May Book Club: Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

Thank you LuAnn for a wonderful discussion on such an interesting topic. We all enjoyed reading Proof of Heaven and found many comforting and uplifting concepts to talk about. The idea of Love, pure unconditional love found in his NDE and the idea that love and compassion towards our fellowman would solve many of our earthly problems is spot on. It was a great book to share with us.

We loved meeting Phyllis and Debbie and hope you will come back. We really love getting together and talking about…well, just about anything.

Margaret will be hosting our next meeting on Tuesday May 7th at 7PM.  Her book pick is:

                           

Goodreads review says:   Called a "magnificently crafted story . . . brimming with wisdom" by Howard Frank Mosher in "The Washington Post Book World," "Crossing to Safety" has, since its publication in 1987, established itself as one of the greatest and most cherished American novels of the twentieth century. Tracing the lives, loves, and aspirations of two couples who move between Vermont and Wisconsin, it is a work of quiet majesty, deep compassion, and powerful insight into the alchemy of friendship and marriage.

A Goodreads reader says:   I liked this even better than Angle of Repose, his Pulitzer winner. Stegner's descriptions of people and places put me in the story and drive me to tears and smiles. I can practically smell the New England hardwoods and hear the creaks of doors and old floors. This is a gem of a story about two couples--their relationships, their friendship, and their lives--told across decades. The truths he tells about marriage and friendship are sometimes beautiful and sometimes merely hard to read, but always poetic and worthwhile. I say truths, because if you're married or if you have a friendship that has stretch over time like this, you'll see yourself and your spouse/friends reflected in the story at some point. Great book.

Some upcoming books we will be reading are:                                  June 4th: The Honest Truth about Dishonesty by Dan Ariely    July 30th: Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza                            August 27th: The Rent Collector by Camron Wright

See you next month at Margaret’s home.

April Book Club: Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander

Thank you Telarry for a wonderful, cozy evening together. Her book Murder on the Rocks is classified as a “cozy mystery”. It was a quick, easy read meant to entertain us rather then make detectives out of us. We loved the descriptive writing and the desserts from the book were yummy.

LuAnn will be hosting our next evening together. We will meet at her home on Tuesday April 9th at 7pm. This is one week later then usual to accommodate spring break.  Her book pick is:

 

                           

Goodreads review says: 

A SCIENTIST’S CASE FOR THE AFTERLIFE:  Thousands of people have had near-death experiences, but scientists have argued that they are impossible. Dr. Eben Alexander was one of those scientists. A highly trained neurosurgeon, Alexander knew that NDEs feel real, but are simply fantasies produced by brains under extreme stress.
Then, Dr. Alexander’s own brain was attacked by a rare illness. The part of the brain that controls thought and emotion—and in essence makes us human—shut down completely. For seven days he lay in a coma. Then, as his doctors considered stopping treatment, Alexander’s eyes popped open. He had come back.
Alexander’s recovery is a medical miracle. But the real miracle of his story lies elsewhere. While his body lay in coma, Alexander journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence. There he met, and spoke with, the Divine source of the universe itself.
Alexander’s story is not a fantasy. Before he underwent his journey, he could not reconcile his knowledge of neuroscience with any belief in heaven, God, or the soul. Today Alexander is a doctor who believes that true health can be achieved only when we realize that God and the soul are real and that death is not the end of personal existence but only a transition.
This story would be remarkable no matter who it happened to. That it happened to Dr. Alexander makes it revolutionary. No scientist or person of faith will be able to ignore it. Reading it will change your life.

Sounds like a good one. Enjoy!

March Book Club: Murder on the Rocks by Karen MacInerney

Aren’t we glad that we have such a wonderful book club? The Bridge of San Luis Rey was a book that needed a discussion.  Thanks Sue for guiding us to see the irony and the beautifully written, thought provoking words. . The author in part based his book on the scriptural passage of Luke 13:4 which now makes a lot of sense. The last lines of the book were said to be quoted by Tony Blair after the September 11 tragedies.  It was a great evening together. A warm welcome to our new friend Beth Nelson. We loved sharing the evening with you and hope you will come back.

Our next meeting will be hosted by Telarry on March 5th at 7pm.  Her book pick is:

                                      

Goodreads review says:  Natalie Barnes buys the Gray Whale Inn, a bed and breakfast in Maine, and publicly opposes Bernard Katz's proposed resort development, which threatens a colony of black-chinned terns, and when Katz is found dead, Natalie must find the true killer in order to clear her own name.

