The blog has been quiet for a little while, but I wanted to quickly wish all of the members and readers of IBC a very wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!
I'll be working on the update from the last massive meeting, and putting out an eVite to set a date for the next meeting - tentatively scheduled for one of the latter weekends in January. Until then, Happy Holidays, and even happier reading!
Dave
Friday, December 21, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Book Tracker
Another successful and enjoyable meeting! For those of you who weren't there (as well as those of you who were), I'll be working on the notes over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, please add comments to this post about what books you borrowed from others. Since it was at my house, I ended up with leftovers, so I have:
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - which I think is Kay's
The Delta Decision - Brad's
A Student Guide to the Classics - Virginia's
I think that's it... if you borrowed a book from someone, or want to know who has it, please post a comment. I'll pull them all together for the next group of notes. Thanks to everyone who made it - the next one is in January (look for a choose the date eVite soon) - hope even more people can make it then!
The Memory Keeper's Daughter - which I think is Kay's
The Delta Decision - Brad's
A Student Guide to the Classics - Virginia's
I think that's it... if you borrowed a book from someone, or want to know who has it, please post a comment. I'll pull them all together for the next group of notes. Thanks to everyone who made it - the next one is in January (look for a choose the date eVite soon) - hope even more people can make it then!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Books that didn't make the book club
With the meeting coming up, I started reviewing all of the books I've read since the last meeting to decide which ones I'm going to discuss - and I discovered that I read a lot of books! (on a side note, I heard a speaker yesterday quote that 58% of Americans do not read another book after high school Statistics at Parapublishing.com - a stat I find hard to believe). I can't discuss all of these at the book club since we don't have time, and it would greatly increase the already inordinate gap between the club and the publication of the notes... so I thought I'd put an incomplete list here - avoiding any that I think others may discuss (like Walking in Circles Before Lying Down, which Bev hopes to have finished by Saturday, or Empire of Ivory - the 4th book in the Naomi Novik Temeraire series that Karen introduced us to). Naturally, if you are interested in any of these, I'm happy to loan them out. So this is my list - how about yours? What have you read of interest lately that won't make it to the book club (either because you chose something else, or aren't going to make it?)? Post them into comments on the blog!
The Keep, by Jennifer Egan - a genre-defying novel about a prisoner in a creative writing class, and a shiftless guy who is invited by his formerly nerdy, now millionaire cousin whom he wronged in their youth to help restore an ancient castle somewhere in Bulgaria. This is a somewhat mind-bending book - my most frequent thought throughout it was 'What the hell...???" - but I got sucked into the story and read it with abandon throughout the final third of the book.
American Gods and Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman - I already reviewed Neverwhere by the same author at the last book club, stating that he's rapidly becoming my favorite author - and these two books don't disappoint. Kind of unfair to lump them together, as they are totally separate stories with a single character in common - but I loved both of them. They both deal with the existence of the minor gods of superstitious lore and fable, placed into today's world.
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About, by Mil Millington - Martin and I were discussing the Gaiman books by email when he asked me when Cristopher Moore (the author of Lamb) was coming out with another book. I went to his website (http://www.chrismoore.com/ - his blog is hilarious!) to check, and sadly, there is nothing on the horizon. So I checked out his reading list - and Mil Millington was one of his recommendations. Basically, a battle of the sexes (and English vs. German sensibilities) set against a madcap series of events from a slacker's perspective, this book had me cackling throughout. I've got another Millington book Love and Other Near-Death Experiences in my stack of to-be-read.
1632, by Eric Flint - I sent my mother (or tried to - that's yet another story) Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book, a story about a young doctoral candidate who is transported back to England in the Dark Ages, right before the plague (a great book, if you've not read it). When I was describing it to her, she recommended I pick this book up, so I did (it's good to listen to your mother). And I almost put it down... The premise is that an entire town in present day West Virginia disappears and is plopped into the middle of Germany during the Thirty Years' War. The dialogue and the patriotism were hokey and overstated, to the point of being patronizing. When I complained about this to my mother, she said to stick with it, it gets better (it's good to listen to your mother). And what I found, beyond the hokey and patronizing dialogue, was a fascinating well-researched, pragmatic look at what would happen if today's technology was dropped into the environment of the past - including the dependence on diminishing resources. And I found that toward the end, I didn't mind some of the hokiness... this book has spawned a number of sequels that I'll eventually circle back to read.
The Gun Seller, by Hugh Laurie - some of you may recognize the author's name - he's the actor who plays House on Fox. If you imagine House as a British author (despite the midwestern accent he uses on the show, Hugh Laurie is in fact British... hearing him interviewed always throws me for a loop), writing a James Bond novel, bringing all of the cynicism and wit of his character, that's what you have in The Gun Seller. I really enjoyed the book, although I must admit that it was a little lethargic in the middle, and it gets kind of redundant to constantly place the protagonist into seemingly impossible, inescapable peril, only to see him use his wit, luck, deus ex machina, or an attractive woman to emerge relatively unscathed - but I could say those things about every James Bond movie (including the latest - which I thought was great) I've ever seen.
Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami - this book was recommended to me because I responded to a post on a website about Black Swan Green, one of my favorite coming of age books (by David Mitchell - I also recently read Cloud Atlas by him - another fantastic, genre-bending book that I highly recommend). Kafka is a fifteen year old Japanese boy who runs away from home. And then things get weird. Full of Japanese mysticism, fantasy and philosophy (it's easy to see where manga comes from), this book was like the feeling you have trying to do simple things like walk, get a drink of water or go to the bathroom, after getting on one of those rides at the amusement park that spins you in every direction all at once. A challenging, but rewarding experience - I've not yet decided if I'm going to seek out more of the author's work - a line in a review on Amazon sums it up best... Occasionally, the writing drifts too far into metaphysical musings—mind-bending talk of parallel worlds, events occurring outside of time—and things swirl a bit at the end as the author tries, perhaps too hard, to make sense of things. But by this point, his readers, like his characters, will go just about anywhere Murakami wants them to, whether they "get" it or not.
The Keep, by Jennifer Egan - a genre-defying novel about a prisoner in a creative writing class, and a shiftless guy who is invited by his formerly nerdy, now millionaire cousin whom he wronged in their youth to help restore an ancient castle somewhere in Bulgaria. This is a somewhat mind-bending book - my most frequent thought throughout it was 'What the hell...???" - but I got sucked into the story and read it with abandon throughout the final third of the book.
American Gods and Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman - I already reviewed Neverwhere by the same author at the last book club, stating that he's rapidly becoming my favorite author - and these two books don't disappoint. Kind of unfair to lump them together, as they are totally separate stories with a single character in common - but I loved both of them. They both deal with the existence of the minor gods of superstitious lore and fable, placed into today's world.
Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About, by Mil Millington - Martin and I were discussing the Gaiman books by email when he asked me when Cristopher Moore (the author of Lamb) was coming out with another book. I went to his website (http://www.chrismoore.com/ - his blog is hilarious!) to check, and sadly, there is nothing on the horizon. So I checked out his reading list - and Mil Millington was one of his recommendations. Basically, a battle of the sexes (and English vs. German sensibilities) set against a madcap series of events from a slacker's perspective, this book had me cackling throughout. I've got another Millington book Love and Other Near-Death Experiences in my stack of to-be-read.
1632, by Eric Flint - I sent my mother (or tried to - that's yet another story) Connie Willis' The Doomsday Book, a story about a young doctoral candidate who is transported back to England in the Dark Ages, right before the plague (a great book, if you've not read it). When I was describing it to her, she recommended I pick this book up, so I did (it's good to listen to your mother). And I almost put it down... The premise is that an entire town in present day West Virginia disappears and is plopped into the middle of Germany during the Thirty Years' War. The dialogue and the patriotism were hokey and overstated, to the point of being patronizing. When I complained about this to my mother, she said to stick with it, it gets better (it's good to listen to your mother). And what I found, beyond the hokey and patronizing dialogue, was a fascinating well-researched, pragmatic look at what would happen if today's technology was dropped into the environment of the past - including the dependence on diminishing resources. And I found that toward the end, I didn't mind some of the hokiness... this book has spawned a number of sequels that I'll eventually circle back to read.
The Gun Seller, by Hugh Laurie - some of you may recognize the author's name - he's the actor who plays House on Fox. If you imagine House as a British author (despite the midwestern accent he uses on the show, Hugh Laurie is in fact British... hearing him interviewed always throws me for a loop), writing a James Bond novel, bringing all of the cynicism and wit of his character, that's what you have in The Gun Seller. I really enjoyed the book, although I must admit that it was a little lethargic in the middle, and it gets kind of redundant to constantly place the protagonist into seemingly impossible, inescapable peril, only to see him use his wit, luck, deus ex machina, or an attractive woman to emerge relatively unscathed - but I could say those things about every James Bond movie (including the latest - which I thought was great) I've ever seen.
Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami - this book was recommended to me because I responded to a post on a website about Black Swan Green, one of my favorite coming of age books (by David Mitchell - I also recently read Cloud Atlas by him - another fantastic, genre-bending book that I highly recommend). Kafka is a fifteen year old Japanese boy who runs away from home. And then things get weird. Full of Japanese mysticism, fantasy and philosophy (it's easy to see where manga comes from), this book was like the feeling you have trying to do simple things like walk, get a drink of water or go to the bathroom, after getting on one of those rides at the amusement park that spins you in every direction all at once. A challenging, but rewarding experience - I've not yet decided if I'm going to seek out more of the author's work - a line in a review on Amazon sums it up best... Occasionally, the writing drifts too far into metaphysical musings—mind-bending talk of parallel worlds, events occurring outside of time—and things swirl a bit at the end as the author tries, perhaps too hard, to make sense of things. But by this point, his readers, like his characters, will go just about anywhere Murakami wants them to, whether they "get" it or not.
Monday, November 12, 2007
IBC # 7 - Karen's Condo, September 22, 2007
On a warm Saturday in September, after a five month drought, we finally quenched our thirst with our 7th IBC meeting at Karen's condo in Arlington. After negotiating the always spare parking in Arlington (Karen, being the gracious host, supplied us with quarters to feed the meter creatures), the Fort Knox-like security in Karen's building, and Dave's complete inability to follow directions (or at least distinguish between an East Tower and a West Tower), half a dozen of us sat in Karen's very comfortable living room to discuss our books. Being the orderly type of people that we are, we errrmmmm... went in order. Clockwise. Starting with Bev. (We're so anal).
Bev
Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson
In keeping with tradition, Bev reviewed a couple of children's books - the first came off of an NPR list of 'Books that will spark your child's interest in reading' (or something like that). Tanglewreck is a house in London, where the 11 year old protagonist Silver lives. When time tornadoes strike, leaving the normal chronology of events unstable (as well as disappearing a school bus full of children, and depositing a surprised division of Roman chariots, and confused, if not terrified woolly mammoths on the banks of the modern day Thames), Silver discovers that she is the prophesied 'Keeper of the Clock'. If you're current on the IBC blog entries (which is probably everyone but me), imagine UnLunDun combined with City of Ember, combined with Hyperion (sans Shrike) in this time warp of a tale. Bev warned that while some books let you dip your toes, then gradually your feet before plunging into the narrative, Tanglewreck is not such a book. Within the first couple of pages, you're caught in the time tornadoes, gasping for breath. Sounds like yet another children's book destined to be passed amongst the members of the IBC.
Sammy Carducci's Guide to Women by Ronald Kidd
The next book Bev reviewed is one that was read to Bev during her 'Children's Literature' course in college. Sammy Carducci is a slick, but diminutive 6th grader who wears a suit, tie and black high top Chuck Taylors to class everyday (and on 'test' days, he adorns his suit with a folded red handkerchief). Sammy sets his sights on Becky, the tall class beauty, and using his high-school aged brother as a role model. The tale is told from both Sammy's and Becky's points of view, with a lot of humor and references to the 80's (was that redundant?), as it was written in the early 1990s. As one amazon.com reviewer put it - 'lots of snappy dialogue and humiliation'. What more could you want from a book for and about 6th graders?
Amy
One Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Amy decided to take on this Cold War classic that I had to read as a sophomore in high school (and since the only thing I remember from my sophomore year is a really bad feathered back haircut and thinking my dad's terry cloth v-neck shirt was cool because I fit into it, I don't remember much Solzhenitsyn). This tale of a single day in the life of a resident in a Gulag somewhere in Siberia was originally published in 1962, and was somewhat autobiographical - as Solzhenitsyn spent 10 years in a Gulag himself for criticizing Stalin (surprisingly Kruschev allowed it to be published, mostly because it was critical of Stalin's era - oh, the irony!). The way the book described Gulag life reminded Amy of a day in high school - of the 'Bueller... Bueller... Bueller...', drooling on the desk variety. It does have it's hope, though - how people manage to get through one uneventful day after another, taking pride in the smallest of accomplishments. After reading this, Amy felt as if she had been on a journey - just not to someplace she would want to be.
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
Amy's second offering is the first of a fantasy trilogy written for pre-teens. The story centers around (as so many of these do) two sisters, Kate and Emily, who are orphaned, and sent to live with a distant guardian (on an estate named Hallow Hill). While wandering through the woods, they encounter gypsies that are really goblins in disguise. Kate is kidnapped to become the bride of Marak, the very intelligent, completely pitiless, but kind of hot (Amy's words, not mine) goblin king. Despite her initial reticence, she and Marak develop an 'understanding' (one Amazon reviewer compared it to the relationship in 'Pride and Prejudice'), just as the goblins are attacked by a sorcerer from afar. Amy really liked the author's writing style, and the story kept her fascinated, never knowing quite sure who to root for, with an underlying theme of protecting those you love. Yet another 'children's series' that may find it's way into the IBC's reading stacks.
Dave
The Terror by Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons, quite the prolific author, has been previously reviewed by the IBC (and will again be, below) for some of his Science Fiction work. You may remember him as the author of the Hyperion/Endymion series. The Terror is a departure from sci-fi, and fits more into an historical fiction/gothic horror/adventure genre (found in the library under... umm... well...). The Terror starts with history - the Franklin expedition of 1847 to find the Northwest Passage (just recently opened through global warming). At the start of the book, Franklin, the leader of the expedition and captain of one of two expedition ships, the Erebus, has been killed, along with several of the crew. The captain of the other ship, the Terror has taken over the expedition - which is now focused on survival. The two ships are frozen in the Arctic circle, about a mile apart, having been last seen two years previous off the coast of Greenland, stalked by a mysterious yet viciously intelligent primordial creature. Shipboard life in the British Navy of the mid-19th century, survival in the most extreme of conditions, and encounters with the nomadic Inuit round out some of the themes covered in this book. Dan Simmons was a professor of literature, and crafts an extremely engaging story with language that gives you the feeling of the bitter cold, the fear, the characters feel, and their sense of duty and tradition they embrace. I really liked the Hyperion/Endymion books, but The Terror is on a higher plain - one that I will have to revisit again at some point in the future.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
From relative, but respected obscurity in Simmons' case, to almost rock-star cult status (the legions of Gaiman fans are now reaching into the mainstream with the movie adaptation of his book, Stardust), Neverwhere is another genre-bending work. Similar in theme to UnLunDun, in that 'normal' people suddenly find themselves in an alternate society beneath the city of London, inhabited by strange, delightful and sinister beings, this is mostly a fantasy novel. Richard Mayhew is the prototypical, underachieving everyman, who through helping a wounded girl, finds himself trapped in London Below. Naturally, there's a quest. And bad guys. And lots of action - yet Gaiman has filled his book with dark humor, breathtaking images, and fascinating characters. Neverwhere reads like a bedtime story for adults, and I resisted putting it down as much as I used to resist getting ready for bed as a child. Neil Gaiman is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
Colleen
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
If you are ever on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?', and a question on the Harry Potter books comes up that you aren't 100% certain you know, make sure you've saved your 'Phone a Friend' and call Colleen. As each new book in the series was released, Colleen went back to Sorcerer's Stone to re-read each one, just prior to the release of the new one. So from the time the release date for Deathly Hallows, Colleen had her work cut out for her. For months, we would be discussing the next book (there was always the fear that it would 'jump the shark'), and Colleen would start expounding on the identities of Horcruxes, the 'goodness' of Snape, whether Harry would die - and all the things being debated amongst Potter aficionados (as an aside, she is not a fan of the movies, being a Harry Potter purist). So - did she like the book? Absolutely. Deathly Hallows provided the answers to questions that existed since Book 1, and all those uncovered since, while providing a lot of action and drama. Each of the major and a lot of the minor characters had their chance to shine, and Deathly Hallows was a fitting end to a wonderful series. Now let's see if she likes the movie.
Brad
Ilium by Dan Simmons
As promised above, we have yet another review of a Dan Simmons book. In a return to his 'literary science fiction', this is the first in a series of two (the second one is Olympos) covering three concurrent and intertwined storylines of the far distant future. One occurs on Earth, where there are a few humans living very spoiled and pampered lives, with machines as servants and the ability to travel via fax (but who wants to travel to a lawyer's office?). They've pretty much lost the ability to fend for themselves, including (sacrilege!) the ability to read. The second story involves Moravecs (in typical Simmons fashion - something you have to figure out from context), a kind of biological/cybernetic species of Shakespeare and Foust fans living in relative harmony amongst the moons of Jupiter, until they bothered by a cosmic disturbance around the vicinity of Mars that they decide to investigate. And the third story, is of course that of Mars, where a super species living as the Greek Gods are out to recreate the Trojan War, under the watchful eye and guidance of a 20th century Greek scholar who much to his surprise, woke up one morning on Mars in the far distant future. Brad was enthralled by the way Simmons weaves technology, mythology and several literary references as he brings the three stories together in his typically lush and rewarding fashion - I'm looking forward to reading this one, and hearing Brad's thoughts on Olympos.
