Iris Book Club

Room (Emma Donoghue)

2011-12-04T23:04:00.000-08:00

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the world. . . . It's where he was born. It's where he and Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. There are endless wonders that let loose Jack's imagination -- the snake under Bed that he constructs out of eggshells;the imaginary world projected through the TV; the coziness of Wardrobe beneath Ma's clothes, where she tucks him in safely at night, in case Old Nick comes.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it's the prison whereshe's been held since she was nineteen -- for seven long years.Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in that eleven-by-eleven foot space. But Jack's curiosity isbuilding alongside Ma's own desperation, and she knows that Room cannot contain either indefinitely. . . . Told in the inventive,funny and poignant voice of Jack, Room is a celebration of resilience -- and a powerful story of a mother and son whoselove lets them survive the impossible. (from Chapters Online)

Rating = 5 Irises

Discussion Notes

Our entire book club enjoyed this book, which surprised some of us. We found that the child's perspective too away the creepiness of the subject matter. It also helped make it a much easier read. We also enjoyed that this book has a satisifying ending that is realistic but still wraps us the story well. Our discussion flowed easily and we only need a few questions to keep us on track.

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February 5 - The Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss)

The Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan)

2011-11-06T22:53:00.000-08:00

A national bestseller that has changed the way readers view the ecology of eating, this revolutionary book by award winner Michael Pollan asks the seemingly simple question: What should we have for dinner? Tracing from source to table each of the food chains that sustain us--whether industrial or organic, alternative or processed--he develops a portrait of the American way of eating.

The result is a sweeping, surprising exploration of the hungers that have shaped our evolution, and of the profound implications our food choices have for the health of our species and the future of our planet. (From Amazon.ca)

Rating = 3 Irises

Discussion Notes

Our members found this book interesting in parts, but very technical in others. We enjoyed the personal stories, but found the analysis to be a bit long. This book did result in an interesting meeting with lively discussion. We would recommend reading the Young Readers Edition if you wanted to choose this as a book club pick. One of our members read this version and enjoyed it as it included more graphs and pictures. It would also be good to watch the movie, Food Inc., which features the author.

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December 4 - Room (Emma Donoghue) {Siobhan}

The Help (Kathryn Stockett)

2011-10-02T22:29:00.000-07:00

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.
Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after,though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And some timeslines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women-mothers,daughters, caregivers, friends-view one another. A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes

Our book club really enjoyed this book, and it inspired interesting discussion. Some of our members had issues with the slang, but most found it a quick and easy read. One of our members had already seen the movie, and enjoyed the book more but still found the movie enjoyable. We would strongly recommend this book.

Rating = 4 1/2 Irises

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November 6 - The Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan)

Julie & Julia (Julie Powell)

2011-08-22T15:22:00.000-07:00

Julie & Julia, the bestselling memoir that''s "irresistible....A kind of Bridget Jones meets The French Chef" (Philadelphia Inquirer), is now a major motion picture. Julie Powell, nearing thirty and trapped in a dead-end secretarial job, resolves to reclaim her life by cooking in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Julia Child''s legendary Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Her unexpected reward: not just a newfound respect for calves'' livers and aspic, but a new life-lived with gusto. The film version is written and directed by Nora Ephron and stars Amy Adams as Julie and Meryl Streep as Julia. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes
While we enjoyed the book, a few of us who have already seen the movie preferred the movie over the book. We enjoyed the Julia parts of the movie that aren't included in this book, since they come from Julia Child's biography. Our discussion went well, and we all learned a little more than we wanted to about French Cooking.

Rating = 3 Irises

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September 11 - Julie & Julia Movie & Potluck

Start time: 6pm

Appetizer - Nicola

Main Course - Jessica

Side Dish - Siobhan

Salad - Tracie

French Bread - Lara

Dessert - Arieanna

French Cookies - Lisa

French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew (Peter Mayle)

2011-07-28T15:06:00.000-07:00

Peter Mayle, francophile phenomenon and author of A Year in Provence, brings another delightful (and delicious) account of the good life, this time exploring the gustatory pleasures to be found throughout France.The French celebrate food and drink more than any other people, and Mayle shows us just how contagious their enthusiasm can be. We visit the Foire aux Escargots. We attend a truly French marathon, where the beverage of choice is Chteau Lafite-Rothschild rather than Gatorade. We search out the most pungent cheese in France, and eavesdrop on a heated debate on the perfect way to prepare an omelet. We even attend a Catholic mass in the village of Richerenches, a sacred event at which thanks are given for the aromatic, mysterious, and breathtakingly expensive black truffle. With Mayle as our inimitably charming guide, we come away with a satisfied smile (if a little hungry) and the compelling desire to book a flight to France at once. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes
Our book club found this book to be an enjoyable and easy read. We felt it was more like a collection of articles than a novel, as each chapter was its own short story.

Rating = 3 1/2 Irises

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August 21 - Julie & Julia (Julie Powell)
(Appetizer: Jessica Dessert: Lara)

Sarah's Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)

2011-06-18T23:20:00.000-07:00

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family''s apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France''s past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl''s ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d''Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah''s past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes
Our book club has a great time discussing this very compelling and hard to put down book. We all agreed that Sarah's Key provides an excellent glimpse into a piece of not well known holocaust history. We would strongly recommend that other book clubs put this on their must read list.

Rating = 5 Irises

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July 10 - French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew (Peter Mayle)
(Appetizer: Arieanna Dessert: Siobhan)

The Great Gatsby (F.Scott Fitzgerald)

2011-02-27T21:29:00.000-08:00

The exemplary novel of the Jazz Age, F. Scott Fitzgeralds'' third book, The Great Gatsby (1925), stands as the supreme achievement of his career. T. S. Eliot read it three times and saw it as the "first step" American fiction had taken since Henry James; H. L. Mencken praised "the charm and beauty of the writing," as well as Fitzgerald''s sharp social sense; and Thomas Wolfe hailed it as Fitzgerald''s "best work" thus far. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when, The New York Times remarked, "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession," it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s that resonates with the power of myth. A novel of lyrical beauty yet brutal realism, of magic, romance, and smysticism, The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes
Our book club enjoyed this classic American novel. We found that it is still relevant in today's world, and found lots of parallels between the books and today's society. We felt that this timeless story got better through our discussions.

Rating = 4 Irises

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April 3 - Think and Grow Rich (Napolean Hill)

Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) & March (Geraldine Brooks)

2011-01-30T22:03:00.001-08:00

Little Women
Meg, Jo, Amy and Beth - are four "little women", enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England. The charming story of the March sisters, "Little Women" has been adored by generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's death, and dreamed of traveling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Future writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing. In this simple, enthralling tale, both parts of which are included here, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature's most beloved women (From Chapters Online)

March
As the North reels under a series of unexpected defeats during the dark first year of the war, one man leaves behind his family to aid the Union cause. His experiences will utterly change his marriage and challenge his most ardently held beliefs. Riveting and elegant as it is meticulously researched, "March is an extraordinary novel woven out of the lore of American history. From Louisa May Alcott''s beloved classic "Little Women, Geraldine Brooks has taken the character of the absent father, March, who has gone off to war, leaving his wife and daughters to make do in mean times. In her telling, "March emerges as an idealistic chaplain in the little known backwaters of a war that will test his faith in himself and in the Union cause as he learns that his side, too, is capable of acts of barbarism and racism. As he recovers from a near mortal illness, he must reassemble his shattered mind and body and find a way to reconnect with a wife and daughters who have no idea of the ordeals he has been through. Spanning the vibrant intellectual world of Concord and the sensuous antebellum South, "March adds adult resonance to Alcott''s optimistic children''s tale to portray the moral complexity of war, and a marriage tested by the demands of extreme idealism--and by a dangerous and illicit attraction. (From Chapters Online)

Book Club Discussion Notes
Our book club loved March, but prefer the 1994 movie version of Little Women to the actual novel. We found March to have a complex, compelling narration that was enriched with extremely interesting historical content. Some of our members read March before Little Women and found that it provided a new perspective to Little Women. So we would recommend to anyone to read March first. Also March is not a child/teen book, it is an adult book that any adult would enjoy. We strongly recommend this book.