A Goodreads reader says:    I came upon this book at a used book sale by accident. When I picked it up I realized that it was a series that had been recommended by a friend. What luck that was! It's a cozy mystery with the locale being a bed and breakfast (the Gray Whale- an old mansion) on a fairly remote Maine Island. I loved the locale. The things Natalie, the proprietress, cooked made my mouth water. I decided to look on the internet for those recipes- when I got to the end of the book, there the recipes were! Natalie is a grown-up girl heroine like those of my favorite series- Judy Bolton, Nancy Drew, etc- curious and looking too close into what's going on so she's often in danger. In this case, it was murder, and her main reason for getting involved was a lazy law enforcer who wanted to pin it on her! The pace was perfect and the book flows along very nicely.

Happy Reading!

Proof of Heaven by Eben Alexander was a book that was recommended.

February Book Club: The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder

We had a wonderful time gathering at Debbie’s house for our annual movie night. We watched To Kill a Mockingbird. Some of us had never watched this classic movie and others just finished reading the book for the first time. Such a good book. Debbie spoiled us with her concession stand of movie theater goodies. It was a perfect evening.

Our next book club meeting will be on Tuesday February 5th at 7 pm at Sue Mitchell’s home. Her book pick is:

                               

A Goodreads review says:

"On Friday noon, July the twentieth, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below." With this celebrated sentence Thornton Wilder begins The Bridge of San Luis Rey, one of the towering achievements in American fiction and a novel read throughout the world.
By chance, a monk witnesses the tragedy. Brother Juniper then embarks on a quest to prove that it was divine intervention rather than chance that led to the deaths of those who perished in the tragedy. His search leads to his own death -- and to the author's timeless investigation into the nature of love and the meaning of the human condition.

A Goodreads reader says:

Beautiful prose, fascinating tale about the collapse of a bridge and the lives of the people who died there. The premise of the story is that there was a monk who was convinced that each of these people had died for a reason, and who wrote a book trying to prove the existence of God based on the life stories of the five people who died - but the narrator of the story goes on to fill in all the things the monk didn't know or misunderstood, giving this short novel layers upon layers of story. Absolutely wonderful.

Telarry will be hosting in March and her book is Murder on the Rocks by Karen MacInerney. It is available in librarys and on the kindle.

See you in February at Sue’s home.

Diane

December Book Club: Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett

We had a lively discussion this past month with Bethany’s pick of The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman.  One of the main themes of this story was about forgiveness and choosing to be happy regardless of surrounding circumstances. The choices made by the characters (they are fictional!), show that we are all flawed and that there is always two sides to a story. This wasn’t  about right or wrong because we all have good in us but our choices can cause heartache in others while seeming to be good for us.  The writing was beautiful and the symbolism of light throughout the book was masterfully done.  Thanks Bethany for a delightful evening. We also welcome our new friend Simona. We could tell you enjoyed yourself and hope you will come back.

A note for next year: We will be moving our day to Tuesday for next year so plan on getting together on the first Tuesday of each month starting in January.

Our next gathering will be on Thursday Dec 6th at 7pm. Diane will host at her home with the book Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett.

                                  

Goodreads review says: 

Marley was dead to begin with . . . These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge s miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. Why was Marley allowed to return? And why hadn t he been given the same chance as Ebenezer Scrooge? Or had he? Written with a voice reminiscent of Dickens, Jacob T. Marley is to A Christmas Carol as the world-famous Wicked is to The Wizard of Oz as this masterfully crafted story teaches of choices, consequences, and of the power of accountability. It is sure to become a Christmas favorite.

A goodreads reader writes: 

"Jacob realized that he was no more than an entry in Scrooge's ledger-in an account that was now being closed.
What a wretched man, Marley thought. Whatever in the world made him?
Whether it was seconds or minutes, Marley did not know, but he paused so completely he thought his heart ha stopped beating.
I did, were his own words that came to him.
I did, I made Ebenezer Scrooge."
These are some of the final thoughts of Jacob T. Marley as he lays on his deathbed in front of Scrooge. While we all know of Dicken's famous story of Scrooge's second chance, what of Marley? Why didn't he get a second chance, or did he? This beautifully written story in the style of Dickens tells of what happens to Ebenezer Scrooge's business partner before, and after his death.
Readers see as the warm-hearted, deeply loved Jacob Thelonius Marley is changed into the cold, unforgiving Marley we knew in A Christmas Carol. The story depicts Marley's life as well as his journey in heaven and his well-known, ghostly meeting with Ebenezer. As Scrooge's heart is changed through his meetings with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, so is Marley's perspective expanded. This masterfully written story entwined the two's paths so creatively,that it will keep you eating up each page while warming the heart and teaching of compassion, sacrifice, and forgiveness. This new tale is sure to warm your heart during the Christmas season, as well as throughout the whole year.