The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery
From sci-fi to science, and, inadvertently, politics... Brad next presented Tim Flannery's (a noted paleontologist and mammologist) attempt to close the book once and for all on the link between Global Warming and Climate Change and man's impact on both. Along the way he addresses the economic impact, and an argument on how to ween ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels. Brad enjoyed the book, and he learned a lot, but wasn't as satisfied as he might have hoped. Brad, ever the scientist, felt the author could have included more cutting edge research, and was left with a lot of questions on how the science was applied (and few answers). Brad felt this was a decent primer, but occasionally was too 'flowery' and sometimes lacked coherence.
Karen
Karen, perhaps IBC's first intentional 'theme-reader' (I've found that I have a lot of unintentional themes in books that I read, but Karen goes about it with a vengeance!), decided that she wanted to become versed in James Thurber - ergo the three offerings below. James Thurber, a contemporary and friend of E.B. White (of Charlotte's Web fame) wrote, and illustrated, a number of short stories, including 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty', and 'The Catbird Seat', among others.
My Life In Hard Times by James Thurber
My Life In Hard Times is a semi-autobiographical series of short stories about Thurber's upbringing in Columbus, Ohio. Many of the stories start out with some unusual set of circumstances (e.g., Thurber's mother throwing a shoe through a window and his grandfather shooting a policeman), and then drop back to explain in intricate detail how they got there. Also included are a number of Thurber's illustrations, including a self-portrait of the author, and a Yorkie, obviously angry with each other that makes me smile just to think of it. This book reminded Karen of Dave Barry, but with fewer burger jokes.
The Thurber Carnival by James Thurber
The Thurber Carnival is a compendium of Thurber's short fiction, including classics such as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Catbird Seat. Karen enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but this book didn't grab her like Life in Hard Times did. She felt many of the stories come across as bitter - as Thurber aged, his ever-present issues with his eyesight worsened to the point of near blindness, and this may have been reflected in his writing. Still, for anyone who is interested in reading some of Thurber's other work, this is a good collection.
Is Sex Necessary? Or Why You Feel the Way You Do by James Thurber and E.B.White
Some writings withstand the passage of time - alas, according to Karen, this one does not. Written in collaboration with the aforementioned E.B. White, this book satires the prevailing 'how-to' books on sexuality, romance and love of the first half of the 20th century. It may have been hilarious when it was first published, but to Karen, it just seemed dated.
Bev
Tanglewreck by Jeanette Winterson
In keeping with tradition, Bev reviewed a couple of children's books - the first came off of an NPR list of 'Books that will spark your child's interest in reading' (or something like that). Tanglewreck is a house in London, where the 11 year old protagonist Silver lives. When time tornadoes strike, leaving the normal chronology of events unstable (as well as disappearing a school bus full of children, and depositing a surprised division of Roman chariots, and confused, if not terrified woolly mammoths on the banks of the modern day Thames), Silver discovers that she is the prophesied 'Keeper of the Clock'. If you're current on the IBC blog entries (which is probably everyone but me), imagine UnLunDun combined with City of Ember, combined with Hyperion (sans Shrike) in this time warp of a tale. Bev warned that while some books let you dip your toes, then gradually your feet before plunging into the narrative, Tanglewreck is not such a book. Within the first couple of pages, you're caught in the time tornadoes, gasping for breath. Sounds like yet another children's book destined to be passed amongst the members of the IBC.
Sammy Carducci's Guide to Women by Ronald Kidd
The next book Bev reviewed is one that was read to Bev during her 'Children's Literature' course in college. Sammy Carducci is a slick, but diminutive 6th grader who wears a suit, tie and black high top Chuck Taylors to class everyday (and on 'test' days, he adorns his suit with a folded red handkerchief). Sammy sets his sights on Becky, the tall class beauty, and using his high-school aged brother as a role model. The tale is told from both Sammy's and Becky's points of view, with a lot of humor and references to the 80's (was that redundant?), as it was written in the early 1990s. As one amazon.com reviewer put it - 'lots of snappy dialogue and humiliation'. What more could you want from a book for and about 6th graders?
Amy
One Day In the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
Amy decided to take on this Cold War classic that I had to read as a sophomore in high school (and since the only thing I remember from my sophomore year is a really bad feathered back haircut and thinking my dad's terry cloth v-neck shirt was cool because I fit into it, I don't remember much Solzhenitsyn). This tale of a single day in the life of a resident in a Gulag somewhere in Siberia was originally published in 1962, and was somewhat autobiographical - as Solzhenitsyn spent 10 years in a Gulag himself for criticizing Stalin (surprisingly Kruschev allowed it to be published, mostly because it was critical of Stalin's era - oh, the irony!). The way the book described Gulag life reminded Amy of a day in high school - of the 'Bueller... Bueller... Bueller...', drooling on the desk variety. It does have it's hope, though - how people manage to get through one uneventful day after another, taking pride in the smallest of accomplishments. After reading this, Amy felt as if she had been on a journey - just not to someplace she would want to be.
The Hollow Kingdom by Clare B. Dunkle
Amy's second offering is the first of a fantasy trilogy written for pre-teens. The story centers around (as so many of these do) two sisters, Kate and Emily, who are orphaned, and sent to live with a distant guardian (on an estate named Hallow Hill). While wandering through the woods, they encounter gypsies that are really goblins in disguise. Kate is kidnapped to become the bride of Marak, the very intelligent, completely pitiless, but kind of hot (Amy's words, not mine) goblin king. Despite her initial reticence, she and Marak develop an 'understanding' (one Amazon reviewer compared it to the relationship in 'Pride and Prejudice'), just as the goblins are attacked by a sorcerer from afar. Amy really liked the author's writing style, and the story kept her fascinated, never knowing quite sure who to root for, with an underlying theme of protecting those you love. Yet another 'children's series' that may find it's way into the IBC's reading stacks.
Dave
The Terror by Dan Simmons
Dan Simmons, quite the prolific author, has been previously reviewed by the IBC (and will again be, below) for some of his Science Fiction work. You may remember him as the author of the Hyperion/Endymion series. The Terror is a departure from sci-fi, and fits more into an historical fiction/gothic horror/adventure genre (found in the library under... umm... well...). The Terror starts with history - the Franklin expedition of 1847 to find the Northwest Passage (just recently opened through global warming). At the start of the book, Franklin, the leader of the expedition and captain of one of two expedition ships, the Erebus, has been killed, along with several of the crew. The captain of the other ship, the Terror has taken over the expedition - which is now focused on survival. The two ships are frozen in the Arctic circle, about a mile apart, having been last seen two years previous off the coast of Greenland, stalked by a mysterious yet viciously intelligent primordial creature. Shipboard life in the British Navy of the mid-19th century, survival in the most extreme of conditions, and encounters with the nomadic Inuit round out some of the themes covered in this book. Dan Simmons was a professor of literature, and crafts an extremely engaging story with language that gives you the feeling of the bitter cold, the fear, the characters feel, and their sense of duty and tradition they embrace. I really liked the Hyperion/Endymion books, but The Terror is on a higher plain - one that I will have to revisit again at some point in the future.
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
From relative, but respected obscurity in Simmons' case, to almost rock-star cult status (the legions of Gaiman fans are now reaching into the mainstream with the movie adaptation of his book, Stardust), Neverwhere is another genre-bending work. Similar in theme to UnLunDun, in that 'normal' people suddenly find themselves in an alternate society beneath the city of London, inhabited by strange, delightful and sinister beings, this is mostly a fantasy novel. Richard Mayhew is the prototypical, underachieving everyman, who through helping a wounded girl, finds himself trapped in London Below. Naturally, there's a quest. And bad guys. And lots of action - yet Gaiman has filled his book with dark humor, breathtaking images, and fascinating characters. Neverwhere reads like a bedtime story for adults, and I resisted putting it down as much as I used to resist getting ready for bed as a child. Neil Gaiman is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.
Colleen
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
If you are ever on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?', and a question on the Harry Potter books comes up that you aren't 100% certain you know, make sure you've saved your 'Phone a Friend' and call Colleen. As each new book in the series was released, Colleen went back to Sorcerer's Stone to re-read each one, just prior to the release of the new one. So from the time the release date for Deathly Hallows, Colleen had her work cut out for her. For months, we would be discussing the next book (there was always the fear that it would 'jump the shark'), and Colleen would start expounding on the identities of Horcruxes, the 'goodness' of Snape, whether Harry would die - and all the things being debated amongst Potter aficionados (as an aside, she is not a fan of the movies, being a Harry Potter purist). So - did she like the book? Absolutely. Deathly Hallows provided the answers to questions that existed since Book 1, and all those uncovered since, while providing a lot of action and drama. Each of the major and a lot of the minor characters had their chance to shine, and Deathly Hallows was a fitting end to a wonderful series. Now let's see if she likes the movie.
