Book Club!

I just realized that I haven't shared any book club choices lately.  Maybe because I haven't loved any of the recent choices.  All of them were okay, some were even pretty good, but I didn't LOVE any until last month's pick:

I'm always hesitant to recommend books (or movies, for that matter), because what consitutes a "good" book is somewhat subjective.  But this book has so many facets to it that I think it will satisfy many different types of readers.  In case you want just a bit of info on it, here's my very brief summary:

• It's a true story.  Most of the historic info was obtained from letters between many of the people in the book, or police and court documents.
• It takes place just before, during and after the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
• It weaves together the stories of some of the most influential people involved with the Fair, who also happened to be the most influential people in the country at the time. Then there's H.H. Holmes - recognize that name?  He's the "Devil" in the book's title.  Maybe not influential, but definitely a historical figure in America.
• Some influential people in this country were indirectly involved or influenced, like Walt Disney (who wasn't yet born in 1893), whose father worked on many of the buildings on the fairgrounds.  
• The book is jam-packed with so much historical information.  The 1893 World's Fair impacted so much in this country, much of it that most of us are unaware of! 

In short, I found this book fascinating and will go out on a limb and recommend it. Let me know if you've read it and what you thought? Or if you've read this author's (Erik Larson)other book, "In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and An American Family in Hitler's Berlin"?  (Mr. Larson doesn't believe in short titles, apparently.)   My own book choice for the book club will be in April.  I'll let you know what it is, and will recommend it as well (I've already read it, of course, and loved it).

I haven't started my next book club choice yet, but in the meantime I'm reading "The Paris Wife: A Novel".  It's the story of Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley.  I've never been a big fan of Hemingway (a little too macho, I think), but this takes place before he wrote anything and became famous.  So far, so good, I would say.  About one fourth of the way through it I'm finding it very interesting.   I seem to be in a "historical" frame of mind lately!

April's Book Club selection is...

We'll be meeting on this one later this month.  Have y'all read it?  I really liked it and despite the ending, I found it to be a testament to the inner strength of women.

And this is what I'm reading on my own...

Not as good or as educational as I'd hoped it would be.

Okay, so Amazon has really bad photos.  So have y'all read either of these?  And did you like it (them)?  Next up is "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese.  I know.  Everyone in the reading world has already done it.  I finished "Little Bee" early, so I've started on this.  I'm about 60 pages into it and have yet to decide if I like it or not.

got books?

Anyone who says they have only one life to live must not know how to read a book.  ~Author Unknown

I recently joined a new book club.  And by recently, I mean I went to my first meeting on Thursday night.  I've been in a book club before.  Unfortunately it just didn't work for me. All very nice women, but we were in different places in life.  Don't get me wrong - I love the fact that I have friends in many different age groups, in many different stages of their lives.  But in my last book club, everyone else was in their "new mom" stage, and in their early 30's.  I've surely got nothing against new moms - I was one, once - but the "book club" was, for these women, a chance to get out for an evening without the baby or husband and party.  Who could blame them? But many times only two people showed up - including me - the rest not being able to get a sitter or having a sick baby at home, and when they did show up, many had not even read the book.  I quit the group after 6 or 8 months, and I understand the book club disbanded shortly after that.

So, after being invited by a friend, I joined this book club with a little bit of wariness.  The whole reason I ever wanted to join a book club is that I love to read and I often find it helpful and interesting to get other people's insight about a particular book.  And to get ideas on books to read.  I think this group might be a much better fit for me.  They're all closer to my age/stage in life, although with wildly divergent backgrounds, jobs, family groups, etc.  There's even a man in the group!  The things we have in common are great:  political/social views (let's just say we're in the minority here in this "southern" town), and a real desire to read meaningful and satisfying books and then be able to discuss them - all while enjoying great food, wonderful wine and lots of laughter.  Needless to say, I think I'm going to enjoy this group!

This is what we just finished reading:

It's a murder/suspense novel.  Not something I would ever have picked up on my own.  One of the best reasons to join a book club - you get exposed to books you wouldn't normally pick out.  Turns out I REALLY liked this. The suspense held up almost to the end.

If you want to see what we're reading next, and it'll change monthly, I put a new thingy down at the bottom of the page.  You'll see two books listed.  One is the book club book and the other is the second book I'm reading (I usually read at least two or three books a month.) 

I have resisted getting a Kindle til now.  I'm starting to waver though.  I LOVE books.  I just love having them around.  I give them as gifts and I get them as gifts.  I have lots of book shelves in my house, and lots of books on them.  But the shelves are full now, in fact they're overflowing, yet I find it so hard to get rid of books.  And in my continuing attempt to keep my life simple, something's gotta give, so I'm reconsidering a Kindle.  Any thoughts/advice/suggestions?