Book Club : February Notes

An Extraordinary Beginning

Our newly reorganized book club held its first meeting on February 7th.  And our first book of the year was very strange indeed: The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman.

Image from Google

The novel is set in Brooklyn around 1911.  In addition to other sites, much of the action takes place at the Museum of Extraordinary Things located on Coney Island where freaks of Nature, human and otherwise, were put on display by Coralie's father for the entertainment of the public (and of course for the purpose of filling his bank account). 

We all agreed we enjoyed the book.  Each of us was able to find among the oddities populating the pages, something we really loved.  Here is a quick bulleted list of some of the things we liked about the book:

• the beautiful use of language by the author, Alice Hoffman - her descriptions were detailed and sensative
• the book's historical references were fascinating and led some to do further research on the Shirtwaist Factory fire and the great 1911 fire at Dreamland located across the way from the Museum of the novel
• learning that not so very long ago, NYC was not such a concrete jungle - one could actually find wooded unsettled areas and even fish and swim in the Hudson River
• the stories of immigrants when they arrived penniless to NYC- their struggles but especially the strength of spirit, the pride, the tenacity of these people
• the clever twists in the plot, especially the surprises and connections between characters that were revealed along the way
• the view into a world not many of us know -  that of people living with abnormalities and how they struggle to live a normal life
• the strangeness of it all 

The book provoked a good discussion... then it was on to"What should we read next?"

We came up with the following  potential reads for the March meeting:

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Allie and Bea by Cathering Ryan Hyde
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate

As is our routine, we went home, looked at reviews and voted on our FB groupsite.

Our March read will be A Gentleman in Moscow...though I'm sure some of us will read several of the other choices on our own as well!

image from Google

Hope you are enjoying some great winter reads.  I'd love to hear what you are reading...use comment section to share.

Favorite Reads of 2016

My Top Five Books of 2016

This year I really tried to read at least two books a month.  As it turned out, I read 39! It feels good to complete and surpass a goal.  There were many books that I really enjoyed, a few that I dropped or just skimmed and one that I threw across the room.  But, I won't bore you with an entire list and will just share a bit about the top five that made my favorite list.  These are not in order of most to least favorite...that's just too much thinking to do...so here goes in random order:

Persuasion by Jane Austen
I think I liked this Austen novel even better than Pride and Prejudice. The unfulfilled longings of both main characters, Anne and Capt. Wentworth, were palpable from page one. Years earlier, Anne had been persuaded to break her engagement to Captain Wentworth because it was deemed an inappropriate match. She eventually finds the courage to stick a finger in the snotty eye of Victorian manners and be true to her feelings.  True love finally triumphs...doesn't that always make for a lovely story? And, of course, Austen's language and turn of phrase is simply luxurious.

The One-In-a-Million Boy by Monica Wood
Touching and heart-warming. In order to earn a Boy Scout service badge, a young boy does chores for Ona Victus, 104 years of age. They develop a very charming relationship...then one day the boy does not show up.  A few days later, the boy's father arrives to finish his son's chores. He learns more about his son and about himself as he too develops an unpredictable relationship with Ona. Don't miss this one!

Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
This book was on my to-read list for a long time.  When I finally got around to reading it, I was so glad that I did.  It was fun and touching at the same time. Bernadette Fox, the title character, is absent for most of the novel.  Instead the bulk of the plot revolves around Bee, Bernadette's 15-year-old daughter, who is trying to find her mother who simply disappears from the cruise ship that is taking them on a tour of Antarctica.  Hence...the title.  I so enjoyed this book, that I am eager to read Semple's most recent book, Today Will Be Different.

Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
OK...so I must confess, I truly do love all things Jane Austen.  So, when I saw that Eligible was a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, I just had to read it.  I must admit, I was anticipating a fairly silly story...how can you transplant those Victorian manners to 2016? But, I was totally delighted by the story.  A good story is a good story...great characters transcend time periods.  Nuff said!

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
A book about a bookshop?  You betcha! What more could a book-lover ask for? How about a book about a mobile bookshop, run by a librarian who has been put out of work because libraries and paper books are being digitally replaced?  How about a book set in a secluded village of Scotland where the residents are starving for books?  Jenny Colgan has given us book -lovers a book to hug!

So, that's my top-five list.  Hope some of these titles might spark an interest for you. I'd love to hear what you felt were your top reads of the year.  Leave a comment.  I'm making up a new to-read list for 2017 and could use a few new suggestions!  Happy Reading Everyone.

Reading Round-Up: February/March

February was a slow-reading month for me because I was involved with finishing my reading about the Constitution.  I read lot's of primary documents...which I just loved pouring over.  I was also slowed by several bad choices that I either dropped  or skimmed.  But, eventually I settled on a few good reads.  Here's the list:

The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd

This was one of the books I disliked. I read the first half and basically skimmed to the end and read the ending.  I was disappointed because I really liked The Secret Life of Bees and was expecting another good story.  I simply felt the story of the oppressed slave has been told over and over and over and there was not anything new here.  

