with human truths such as love, friendship, and personal connection. The very will to search for these truths are deadly to a communal society that maintains control by making its citizens so happy and specifically fulfilled they don’t care about their personal freedoms. In Brave New World the consequences of state control are loss of dignity, morals, values, and emotions – in short, where humanity becomes a commodity.

Huxley’s cast of main characters includes a mix of an Alpha male, Bernard Marx, who fails to fit in because of his small physical stature and an Alpha lecturer in the College of Emotional Engineering, Helmholtz Watson, a perfect caste fit, except he longs to use his writing abilities for something more meaningful. The Resident World Controller of Western Europe, Mustapha Mond, whose name means world, was a young ambitious scientist forced to choose between his science and a life of exile because he was caught conducting illicit research. And, John, the savage, the consummate outsider and only major character to have grown up outside the World State, raised on a New Mexico Savage Reservation – his entire worldview based on his knowledge of Shakespeare’s plays. By providing traits of a few individuals who don’t entirely fit into the molded world, Huxley explores the alternatives to his invented society’s promotion of mindless satisfaction with the help of John and Shakespeare and he reveals some disturbing secrets underneath the bright, shiny façade of his contrived society. What can possibly be wrong with a world in which everybody is happy? If we can make ourselves superficially content and never have to suffer a moment of desperation or uncertainty, why not just do that? Should we favor perpetual happiness void of art, deep thought, and emotion? Are attempts to find deeper meaning silly and self-defeating, as we will all meet the same fate in the end?

This book is a classic, but why?  Every generation for the past eighty years since the book’s publication has witnessed oppression by a government or at the hands of a controller. This book makes us think about our technology-driven world. Are we losing our individual identities to the lure of a faceless world? High school students are still reading Brave New World. What kind of an impact does John’s guilt driven suicide to close the book send to our young adults? It seems to tie a sex and drug culture to loss of identity. In the animal kingdom the caste system flourishes – everyone has a job to do – they all work together for a common good – so is that all bad? For us, living in a brave new world without freedom of choice would be an oxymoron. No thanks!

 

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Bookers business:

Bonnie Magee reported Judy Lee appreciates all the cards and support she is receiving. She is making progress every day and we wish her a speedy recovery from her injuries.

Shayne Parkinson, author of Sentence of Marriage, left this comment on bookers-online.blogspot.com: “What a wonderful setting you created with your photographs and memorabilia. And what insightful and thoughtful comments. Thank you so much for discussing Sentence of Marriage.”

East Texas Book Exchange, 408 North Prairieville, Athens (two blocks north of the Courthouse) is open for business, Monday-Saturday, 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Bruce and Mary Jo Gallager buy and trade books and this establishment is reportedly “the most organized book store on the planet.”

Sandy Molander announced bridge lessons will begin the first Thursday in October at the Bridge Studio in Gun Barrel. Cost is $55.00, which includes the book. For those who’ve never played bridge, there are two free sessions the last two Thursdays in September. Direct any questions to Sandy.

Movie night at Mike & Patsy Dehn’s house on Friday, September 13^th featuring “42” the Jackie Robinson story. Everyone is welcome. The movie will begin around 8:00 PM.

The garage sale is approaching and we are begging for boutique clothes and jewelry. Contact Jean Alexander if you can help.

Summer reading recap

It’s been requested that MN and I “rate” the books we’ve read to provide a clearer assessment of what WE think of them. Disclaimer: These opinions are our own and do not reflect the view of our book club as a whole – how’s that for following the letter of the law. HA! We’ll incorporate the following guidelines:

5 Stars:                  Order Now. Expedited shipping worthy. Include in your will.

4 Stars:                  Borders on Little Bee

3 Stars:                  Beach Read

2 Stars:                  Borrow don’t buy

1 Star:                   Put your money back in the piggy bank

MN: read all Gillian Flynn books, Gone Girl,(4) Dark Places & Sharp Objects;(3+) Defending Jacob by William Landay,(4); Treading Waters series by Marie Force (3) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman,(4) Spitfire Puffin Cove1by Carla Doolin (2) Me Before You by JoJo Moyes (4) Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts (3) This summer’s Gone Girl, The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison,(3+) The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce (5); The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver (4+)

JoDee: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Anthony Marra (4);  Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, (2); The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult…I tried three times and just couldn’t get beyond the first one hundred pages…not sure why – no rating. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes, (4+) One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus (2) And, of course our ta da novel…I loved Harold! (5)