Brad
Ilium by Dan Simmons
As promised above, we have yet another review of a Dan Simmons book. In a return to his 'literary science fiction', this is the first in a series of two (the second one is Olympos) covering three concurrent and intertwined storylines of the far distant future. One occurs on Earth, where there are a few humans living very spoiled and pampered lives, with machines as servants and the ability to travel via fax (but who wants to travel to a lawyer's office?). They've pretty much lost the ability to fend for themselves, including (sacrilege!) the ability to read. The second story involves Moravecs (in typical Simmons fashion - something you have to figure out from context), a kind of biological/cybernetic species of Shakespeare and Foust fans living in relative harmony amongst the moons of Jupiter, until they bothered by a cosmic disturbance around the vicinity of Mars that they decide to investigate. And the third story, is of course that of Mars, where a super species living as the Greek Gods are out to recreate the Trojan War, under the watchful eye and guidance of a 20th century Greek scholar who much to his surprise, woke up one morning on Mars in the far distant future. Brad was enthralled by the way Simmons weaves technology, mythology and several literary references as he brings the three stories together in his typically lush and rewarding fashion - I'm looking forward to reading this one, and hearing Brad's thoughts on Olympos.
The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery
From sci-fi to science, and, inadvertently, politics... Brad next presented Tim Flannery's (a noted paleontologist and mammologist) attempt to close the book once and for all on the link between Global Warming and Climate Change and man's impact on both. Along the way he addresses the economic impact, and an argument on how to ween ourselves from our dependence on fossil fuels. Brad enjoyed the book, and he learned a lot, but wasn't as satisfied as he might have hoped. Brad, ever the scientist, felt the author could have included more cutting edge research, and was left with a lot of questions on how the science was applied (and few answers). Brad felt this was a decent primer, but occasionally was too 'flowery' and sometimes lacked coherence.
Karen
Karen, perhaps IBC's first intentional 'theme-reader' (I've found that I have a lot of unintentional themes in books that I read, but Karen goes about it with a vengeance!), decided that she wanted to become versed in James Thurber - ergo the three offerings below. James Thurber, a contemporary and friend of E.B. White (of Charlotte's Web fame) wrote, and illustrated, a number of short stories, including 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty', and 'The Catbird Seat', among others.
My Life In Hard Times by James Thurber
My Life In Hard Times is a semi-autobiographical series of short stories about Thurber's upbringing in Columbus, Ohio. Many of the stories start out with some unusual set of circumstances (e.g., Thurber's mother throwing a shoe through a window and his grandfather shooting a policeman), and then drop back to explain in intricate detail how they got there. Also included are a number of Thurber's illustrations, including a self-portrait of the author, and a Yorkie, obviously angry with each other that makes me smile just to think of it. This book reminded Karen of Dave Barry, but with fewer burger jokes.
The Thurber Carnival by James Thurber
The Thurber Carnival is a compendium of Thurber's short fiction, including classics such as The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and The Catbird Seat. Karen enjoyed some of the stories more than others, but this book didn't grab her like Life in Hard Times did. She felt many of the stories come across as bitter - as Thurber aged, his ever-present issues with his eyesight worsened to the point of near blindness, and this may have been reflected in his writing. Still, for anyone who is interested in reading some of Thurber's other work, this is a good collection.
Is Sex Necessary? Or Why You Feel the Way You Do by James Thurber and E.B.White
Some writings withstand the passage of time - alas, according to Karen, this one does not. Written in collaboration with the aforementioned E.B. White, this book satires the prevailing 'how-to' books on sexuality, romance and love of the first half of the 20th century. It may have been hilarious when it was first published, but to Karen, it just seemed dated.
That concluded our 7th experience in the IBC - looking forward to seeing everyone for IBC #8!
Cool HTML Book Tracker Table Below (I'm such a geek):
| Borrower | Borrowed | Borrowee |
| Bev | Un Lun Dun | Amy |
| The Hollow Kingdom | ||
| Amy | The Stolen Child | Dave |
| Dave | Throne of Jade | Karen |
| Black Powder War | ||
| My Life In Hard Times | ||
| Brad | Bellwether | Karen |
| One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich | Amy | |
| Karen | Tremor | Colleen |
| TangleWreck | Bev | |
| Me Talk Pretty One Day | Gretchen |
Sunday, September 30, 2007
IBC # 6, Va & Brad's Backyard
On the one year anniversary when Bev, Colleen, Lee, Tammy, Ally and Dave gathered at a table in the Old Town Fairfax Starbucks, with a pile of books (Things We Learned at the Book Club) and various beverages, and started what would become the Irreverant Book Club, several of us gathered on a beautiful day on old sofas, lawn chairs, garden implements, whatever we could find, in Virginia and Brad's back yard to hold our sixth meeting. Wow - I should nominate that for the world's longest sentence. At any rate, one year, and over20 different people participating is a pretty respectable showing for something that started out of Colleen and I talking about the different books we read. Easily a third of the books I've read over the last year are direct recommendations from our meetings, and I've met new friends, gotten to know old friends better (and see them more often), and been introduced to the world of blogging. All in all, I'd say that other than my inexcusable delays in getting the updates out, the IBC has been a tremendous success, and I'm looking forward to continuing to find excuses for why the updates occur so long after a meeting. But for now - let's go back to the afternoon of April 22, 2007... imagine if you will, bright sunshine... the kelly green of new grass... a white horse fence... and the occasional swoosh of cars passing on Spencerville Road...
Virginia
What Einstein Told His Cook, by Robert L. Wolke
Many of you who have attended our meetings already know that Virginia is an excellent cook. I still have fond memories of the carrot cake she brought to the last meeting in honor of Brad's birthday. What you may not know is that she works at the Food & Drug Administration - what she does there is so secret that you'd have to ask her (translated: she's told me, we talked about I forgot... mmmmm... Carrrrottt Caaaake). But it strikes a harmonious chord in my mind that this book would appeal to Virginia. This book is essentially the chemistry of cooking, covering topics such as what it means when your potatoes turn green, is there really a difference between sea salt and Morton's, and what really happens in the microwave. Virginia enjoyed this book though - the author takes what could be a dry subject and makes it applicable to the lives of everyday cooks, in a conversational and funny way. And the book is loaded with bad puns (so it must be like reading IBC updates... or talking to Brad).
The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy
The second book that Virginia discussed is a little heavier fare, yet not without its light-hearted moments. The God of Small Things is Roy's first book, yet her use of language and the construction of her narrative seemed much more polished than a freshman effort - and as it turns out she's been writing screenplays for Bollywood for a number of years. Still, her prose is so lyrical and the images she evokes through her words are beautiful and mysterious and vivid. The story, told retrospectively, centers around a pair of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, who grow up in rural India, and a family tragedy, made all the more potent set against the influence of Communism and the traditional caste system. Much of the book is told from the perspective of the twins as children, lending some of the magic to how the events unfold. Virginia felt Roy's style was reminiscent of Salman Rushdie, but much less dense - she passed the book onto me, and it reminded me of Michael Ondaajte's The English Patient and Anil's Ghost. But different from those works, The God of Small Things portrays even tragic events with a sense of irony and wonder - treating them with the intrinsic humor they possess, without minimizing their weight.
Karen
Bellwether, by Connie Willis
One of the beneficial detriments to me taking so long to do the updates for the meetings is that I often have had a chance to read the books others discussed. I try to make sure that I capture each of your thoughts on the book, but I can't help but inject my own reactions (as you can see by my notes on The God of Small Things, above). So, in the interest of full disclosure, I feel compelled to let you know that I borrowed and read this - and since then, I've read three more novels by the author. Karen had mentioned that this book was funny, but I found myself grinning through almost the entire thing. The story is about two scientists, approaching the same problem from different disciplines, trying to understand and predict the next fad. Each chapter starts with a description of fads (e.g., Quality Circles, Self-Affirmation, etc.) and their demise. The book has a love story, a malevolently incompetent admin assistant and a herd of sheep. Madness ensues. Connie Willis writes almost madcap fiction (usually tinged with science - so yes, although she's a 'science fiction' author, that phrase should be taken literally, and does not include aliens, space travel, or some of the other stereotypes of the genre), with characters that seem like people you know.