Be thinking about which month you would like to host next year and if possible which book you would like to discuss.

Happy reading!!

November book club: The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Thanks to all who were able to come to Beth’s house this past week. We had a great discussion about her book pick The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvus. This was a great book to discuss because it made us think about our own need for acceptance and tolerance among our peers and how far we might go to letting someone different into our community, whether that be a spiritual or social one. Highly recommended reading.

Bethany will be hosting our next meeting on Thursday Nov. 1st at 7pm. She has moved homes but is still in Liberty Lake. I will forward on her address later. Her book selection is:

                            

Goodreads Review says: 

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.
Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.
M. L. Stedman’s mesmerizing, beautifully written novel seduces us into accommodating Isabel’s decision to keep this “gift from God.” And we are swept into a story about extraordinarily compelling characters seeking to find their North Star in a world where there is no right answer, where justice for one person is another’s tragic loss.
The Light Between Oceans is exquisite and unforgettable, a deeply moving novel.

A Goodreads reader says: 

Tom Sherborne was shattered psychologically by his years on the Western Front in World War I. Returning to Australia, he can't face post-war society so he accepts a job operating a lighthouse on Janus Rock, an island several hours off the coast where the Pacific meets the Indian Ocean. The isolation is almost complete. Supply boats only come to Janus Rock every three months and shore leave is only granted every other year. Tom eventually marries Isabel and the two begin to build a life on Janus Rock. Isabel desperately wants to begin a family and, unfortunately, she suffers a series of miscarrages and a still birth that causes her to suffer an emotional breakdown. And then one day a boat washes ashore carrying a dead man and a live baby. Choices begin to be made that affect lives both on the island and on the mainland. The strength of this book is that the reader has empathy with every character and can understand every choice that is made. This book is a clear reminder that choices have consequences not only for ourselves but also for those individuals around us. An incredibly emotional read, but so worth the effort.

Happy reading and see you next month.

October book club: The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis

Thank you LuAnn for hosting our book club this month. We had such a good evening together. Her book pick of The Girl Who Chased the Moon sparked many tangent discussions about healing, hurting, acceptance, growing up in small towns, moving, change of hearts, oddities in families and communities etc. We discovered things about our book club friends that we would never have guessed! It was a ridiculously enjoyable evening, and the milky way cake was heavenly. I love getting together and sharing  thoughts and ideas about what ever these books inspire us to think about.

Next month Beth will be hosting our book club on Thursday October 4th at 7pm. Her book pick is:

                                  

Goodreads review says:   When free-spirited Batsheva moves into the close-knit Orthodox community of Memphis, Tennessee, the already precarious relationship between the Ladies Auxiliary and their teenage daughters is shaken to the core. In this extraordinary novel, Tova Mirvis takes us into the fascinating and insular world of the Memphis Orthodox Jews, one ripe with tradition and contradiction. Warm and wise, enchanting and funny, The Ladies Auxiliary brilliantly illuminates the timeless struggle between mothers and daughters, family and self, religious freedom and personal revelation, honoring the past and facing the future. An unforgettable story of uncommon atmosphere, profound insight, and winning humor, The Ladies Auxiliary is a triumphant work of fiction.

A goodreads reader says:  I loved this book. I think it was because I could relate to so much of the story. Small communities are like that, hiding problems and protecting the status quo at all cost. What I love best about Oakland is that we celebrate diversity and seem to thrive on uncovering dirt to discuss.
And I loved the references to Jewish tradition. Although I was raised in a Reform congregation, my grandparents were very much a part of that Orthodoxy. And we all stuck together, supporting each other, even when it made no sense, like eating at the Chinese restaurant owned by a member of the temple and only going to Jewish doctors and dentists.
I own this book and plan to lend it out because it is such a fun read.

Beth had several books to recommend that she has read.

• The Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
• Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nelson

We have titles for our books thru the end of the year.

• November 1st is hosted by Bethany. Her pick is The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman
• November 29th is hosted by Diane. Her pick is Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett

Happy Reading and see you next month. Good luck Heather. Our thoughts and prayers will be with you. We love you.