                                                            What’s New

Kathleen Kent, author of The Outcasts will be appearing Tuesday, September 24th at Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Park, Dallas 7 PM – 7700 West Northwest Highway (southwest corner of Northwest Highway and I-75 – directly across from NorthPark Mall – book available that day. 214-739-1124 It's the 19^th century on the Gulf Coast, a time of opportunity and lawlessness. After escaping the Texas brothel where she'd been a virtual prisoner, Lucinda Carter heads for Middle Bayou to meet her lover, who has a plan to make them both rich, chasing rumors of a pirate's buried treasure.

Making noise on the NY Times Bestsellers list – readers can’t get enough of series books, romance, crime, and erotica. The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowlings) is a crime mystery. 50 Shades fans will enjoy Complete Me, the last in the erotica trilogy series, preceded by Claim Me and Release Me or The Highway by C.J. Box a series full of gore and language. You can’t argue with success. Finding a book that will sell is the goal of the publisher.  But it’s also why we search “beyond the lists” for a quality read for Bookers!

Coming in the fall is Pat Conroy’s latest, a non-fiction, The Death of Santini, a story of a father and a son. John Grisham will be releasing Sycamore Row returning us to the Clanton, Mississippi courthouse, and Jake Brigance, 25 years after the release of A Time to Kill. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, has written a novel, The Signature of All Things, about a globe-trotting family set in 18^th * 19^th centuries.

Movies on horizon – Fault in Our Stars is filming. Willem Dafoe is cast as Peter Van Houton. Angelina Jolie is directing Unbroken.

COLOR CODING SYSTEM

WHITE:         LIGHT READ

PINK:            MODERATELY CHALLENGING

RED:              CHALLENGING

                               

*October 15^th:            Note: LATER date because of the Garage Sale

The Misremembered Man by Christina McKenna

RED

                                    Home of Bonnie Magee, co-hosted by Leslie Mullins

                                    Reviewer: Barbara Creech

November 12^th:           The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

PINK

                                    Home of Daryl Daniels

                                    Reviewer: Pat Faherty

December 10^th:            Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Jean Alexander

                                    Reviewer: TBA

                                    Food Czar Bonnie Magee will coordinate light fare & champagne

January 14, 2014         The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Beverly Dossett

                                    Reviewer: Melanie Prebis

February 11^th:              The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

                                    RED

                                    Home of Patty Evans

                                    Reviewer: Patty Evans

March 11^th:                  The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Marlene Ungarean

                                    Reviewer: Jean McSpadden

April 8^th:                      Book TBA

                                    Home of Sandy Molander

May 13^th:                     Book TBA – regular meeting 10:00 AM

                                    Home of Charlotte Pechacek 

“Words can be like X-rays, if you use them properly – they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”

Happy Reading,

JoDee

JUNE 2013 BOOKERS MINUTES & MUSINGS, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

   
        A Japanese parasol opens and the story unfolds – one of innocent love set in a landscape of fear.

The Panama Hotel, also known as the home of Kay Robinson, welcomed 24 for our June bonus meeting. In the spirit of the novel, kimonos hung from the fireplace, a sake set and chopsticks donned the coffee table, and our hostess served hot tea and white grape/peach juice. Special thanks to the Freers for adding the visual for this month’s selection. We were delighted recent Pinnacle Women’s Club member, Chris Batt, joined us today and we hope she will become a regular at Bookers.

 We received a report on Jean Alexander with a warning for “people our age”… lose the wedged flip-flops. Jean’s injury shows us accidents can happen even to our own Wonder Woman. Our thoughts are with her in hopes of a speedy recovery and with husband, Lee, to develop the patience of a saint. We recently learned Bookers’ member, Vicca Daughetee, is moving west to Washington to be closer to her family. At her request, she will remain on our e-mail list and will be able to keep up with her Bookers’ friends. Good luck in your latest journey and we’ll miss you.

Once again, we are reeling with more news of tragic events taking the lives of the innocent and leaving behind a path of destruction throughout Oklahoma. Tragedies of this sort hit home with us although we might not be personally involved. Steve Blow in the Dallas Morning News addressed the issue by quoting William Wordsworth, “The world is too much with us.” Although the poet is lamenting modern life’s separation from nature, the passage has come to “represent these times when life overwhelms us.” Advice from a prominent thanatologist, “hug the cactus.” It’s a prickly process but a healthy approach to understanding our feelings of helplessness and grief.