The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe
In the interest of full disclosure, I would like to inform you that I have not read this book - nor am l likely to. I know that sounds harsh, but be honest... have you ever read a book that you just didn't get or didn't like? That had some abhorrent component (in this case, the protagonist's bad poetry) sprinkled throughout? How many pages did you last? 50? 100? 275? According to Karen, who picked this 18th century classic up because she'd read other works (classic mysteries and Jane Austen, for example) that were influenced by this, the first 275 pages were full of the aforementioned awful poetry, mind-numbing descriptions of the countryside, and no real point, or sense of working toward a point. Then on page 276, it got good - and was excellent from there. All proving that Karen has much more perseverance than I - although, I will admit that I once read 322 pages of Dianetics, looking for something worthwhile, before declaring it trash and throwing it into the corner of my room, where it lay, spine broken for three months (apologies to Mr & Mrs. Cruise, the Travoltas, and other esteemed followers of Hubbard).
Satan: A Biography, by Henry Ansgar Kelly
So Karen suffered through 275 pages of Udolpho, but only lasted for 60 pages before giving up on this book. It is touted to be a study of Satan's origins and how our image of Satan has evolved in the Bible, literature, and religion. Karen said that it's written with all the flair of a Ph.D. dissertation, but without the usual rigor involved in such a dissertation. One of the Amazon reviews states "This book has helped cement my suspicions of those who decide to undertake an authoritative work well outside their own fields of expertise," with the title of 'Bitten off more than he could chew.' Looks like another book I'm not likely to read.
Colleen
Tremor, by Craig Dirgo
Colleen has a not-so-well-kept secret affinity for Clive Cussler. Dirk Pitt, the Oregon Files - if he's written it, she's read it. Mr. Cussler frequently collaborates with other authors, and Craig Dirgo is one of them. So, expecting something somewhat less than a Clive Cussler novel, but still a worthwhile read, she launched into Tremor. And got something significantly less. Tremor taps into some of Nikolai Tesla's inventions (for those of you who have read or seen The Prestige, he also figures prominently there), and this is the part that Colleen found most interesting. But beyond that, it was little more than a formulaic retread of a government agent racing against the clock to save the world from destruction/certain doom/financial ruin/Britney Spears (okay, I made that up. I expect royalties on the idea from anyone who turns it into a novel). On top of all of this, it was very poorly edited - I guess Mr. Dirgo doesn't garner the same level of professionalism that Clive Cussler does.
Dave
Blindness and Seeing, by Jose Saramago
This is actually two books - Blindness, released in 1999, and Seeing released earlier this year. Blindness tells the story of the capital city in an unnamed country that is suddenly afflicted by an epidemic of white blindness, and reacts with a vengeance when it discovers the blindness is contagious. The story is told through the eyes (I know, poor choice of words) of the earliest victims of this, including a doctor whose wife retains her sight (yet out of love and concern for her husband, feigns blindness). Those afflicted and those exposed to the afflicted are rounded up and locked in an abandoned mental hospital, which pretty quickly reaches capacity. Along the way, the author provides sometimes brutal insights into human behavior, and the impact of fear on a government and a society.
Seeing picks up the same city four years after the epidemic of blindness has passed - and yes, I blew the ending of Blindness - but it's really the journey that is worth it. Not the same with Seeing. As rich as Blindness was, Seeing falls flat. Starting off with an interesting premise - record voter turnout during an election, yet 85% of the ballots cast are blank - it follows a government panicking in what it perceives as a siege by the populace. The government returns the favor (i.e., turns the siege toward the people) to no effect. Eventually, the story leads back to the doctor's wife, who retained her sight during the epidemic of blindness, with the government believing that she is the silent leader of this silent rebellion. Blindness depicted horrific acts of depravity as well as glorious acts of charity with beauty and wit. Seeing attempted the wit, but lost the beauty along the way.
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, by James L. Swanson
I've never been to Ford's Theatre. I've stood outside it, while standing in line (for some unknown reason) to get into the Hard Rock Cafe, but I've never been in it - nor have I been in the Peterson house across the street where Lincoln died. After reading this book it's now on my list of places to visit. Manhunt not only covers the search for John Wilkes Booth, it takes you back to the Washington DC of the day. The war was winding down, spring was in the air, the streets were muddy, and Lincoln was viewed as a very divisive and not very successful president. Among several of his detractors was a young, very popular, very handsome actor, who with 8 hours to plan, pulled off an assassination of a President - and thought his compatriots had also assassinated Vice President Johnson, and Secretary of State Seward in an orchestrated effort. Manhunt reads like a thriller, packed with interesting facts that even avid Civil War buffs may not have known. This is one of those books that after I finished it, I saw at least a dozen people also reading it - in airports, coffee shops - all over. Well worth the time.
Gretchen
Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris
Those of you who are regular NPR listeners may recognize David Sedaris' name - he's a frequent commentator. His commentary usually is a humorous reminiscence of something from his formative years and his dysfunctional childhood. Me Talk Pretty One Day, Gretchen's first choice for the meeting is more of the same, covering his early issues with the letter s, growing up in North Carolina, moving to France with his partner. Each chapter is a separate essay unto itself, making it an easy book to pick up and put down, but his self-deprecating humor and keen sense of irony keep you reading. In recounting his episodes with his crazy family, it's easy to see our own families reflected in some of the craziness. Gretchen appreciated Sedaris' dry sense of humor - it's hard not to.
We Thought You Would Be Prettier, by Laurie Notaro
Gretchen then presented us with Lauria Notaro's latest book - subtitled True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive. This series of rants, essays and sketches of her daily life (in the vein of Dave Barry) kept Gretchen laughing throughout. In the book the author addresses the need for National Stupidity Day, an eBay 'wading pool' (where you can only bid on low-priced knickknacks until you're ready for the 'deep end') and WebMD. This reminded Gretchen of sitting around with two or three of her best friends, trading laugh-out-loud stories on life's indignities.
Norm
Espresso with the Headhunters, by John Wassner
Next up, we had Norm, a first time contributor to the IBC (and Virginia's dad). This is a humorously written travelogue of an Australian Ad Exec who decided to visit the jungles of Borneo. He takes a trip up river and meets with the various tribes (formerly headhunters), all of which have their traditions threatened by modernization and their lands by logging. Along the way he meets several interesting characters, discusses some of the history of the tribes, and the shrinking ecology of the jungle. Norm took a trip to Borneo with one of his other daughters, and wrote his own travelogue that he graciously included with the book - having seen first hand some of the places the author discussed.
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
Way back in IBC #2, we had a review of Life of Pi, Yann Martel's book of shipwreck, talking tigers and survival. Pi Patel, an Indian zookeeper's son who attracts 'religions the way a dog attracts flies' is the sole human survivor of a shipwreck while transporting their zoo to Canada. Finding himself on a lifeboat with an injured zebra, a hyena, an orangutan (who is seasick) and 450 lb. tiger, he reflects on survival, religion and philosophy. Norm was impressed by how Pi's personal conglomeration of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam were woven together, and found the book full of 'terror and wit'.
Bev
Man Overboard: Confessions of a Novice Math Teacher in the Bronx, by Ric Klass
Next up, Bev discussed a book that may have been a little too close to the truth for comfort. Bev, as members of the IBC know, is a teacher. In a rare departure from reviewing a children's book, Bev discussed this non-fiction account of a former investment banker/aerospace engineer/economic consultant and others (he was in fact, a business school classmate of my boss), who decided that what he really wanted to do is teach high school math... in the inner city. What follows has been described as a 'war correspondent's journal' as he does battle with the administration, kids unwilling (or unmotivated) to learn, and their parents. All of this is told with a sense of humor tinged with despair. One thing that particularly resonated with Bev was his description of the teacher's lounge computer. Apparently the overused, underpowered, embarrassingly antiquated computer is a staple in teacher's lounges. Incidentally, even though the names were changed to protect the innocent, it's unlikely the author will ever hold another job within the New York City Public School system, as his description of the bureaucratic inefficiencies was fairly blunt.
Brad
The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
Brad decided to introduce his own thematic element to our proceedings - as the meeting was held right around Earth Day, Brad adopted an 'earthy' theme. His first offering was Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth. This is an epic story covering over 100 years of the building of a cathedral in 12th century England, and the intertwining lives of the characters involved in this herculean task. Through the eyes of the builders, the monks and bishops, the landowners, Follett paints a vivid picture of 12th century life and politics, and the amazing amount of effort it took to build such a magnificent, soaring edifice without the benefit of hydraulics or the sky-scraping cranes, and the conceptual breakthroughs in architecture at their genesis. Pillars follows the lifetime of several characters and their families and has all the elements a classic - swordplay, forbidden romance and revenge. Follett's sequel to Pillars, World Without End is being released on October 9 - and picks up the descendants of the characters of Pillars 150 years later.
Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey
Brad's next Earth Day contribution was one of the earlier works of modern environmentalism first published in 1968, chronicling the author's experience as a park ranger in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. The author describes through several vignettes in his experience dealing with visitors to the park and his naturalist lectures his belief that bringing people to nature makes nature disappear. Brad said that at times the narrative was funny, at other times angry, and was interesting, if a tad extremist.
Amy
Un Lun Dun, by China Mieville
Amy was another new contributor to IBC, and she unknowingly preserved the tradition Bev initiated of reviewing children's books with her review of Un Lun Dun. This entertaining story was written by a self-proclaimed anarchist (and his book jacket photo displays his conformity to the pre-defined image of what an anarchist should look like) follows the story of two little girls around whom wierd things begin occurring. These events lead to them finding themselves in the strange world of an alternate London (Un-London), where all things broken and discarded go to live. One of the girls is designated as the chosen one, to lead the inhabitants of UnLunDun to victory and freedom from the Smog that terrorizes them. Amy found that the story moved along quickly, full of suspense, as the main character finds that she doesn't know who she can trust. As is often the case with good children's literature, Un Lun Dun addresses much deeper topics than what appears on the surface, and the ability to entertain much past the upper limits of its intended age group.
Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying, by James M. Olson
Amy also brought Fair Play, a discussion of some of the philosophies and the morality of spying. Olson, the author, is currently teaching courses on intelligence at Texas A&M, after retiring from the CIA. To address the moral issues, he sets up actual spying scenarios that present moral difficulties and has experts weigh in with their opinions. Amy found some of the opinions were not neccesarily what she might have expected, given the background of the individuals. In addition to discussing the moral dilemnas, this book gives the reader a lot of insight into the process of spying addressing topics such as assasination, torture, rendition, seduction, and some of the other tools of the trade.
That concluded an extremely pleasant afternoon in Virginia and Brad's backyard - all that's left is the Book Tracker (scroll down, due to my immature html skills):
Virginia
What Einstein Told His Cook, by Robert L. Wolke
Many of you who have attended our meetings already know that Virginia is an excellent cook. I still have fond memories of the carrot cake she brought to the last meeting in honor of Brad's birthday. What you may not know is that she works at the Food & Drug Administration - what she does there is so secret that you'd have to ask her (translated: she's told me, we talked about I forgot... mmmmm... Carrrrottt Caaaake). But it strikes a harmonious chord in my mind that this book would appeal to Virginia. This book is essentially the chemistry of cooking, covering topics such as what it means when your potatoes turn green, is there really a difference between sea salt and Morton's, and what really happens in the microwave. Virginia enjoyed this book though - the author takes what could be a dry subject and makes it applicable to the lives of everyday cooks, in a conversational and funny way. And the book is loaded with bad puns (so it must be like reading IBC updates... or talking to Brad).
The God of Small Things, by Arundhati Roy
The second book that Virginia discussed is a little heavier fare, yet not without its light-hearted moments. The God of Small Things is Roy's first book, yet her use of language and the construction of her narrative seemed much more polished than a freshman effort - and as it turns out she's been writing screenplays for Bollywood for a number of years. Still, her prose is so lyrical and the images she evokes through her words are beautiful and mysterious and vivid. The story, told retrospectively, centers around a pair of fraternal twins, a boy and a girl, who grow up in rural India, and a family tragedy, made all the more potent set against the influence of Communism and the traditional caste system. Much of the book is told from the perspective of the twins as children, lending some of the magic to how the events unfold. Virginia felt Roy's style was reminiscent of Salman Rushdie, but much less dense - she passed the book onto me, and it reminded me of Michael Ondaajte's The English Patient and Anil's Ghost. But different from those works, The God of Small Things portrays even tragic events with a sense of irony and wonder - treating them with the intrinsic humor they possess, without minimizing their weight.
Karen
Bellwether, by Connie Willis
One of the beneficial detriments to me taking so long to do the updates for the meetings is that I often have had a chance to read the books others discussed. I try to make sure that I capture each of your thoughts on the book, but I can't help but inject my own reactions (as you can see by my notes on The God of Small Things, above). So, in the interest of full disclosure, I feel compelled to let you know that I borrowed and read this - and since then, I've read three more novels by the author. Karen had mentioned that this book was funny, but I found myself grinning through almost the entire thing. The story is about two scientists, approaching the same problem from different disciplines, trying to understand and predict the next fad. Each chapter starts with a description of fads (e.g., Quality Circles, Self-Affirmation, etc.) and their demise. The book has a love story, a malevolently incompetent admin assistant and a herd of sheep. Madness ensues. Connie Willis writes almost madcap fiction (usually tinged with science - so yes, although she's a 'science fiction' author, that phrase should be taken literally, and does not include aliens, space travel, or some of the other stereotypes of the genre), with characters that seem like people you know.
The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe
In the interest of full disclosure, I would like to inform you that I have not read this book - nor am l likely to. I know that sounds harsh, but be honest... have you ever read a book that you just didn't get or didn't like? That had some abhorrent component (in this case, the protagonist's bad poetry) sprinkled throughout? How many pages did you last? 50? 100? 275? According to Karen, who picked this 18th century classic up because she'd read other works (classic mysteries and Jane Austen, for example) that were influenced by this, the first 275 pages were full of the aforementioned awful poetry, mind-numbing descriptions of the countryside, and no real point, or sense of working toward a point. Then on page 276, it got good - and was excellent from there. All proving that Karen has much more perseverance than I - although, I will admit that I once read 322 pages of Dianetics, looking for something worthwhile, before declaring it trash and throwing it into the corner of my room, where it lay, spine broken for three months (apologies to Mr & Mrs. Cruise, the Travoltas, and other esteemed followers of Hubbard).
Satan: A Biography, by Henry Ansgar Kelly
So Karen suffered through 275 pages of Udolpho, but only lasted for 60 pages before giving up on this book. It is touted to be a study of Satan's origins and how our image of Satan has evolved in the Bible, literature, and religion. Karen said that it's written with all the flair of a Ph.D. dissertation, but without the usual rigor involved in such a dissertation. One of the Amazon reviews states "This book has helped cement my suspicions of those who decide to undertake an authoritative work well outside their own fields of expertise," with the title of 'Bitten off more than he could chew.' Looks like another book I'm not likely to read.
Colleen
Tremor, by Craig Dirgo
Colleen has a not-so-well-kept secret affinity for Clive Cussler. Dirk Pitt, the Oregon Files - if he's written it, she's read it. Mr. Cussler frequently collaborates with other authors, and Craig Dirgo is one of them. So, expecting something somewhat less than a Clive Cussler novel, but still a worthwhile read, she launched into Tremor. And got something significantly less. Tremor taps into some of Nikolai Tesla's inventions (for those of you who have read or seen The Prestige, he also figures prominently there), and this is the part that Colleen found most interesting. But beyond that, it was little more than a formulaic retread of a government agent racing against the clock to save the world from destruction/certain doom/financial ruin/Britney Spears (okay, I made that up. I expect royalties on the idea from anyone who turns it into a novel). On top of all of this, it was very poorly edited - I guess Mr. Dirgo doesn't garner the same level of professionalism that Clive Cussler does.
Dave
Blindness and Seeing, by Jose Saramago
This is actually two books - Blindness, released in 1999, and Seeing released earlier this year. Blindness tells the story of the capital city in an unnamed country that is suddenly afflicted by an epidemic of white blindness, and reacts with a vengeance when it discovers the blindness is contagious. The story is told through the eyes (I know, poor choice of words) of the earliest victims of this, including a doctor whose wife retains her sight (yet out of love and concern for her husband, feigns blindness). Those afflicted and those exposed to the afflicted are rounded up and locked in an abandoned mental hospital, which pretty quickly reaches capacity. Along the way, the author provides sometimes brutal insights into human behavior, and the impact of fear on a government and a society.
Seeing picks up the same city four years after the epidemic of blindness has passed - and yes, I blew the ending of Blindness - but it's really the journey that is worth it. Not the same with Seeing. As rich as Blindness was, Seeing falls flat. Starting off with an interesting premise - record voter turnout during an election, yet 85% of the ballots cast are blank - it follows a government panicking in what it perceives as a siege by the populace. The government returns the favor (i.e., turns the siege toward the people) to no effect. Eventually, the story leads back to the doctor's wife, who retained her sight during the epidemic of blindness, with the government believing that she is the silent leader of this silent rebellion. Blindness depicted horrific acts of depravity as well as glorious acts of charity with beauty and wit. Seeing attempted the wit, but lost the beauty along the way.