Rating = Little Women - 2.5 Irises March - 5 Irises

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February 27 - The Great Gatsby (F.Scott Fitzgerald)

Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)

2010-11-07T22:07:00.000-08:00

Barcelona, 1945 - A great world city lies shrouded in secrets after the war, and a boy mourning the loss of his mother finds solace in his love for an extraordinary book called "The Shadow of the Wind," by an author named Julian Carax. When the boy searches for Carax''s other books, it begins to dawn on him, to his horror, that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book the man has ever written. Soon the boy realizes that "The Shadow of the Wind" is as dangerous to own as it is impossible to forget, for the mystery of its author''s identity holds the key to an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love that someone will go to any lengths to keep secret (From Chapters Onine)

Book Club Discussion Notes

Our book club loved this book that was full of lots of twists and turns, and was easy to read and get involved in. We felt this book that gives an excellent snapshot of Barcelona after World War II will appeal to all kinds of readers as it is a combination of genres. We also enjoyed reading a book about other people who enjoyed books as much as we did. We would definitely recommend this to other book clubs.

Rating = 5 Irises

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December 5 - Redbird Christmas (Fannie Flagg)

Watchmen (Alan Moore)

2010-10-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

This Hugo Award-winning graphic novel chronicles the fall from grace of a group of super-heroes plagued by all-too-human failings. Along the way, the concept of the super-hero is dissected as the heroes are stalked by an unknown assassin. One of the most influential graphic novels of all time and a perennial bestseller, WATCHMEN has been studied on college campuses across the nation and is considered a gateway title (From Chapters Onine)

Book Club Discussion Notes

Our book club found this book hard to follow, but most likely that was because it was a new genre for all of us. We would recommend watching the movie and having a comparison discussion as the movie added to our understanding of the book. We would also only recommend this book to a book club that is looking to be adventureous and wanting to try something different that promotes good discussion.

Rating = 2 Irises

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November 7 - Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See)

2010-08-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, an "old same," in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she's written a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on the fan and compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together they endure the agony of footbinding and reflect upon their arranged marriages, their loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace in their friendship, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their relationship suddenly threatens to tear apart. (From Chapters Onine)

Book Club Discussion Notes
Our book club enjoyed this book, and would strongly recommend it to other book clubs. The book has good character development, and a realistic ending. We used the questions in the back of the book to guide our discussion, and found them helpful. We felt the questions and subject matter definitely promoted great discussion.

Rating = 4 Irises

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September 12 - Watchmen Movie

September 26 - Watchmen (Alan Moore)

Honolulu (Alan Brennert)

2010-07-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

From the bestselling author of the "dazzling historical saga" (The Washington Post), Moloka'i, comes the irresistible story of a young immigrant bride in a ramshackle town that becomes a great modern city"

In Korea in those days, newborn girls were not deemed important enough to be graced with formal names, but were instead given nicknames, which often reflected the parents' feelings on the birth of a daughter: I knew a girl named Anger, and another called Pity. As for me, my parents named me Regret.

"Honolulu is the rich, unforgettable story of a young "picture bride" who journeys to Hawai'i in 1914 in search of a better life.Instead of the affluent young husband and chance at an education that she has been promised, she is quickly married off to a poor, embittered laborer who takes his frustrations out on his new wife. Renaming herself Jin, she makes her own way in this strange land, finding both opportunity and prejudice. With the help of three of her fellow picture brides, Jin prospers along with her adopted city, now growing from a small territorial capital into the great multicultural city it is today. But paradise has its dark side, whether it's the daily struggle for survival in Honolulu's tenements, or a crime that will become the most infamous in the islands' history...

With its passionate knowledge of people and places in Hawai'i far off the tourist track, Honolulu is most of all the spellbinding tale of four women in a new world, united by dreams, disappointment, sacrifices, and friendship. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes
Our book club found that this book was a fast read that made the perfect book for summer. There were lots of characters and plot so even though it was quick to read it there was some depth to it. Some of our concerns regarding the novel were that it only focused on one section of Honolulu, we were hoping for a broader view of the city, and that towards the end of the novel, the plot became very convient. Some of the storylines wrapped up too easily. Also, we found that the questions provided at the back of the book were very general, and some required background knowledge that you wouldn't have learned by reading the book. Overall, while we enjoyed this book, we preferred Alan Brennert's first book, Molokai better.

Rating = 3.5 Irises

The Other Boleyn Girl (Phillipa Gregory)

2010-06-10T20:09:00.000-07:00

A rich and compelling novel of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamorous court in Europe and survived by following her heart.When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family''s ambitious plots as the king''s interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king and take her fate into her own hands. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes
Our book club enjoyed this book. Some of our members were concerned about the length, but they enjoyed the story and found it read quickly. We enjoyed that the story combined real historial characters and basic facts with a fictional story. It was interesting to learn about the story of King Henry and Ann Boleyn from an insider's point of view. And while we would totally recommend this book to other book clubs, we felt the questions provided in the back of the book only prompted specific yes/no answers. There were no general questions that inspired long discussions.

Rating = 4 Irises

The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)

2010-05-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn''t simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life''s ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny''s wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoe, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoe at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, "The Art of Racing in the Rain" is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it. (From Chapters Online)

Book Club Discussion Notes

Our book club really enjoyed reading and discussing this book. It was a very quick read full of surprises that resulted in a good book club discussion. Our members found that while this book was entertaining and funny, it also made us angry, sad, and frustrated in parts. So if you are looking for a book that brings up lots of emotions, this is a perfect choice.

Rating = 5 Irises

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows)

2010-04-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

" I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers." January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends-and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island-boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. (From Chapters.ca)

Book Club Discussion Notes

Our book club really enjoyed this book. We liked the letter format of the book, and found that it helped make the book easy to pick up and put down, even though we didn't really want to. The characters are all likeable and well developed, and it was interesting learning about the history of a place most of us didn't know about. We also liked the discussion questions at the end of the book. They were questions that inspired good discussion about the book, but also further discussion about our love of reading and other books that we have enjoyed. We recommend this book to all other book clubs as it is a good, easy read that will lead to a fun book club discussion.

Rating = 5 Irises

The Secret River (Kate Grenville)

2010-03-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

A life of petty crime and poverty on the streets of 19th-century London sentences William Thornhill along with his wife and childrento exile in the colonial outpost of Australia. But among the convicts of New South Wales there is a whisper of the possibility of freedom, away from Sydney and up the Hawkesbury River, for those who dare to stake a claim.

In a richly layered epic that recalls such international modern classics as The True History of the Kelly Gang, Kate Grenville tells the heart- renching story of a family in exile. Sweeping across the 19th century, from the teeming banks of the Thames in London to the hardscrabble frontier settlement of Sydney, Australia, The Secret River sets us down in an unforgiving land and masterfully confronts us with the brutal price of colonization. (From Chapters.ca)

Discussion Notes
Our book club found that The Secret River had a quick pace, and was generally easy to read. We also enjoyed reading about Austrailian history. The interaction between foreign settlers and native people was interesting to learn about.

Rating = 3 Irises

The Tiger Claw (Shauna Singh Baldwin)

2010-01-31T18:35:00.000-08:00

Shauna Singh Baldwin first heard of the mysterious story of Noor Inayat Khan (codename Madeleine) at The Safe House, an espionage-themed restaurant in Milwaukee. A former Dutch spy told her of the brave and beautiful Indo-American woman who left her family in London, England to become a spy in Nazi-occupied France during the Second World War. The story immediately intrigued Baldwin, inspiring her to travel to Europe, seek out the places where Noor lived, interview the people who knew her and discover more about the enigmatic woman. The Giller Prize finalist The Tiger Claw - Baldwin's follow-up novel to her award-winning What The Body Remembers - was born from the silences, conflicting stories and significant gaps she discovered along the way.

As the novel begins, we're thrown into a bleak German prison cell with Noor, where she is shackled hand and foot and freezing from the winter's cold. It is December 1943, the turning point in the war raging in Europe. Noor's captor, Herr Vogel, allows her onionskin paper on which he directs her to write children's stories. She does so, but also secretly writes letters to someone she addresses as "ma petite," the spirit of the child she had conceived with Armand Rivkin, a French Jewish musician and the love of her life. Although she must keep the letters hidden from her captor, it is through these words to her unborn child, alternating with a thrilling third-person narrative, that we learn Noor's courageous and heartbreaking story.