Pat Faherty, appropriately dressed in a kimono, led the review of Jamie Ford’s debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, set in Seattle during World War II detailing the trials and tribulations of the Asian population during the time of the Japanese internment. We learned of the “old” Henry Lee’s life in 1942 and of the “new” Henry Lee’s life in 1986. The “hotel” the title refers to is The Panama Hotel, standing as a gateway between Seattle’s Chinatown and Japantown – two completely different cultures living side-by-side, but worlds apart. The tale opens with Henry at the “Panama” witnessing the discovery of the belongings of thirty-seven Japanese families – remnants of lives living in the basement of the hotel for forty-five years – treasures put away for a happier time that never came. Henry’s life hurls back to the time of forbidden love with his American born Japanese girlfriend, Keiko. The novel is sated with fractured hearts, families, promises, and trusts begging for the answer to the question – is there anything too broken to fix? The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor set in motion a shameful period in the history of our Country, hopefully, a lesson learned. Old world prejudices clashed. A past full of promise lured the heart back in time. All tied together within the grooves of an old 78 jazz recording, The Alley Cat Strut by Oscar Holden & The Midnight Blue played at the Black Elks Club, the Club where Ray Charles had his first paid gig. The novel successfully touches on cultural generational differences, stereotypical bullying, racial profiling, fear, prejudices, and the inclusion and exclusion of cultures and the acceptance of those differences all set within the borders of a Romeo & Juliet ‘sting in the tail’ type setting.

Our discussion focused on personal experiences with other cultures and begged an answer to how would you feel if your child’s teacher wore the traditional Muslim burqa? Fear of the unknown drives people’s actions and since most of us were not born during Pearl Harbor, we could relate this experience to the feelings following 9/11. We were amazed that so few of us were educated about the volatile history between the Chinese and Japanese cultures and most of us were not aware of the Japanese internment camps throughout the United States after Pearl Harbor. Those who lived during that time voiced strong opinions even within families about this threat to our Country – some even now boycotting car manufacturers such as Toyota. It is important that we embrace the numerous cultural groups living within our borders and respect their right to keep their traditions as long as the core of our local, State, and Federal governments remains uniform to the Constitution. In order for all groups to live under one, we need to find a way to trust putting fear on the back burner without the need to wear a button announcing our heritage. Improbable, most likely…but as history tells us, in reality, it’s an unlikely universal mandate that everyone lives happily ever after in a communal environment.

The author answered some criticism on his references to the Internet in 1986 by saying, "I'm afraid I have to reveal just how geeky I truly am. I was on Compuserve in 1984, with an old coupler modem like you saw in the movie Wargames. Back when you had to pay $100 to sign up and were charged by the hour. Just because most people weren't online then, doesn't mean no one was. Just the few, the proud, the computer geeks..." The Panama Hotel is real – built in 1910 by the first Japanese-American architect in Seattle, Sabro Ozasa, and contains the last remaining Japanese bathhouse in the United States. It’s operational today as a bed & breakfast. Oscar Holden was the patriarch of Seattle jazz…born in Nashville in 1887 he purposely did not marry until he fled ‘Dixie’ so none of his children would be born there – of the seven children, five pursued musical careers. Oscar Holden continued to perform until he suffered a stroke in1966 and died in 1969. The vinyl 78 recording of the Alley Cat Strut never existed, although the song did.

On the business side:

Sandy Molander announced a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association penned as “The Longest Day” to be held on June 21^st at The Bridge Studio at Cedar Creek. Duplicate and Rubber Bridge Games at 8:00 AM, Noon, & 4:00 PM. “How to play” lessons at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM at the Mabank Senior Center. A $10.00 donation is suggested and all proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Contact Gloria Rowland, 903-451-3219 or Charles Ford (lessons) 903-498-4506

We are recommending the following 3 books for next year:

*The Misremembered Man by Christina McKenna – set in 1976 in rural Ireland, two members of the lonely hearts club, Jamie, a 40+ year old bachelor who grew up in a Catholic orphanage and Lydia, a 40+ year old spinster, sheltered, school teacher under the thumb of an overbearing mother. The alternating chapters of his ordeal in the orphanage are difficult to read, but the storyline, writing, humor, and character development of these two protagonists makes for a very special read.