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, by James L. Swanson
I've never been to Ford's Theatre. I've stood outside it, while standing in line (for some unknown reason) to get into the Hard Rock Cafe, but I've never been in it - nor have I been in the Peterson house across the street where Lincoln died. After reading this book it's now on my list of places to visit. Manhunt not only covers the search for John Wilkes Booth, it takes you back to the Washington DC of the day. The war was winding down, spring was in the air, the streets were muddy, and Lincoln was viewed as a very divisive and not very successful president. Among several of his detractors was a young, very popular, very handsome actor, who with 8 hours to plan, pulled off an assassination of a President - and thought his compatriots had also assassinated Vice President Johnson, and Secretary of State Seward in an orchestrated effort. Manhunt reads like a thriller, packed with interesting facts that even avid Civil War buffs may not have known. This is one of those books that after I finished it, I saw at least a dozen people also reading it - in airports, coffee shops - all over. Well worth the time.
Gretchen
Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris
Those of you who are regular NPR listeners may recognize David Sedaris' name - he's a frequent commentator. His commentary usually is a humorous reminiscence of something from his formative years and his dysfunctional childhood. Me Talk Pretty One Day, Gretchen's first choice for the meeting is more of the same, covering his early issues with the letter s, growing up in North Carolina, moving to France with his partner. Each chapter is a separate essay unto itself, making it an easy book to pick up and put down, but his self-deprecating humor and keen sense of irony keep you reading. In recounting his episodes with his crazy family, it's easy to see our own families reflected in some of the craziness. Gretchen appreciated Sedaris' dry sense of humor - it's hard not to.
We Thought You Would Be Prettier, by Laurie Notaro
Gretchen then presented us with Lauria Notaro's latest book - subtitled True Tales of the Dorkiest Girl Alive. This series of rants, essays and sketches of her daily life (in the vein of Dave Barry) kept Gretchen laughing throughout. In the book the author addresses the need for National Stupidity Day, an eBay 'wading pool' (where you can only bid on low-priced knickknacks until you're ready for the 'deep end') and WebMD. This reminded Gretchen of sitting around with two or three of her best friends, trading laugh-out-loud stories on life's indignities.
Norm
Espresso with the Headhunters, by John Wassner
Next up, we had Norm, a first time contributor to the IBC (and Virginia's dad). This is a humorously written travelogue of an Australian Ad Exec who decided to visit the jungles of Borneo. He takes a trip up river and meets with the various tribes (formerly headhunters), all of which have their traditions threatened by modernization and their lands by logging. Along the way he meets several interesting characters, discusses some of the history of the tribes, and the shrinking ecology of the jungle. Norm took a trip to Borneo with one of his other daughters, and wrote his own travelogue that he graciously included with the book - having seen first hand some of the places the author discussed.
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
Way back in IBC #2, we had a review of Life of Pi, Yann Martel's book of shipwreck, talking tigers and survival. Pi Patel, an Indian zookeeper's son who attracts 'religions the way a dog attracts flies' is the sole human survivor of a shipwreck while transporting their zoo to Canada. Finding himself on a lifeboat with an injured zebra, a hyena, an orangutan (who is seasick) and 450 lb. tiger, he reflects on survival, religion and philosophy. Norm was impressed by how Pi's personal conglomeration of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam were woven together, and found the book full of 'terror and wit'.
Bev
Man Overboard: Confessions of a Novice Math Teacher in the Bronx, by Ric Klass
Next up, Bev discussed a book that may have been a little too close to the truth for comfort. Bev, as members of the IBC know, is a teacher. In a rare departure from reviewing a children's book, Bev discussed this non-fiction account of a former investment banker/aerospace engineer/economic consultant and others (he was in fact, a business school classmate of my boss), who decided that what he really wanted to do is teach high school math... in the inner city. What follows has been described as a 'war correspondent's journal' as he does battle with the administration, kids unwilling (or unmotivated) to learn, and their parents. All of this is told with a sense of humor tinged with despair. One thing that particularly resonated with Bev was his description of the teacher's lounge computer. Apparently the overused, underpowered, embarrassingly antiquated computer is a staple in teacher's lounges. Incidentally, even though the names were changed to protect the innocent, it's unlikely the author will ever hold another job within the New York City Public School system, as his description of the bureaucratic inefficiencies was fairly blunt.
Brad
The Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett
Brad decided to introduce his own thematic element to our proceedings - as the meeting was held right around Earth Day, Brad adopted an 'earthy' theme. His first offering was Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth. This is an epic story covering over 100 years of the building of a cathedral in 12th century England, and the intertwining lives of the characters involved in this herculean task. Through the eyes of the builders, the monks and bishops, the landowners, Follett paints a vivid picture of 12th century life and politics, and the amazing amount of effort it took to build such a magnificent, soaring edifice without the benefit of hydraulics or the sky-scraping cranes, and the conceptual breakthroughs in architecture at their genesis. Pillars follows the lifetime of several characters and their families and has all the elements a classic - swordplay, forbidden romance and revenge. Follett's sequel to Pillars, World Without End is being released on October 9 - and picks up the descendants of the characters of Pillars 150 years later.
Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey
Brad's next Earth Day contribution was one of the earlier works of modern environmentalism first published in 1968, chronicling the author's experience as a park ranger in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. The author describes through several vignettes in his experience dealing with visitors to the park and his naturalist lectures his belief that bringing people to nature makes nature disappear. Brad said that at times the narrative was funny, at other times angry, and was interesting, if a tad extremist.
Amy
Un Lun Dun, by China Mieville
Amy was another new contributor to IBC, and she unknowingly preserved the tradition Bev initiated of reviewing children's books with her review of Un Lun Dun. This entertaining story was written by a self-proclaimed anarchist (and his book jacket photo displays his conformity to the pre-defined image of what an anarchist should look like) follows the story of two little girls around whom wierd things begin occurring. These events lead to them finding themselves in the strange world of an alternate London (Un-London), where all things broken and discarded go to live. One of the girls is designated as the chosen one, to lead the inhabitants of UnLunDun to victory and freedom from the Smog that terrorizes them. Amy found that the story moved along quickly, full of suspense, as the main character finds that she doesn't know who she can trust. As is often the case with good children's literature, Un Lun Dun addresses much deeper topics than what appears on the surface, and the ability to entertain much past the upper limits of its intended age group.
Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying, by James M. Olson
Amy also brought Fair Play, a discussion of some of the philosophies and the morality of spying. Olson, the author, is currently teaching courses on intelligence at Texas A&M, after retiring from the CIA. To address the moral issues, he sets up actual spying scenarios that present moral difficulties and has experts weigh in with their opinions. Amy found some of the opinions were not neccesarily what she might have expected, given the background of the individuals. In addition to discussing the moral dilemnas, this book gives the reader a lot of insight into the process of spying addressing topics such as assasination, torture, rendition, seduction, and some of the other tools of the trade.
That concluded an extremely pleasant afternoon in Virginia and Brad's backyard - all that's left is the Book Tracker (scroll down, due to my immature html skills):
| Borrower | Borrowed | Borrowee |
| Virginia | Me Talk Pretty One Day | Gretchen |
| Man Overboard | Dave | |
| Brad | Tremor | Colleen |
| Blindness/Seeing | Dave | |
| Dave | His Majesty's Dragon | Karen |
| Bellwether | ||
| Espresso with Headhunters | Norm | |
| The God of Small Things | Virginia | |
| Bev | Desert Solitaire | Brad |
| Karen | The Stolen Child | Dave |
| The Pillars of the Earth | Brad | |
| Colleen | What Einstein Told His Cook | Virginia |
| Un Lun Dun | Amy | |
| We Thought You'd Be Prettier | Gretchen |
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Judging a book by its size
I confess that I have browsed through many a book store and walked out with books that I chose primarily because they had an interesting cover and were in the trade paperback format. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the conventions of book publishers, trade paperbacks are basically paperbacks with a hardcover form factor (the regular paperback size is known as 'Mass Market'). So - not only am I a victim of marketing, but I guess I'm somewhat of a book snob.
However publishers often put books nominated for awards, or new and notable works out in trade paperback form (not a whole lot of John Grisham - not that there's anything wrong with it), so their marketing has led me to some pretty good reads. Recently the New York Times released a new book review format, and they've included a separate category for trade paperbacks. You can find it here: New York Times Best Sellers - Trade Paperbacks.
For an interesting commentary on it, check out the Sept 19 entry on bookblog.net - bookblog.net 9/19/07.
However publishers often put books nominated for awards, or new and notable works out in trade paperback form (not a whole lot of John Grisham - not that there's anything wrong with it), so their marketing has led me to some pretty good reads. Recently the New York Times released a new book review format, and they've included a separate category for trade paperbacks. You can find it here: New York Times Best Sellers - Trade Paperbacks.