Noor's mother is an American from Boston who married a Sufi musician and teacher from India. Growing up in France, Noor is extremely close with her liberal Muslim father, but when he dies, Noor's conservative uncle Tajuddin and her brother Kabir govern the family. Uncle Tajuddin and Kabir disapprove of Noor's love for Armand, and as the men of the family in 1930s France, they have the legal right to stop her engagement. Noor is faced then with the choice between defying her family and turning against her heart. She stops seeing Armand, but is devastated and lonely. Once the war begins, Noor's family heads to England while Armand's family stays.

When Germany invades France, Noor despairs of ever seeing Armand again, until Kabir unwittingly introduces her to his new friend who is recruiting bilingual women for the resistance. Noor is offered training, and she accepts. She will help defeat the Germans, but her true purpose will be to find and reunite with Armand.

As a resistance agent, Noor trains to be a radio operator, taking on a second identity - Nora Baker - one of many names she will eventually assume. When she arrives in France, she plays Anne-Marie Régnier - a woman caring for her sick aunt - and to other spies in her resistance network, she is known as "Madeleine." She has secret rendezvous with other agents, transmits messages from various safe houses, and risks capture at every turn. She rents an apartment across the street from Drancy, the concentration camp where she knows Armand is being held. At great peril, she sends him a message - the tiger claw pendant she always wears for luck and courage. Noor must wade her way through oppression and hypocrisy from all sides: her beloved Armand could be killed by the Germans at any time; her French and British colleagues fight the occupation of France while Britain still occupies India; she learns of dark family secrets; and, one by one, members of the spy network are being ratted out by a double agent.

Betrayal can come from anyone. We know from the beginning that Noor will end up imprisoned, but who betrays her? Will she ever be released? Will Kabir find her? Will she and Armand be reunited? Baldwin paces the story like a nail-biting thriller, revealing only a little bit at a time. The Tiger Claw is packed with complex characters riding the line between good and evil. In the end, it is the reader who must be the judge, and decide where he or she stands. (From Chapters Online)

Discussion Notes

Our book club enjoyed this book. It is longer, but is great for those who enjoy historical fiction. We found that there were a lot of characters and different names and code names that were confusing in some parts. However, the story is interesting, and all of the loose ends are tied up including some you don't expect. Our discussion was lively and interesting so we would definitely recommend this book to other clubs. We found our discussion questions at www.bookclubs.ca.

Rating = 4 Irises

My Sister's Keeper (Jodi Picoult)

2009-11-01T22:59:00.000-08:00

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate--a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister. So, Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable--a decision that will tear her family apart and possibly have fatal consequences for the sister she loves. (Chapters Online)

Rating = 4 Irises

Discussion Notes

This book promotes excellent book club discussions. It sparks great debate on current issues including designer babies and medical ethics. Our members had mixed reactions to the ending, but we all enjoyed the book. We found that despite the different perspectives throughout the book, it was easy to understand, and flowed well. We also enjoyed all of the points of view because it allowed us to try to put ourselves in each characters' shoes, which added to our discussion. None of us had seen the movie yet, but after reading this all want to.

The Friday Night Knitting Club (Kate Jacobs)

2009-10-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

A charming and moving novel about female friendship and the experiences that knit us together-even when we least expect it. Walker and Daughter is Georgia Walker''s little yarn shop, tucked into a quiet storefront on Manhattan''s Upper West Side. The Friday Night Knitting Club was started by some of Georgia''s regulars, who gather once a week to work on their latest projects and to chat-and occasionally clash-over their stories of love, life, and everything in between. Georgia has her hands full, juggling the demands of running the store and raising her spunky teen daughter, Dakota, by herself. Thank goodness for Anita, her mentor and dear friend, and the rest of the members of the knitting club-who are just as varied as the skeins of yarn in the shop''s bins. There''s Peri, a prelaw student turned handbag designer; Darwin, a somewhat aloof feminist grad student; and Lucie, a petite, quiet woman who''s harboring some secrets of her own. However, unexpected changes soon throw these women''s lives into disarray, and the shop''s comfortable world gets shaken up like a snow globe. "James," Georgia''s ex, decides that he wants to play a larger role in Dakota''s life-and possibly Georgia''s as well. Cat, a former friend from high school, returns to New York as a rich Park Avenue wife and uneasily renews her old bond with Georgia. Meanwhile, Anita must confront her growing (and reciprocated) feelings for Marty, the kind neighborhood deli owner. And when the unthinkable happens, they realize what they''ve created: not just a knitting club, but a sisterhood (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 4 Irises

Discussion Notes

Our book club enjoyed this book, and felt that the discussion provided a good bonding experience. While this book can be predictable in parts, it does offer something for everyone as it is fully of characters of all ages who are experiencing a variety of things. We would definitely recommend this book for a female audience, but would also want everyone to know that you don't need to know anything about knitting to enjoy this book.

Eat Pray Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)

2009-09-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

In what could be construed as a coming-of-age story for thirtysomethings, Gilbert leaves behind an excruciating divorce, tumultuous affair, and debilitating depression as she sets off on a yearlong quest to bridge the gulf between body, mind, and spirit. Part self-deprecating tour guide, part wry, witty chronicler, Gilbert relates this chapter of her life with a compelling, richly detailed narrative that eschews the easy answers of New Age rhetoric.

In the book’s early pages, a flashback finds the smart, savvy, successful Gilbert on her knees on the bathroom floor of the Westchester house she inhabits with her husband, wailing and wallowing in sorrow, snot, and tears (“a veritable Lake Inferior”), awkwardly embarking on her first conversation with God. During the interminable wait for her divorce, Gilbert accepts a magazine assignment in Bali, where she meets a ninth-generation medicine man “whose resemblance to the Star Wars character Yoda cannot be exaggerated.” He evaluates her palm, forecasting her return to Bali --- a prediction that resurfaces when she hatches an escape plan from pain: “to explore the art of pleasure in Italy, the art of devotion in India, and, in Indonesia, the art of balancing the two.”

Drawn by the beauty of its mother tongue, Gilbert arrives in Rome dead set on a self-restoration remedy rooted in pleasure and chastity, a peculiar pairing she describes as the antidote for decades spent sublimating herself to lovers with the dedication of “a golden retriever and a barnacle.” For Gilbert, luxuriating in simple pleasures means sounding the curtain call on personal demons --- in this case a good-cop, bad-cop routine starring loneliness and depression --- and allowing her own desires (gelato for breakfast!) to take center stage.

Pleasure triumphs, and our protagonist is prepared for the next leg of her journey: an ashram in India, where racing thoughts eventually yield to successful meditation and a cast of supportive characters, including a plumber-poet from New Zealand, an ever-amiable, sage Texan, and the Indian tomboy she scrubs the temple floors with as part of her devotional duty.

By the time Gilbert arrives in Indonesia, she has shed her grief, realizing her own ability to control her reaction to life’s events. She is strong, enjoying a succession of simple days spent with the medicine man, a Javanese surfer dude, and a woman healer. Bicycling around Bali, she finds balance and, as the title suggests, love. Happiness, Gilbert comes to realize, “is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it.”

Rating = 2.5 Irises

The Golden Spruce (John Valliant)

2009-06-06T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Golden Spruce is the story of a glorious natural wonder, the man who destroyed it, and the fascinating, troubling context in which his act took place.

A tree with luminous glowing needles, the golden spruce was unique, a mystery that biologically speaking should never have reached maturity; Grant Hadwin, the man who cut it down, was passionate, extraordinarily well-suited to wilderness survival, and to some degree unbalanced. But as John Vaillant shows in this gripping and perceptive book, the extraordinary tree stood at the intersection of contradictory ways of looking at the world; the conflict between them is one reason it was destroyed. Taking in history, geography, science and spirituality, this book raises some of the most pressing questions facing society today.

On the night of January 20, 1997, with the temperature near zero, Hadwin swam across the Yakoun river with a chainsaw. Another astonishing physical feat followed: alone, in darkness, he tore expertly into the golden spruce – a tree more than two metres in diameter – leaving it so unstable that the first wind would push it over. A few weeks later, having inspired an outpouring of grief and public anger, Hadwin set off in a kayak across the treacherous Hecate Strait to face court charges. He has not been heard from since.

Vaillant describes Hadwin’s actions in engrossing detail, but also provides the complex environmental, political and economic context in which they took place. This fascinating book describes the history of the Haida’s contacts with European traders and settlers, drawing parallels between the 19th century economic bubble in sea otter pelts – and its eventual implosion – and today’s voracious logging trade. The wood products industry is examined objectively and in depth; Vaillant explores the influence of logging not only on the British Columbia landscape but on the course of western civilization, from the expansion of farming in Europe to wood’s essential importance to the Great Powers’ imperial navies to the North American “axe age.” Along the way, The Golden Spruce includes evocative portraits of one of the world’s most unusual land- and seascapes, riveting descriptions of Haida memorial rites, and a lesson in the difficulty and danger of felling giant trees.