*The Burgess Boys, Elizabeth Strout’s new novel (author of Olive Kitteridge) features two brothers Jim, the successful lawyer and Bob, the legal aid attorney who escape their small hometown of Shirley Falls Maine. Their family dynamic form the crux of the novel, then add a sister and a nephew to the mix and we learn about the ties that bind us to family and home. Should provide a lively discussion.

*Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, set in rural Minnesota the summer of 1961, centers around a Methodist minister’s family. The novel covers all those who are devout and those who struggle with faith and the reconciliation of both in face of tragedy…wonderfully written.

This leaves March, April & May open and we’ll continue to read some of your suggestions as follows:

Jodi Picoult – The Storyteller – Sage Singer is a baker, a loner, estranged from her Jewish upbringing and her two sisters, but close to her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. She befriends a beloved 95 year old – the image of everyone’s grandfather, a retired teacher, and Little League coach. One day he asks her for a favor and reveals his secret. She’s faced with a moral dilemma.

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus is based on an actual historical event but told through  fictional diaries of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert, controversial, and fictional, "Brides for Indians" program launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Jim Fergus has so vividly depicted the American West that it is as if these diaries are a capsule in time.

The Girls of Atomic City by Denise Kernin – report from Charlene Richard – it’s so-so.

 A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, debut by Anthony Marra set in center of the Chechen conflict of late 1990’s – 8 year old watches from the woods as Russian soldiers abduct her father in the middle of the night accusing him of aiding the Chechen rebels. From the author: One day I looked up the definition of life in a medical dictionary and found a surprisingly poetic entry: “A constellation of vital phenomena—organization, irritability, movement, growth, reproduction, adaptation.” As biological life is structured as a constellation of six phenomena, the narrative life of this novel is structured as a constellation of six point-of-view characters.

Whiskey Beach Nora Roberts – on NY Times bestseller’s list – a good beach read

Treading Water (book 1 of series – sequels Marking Time, Starting Over and Coming Home--) by Marie Force recommended by Melba. "Treading Water" Jack and Clare are going through a rough patch in their marriage. In the midst of their struggle, Clare is hit by a car and left in a vegetative state. Jack believes the situation is hopeless and takes fourteen months to grieve the loss of his wife and the guilt over his role in the downturn of their marriage. He's destroyed, grieving a wife who isn't really gone and loving a wife who really isn't there.

Leslie Mullins sent an article on Jeanette Walls…she has crossed over from a memoirist to a novelist with the debut of The Silver Star, set in 1970…cast of characters include an unstable narcissistic mother and her children…similar to her own life again, but in a novel format…reviews are mixed but some say the fictional Jeanette didn’t develop the characters as well as her real-life ones.

And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner, revolves around parents and children, brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers. He explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, honor, and sacrifice for one another and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.
 

                                             COLOR CODING SYSTEM
WHITE:                     LIGHT READ
PINK:                         MODERATELY CHALLENGING
RED:                          CHALLENGING

July/August     Summer Read: A classic, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, considered a prophetic genius and one of the most important literary and philosophical voices of the 20^th century. The book, in essence is a portrayal of a utopia in which there is constant prosperity, people are always content and provided for, and have been programmed to like their society in all respects. It asks the question: ‘What can possibly be wrong with a world in which everybody is happy?’

September 10^th:           Happy 10^th Birthday Bookers

                                    Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

                                    RED

                                    Home of MN Stanky

Reviewer: Penny Barshop

*October 1^st:               Note: Earlier date because of the Garage Sale

The Misremembered Man by Christina McKenna

RED

                                    Home of Bonnie Magee, co-hosted by Rosemary Farmer

                                    Reviewer: TBA

November 12^th:           The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

PINK

                                    Home of Daryl Daniels

                                    Reviewer: TBA

December 10^th:            Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

                                    PINK

                                    Home TBA

                                    Reviewer: TBA

January 14, 2014         The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Beverly Dossett

                                    Reviewer: Melanie Prebis

February 11^th:              The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

                                    RED

                                    Home of Patty Evans

                                    Reviewer: Patty Evans

March 11^th:                  Book TBA

                                    Home of Marlene Ungarean

April 8^th:                      Book TBA

                                    Home of Sandy Molander

May 13^th:                     Book TBA – regular meeting 10:00 AM

                                    Home of Charlotte Pechacek 

It’s a Chinese tradition to give out white envelopes at a funeral – each containing a piece of hard candy and a quarter. The candy so everyone would leave tasting sweetness, not bitterness, and the quarter for buying more candy on the way home symbolizing lasting life and enduring happiness. Curl up with a good read, open a bag of Werther’s originals, and keep your quarters handy.