A Man Called Ove, Fredrik Backman

This was another disappointment.  This book was given great reviews and I couldn't wait to get it from the library.  I was 26th on the waiting list!  So when I got to chapter 5 and realized what was hinted at from page 1 really happened...I threw the book across the room and refused to read the rest!  Maybe you will like it though...I just wasn't in the mood...

The Precious One, Marisa de los Santos 

I truly enjoyed this 2-voice narrative of half-sisters Taisy and Willow. They share a father, Wilson, but have been raised in totally different fashions.  Lots of interesting family dynamics revealed.

 How To Write a Novel: A Novel, Melanie Sumner

Cute. Clever. Fun.  Aris Thibodeau, the narrator, is 12.5 years old and is writing a novel in 30 days.  Her mom is an English teacher; her dad is dead; and the nanny (the single guy next door) is an aging hippie who just happens to be the perfect match for her mother, in Aris's opinion.  I loved how the writing process was a part of the telling of the story...so cool for an ex-English teacher like me.

Beach Town, Mary Kay Andrews

Just needed to read a book I knew would be stress-free and relaxing.  This fit the bill perfectly. Set in Florida Greer Hennessy, a movie location scout- finds love and her long-estranged father in a run-down, struggling beach town.  

Reading Round-up: December

December was so jam-packed with activity that my reading time suffered.  Hence I have only a few titles to share with you, but they were all great reads.

The Anxiety Disease by David Sheehan 

was first on my list.  I have several family members who suffer from anxiety.  Some suffer only occasionally, others suffer greatly and frequently.  I wanted to learn more about anxiety, so that I could be more understanding and maybe even be of help.  Though this book was written in 1983, I found it to be so very insightful and helpful. It looks at anxiety, not as a psychological disorder, but rather as a disease.  As such, it can then be treated and controlled.  Dr. Sheehan discusses the various stages of the disease, and believe me, he is spot on.  He also offers hope and suggestions for dealing with the disease.  If you or someone you love is trying to deal with anxiety, I highly recommend you read this book.  It gives you insight into the helplessness of the victim, and helps you gain empathy.  The disease is not as simple as "just get over it", anxiety is as real as any other disease and should be treated as such.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

is also connected to the theme of anxiety.  Audrey, the main character, is trying to gain control of her severe anxiety and panic attacks, brought on by severe bullying incidents in school.  Audrey is in the midst of recovering through the aid of a good therapist, a very supportive family, and a new accepting friend.  Audrey makes a complete break from the hurtful incident and is home for now, but hopes to soon attend a new school.  Though she still has setbacks ( she hides from anyone who comes to the door) she is bravely taking steps to re-enter the real world.  She wears sunglasses 24/7 in order to feel comfortable around people; she needs this bit of symbolic distance to feel safe.  The book provides a great look into the anguish  and struggles of one who is dealing with severe anxiety and of the effects it has on those who love her.  In this age of social media that seems to promote a callousness brought on by a feeling of anonymity, it is important to remember that words do hurt and can do immense damage.

Two Across by Jeff Bartsch

This book made my list this month because I've become intrigued by crossword puzzles. Every morning since we have been retired, Bob complete's the Star Ledger's crossword puzzle as we sip our coffee and munch on some breakfast.  I tend to check emails while he works the puzzle but am sometimes called in as back up to use my computer, when when he gets stuck on a stubborn clue.  So when I saw this title in the library, I snatched it up.  A good choice - a very different plot and engaging characters.  Stanley and Vera, two brainiacs, meet at the National Spelling Bee, where they end up as co-winners defeating the list of most challenging words. The two form a somewhat weird bond as they meet again and again at yearly reunions.  Their relationship takes a even stranger twist when Stanley talks Vera into a "fake" marriage.  The relationship is often tortured by unrequited love and the two spend more time apart than together communicating through complex crossword puzzles they write and which are published in major papers such as the NY Times and Washington Post.  Besides the presence of interesting characters and a clever plot, Two Across taught me quite a bit about the construction of crossword puzzles.

Vintage by David Baker

was by far my favorite book this month.  This book has much to endear the reader to it:

• a onetime bestselling author who has lost his way
• two devoted daughters who adore their father 
• a father who brings his daughters love and warmth along with the lovely meals he teaches them to prepare
• a love for great wine
• a scoundrel who indulges in excess of drinking and womanizing  
• a mystery of a legendary spectacular vintage from 1943, stolen by the Nazis and a frantic search to find it
• a search of a lost soul to finally find what is truly important in life (hint - he finds it!)
• one of the best endings I've read in a long time

That's it for this month.  What books would you recommend for starting off a new  year?  I'd love to hear some suggestions so I can start a new reading list for 2016!  Happy New Year every one.  May it be the best one yet.