Thrilling and instructive though it may be, The Golden Spruce confronts the reader with troubling questions. John Vaillant asks whether Grant Hadwin destroyed the golden spruce because – as a beautiful “mutant” preserved while the rest of the forest was devastated – it embodied society’s self-contradictory approach to nature, the paradox that harrowed him. Anyone who claims to respect the environment but lives in modern society faces some version of this problem; perhaps Hadwin, living on the cutting edge in every sense, could no longer take refuge in the “moral and cognitive dissonance” today’s world requires. The Golden Spruce forces one to ask: can the damage our civilization exacts on the natural world be justified? (From Chapters Online)

Book Club Discussion Questions

(Questions provided by Lisa - posted because it is very difficult to find good questions for this book)

1. Do you think Grant Hadwin is still alive?

2. Can you empathize with Grant's position? Do you think his actions were forgivable?

3. Do you agree with John Valliant when he says "It seems in order to succeed - or even function - in this world, a certain tolerance for moral and cognitive dissonance is necessary"?

4. Which parts of the books did you like best? Do you have any criticisms?

5. Do you find The Golden Spruce to be a disappointing or inspiring read? Did it leave you with any lasting thoughts?

6. The Golden Spruce is a Canadian book. What does it tell us about our experience of nature, our economy, and how we see ourselves?

7. Does this book make you want to visit the Queen Charlotte Islands?

Book Club Discussion Notes

We enjoyed this book for what it was: an non-fiction account of an event and the background surrounding the situtation. It reminded a lot of us of a documentary, and was a little disjointed in parts. However, if you are from British Columbia, it is a must read as it provides an interesting history of logging, and native culture in our province. We also though the descriptions of the logging practice, and the geography of British Columbia was amazing. After reading this book, we all want to visit the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Rating = 3 Irises

Gods Behaving Badly (Marie Phillips)

2009-05-03T22:06:00.000-07:00

From Marie Phillips, hailed by the Guardian Unlimited website as a “hot author” destined to “break through” in 2007, comes a highly entertaining novel set in North London, where the Greek gods have been living in obscurity since the seventeenth century.

Being immortal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Life’s hard for a Greek god in the twenty-first century: nobody believes in you any more, even your own family doesn’t respect you, and you’re stuck in a dilapidated hovel in North London with too many siblings and not enough hot water. But for Artemis (goddess of hunting, professional dog walker), Aphrodite (goddess of beauty, telephone sex operator) and Apollo (god of the sun, TV psychic) there’s no way out… until a meek cleaner and her would-be boyfriend come into their lives and turn the world upside down.

Gods Behaving Badly is that rare thing, a charming, funny, utterly original novel that satisfies the head and the heart. (From Chapters Online)

Book Club Discussion Notes

We found this book to be a funny, light read that provided a new and interesting perspective on the Greek Gods of Mount Olympus. And while the books is filled with many characters, it is easy to follow even if you aren't familiar with the Greek Gods. In fact, for many this book provides a humourous introduction to each of the gods and their purpose, which have been modernized in this story. All of our members had no problems finishing this book, but for other book clubs, we would recommend this as a lighter read after something heavy, perfect for summer. We also though it might be interesting if paired with The Odyssey, as it would provide for some interesting comparisons.

Rating = 4 Irises

The Doomsday Book (Connie Willis)

2009-04-05T22:27:00.000-07:00

For Kivrin, preparing an on-site study of one of the deadliest eras in humanity''s history was as simple as receiving inoculations against the diseases of the fourteenth century and inventing an alibi for a woman traveling alone. For her instructors in the twenty-first century, it meant painstaking calculations and careful monitoring of the rendezvous location where Kivrin would be received.

But a crisis strangely linking past and future strands Kivrin in a bygone age as her fellows try desperately to rescue her. In a time of superstition and fear, Kivrin -- barely of age herself -- finds she has become an unlikely angel of hope during one of history''s darkest hours.

Five years in the writing by one of science fiction''s most honored authors, Doomsday Book is a storytelling triumph. Connie Willis draws upon her understanding of the universalities of human nature to explore the ageless issues of evil, suffering and the indomitable will of the human spirit. (From Chapters.ca)

Book Club Discussion Notes

We found this book a little slow to start, but was well worth the read and read quickly after the first 100 pages. We enjoyed the two parallel storylines between modern time and the past. And while this book is techincally considered science fiction, we found it was more of a historical fiction novel, and even our members who avoid science fiction at all costs, enjoyed it. The Doomsday Book is definitely a good book that sparked some interesting questions and discussion.

Rating = 5 Irises

Last Chance to See (Douglas Adams and Mark Carwardine)

2009-03-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Douglas Adams leads us on an unforgettable journey around the world to see species on the brink of extinction.

After years of reflecting on the absurdities of life on other planets, science-fiction author Douglas Adams teams up with zoologist Mark Carwardine on an expedition to find out what’s happening to life on this one.

Rating = 5 Irises

Additional Information about the Animals in the book

Komodo Dragons (Monitor Lizards)

http://www.travel2komodo.com/rincaislandinformation.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon

Mountain Gorillas

http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/mountaingorilla

http://www.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/endangered_species_list/great_apes/gorillas/mountain_gorilla/VirungaMountains

http://www.go2africa.com/virungavolcanoes/map#popup2439http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virunga_Mountains

Northern White Rhinocerous

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/northernwhiterhinoceros/northernwhiterhinoceros.html

http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/136

http://www.africaparks.org/apffoundation/index.phpoption=com_gallery2&Itemid=28&g2_itemId=61

http://www.eoearth.org/article/Garamba_National_Park,_Democratic_Republic_of_Congo

http://www.iucn.org/what/species/mammals/

BillBlack

http://www.southwesthelicopters.co.nz/the_people_who_make_it_happen.html

Kakapo

http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/nativeanimals/birds/landbirds/kakapo/docswork/rangediaries/februa-2009/

http://www.kakaporecovery.org.nz/

Blue Penguin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_PenguinBaijihttp://www.baiji.org/index.php?id=2

http://www.ptes.org/index.php?cat=2

Rodrigues Fruit Bat

http://www.thewildones.org/Animals/rodbat.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pteropus_rodricensis

http://www.durrell.org/Animals/Mammals/Rodrigues-fruitbat/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritian_Wildlife_Foundation

http://www.maurinet.com/wildlife.html

A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)

2009-02-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

After more than two years on the bestseller lists and over four million copies in print, Khaled Hosseini returns with a beautiful, riveting, and haunting novel of enormous contemporary relevance.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.

Rating = 4 Irises

The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror (Christopher Moore)

2008-12-07T21:59:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night (okay, more like the week) before Christmas, and all through the tiny community of Pine Cove, California, people are busy buying, wrapping, packing, and generally getting into the holiday spirit.

But not everybody is feeling the joy. Little Joshua Barker is in desperate need of a holiday miracle. No, he's not on his deathbed; no, his dog hasn't run away from home. But Josh is sure that he saw Santa take a shovel to the head, and now the seven-year-old has only one prayer: Please, Santa, come back from the dead.

But hold on! There's an angel waiting in the wings. (Wings, get it?) It's none other than the Archangel Raziel come to Earth seeking a small child with a wish that needs granting. Unfortunately, our angel's not sporting the brightest halo in the bunch, and before you can say "Kris Kringle," he's botched his sacred mission and sent the residents of Pine Cove headlong into Christmas chaos, culminating in the most hilarious and horrifying holiday party the town has ever seen.

Move over, Charles Dickens -- it's Christopher Moore time. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 4 Irises

Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)

2008-11-02T21:55:00.001-08:00

Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games at the Battle School; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. Ender is the most talented result of Earth''s desperate quest to create the military genius that the planet needs in its all-out war with an alien enemy.Is Ender the general Earth needs? The only way to find out is to throw the child into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Formics has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway for almost as long. Ender''s two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways.Between the three of them lie the abilities to remake a world. If, that is, the world survives.