Happy Reading

JoDee

MAY 2013 MINUTES & MUSINGS - BOOKS TO SHARE EVENING MEETING

19 met at the home of Melanie Prebis for our annual evening meeting. Thanks to Bonnie Magee for organizing the food and to those who contributed. Yumminess galore! Even our host’s bulldog sampled a tortilla roll-up right before taking center stage with his reenactment of 50 Shades of D.J. The animal could be on the X-rated version of Dancing With The Stars with those moves!

Many questions surrounded the “pink box” displaying Christmas décor on the coffee table. Those attending last year’s May meeting suspected something was up and they were correct. MN’s book to recommend was again, Life In A Box, my work-in-progress novel, and NO it is not complete, but now three quarters done with plans to follow the traditional publishing route through a literary agent upon completion. I recently had the opportunity to meet Elizabeth Strout, Pulitzer Prize winner for Olive Kitteridge, at the Dallas Museum of Arts & Live series. As some recall, her praise of my review of ‘Olive’ lit the smoldering fire prompting this giant leap into writing my novel. The following is a summary I sent of my book and MN though it might answer many of your heartfelt inquiries about what Life In A Box is about:

 ‘It is a character-driven novel of discovery exploring how things are not always as they seem, and how a person’s actions, whether misguided or not, are often driven by a fierce need to protect themselves and those they love. The title is an analogy not only for the gift from a mother to daughter, but one of a daughter’s finding the courage to break through the emotional bars that bind. In this process, my protagonist finds an inner strength forbidding anyone to steal what is rightfully hers. Family secrets and choices unravel baring the dynamics of her relationship with her parents, theirs with each other, and other family members revealing the deep emotional scars that framed them all.’

A condensed version of a chapter, entitled, Sweet Home Menagerie, was read…making sense of the Christmas decorations, as it is set in Dauphin Island, Alabama during the holidays. Again, I appreciate the opportunity to share with you the progress and snippets from the novel. My friends and fellow Bookers’ members are integral parts of the road to completion of this project. Thank you for the encouragement and I hope the finished product is up to our standard of Bookers’ worthy!

                                                         Books To Share 

Cherry is reading Jodi Picoult’s latest, The Storyteller. Last month Pat Faherty’s sister recommended it also. Pat was not able to join us so we don’t have the latest report on this one but look forward to hearing Cherry’s and Pat’s assessments at our next meeting. Many of us want this to be up to the high standard the author set with her earlier novels.

Daryl has read the autobiography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson and has begun Elizabeth Strout’s latest, The Burgess Boys, set in Shirley Falls, Maine. Two brothers haunted by a freak accident that killed their father both escape their small town for New York. One becomes a sleek and successful corporate attorney, the other a Legal Aid lawyer. Their sister’s son gets in big trouble, which brings the two brothers back home again. (I loved the book…but I might be a little biased.)

Gloria is reading last month’s selection, Sentence of Marriage, by Shayne Parkinson and Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog, by Lisa Scottoline, light-hearted girl-talk similar in style to works of Erma Bombeck.

Rosemary just read a Danielle Steele novel, Hotel Vendome, which invites the readers to “an ultra-glamorous world of a five-star New York hotel and brings to vivid life the man who built it as his dream, the girl who grows up in its loving embrace, and the colorful guests and staff who make its magic complete.”

Melanie read a book recommended by Lee Durso, We Band of Angels, The Untold Story of American Nurses Trapped on Bataan by the Japanese by Elizabeth M. Norman. In the fall of 1941, the Philippines were a gardenia-scented paradise for the American Army and Navy nurses stationed there. On December 8^th their life changed as most were herded into internment camps enduring three years of fear and starvation.

Patsy’s brother-in-law, Dr. George E. Laramore, (a Ph.D. in physics and M.D, professor and department Chairman at the University of Washington with a career in cancer medicine) has written a (medically intense) novel, Control Point, about Jack Olivetti and his protégé who have discovered a new treatment process individualized for each patient.

