December’s Book-The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

We had a wonderful evening together, as usual, at Margaret’s home this month. Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACHROYD  was an interesting book to talk about. Some of us enjoyed the story and solving the crime was secondary to that enjoyment. Others found the misdirection and lack of clues frustrating. Either way, it was a great discussion and a good book. Thanks Margaret.

Welcome to another new friend: Heather Demars. We are so glad to have you join us.

Michelle Holdaway is hosting our next meeting on Tuesday December 7th. Her pick is:

                                  

Paulo Coelho's enchanting novel has inspired a devoted following around the world. This story, dazzling in its simplicity and wisdom, is about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an Alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. No one knows what the treasure is, or if Santiago will be able to surmount the obstacles along the way But what starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a meditation on the treasures found within. Lush, evocative, and deeply humane, the story of Santiago is art eternal testament to the transforming power of our dreams and the importance of listening to our hearts.

Enjoy reading and see you again in December

Book Club is tomorrow night!

Hey, just a reminder that our book club is tomorrow night at Margaret Vidmar’s home. It will be at 7Pm. Hope you had a chance to read her pick , THE MURDER of ROGER ACHROYD and will come prepared for a lively discussion. Hope to see everyone there. If you would like to carpool, give Diane a call and we can meet at her house and share a ride.

November’s book- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

We had a wonderful time at Beth Adkin’s home last week. Her book choice generated a great discussion on how we felt about the bonds that tie us to our children, adopted or natural. We all had a lot of good comments and experience to bring to the discussion. Thanks to all who were able to come. A special welcome to Jane Bishop, who is our newest friend. We loved having you there and hope you will come again.

Our next month’s book will be hosted by Margaret Vidmar. Her choice is:

                                    

From Library Journal:  This novel, written in 1927, is considered the best and most successful of the early mysteries. It met with no small outrage when it appeared, as it uses a plot device many readers thought "unfair." There is a full complement of characters populating the cozy English village of King's Abbot: Major Blunt, Colonel Carter, Miss Gannett, the butler, the housekeeper, the narrator, Dr. Sheppard, and his know-it-all sister (the precursor of Miss Marple, according to Christie), and, of course, the redoubtable Hercule Poirot and his little grey cells. There are clues with a capital C to mislead us, and the listener gets so involved with these red herrings (or not) that the very simple truth eludes the puzzler.  A classic of the genre and essential for any fiction collection.

An Amazon review: As other readers note, the ending of this book is among the most clever endings to a work of mystery. Being that readers are often guessing throughout the book, the guessing will become dizzying. Though some of Christie's work now seems dated by today's standards, this book certainly stands the test of time.
Mrs. Ferrars takes her life after poisoning her husband. This happens before the story begins. Roger Ackroyd does not die until over fifty pages into the book. But who would have motive to kill him? At times, the reader may wonder if the book is even actually about Ackroyd's murder. Using his gray matter, Hercule Poirot leads readers though the investigation via Dr. Shepard's narration. The chain of death is linked and good suspects are easy to find. But as the suspect list dwindles, it seems as though there is nobody left.
Though the dialogue is a bit cumbersome at times, this is a short book. It is best read in as little time as possible. Going away from the book for a time may cause the reader to confuse characters. For the ending alone, this book is worth reading even for non-Christie fans.

This should be a great read. Can you figure it out? See you next month at Margaret’s house.

Reminder and Change of Date for Book Club

Just a reminder about book club coming up in October.  It will be at Beth Adkins home. Her address is posted in an earlier entry. Also, the date will need to be changed that week from Tuesday to Thursday. Beth has an unforeseen schedule conflict for that Tuesday. I hope this won’t cause to much trouble.

I have checked out the book from the Liberty Lake library and am able to let anyone borrow it to read. If you need to borrow the book call Diane 255-5515   or Bethany  255-9241.

Hope to see everyone on Thursday October 7th at Beth Adkins home.

Directions for October book club

Here is the address and directions to Beth Adkins home. She will be hosting our book club discussion in October. Hope to see you there.

My address is 4405 S. Saltese Lake Rd in Greenacres. You head south on Barker until you come to the T. Turn left on to Saltese Lake Rd. and go 1.8 miles. My house is the 6th on the left after you come out of the S turns. My home phone number is 928-2996 if anyone gets lost. Another landmark is that we live next to Todd and Tanya Rigby (the ones with the Buffalo) in case anyone knows where they live.

October’s Book- Look Again by Lisa Scottoline

Yes, you read that correctly. We will be skipping September due to back to school activities. Our next book club meeting will be in October at Beth Adkins house. Directions will be posted soon.