Rating = 4 Irises

Molokai (Alan Brennert)

2008-09-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

This richly imagined novel, set in Hawaii more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place---and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end---but instead she discovers it is only just beginning. With a vibrant cast of vividly realized characters, Moloka'i is the true-to-life chronicle of a people who embraced life in the face of death. Such is the warmth, humor, and compassion of this novel that "few readers will remain unchanged by Rachel''s story. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 5 Irises

Guards! Guards! (Terry Pratchett)

2008-08-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

Guards! Guards! is the 8th Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett, first published in 1989. It is the first novel about the City Watch. The first Discworld computer game borrowed heavily from Guards! Guards! in terms of plot.

The story follows a plot by a secret brotherhood, the Unique and Supreme Lodge of the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night, to overthrow the Patrician, Ankh-Morpork and install a puppet king, under the control of the Supreme Grand Master (Vetinari's secretary, Lupine Wonse). Using a stolen magic book, they summon a dragon to strike fear into the people of Ankh-Morpork.

Once a suitable state of terror and panic has been created, the Supreme Grand Master proposes to put forth an "heir" to the throne, who will slay the dragon and rid the city of tyranny. It is the task of the Night Watch - Captain Vimes, Sergent Colon, Corporal Nobbs and new volunteer Carrot Ironfoundersson– to stop them, with some help from the Librarian of the Unseen University, an orangutan trying to get the stolen book back.

Rating = 4 Irises

Stardust (Neil Gaiman)

2008-07-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman comes a remarkable quest into the dark and miraculous—in pursuit of love and the utterly impossible. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 4 Irises

Infidel (Ayaan Hirsi Ali)

2008-07-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

In this profoundly affecting memoir from the internationally renowned author of The Caged Virgin, Ayaan Hirsi Ali tells her astonishing life story, from her traditional Muslim childhood in Somalia, Saudi Arabia, and Kenya, to her intellectual awakening and activism in the Netherlands, and her current life under armed guard in the West.

One of today''s most admired and controversial political figures, Ayaan Hirsi Ali burst into international headlines following an Islamist''s murder of her colleague, Theo van Gogh, with whom she made the movie Submission.

Infidel is the eagerly awaited story of the coming of age of this elegant, distinguished -- and sometimes reviled -- political superstar and champion of free speech. With a gimlet eye and measured, often ironic, voice, Hirsi Ali recounts the evolution of her beliefs, her ironclad will, and her extraordinary resolve to fight injustice done in the name of religion. Raised in a strict Muslim family and extended clan, Hirsi Ali survived civil war, female mutilation, brutal beatings, adolescence as a devout believer during the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, and life in four troubled, unstable countries largely ruled by despots. In her early twenties, she escaped from a forced marriage and sought asylum in the Netherlands, where she earned a college degree in political science, tried to help her tragically depressed sister adjust to the West, and fought for the rights of Muslim immigrant women and the reform of Islam as a member of Parliament. Even though she is under constant threat -- demonized by reactionary Islamists and politicians, disowned by her father, and expelled from her family and clan -- she refuses to be silenced.
Ultimately a celebration of triumph over adversity, Hirsi Ali''s story tells how a bright little girl evolved out of dutiful obedience to become an outspoken, pioneering freedom fighter. As Western governments struggle to balance democratic ideals with religious pressures, no story could be timelier or more significant. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 4 Irises

Friday Night Lights (H.G. Bissinger)

2008-05-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

Return once again to the timeless account of the Permian Panthers of Odessa -- the winningest high-school football team in Texas history. Odessa is not known to be a town big on dreams, but the Panthers help keep the hopes and dreams of this small, dusty town going. Socially and racially divided, its fragile economy follows the treacherous boom-bust path of the oil business. In bad times, the unemployment rate barrels out of control; in good times, its murder rate skyrockets. But every Friday night from September to December, when the Permian High School Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place where dreams can come true. With frankness and compassion, H.G. Bissinger chronicles a season in the life of Odessa and shows how single-minded devotion to the team shapes the community and inspires -- and sometimes shatters -- the teenagers who wear the Panthers'' uniforms. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 3.5 Irises

The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

2008-03-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. The Alchemist is such a book. With over a million and a half copies sold around the world, The Alchemist has already established itself as a modern classic, universally admired. Paulo Coelho’s charming fable, now available in English for the first time, will enchant and inspire an even wider audience of readers for generations to come.

The Alchemist is the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the markets of Tangiers and across the Egyptian desert to a fateful encounter with the alchemist.

The story of the treasures Santiago finds along the way teaches us, as only a few stories have done, about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path, and, above all, following our dreams. (From Chapters Online).

Rating = 5 Irises

Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)

2008-02-15T19:53:00.000-08:00

Margaret Mitchell's epic novel of love and war won the Pulitzer Prize and went on to give rise to two authorized sequels and one of the most popular and celebrated movies of all time.

Many novels have been written about the Civil War and its aftermath. None take us into the burning fields and cities of the American South as Gone With the Wind does, creating haunting scenes and thrilling portraits of characters so vivid that we remember their words and feel their fear and
hunger for the rest of our lives.

In the two main characters, the white-shouldered, irresistible Scarlett and the flashy, contemptuous Rhett, Margaret Mitchell not only conveyed a timeless story of survival under the harshest of circumstances, she also created two of the most famous lovers in the English-speaking world since
Romeo and Juliet. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 5 Irises

Atonement (Ian McEwan)

2008-01-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

The novel opens on a sweltering summer day in 1935 at the Tallis family’s mansion in the Surrey countryside. Thirteen-year-old Briony has written a play in honor of the visit of her adored older brother Leon; other guests include her three young cousins -- refugees from their parent’s marital breakup -- Leon’s friend Paul Marshall, the manufacturer of a chocolate bar called “Amo” that soldiers will be able to carry into war, and Robbie Turner, the son of the family charlady whose brilliantly successful college career has been funded by Mr. Tallis. Jack Tallis is absent from the gathering; he spends most of his time in London at the War Ministry and with his mistress. His wife Emily is a semi-invalid, nursing chronic migraine headaches. Their elder daughter Cecilia is also present; she has just graduated from Cambridge and is at home for the summer, restless and yearning for her life to really begin. Rehearsals for Briony’s play aren’t going well; her cousin Lola has stolen the starring role, the twin boys can’t speak the lines properly, and Briony suddenly realizes that her destiny is to be a novelist, not a dramatist.In the midst of the long hot afternoon, Briony happens to be watching from a window when Cecilia strips off her clothes and plunges into the fountain on the lawn as Robbie looks on. Later that evening, Briony thinks she sees Robbie attacking Cecilia in the library, she reads a note meant for Cecilia, her cousin Lola is sexually assaulted, and she makes an accusation that she will repent for the rest of her life.

The next two parts of Atonement shift to the spring of 1940 as Hitler’s forces are sweeping across the Low Countries and into France. Robbie Turner, wounded, joins the disastrous British retreat to Dunkirk. Instead of going up to Cambridge to begin her studies, Briony has become a nurse in one of London’s military hospitals. The fourth and final section takes place in 1999, as Briony celebrates her 77th birthday with the completion of a book about the events of 1935 and 1940, a novel called Atonement.

In its broad historical framework Atonement is a departure from McEwan’s earlier work, and he loads the story with an emotional intensity and a gripping plot reminiscent of the best nineteenth-century fiction. Brilliant and utterly enthralling in its depiction of childhood, love and war, England and class, the novel is a profoundly moving exploration of shame and forgiveness and the difficulty of absolution.

Rating = 2 Irises

Gone With The Wind Discussion Questions

2007-12-12T09:38:00.001-08:00

Please note: questions from http://www.simonsays.com/ and page numbers refer to a paperback edition.

1. Gerald O'Hara is described as "vital and earthy and coarse" (pg. 50). Why do you think society still considers him a gentleman? Is it simply because he married Ellen? Does his daughter Scarlett possess these same traits? What about her sisters, Suellen and Careen?

2. Discuss the general attitude towards education in Gone With the Wind. Gerald, Scarlett, and others refer to Ashley Wilkes's studies as "foolishness." Does this surprise you? If art and literature are unimportant to so many, what qualities are admired?

3. "To Mammy's indignation, [Scarlett's] preferred playmates were not her demure sisters or the well-brought-up Wilkes girls but the negro children on the plantation and the boys of the neighborhood..." (pg. 75). Why doesn't Scarlett befriend other girls? As a young woman, whom does she show general affection and why?