Marlene recommends No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that captured Osama Bin Laden by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer.

Beverly read Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple which is about the notorious Bernadette Fox. To her Microsoft-guru husband, she's a fearlessly opinionated partner; to fellow private-school mothers in Seattle, she's a disgrace; to design mavens, she's a revolutionary architect, and to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best friend and, simply, Mom. A good beach read…sweet with a happy ending. Beverly is also “addicted” to The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon (recommended last month by Melba.) It’s 1945 and Claire Randall is traveling with her husband when she touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is hurled back in time to a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord 1743. Catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, she soon realizes that an alliance with James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, might be the only way to survive.

Pam, along with sister-in-law, Donna, and brother, Bruce, recommended One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus. It’s the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Could be a Bookers’ book…will keep you posted.

Kay recommended The Birth of Plenty: How the Prosperity of the Modern World was Created, a non-fiction, by William Bernstein. This is a “big-picture” work that highlights and explains the impact of four elements that when occurring simultaneously, are the fundamental building blocks for human progress.

Patty (along with MN and me) recommends The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. The title is from Shakespeare… “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars/ But in ourselves” meaning fate doesn’t doom us – it’s our own failings. The author’s message is that “we can still live and make decisions despite the fault in our stars.” It’s not a book about dying of cancer it’s a book about living with cancer.” Written for young adults through the eyes of two teenagers, it is a tough subject matter, but after lots of discussion, we concluded this would be a great Bookers’ book. It not only will challenge, enlighten, and inspire, but promote a lively discussion among the group. We have chosen this for our February selection and Patty has agreed to lead the review. She has also read Z – A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler. When beautiful, reckless Southern belle Zelda Sayre meets F. Scott Fitzgerald at a country club dance in 1918, she is seventeen years old and he is a young army lieutenant stationed in Alabama. Before long, the “ungettable” Zelda has fallen for him despite his unsuitability: Scott isn’t wealthy or prominent or even a Southerner, and keeps insisting, absurdly, that his writing will bring him both fortune and fame. Her father is deeply unimpressed. But after Scott sells his first novel, This Side of Paradise, to Scribner’s, Zelda optimistically boards a train north, to marry him in the vestry of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and take the rest as it comes. Could be a Bookers’ book…will keep you in the loop.

Linsey has read, Too Soon Old Too Late Smart, Thirty True Things You Need to Know by Gordon Livingston with a forward by Elizabeth Edwards. A collection of inspirational “truths”… such as “The perfect is the enemy of the good.”

Charlene just downloaded The Girls of Atomic City a true story by Denise Kiernan. At the height of World War II, Oak Ridge, Tennessee was home to 75,000 residents consuming more electricity than New York City. To most of the world, the town did not exist. Thousands of civilians, many young women from small towns across the South, were recruited to this secret city, enticed by solid wages and the promise of war-ending work. Few could imagine the true nature of the tasks they performed daily in factories in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains…that is until the end of the war when the secret was revealed.

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The 2013 Pulitzer Prize for fiction is The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson…a story of a man’s travails in North Korea and an in depth look into totalitarianism. Early favorites for this prestigious award were Dallas author, Ben Fountain, for Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk chronicling Billy Lynn and his Bravo squad mates who have become heroes thanks to an embedded Fox News crew’s footage of their firefight against Iraqi insurgents. During one day of their bizarre Victory Tour, set mostly at a Thanksgiving Day football game at Texas Stadium, they’re wooed by Hollywood producers, smitten by Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, and share a stage at halftime with Beyonce. Kevin Power’s The Yellow Birds is a novel written by a veteran of the war in Iraq. It’s the harrowing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive. And, Louise Erdrich’s, The Round House transports readers to the Ojibwe reservation in North Dakota and tells of a boy on the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family. The actual finalists were What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank by Nathan Englander – eight powerful stories, dazzling in their display of language and imagination, show a celebrated short-story writer and novelist grappling with the great questions of modern life.  And – drum roll for the clairvoyant Ms. Stanky  please – The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (which we have chosen as our Bookers’ book for January.)

Jack Stone, our honorary member of Bookers, recommends Ordinary Grace by William Krueger, set in New Bremen, Minnesota in 1961…a “summertime when thirteen-year old Frank Drum faced death in many forms…accident, nature, suicide, and murder.” The story is told from his perspective forty years after this fateful summer. “It is an unforgettable novel about discovering the terrible price of wisdom and the enduring grace of God.” MN is currently reading this one.