We had a wonderful visit at Sue Mitchell’s home this month. It was a great turn out for the summer time, but we miss some of our faithful friends who couldn’t be there. Our discussion centered on the value of  strong women and what they can accomplish. This story was a true-life novel so although the dialog was fiction her character was real. It didn’t seem to wrap up like a fiction would, all neat and pretty, but rather, well, like real live would. Half-Broke Horses was a good book and gave the reader deeper insight into the family of Jeanette Walls. We would highly recommend reading her other book The Glass Castle.

In October we will be reading:

                                                 

Here is the description from Goodreads: 

When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a “Have You Seen This Child?” flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops—the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. Her every instinct tells her to deny the similarity between the boys, because she knows her adoption was lawful. But she’s a journalist and won’t be able to stop thinking about the photo until she figures out the truth. And she can’t shake the question: if Will rightfully belongs to someone else, should she keep him or give him up? She investigates, uncovering clues no one was meant to discover, and when she digs too deep, she risks losing her own life—and that of the son she loves.
Lisa Scottoline breaks new ground in Look Again, a thriller that’s both heart-stopping and heart-breaking, and sure to have new fans and book clubs buzzing.

A Goodreads reader says:

"Look Again" is an entertaining novel. It reads more as a detective TV show, like the "Rockford Files" than a mystery, with action progressing in a somewhat predictable manner with a few surprises thrown in that actually puzzle, as well as elicit emotion. There are very human, yet likable characters, a love interest, and a potential crime situation that leads to murder,which completely holds the readers attention. The central plot concerning the main character's likelihood of losing her adoptive child to his biological parents, brings to light adoptive issues truly problematic in our society. The situation wrenches the reader's heart for the adoptive mother and for the child. This part of the novel is brilliant, focusing on lack of child focus and support in our current culture. The characterization is also a strength. No person is totally perfect and there are realistic motives behind each character's actions. This novel is definitely worth the time, leaving the reader satisfied.

Don’t forget we will not meet in September. Enjoy reading and see you October 5th at Beth Adkins house.

August’s Book- Half Broke Horses by Jeanette Walls

Thank you Susie for hosting our book club this month. We had a lively discussion on, The Postmistress, and all agreed in the end that it was a good book to read. War is a terrible tragedy, but when you look at how it effects individual lives it can be devastating. This book helped us see how individuals coped and how we as a country in the 1940’s needed to open our eyes more. Thanks for recommending the book Susie.

Sue Mitchell will host next month on Tuesday  August 3rd.  Her Pick will be:

                                         

A Book Review:

Jeannette Walls's "The Glass Castle" was "nothing short of spectacular" ("Entertainment Weekly"). Now she brings us the story of her grandmother -- told in a voice so authentic and compelling that the book is destined to become an instant classic. ""Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did."" So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, in Jeannette Walls's magnificent, true-life novel based on her no-nonsense, resourceful, hard working, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At fifteen, she left home to teach in a frontier town -- riding five hundred miles on her pony, all alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car ("I loved cars even more than I loved horses. They didn't need to be fed if they weren't working, and they didn't leave big piles of manure all over the place") and fly a plane, and, with her husband, ran a vast ranch in Arizona.

She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette's memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in "The Glass Castle." Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. She bristled at prejudice of all kinds -- against women, Native Americans, and anyone else who didn't fit the mold. "Half Broke Horses" is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen's "Out of Africa" or Beryl Markham's "West with the Night." It will transfix readers everywhere.

A Reader from Goodreads says:

Jeannette Walls’ true-life novel, Half Broke Horses is a captivating, beautifully woven story that is fast pace and hard to put down. Wall’s gives her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey Smith a voice and shares her story - passed down orally from different family members - with the world. Lily Casey is an extraordinarily strong, smart, and spirited woman that any granddaughter or reader of this novel can admire. This book is filled with both triumph and heartbreaking tragedy, and definitely does not lack adventure. Growing up in a still somewhat untamed west, Walls provides an interesting portrayal of important events in American history from prohibition and the depression to the industrial revolution and WWI and WWII through the perspective of her grandmother.

Walls writes the story in first person from the point of view of her grandmother. She explains in the author’s note that she wrote the story in first person because she wanted to capture Lily’s distinctive voice that she can clearly recall. The first person narration doesn’t disappoint either. Walls successfully captures Lily Casey’s voice in a way that only enhances the narrative, and makes Lily seem all the more enchanting. The language is witty and poetic in its simplicity.

Sounds like a great book to read for the summer. Enjoy!

Please note we will not be meeting in September.