4. "Sacrilegious though it may be, Scarlett always saw through her closed eyes, the upturned face of Ellen and not the Blessed Virgin, as the ancient phrases were repeated" (pg. 87). Does Scarlett have these emotions because Ellen is her mother or because she admires her as a person? Why is Ellen so special to Scarlett? Is there anyone else Scarlett admires to the same degree?

5. While preparing for the party at Twelve Oaks, Scarlett asks Mammy "Why is it a girl has to be so silly to catch a husband?" (pg. 95). Considering the times, do you think this statement is accurate? Does Scarlett follow these rules herself? Are there any women in the novel who don't act "silly" in the presence of men?

6. Several of the families frequently refer to the Slatterys and others as "white trash." Is this simply a matter of them having less money? During the time period, which traits must one possess to be considered a member of genteel society? Are exceptions ever made?

7. After overhearing her declaration of love to Ashley, Rhett Butler tells Scarlett "you, Miss, are no lady" (pg. 131). Is this the very reason he's drawn to her? What is it about Scarlett that instantly attracts Rhett's eye? Conversely, Aunt Pitty believes Rhett could be a gentleman if only he respected women. Do you agree? Are there any women he does respect? Why them as opposed to others?

8. There is very little discussion of Scarlett's first husband, Charles Hamilton: "Within two weeks Scarlett had become a wife, and within two months more she was a widow" (pg. 139). Why is there a jump in time from Charles's introduction to his death? Were you at all surprised at Scarlett's reaction to widowhood?

9. Discuss the many complicated issues of race in this novel. Mammy and Pork consider themselves a higher status than those who work in the field. Why do they believe this? Do they also consider themselves better than "po whites" like the Slatterys? How would you describe Scarlett's different relationships with Mammy, Pork, Dilcey, and Prissy?

10. When Scarlett first arrives in Atlanta, she notes the city as being "as headstrong and impetuous as herself" (pg. 149). Both during wartime and afterwards, what other similarities exist between Scarlett and her adopted home?

11. Most of her fellow Southerners will do anything for "The Cause," and yet Scarlett admits to herself it means "nothing at all to her" (pg. 177). Is she being selfish or merely honest? Why do you think she feels this way? Does her opinion change throughout the novel? And if she doesn't care about The Cause, why does she still hate "Yankees" so much?

12. Rhett warns Scarlett that he "always gets paid" (pg 242). Discuss the times when this is true. Why does he have this attitude? Is Rhett ever purely generous?

13. Considering he knows of her love, why does Ashley ask Scarlett to look after his wife, Melanie, while he's at war? Is this a fair favor to ask? Does Scarlett agree only because she's in love with him, or has she learned to love Melanie, as well?

14. "Oh, what fun! If he would just say he loved her, how she would torment him and get even..." (pg. 327). Why do Scarlett and Rhett feel the need to trick one another? Are there ever moments when they allow themselves to be vulnerable with each other? Why is honesty such a problem for them?

15. When the Yankees arrive in Atlanta, Rhett leaves Scarlett in the wagon to take care of Melanie and the others. Why does he leave them behind, as well as a life of comfort, to join the army he claims to dislike so much?

16. On her deathbed, Ellen calls out for her lost love, Philippe. Why does Margaret Mitchell include this seemingly insignificant back-story? Does this relationship parallel any others in the novel?

17. When she returns to Tara to find the Yankees have destroyed all their food and cotton, Scarlett utters one of the most well-known lines from Gone With the Wind: "as God as my witness, I'm never going to be hungry again" (pg. 408). Does this moment change Scarlett? From where does she find her strength?

18. Scarlett is often annoyed that her son, Wade Hampton, appears to prefer Aunt Melly. How would you describe her relationship with Wade? Much like his father Charles, why is he mentioned so infrequently? Do you judge Scarlett when she yells at him?

19. After Scarlett kills the Yankee soldier, Melanie immediately helps her dispose of the body, causing Scarlett to begrudgingly admire her "thin flashing blade of unbreakable steel" (pg. 420). How would you describe Melanie -- as weak or strong? Does she know about Scarlett's feelings for Ashley? If so, why does she remain so loyal to her?

20. Describe Atlanta once the war is over. Besides the physical damages, what are the biggest changes? Why do you think some of the newly free men remain loyal to their white families, while others try to start new lives? Do any of the former slaves now seem "successful"?

21. When Ashley returns to Tara, he confides in Scarlett that despite his wartime heroics, he considers himself a coward. What does he mean by this statement? Do you agree with him? Does Scarlett agree?

22. After finally finding a moment alone with each other, Scarlett and Ashley declare their love, but she admits "they were like two people talking to each other in different languages" (pg. 499). Were they ever really in love, or do they just admire each other greatly? And if he does love her, why doesn't he stop her from offering herself to Rhett in exchange for the money to pay off the taxes?

23. When the war leaves them all poor, Scarlett cannot believe so many respectable families "still think, in spite of everything, that nothing really dreadful can happen to any of them because they are who they are..." (pg. 517). Do you agree that the former aristocrats remain the same, or as Ashley describes it, are in a "state of suspended animation" (pg. 677)? If so, why do you think this is? What makes Scarlett different? Does she still care what they think of her?

24. After Tara is safe, why does Scarlett remain so involved with the mill? Does she enjoy working even though it's deemed unladylike? Where did she learn her business skills? Why is she successful when so many of the men are not? And why does she decide to do business with the Yankees, whom she continues to hate?

25. Why do so many of the white Southern men join the Klan? Is it a matter of race, or politics, or dislike of the Yankees? Do they want some sense of control after losing the war and having "Carpetbaggers" run their local government? Why is Scarlett one of the few to speak against the Klan? And why does Rhett try to rescue Ashley and Frank from the meeting when he learns of the Yankee soldiers' trap?

26. Discuss the importance of religion in the novel. How important is God to Scarlett? During tough times, she often claims not to care what He thinks. Do you believe this is true? What about following the death of her second husband, Frank Kennedy? Does she feel guilt? When she tells Rhett she's afraid of going to Hell and has many regrets, do you believe her (pg. 768)?

27. "No, my dear, I'm not in love with you, no more than you are with me, and if I were, you would be the last person I'd ever tell" (pg. 778). If what Rhett says is true, why does he propose to Scarlett, especially after repeatedly claiming he isn't a marrying man? And why does he choose to propose so shortly after Frank's death? Does he make a good husband?

28. Scarlett has one child with each of her husbands. Does she treat them differently? Does fatherhood change Rhett? If so, do you think his behavior would be different if he had a son instead of a daughter? How are Scarlett and Rhett affected by Bonnie's death, both individually and as a couple?

29. The novel ends with Rhett rejecting Scarlett's love, and her thinking "tomorrow is another day" (pg. 959). Is this another example of Scarlett refusing to quit, or does she really believe she'll win him back? Do you think he's truly fallen out of love, or will Rhett return to Scarlett "another day"?
30. In the beginning of the novel, Gerald tells Scarlett that land is "the only thing in the world that lasts..." (pg. 55). Is this true in Scarlett's world? Ultimately, does she love Ashley, or Rhett, or her own children as much as she loves Tara?

The Mermaid Chair (Sue Monk Kidd)

2007-12-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

Inside the abbey of a Benedictine monastery on Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint, who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion.

When Jessie is summoned home to the island to cope with her eccentric mother’s seemingly inexplicable act of violence, she is living a conventional life with her husband, Hugh, a life “molded to the smallest space possible.” Jessie loves Hugh, but once on the island, she finds herself drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk who is soon to take his final vows.

Amid a rich community of unforgettable island women and the exotic beauty of marshlands, tidal creeks and majestic egrets, Jessie grapples with the tension of desire and the struggle to deny it, with a freedom that feels overwhelmingly right and the immutable force of home and marriage. Is the power of the mermaid chair only a myth? Or will it alter the course of Jessie’s life? What transpires will unlock the roots of her mother’s tormented past, but most of all, allow Jessie to make a marriage unto herself.

Where does the yearning for soul-mated love come from? When it comes to love, what are the pulls inside a woman between the ordinary and the sublime? The Mermaid Chair is a vividly imagined novel about mermaids and saints, about the passions of the spirit and the ecstasies of the body, brilliantly illuminating the awakening of a woman to her own deepest self. (From Sue Monk Kidd Website)

Rating = 3 Irises

Still Life With Woodpecker (Tom Robbins)

2007-11-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

"Still Life with Woodpecker is sort of a love story that takes place inside a pack of Camel cigarettes. It reveals the purpose of the moon, explains the difference between criminals and outlaws, examines the conflict between social activism and romantic individualism, and paints a portrait of contemporary society that includes powerful Arabs, exiled royalty, and pregnant cheerleaders. It also deals with the problem of redheads.