Our featured author for June, Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, will release his latest in September, Songs of Willow Frost. Set against the backdrop of Depression-era Seattle, this is a powerful tale of two souls – a twelve-year old orphan boy who is convinced his mother is alive when he sees her on the silver screen…and a woman trying to escape her haunted past.

Khaled Hosseini, author of The Kite Runner has a new one – And The Mountains Echoed – which revolves around parents and children, brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers. He explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, honor, and sacrifice for one another and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.
 

        On the business side:

MN “stood” on an Oxi-Clean bucket representing her “soap box” to discuss our two “imbibing” meetings and the mission of Bookers in relation to these events. It has always been her contention that the two don’t mix. We are a book club and book clubs discuss books. “We have enough parties.” Needless to say, the discussion was animated and diverse…I think I heard someone who shall remain nameless comment, “Wine is fun.” Yes, it is, however, the issue remained…there are so many quality books to read and officially we only have nine chances to discuss them. MN feels strongly that we are missing our opportunity to explore what literature has to offer by combining our book club with the social aspects of meeting. Here’s the compromise we voted on (and of course we know we cannot please everyone): Our December holiday party will be limited to mimosas to toast the season and a few light snacks. We will try to choose a book fitting of the season…light but with substance. Our May meeting is no longer an evening meeting but will begin at the regular time, 10:00 AM. We discussed having a mid-summer evening Bookers’ party with the focus on books to share. We hope this is agreeable to the majority as we look forward to reading and discussing those “treasures” that keep us reading until the wee hours!

Too many heartbreaking stories in the news of late and now, as if taken from a page of Emma Donoghue’s ROOM, the FBI is trying to piece together how three women and a six-year old girl could be held captive for more than a decade in a densely populated section of Cleveland without anyone knowing. Our hearts go out to them and we know they will be facing a long road to recovery and of course, to the victims and families of the Boston marathon bombings last month and the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. Mark Davis of the Dallas Morning News wrote, “Tragedy shines light on the best of us – those who ran toward danger not away…countless hearts on the scene outweigh the evil motives.”

BooksNBloom, the April fundraiser for Henderson County Clint W. Murchison Library in Athens featuring Kathleen Kent, author of Heretic’s Daughter, was a huge success raising $16,000 for the library. Our group of nine was among the 420 who attended and we all enjoyed Kathleen’s presentation and a wonderful lunch. Thanks to all who donated in support of this literary event. Her latest book due out in October is The Outcasts, another historical fiction but set in Texas.

COLOR CODING SYSTEM

WHITE:                      LIGHT READ

PINK:                         MODERATELY CHALLENGING

RED:                           CHALLENGING

June 11^th:                     Bonus Bookers Meeting

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

PINK

Home of Kay Robinson

Reviewer: Pat Faherty

July/August                 Summer Read: A classic, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, considered a prophetic genius and one of the most important literary and philosophical voices of the 20^th century. The book, in essence is a portrayal of a utopia in which there is constant prosperity, people are always content and provided for, and have been programmed to like their society in all respects. It asks the question: ‘What can possibly be wrong with a world in which everybody is happy?’

September 10^th:           Happy 10^th Birthday Bookers

                                    Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

                                    RED

                                    Home of MN Stanky

Reviewer: Penny Barshop

October 1^st:                 Book TBA

                                    Home of Bonnie Magee

November 12^th:           Book TBA

                                    Home of Daryl Daniels

December 10^th:            Book TBA

                                    Home TBA

January 14, 2014         The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

                                    PINK

                                    Home of Beverly Dossett

                                    Reviewer: Melanie Prebis

February 11^th:              The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

                                    RED

                                    Home of Patty Evans

                                    Reviewer: Patty Evans

March 11^th:                  Book TBA

                                    Home of Marlene Ungarean

April 8^th:                      Book TBA

                                    Home of Sandy Molander

May 13^th:                     Book TBA – regular meeting 10:00 AM

                                    Home of Charlotte Pechacek 

What we love about our group with or without wine is the unadulterated honesty in which we speak…for example. “I don’t know why a lot of these novels have to have so much sex in them.” “To remind us what it used to be like.” I rest my case!

Happy Reading,

JoDee