And We're Back...

Happy end of summer. Haley asked if we could start up again, and I would love to have a reason/responsibility to read. I am choosing The Seamstress by Bernstein for the month of September. It is a Holocaust memoir and averaged 5 stars out of 5 stars from hundreds of reviews on Amazon. Feel free to join us.

Please leave a comment if you plan to participate, just so I know where people are on their interest level. Thanks!

I am lame

And moving in 3 weeks and currently out of town. I think the book discussion will have to be put on hold. I just do not have time right now to finish the book. I know, I am lame-sauce. Sorry one and all.

Jenny Nelson

So...

Here's the deal. I have tried to finish this book (The Book Thief) but have not had the time to this month. Anyone opposed to postponing the book discussion for a few weeks?

March book choice - The Book Thief

I bought this book about a year ago and never got a chance to read it so, here's my chance! Pick up a copy of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I've just started it but I am already intrigued - it has a very interesting narrator. At then end of the month we'll set up a discussion time. Happy reading!

- Jenny Nelson

Let's hold our book group this Thursday (February 24th) at 5:30 Pacific time on Gmail.

If the time doesn't work out for you, leave a comment and we can try to rearrange it so we can get as many people in as we can.

We also need someone to choose the book for March. Any volunteers?

Haley

The Hunger Games

All right, let's read "The Hunger Games", by Suzanne Collins. If you have trouble finding it at a library, it may be available from a bookstore for cheap. While you're at it, you might want to find the other two books, "Catching Fire" and "Mockingjay". They're all pretty fast reads.

I'll post again towards the end of the month and we can set up a time to discuss!

Haley

February Book Choices

Hey, guys! For our book choice this month, I thought we could either read "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", or "The Hunger Games", which I'm sure everyone has heard people talking about.

If anyone reads this in the next three or four days, post a vote. Otherwise I'll pick the first book.

Haley

This is what I am reading...

I heard about it when NPR did an interview with the author a few days ago.  At first, I thought the title sounded stupid, but I was intrigued by the pages Fallon read on air.  I've only read a the first short story, and it's good. 

Answers

Allison, I totally apologize, with the holidays and everything I totally spaced the book, but I still want to answer some of your questions because I think this is an awesome portrayal of this time period.
Q: Is this story of poverty different from other portrayals?
A: No, I think it is an accurate assessment of period living. This first time I read this book, I kept thinking to myself, my grandparents would LOVE this. My grandpa especially, was small during the depression and did things like collect aluminum and metal in the streets of San Diego. When I recommended this book to them, they both said they had already read it and it was one of their favorites. Mostly because, I think, extreme poverty and hardship speak to them. They have lived through it and, like Francine, learned and loved it. For them, who had seen and experienced what Francine experienced, it was accurate.
Q: Story of Francine's and the US's maturation in the 20th century
A: I think it is so interesting that Betsy Smith (I think her name is, the author) is writing this so far ahead of her time. The issues she discusses were not openly discussed OR written about in the 1920's. However, here is a women, writing about topics and themes that are relevant to life, however taboo. I loved reading about Francine as she grows alongside the USA. I think generally this is an intense period of maturation for the US; boys going to war, women filling both roles in the home. We see Francine change as her environment around her adapts to change as well. This is a good question.
Q: Does the story remind you of any other bildungsroman stories? (awesome word, I had to look it up.) Yes, it reminds me of 'These is my words'.

Sorry, since I didn't read the book, I can't answer any specific questions, but I will be more on top of it next time.

p.s. I just read 'the Help'. It was good, I really liked it. I would totally recommend it to anybody out there.