Rating = 4 Irises

The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)

2007-11-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

On her way home from school on a snowy December day in 1973, 14-year-old Susie Salmon ("like the fish") is lured into a makeshift underground den in a cornfield and brutally raped and murdered, the latest victim of a serial killer--the man she knew as her neighbor, Mr. Harvey.

Alice Sebold''s haunting and heartbreaking debut novel, The Lovely Bones, unfolds from heaven, where "life is a perpetual yesterday" and where Susie narrates and keeps watch over her grieving family and friends, as well as her brazen killer and the sad detective working on her case. As Sebold fashions it, everyone has his or her own version of heaven. Susie''s resembles the athletic fields and landscape of a suburban high school: a heaven of her "simplest dreams," where "there were no teachers.... We never had to go inside except for art class.... The boys did not pinch our backsides or tell us we smelled; our textbooks were Seventeen and Glamour and Vogue." The Lovely Bones works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the lost world of the living, following her family's dramas over the years like an episode of My So-Called Afterlife. Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family, and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun. Random acts and missed opportunities run throughout the book--Susie recalls her sole kiss with a boy on Earth as "like an accident--a beautiful gasoline rainbow."

Though sentimental at times, The Lovely Bones is a moving exploration of loss and mourning that ultimately puts its faith in the living and that is made even more powerful by a cast of convincing characters. Sebold orchestrates a big finish, and though things tend to wrap up a little too well for everyone in the end, one can only imagine (or hope) that heaven is indeed a place filled with such happy endings. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 3 Irises

The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

2007-10-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Amir and Hassan are childhood friends in the alleys and orchards of Kabul in the sunny days before the invasion of the Soviet army and Afghanistan’s decent into fanaticism. Both motherless, they grow up as close as brothers, but their fates, they know, are to be different. Amir’s father is a wealthy merchant; Hassan’s father is his manservant. Amir belongs to the ruling caste of Pashtuns, Hassan to the despised Hazaras.

This fragile idyll is broken by the mounting ethnic, religious, and political tensions that begin to tear Afghanistan apart. An unspeakable assault on Hassan by a gang of local boys tears the friends apart; Amir has witnessed his friend’s torment, but is too afraid to intercede. Plunged into self-loathing, Amir conspires to have Hassan and his father turned out of the household.When the Soviets invade Afghanistan, Amir and his father flee to San Francisco, leaving Hassan and his father to a pitiless fate. Only years later will Amir have an opportunity to redeem himself by returning to Afghanistan to begin to repay the debt long owed to the man who should have been his brother.

Compelling, heartrending, and etched with details of a history never before told in fiction, The Kite Runner is a story of the ways in which we’re damned by our moral failures, and of the extravagant cost of redemption. (From Chapters Online).

Rating = 5 Irises

Saving Fish from Drowning (Amy Tan)

2007-10-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

San Francisco art patron Bibi Chen has planned a journey of the senses along the famed Burma Road for eleven lucky friends. But after her mysterious death, Bibi watches aghast from her ghostly perch as the travelers veer off her itinerary and embark on a trail paved with cultural gaffes and tribal curses, Buddhist illusions and romantic desires. On Christmas morning, the tourists cruise across a misty lake and disappear.

With picaresque characters and mesmerizing imagery, Saving Fish from Drowning gives us a voice as idiosyncratic, sharp, and affectionate as the mothers of The Joy Luck Club. Bibi is the observant eye of human nature–the witness of good intentions and bad outcomes, of desperate souls and those who wish to save them. In the end, Tan takes her readers to that place in their own heart where hope is found. (From Chapters Online)

Book Club Discussion Comments:

This book is definitely different from any of Amy Tan’s other novels. Instead of a mother-daughter central theme, this book follows a large group of characters on an adventure through China and Burma/Myanmar. It is also interesting given the current events occurring in Myanmar. This book provides a bit of background at what life is like for the people of that country. Some of the flaws of this book are the inconsistent narration, and the large amount of characters, none of who go through any sort of personal development. For book clubs, this book provides some interesting discussion topics, and is definitely something that all of your members will be able to finish.

Rating = 3 Irises

Death on the Nile (Agatha Christie)

2007-08-15T15:04:00.001-07:00

Linnet Doyle is young, beautiful, and rich. She's the girl who has everything including the man her best friend loves. Linnet and her new husband take a cruise on the Nile, where they meet the brilliant detective Hercule Poirot. It should be an idyllic trip, yet Poirot has a vague, uneasy feeling that something is dangerously amiss...(From Chapters Online)

Rating = 5 Irises

A Complicated Kindness (Miriam Toews)

2007-08-08T10:46:00.001-07:00

Sixteen-year-old Nomi Nickel longs to hang out with Lou Reed and Marianne Faithfull in New York City’s East Village. Instead she’s trapped in East Village, Manitoba, a small town whose population is Mennonite: “the most embarrassing sub-sect of people to belong to if you’re a teenager.” East Village is a town with no train and no bar whose job prospects consist of slaughtering chickens at the Happy Family Farms abattoir or churning butter for tourists at the pioneer village. Ministered with an iron fist by Nomi’s uncle Hans, a.k.a. The Mouth of Darkness, East Village is a town that’s tall on rules and short on fun: no dancing, drinking, rock ’n’ roll, recreational sex, swimming, make-up, jewellery, playing pool, going to cities or staying up past nine o’clock.

As the novel begins, Nomi struggles to cope with the back-to-back departures three years earlier of Tash, her beautiful and mouthy sister, and Trudie, her warm and spirited mother. She lives with her father, Ray, a sweet yet hapless schoolteacher whose love is unconditional but whose parenting skills amount to benign neglect. Father and daughter deal with their losses in very different ways. Ray, a committed elder of the church, seeks to create an artificial sense of order by reorganizing the city dump late at night. Nomi, on the other hand, favours chaos as she tries to blunt her pain through “drugs and imagination.” Together they live in a limbo of unanswered questions.

Eventually Nomi’s grief — and a growing sense of hypocrisy — cause her to spiral ever downward to a climax that seems at once startling and inevitable. But even when one more loss is heaped on her piles of losses, Nomi maintains hope and finds the imagination and willingness to envision what lies beyond. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 2 Irises

The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)

2007-07-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. Set in South Carolina in 1964, "The Secret Life of Bees" tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the town’s fiercest racists, Lily decides they should both escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. There they are taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters who introduce Lily to a mesmerizing world of bees, honey, and the Black Madonna who presides over their household. This is a remarkable story about divine female power and the transforming power of love--a story that women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 5 Irises

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Ian Fleming)

2007-07-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

For more than a year, James Bond, British secret agent 007, has been trailing the private criminal organization SPECTRE and its leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, in 'Operation Bedlam'. Frustrated by his inability to find Blofeld, Bond composes a letter of resignation for M. Meanwhile, Bond encounters a suicidal, beautiful, young woman named Teresa di Vicenzo and interrupts her attempted drowning. He is then captured.

Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo ('Tracy' to her friends) is the daughter of Marc-Ange Draco, head of the Union Corse, the biggest European crime syndicate. Draco believes the only way to save his daughter is for Bond to marry her. To facilitate this, he offers Bond a great dowry—as well as Blofeld's whereabouts; Bond refuses the offer, but agrees to continue romancing Tracy while her mental health improves.

Draco informs Bond that Blofeld has been hiding in Switzerland

; upon further investigation, Bond discovers he has assumed the title and name Comte Balthazar de Bleuville. Blofeld has undergone plastic surgery to physically pass as heir of the de Bleuville bloodline—to the degree that he has asked the London College of Arms to declare him the reigning count. Impersonating a College of Arms representative, Sir Hilary Bray, Bond infiltrates Blofeld's lair atop Piz Gloria and finally meets Blofeld. (From Wikipedia)

Rating = 4 Irises

The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)

2007-07-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Her name is Dinah. In the Bible, her life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that are about her father, Jacob, and his dozen sons. Told in Dinah''s voice, this novel reveals the traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood-the world of the red tent. It begins with the story of her mothers-Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah-the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through a hard-working youth, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah''s story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past. Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women''s society. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 5 Irises

Year of Wonders (Geraldine Brooks)

2007-06-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna''s eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders."

Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Books blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 5 Irises

Enemy Women (Paulette Jiles)

2007-06-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

For the Colleys of southeastern Missouri, the War between the States is a plague that threatens devastation, despite the family''s avowed neutrality. For eighteen-year-old Adair Colley, it is a nightmare that tears apart her family and forces her and her sisters to flee.

The treachery of a fellow traveler, however, brings about her arrest, and she is caged with the criminal and deranged in a filthy women''s prison. But young Adair finds that love can live even in a place of horror and despair. Her interrogator, a Union major, falls in love with her and vows to return for her when the fighting is over. Before he leaves for battle, he bestows upon her a precious gift: freedom.

Now an escaped "enemy woman," Adair must make her harrowing way south buoyed by a promise ... seeking a home and a family that may be nothing more than a memory. (From Chapters Online).

Rating = 3 Irises

The Birth House (Ami McKay)

2007-05-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of Rares. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing. Dora becomes Miss B.’s apprentice, and together they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labours, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives. Filled with details as compelling as they are surprising, The Birth House is an unforgettable tale of the struggles women have faced to have control of their own bodies and to keep the best parts of tradition alive in the world of modern medicine. (From Chapters Online)

Rating = 5 Irises

A Woman of Passion (Virginia Henley)

2007-04-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

Sweeping us into glittering, intrigue-riddled Elizabethan England, bringing to vivid life an actual heroine in the queen''s court, "New York Times bestselling author Virginia Henley blends rich historical detail with sumptuous romance in her latest novel--a dazzling feast of romantic fiction....

Young Bess Hardwick knew that the only way to escape a commoner''s life was to serve in a noble family and marry well. So the headstrong beauty set out for London and the Tudor court, the arena for the richest, most ambitious men, none more powerful than the four men who would claim her. None more dangerous than Princess Elizabeth, who made Bess friend, confidante, then lady-in-waiting in her own glittering court...

Dangerously seductive, William Cavendish, the king''s dashing financial adviser, vowed to have Bess at any cost. Frail, adoring Robert Barlow offered a marriage she couldn''t refuse. Newly crowned Queen Elizabeth bade her marry courtly Sir William St. Loe. But reckless passion drove Bess into the arms of George Talbot, the devastating Earl of Shrewsbury, whose wicked daring ignited in Bess the passion of a lifetime--even as it sparked the jealous interest of the most perilous ally of all: the Virgin Queen....(From Chapters Online)

Rating: 4 Irises

Upcoming Meetings and Selections

2007-04-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

2012

February 5 - The Name of the Wind (Patrick Rothfuss)

March 4 - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith) {Arieanna}

April 1 - Lamb (Christopher Moore) {Siobhan}

May 6 - Six Suspects (Vikas Swarup) {Lisa}

June 3 - Chrysalids (John Windham) {Lara}

July 8 - A Handful of Time (Kit Pearson)

August 12 - The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay (Suzanne Collins)

September 9 - The Hunger Games Movie & Potluck

September 30 -Beside a Burning Sea (John Shors) {Jessica}

November 4 - Lake of Dreams (Kim Edwards) {Nicola}

December 2 - The Virgin Cure (Ami McKay) {Anita}

2013

February 3 - The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern) {Tracie}

Previous Selections

2007-04-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

2003

April – The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)

May – Atonement (Ian McEwan)

July – Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)

August – How to Be Good (Nick Hornby)

September – Cold Mountain (Charles Frazier)

October – Le Divorce/Le Mariage (Diane Johnson)

November – Oscar and Lucinda (Peter Carey)

December – About the Author (John Colapinto)

2004

February – The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen)

March – Cane River (Lalita Tademy)

April – Prague (Arthur Phillips)

May – Year of Wonders (Geraldine Brooks)

June – Sushi for Beginners (Marian Keyes)

July – A Woman of Passion (Virginia Henley)

August – Can You Keep a Secret? (Sophie Kinsella)

October – The Bonesetter’s Daughter/ The Hundred Secret Senses (Amy Tan)

November – The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)

December – Drowning Ruth (Christina Schwarz)

2005

February – Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy)

March – The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

April – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Mark Haddon)

May – Wicked (Gregory Maguire)

June – Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)

July – The Birth of Venus (Sarah Dunant)

August – Jane Austen Book Club (Karen Fowler)

September – Couldn’t Keep It to Myself (Wally Lamb)

October – The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)

November – All That Matters (Wayson Choy)

December – A Complicated Kindness (Miriam Toews)

2006

February - Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie McDonald)

April – The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)

May – Middlesex (Jeffrey Eugenides)

June – Brick Lane (Monica Ali)

July – Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Truman Capote)

August – The Left Hand of Darkness (Ursula K. Le Guin)

October – Three Junes (Julia Glass)

November – Daughter of Fortune (Isabel Allende)

December – Portrait in Sepia (Isabel Allende)

2007

February – Emma (Jane Austen)

March – Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)

April – Kim: Empty Inside (Beatrice Sparks)

May - The Birth House (Ami McKay)

June - Enemy Women (Paulette Jiles)

July – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (Ian Fleming)

August - Death on the Nile (Agatha Christie)

September - Saving Fish From Drowning (Amy Tan)

November – Still Life with Woodpecker (Tom Robbins)

December – The Mermaid Chair (Sue Monk Kidd)

2008

February – Gone With the Wind (Margaret Mitchell)

March - The Bridges of Madison County (Robert James Waller)

April - The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)

May - Friday Night Lights (H.G. Bissinger)

June - Infidel (Ayaan Hirsi Ali)

July - Stardust (Neil Gaiman)

August - Guards! Guards! (Terry Pratchett)

September - Molokai (Alan Brennert)

November - Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card)

December - The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror (Christopher Moore)

2009

February – A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)

March - Last Chance to See (Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine)

April - Dooms Day Book (Connie Willis)

May - Gods Behaving Badly (Marie Phillips)

June - The Golden Spruce (John Valliant)

July - Any Bill Bryson Book

August - Eat Pray Love (Elizabeth Gilbert)

October - The Friday Night Knitting Club (Kate Jacobs)

November - My Sister's Keeper (Jodi Picoult)

December - Tim Burtons The Nightmare Before Christmas (Tim Burton)

2010

January - The Tiger Claw (Shauna Singh Baldwin)

March - The Secret River (Kate Grenville)

April - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mary Ann Shaffer)

May - The Art of Racing in the Rain (Garth Stein)

June - The Other Boleyn Girl (Phillipa Gregory)

July - Honolulu (Alan Brennert)

August - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (Lisa See)

September - Watchmen (Alan Moore)

November - Shadow of the Wind (Carlos Ruiz Zafon)

December - Redbird Christmas (Fannie Flagg)

2011

January - Little Women (Louisa May Alcott) & March (Geraldine Brooks)

February - The Great Gatsby (F.Scott Fitzgerald)

April - Think and Grow Rich (Napolean Hill)

May - The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins)

June - Sarah's Key (Tatiana De Rosnay)

July - French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork and Corkscrew (Peter Mayle)

August - Julie & Julia (Julie Powell)

October - The Help (Kathryn Stockett)

November - The Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan)

December - Room (Emma Donoghue)

Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)

2007-04-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

In this literary tour de force, novelist Arthur Golden enters a remote and shimmeringly exotic world. For the protagonist of this peerlessly observant first novel is Sayuri, one of Japan''s most celebrated geisha, a woman who is both performer and courtesan, slave and goddess.

We follow Sayuri from her childhood in an impoverished fishing village, where in 1929, she is sold to a representative of a geisha house, who is drawn by the child''s unusual blue-grey eyes. From there she is taken to Gion, the pleasure district of Kyoto. She is nine years old. In the years that follow, as she works to pay back the price of her purchase, Sayuri will be schooled in music and dance, learn to apply the geisha''s elaborate makeup, wear elaborate kimono, and care for a coiffure so fragile that it requires a special pillow. She will also acquire a magnanimous tutor and a venomous rival. Surviving the intrigues of her trade and the upheavals of war, the resourceful Sayuri is a romantic heroine on the order of Jane Eyre and Scarlett O''Hara. And Memoirs of a Geisha is a triumphant work - suspenseful, and utterly persuasive. (From Chapters Online).

Rating: 5 Irises