For an interesting commentary on it, check out the Sept 19 entry on bookblog.net - bookblog.net 9/19/07.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Girly eVite Themes
Every time I go to send an eVite for the next book club, I scan for new book-club related themes. Currently eVite has maybe a half dozen that reference a book club, reading or literature in any way. Compare this to perhaps 100 seasonal (let's have a 'First Leaf Fell from the Oak Tree Party'), 75 sports-related, and several guys/girls night-out themes, and it tells you that book-club participation doesn't exactly fit into eVite's demographic. Then again, neither apparently does mushroom collecting. In addition to the limited selection, the difficulty I have selecting a theme for the eVite is compounded by the fact that most of them are 'girly'. The most recent one, you'll notice, is a bright yellow, with lovely stylized daisies in a vase, and decidedly feminine-framed reading glasses. Now I'm secure enough in my masculinity to choose this as a theme for an eVite that came out under my name - but only because I rationalized to myself that it's being held at Karen's house. I'm not asking for much... maybe just a few masculine adornments - you know - leather club chairs, a cigar stub in an ashtray, a more manly color pallette (that phrase just does NOT work together)... well, apparently eVite is more aware of the demographic of readers than I first suspected, as evidenced in this NPR story "Why Women Read More Than Men". According to this, Brad, Martin, Alex, Darin and the other male contributors to the book club need to read almost twice as many books just to keep up!
Thursday, September 13, 2007
IBC #5 Bev's Abode
The 5th meeting of the Irreverant Book Club happened so long ago that I had to search eVite for the date (it was February 18th, for those of you who have trouble remembering breakfast. And yes, 2007, for those of you who like to remind me that I have trouble remembering breakfast). Since we've got yet another meeting coming up, and I made a personal vow to never go into a book club meeting more than one update behind, I thought it appropriate that I take a little company time to get this update out that I started long ago (kind of like only cleaning your house when you have company coming - now is anyone wondering why I've yet to host a meeting?). Here's what I remember about the 5th meeting. We had a loose theme of a book that you loved, and a book that disappointed you. It was at Bev's. It was cold outside). We had great food (as always), including Virginia's Carrot Cake (heart-stoppingly good... both literally and figuratively), brought to celebrate Brad's birthday. And Brad only brought one book. Brad also brought Karen, who brought several - so even though he only brought one, he was responsible for four. Without further adieu (side note... doesn't 'adieu' mean goodbye? If so, why don't we say 'without further goodbyes...' when we really want to say 'I know all of you out there reading this are sick of my prattling on with my inanities, so shut up and get to the point!'?)... IBC #5.
Colleen
The Inner Circle, T.C. Boyle
Colleen was about halfway through this book when I saw the movie Kinsey, which shares the subject of this book. In the movie, Alfred C. Kinsey, the great sex researcher was portrayed (with gravitas by Liam Neeson) as a tireless and dedicated tyrant who demanded blind loyalty from the members and families of his research team. In the book, he’s portrayed in much the same way – although I’m sure that Colleen would use stronger words for this (I think the kindest sentiment she used was ‘brainwashing fiend’). This was Colleen’s selection for the book that disappointed her. It’s not that it was a bad book – in fact, Colleen had lots of praise for how well it was written, and especially the character development – but the main character was portrayed as such a reprehensible being that finishing the book became a chore for her. If you’re inviting Colleen over for movie night, you might better off not having Kinsey on the playbill.
Northern Lights, Nora Roberts
This was Colleen’s contribution for a book that she liked. She only picked up a Nora Roberts book because Sharla recommended this one - and Colleen read it in about 23 minutes - just kidding - but it was such a light, yet enjoyable read that she blazed through it. A Baltimore cop takes a job in Lunacy, Alaska, where he joins Dr. Joel Fleischman in Holling's saloon where Shelly serves them beer, and eavesdrops on their 'frozen fish out of water' stories... okay I made that up. What really happens is that he start up a relationship with a feisty bush pilot named Meg (not Maggie), played by Janine Turner... okay, I made that up too - well, not all of it... he does have a dalliance with a feisty bush pilot - does every eccentric Alaskan town have a beautiful but feisty bush pilot? (Omigod, I just turned that into an Ellen Degeneres joke... ) ANYWAY... part small town romantic mystery, part fish out of water, part ode to the community, this is another Nora Roberts book that outsold all of the iPods ever manufactured. Colleen's comment - very good - she liked it, she didn't think she could read another one.
The Hidden Giants, Sethanne Howard
How often do you get the opportunity to sit and talk with someone, about the weather, travel abroad, how wonderful this cheese dip is, etc., only to find out later that they're a published author? This is what happened when Colleen found herself drug to a party where she didn't know anyone, surrounded by astronomers and rocket scientists (and no - Brad wasn't there, but he should've been!), conversing with two very friendly outspoken women. Sethanne Howard retired from the U.S. Naval Observatory, after a ground-breaking career in astronomy (how many women who are astronomers do you know? Brad and Virginia are disqualified from answering) as one of the few women in her field. Inspired by this, she wrote the book The Hidden Giants, about the contributions of women to science throughout the ages. Sethanne calls them 'natural philosophers', and does a good job of drawing you into wanting to know more about them. According to Colleen, The Hidden Giants is very readable - Sethanne's style is very much like her conversation - but I don't think there's any mention of the cheese dip in the book.
Virginia
How to Make Your Man Behave in 21 Days or Less Using the Secrets of Professional Dog Trainers, Karen Salmansohn
This was on the list of disappointing books for Virginia. Karen Salmansohn's illustrated book takes the 'men are dogs' analogy to the extreme (i.e., 'A dog is nicest when he wants to be fed'). While Virginia found some of this book mildly amusing, overall it was a disappointment, going for the obvious pun rather than subtle humor. However, it was very impressive how Brad leapt out of his seat when Virginia pointed to the floor, and then she made him rollover and jump up and touch her hand with his nose. And of course, as soon as she brought out the treats, Alex and I joined Brad, all of us sitting on our haunches at attention, looking up at Virginia expectantly.
Autobiography of a Face, Lucy Grealy
Virginia had much more praise for this non-fiction, autobiographical account of a girl who, at the age of nine, had part of her jawbone removed due to Ewing's Sarcoma. The author candidly and wittily (did I just make that up?) describes the tauntings of other children, society's and her own feelings toward physical appearance and the numerous treatments she endured to return to a 'normal' appearance. Virginia found in this book insight into how children deal with trauma, how cold and isolating a society obsessed with physical beauty can be, but ultimately triumph as the author found her own inner beauty on her journey toward acceptance.
The Last Lion, Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory 1874-1932, William Manchester
Virginia's third offering was an biographical account of Winston Churchill, the Early Years - covering the time before our history books picked up the story of his life. Suprisingly (well, maybe not so surprisingly), little Winston was a poor student and a troublemaker (maybe the saying should be amended... 'well behaved women and young English Army officers rarely make history'). Young Winston served and fought in India and in South Africa, where he was taken (and escaped) as a prisoner of war. The author not only provides insight into the development of one of the most recognizable figures of the 20th Century (and not because he looked like W.C. Fields), but also provides a clear picture of life during those years. This is the first of two volumes - Visions of Glory taking us up to Winston's entry into Parliament, and Alone chronicling his rise to power, before the war. Virginia counted this among her 'books to recommend', but did say at times it became heavy-handed in showing what type of young man Churchill was.
Karen
Kim, Rudyard Kipling
Karen then introduced us to a little-known classic - Rudyard Kipling's Kim... at least little known to me - however one of the things that struck Karen was how many references had their origins in Kipling's story of the orphan son of an Irish soldier in British Colonial India. Kipling's story is very well-written, but heavily footnoted (over 400 notes) and rife with descriptions of so many places - Karen felt she should have had an atlas next to her. The customer reviews on Amazon bear up Karen's assertion that the footnotes and descriptions of places got in the way of the story, but are almost unanimous is saying the book is worth every bit of the struggle it is to read.
His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik
From a classic to historical fantasy... His Majesty's Dragon is set in England during the time of the Napoleonic Wars - but there are dragons. Yes, flying, reptilian, fire-breathing (well - some of them) dragons. The author borrows heavily from previous dragon lore - most notably Anne McCaffrey's Pern books (numerous enough to fill most municipal libraries) in that dragons 'bond' and communicate with their masters, in a unique relationship. What makes this unique is that the setting is a well documented period of history, which Novik weaves together with the fantastical to become almost an 'alternative history'. The main character is a Navy captain, tied to all of the heierarchy, tradition and dogma that the British Navy of the early 18oo's represented. Suddenly he finds himself with a new life companion in his dragon, in a new branch of the military (an 'air force' of dragons). The dragons (and the fact that certain types of dragons only bond with women) have an impact on the tactics used in war (of course, France has them too), and the society in which the dragonriders find themselves in. The fascinating thing about this book, according to Karen (and as I also read it, I would have to agree) is that although this falls into the fantasy realm, it's very pragmatic - leaving you with the feeling of 'if there really had been dragons, this is how it would have happened'. There are two more books in this series that I've yet to pick up - but will. And a word of caution - this is one of those books you will not be able to put down.
The Prestige, Christopher Priest
Which is better? The book or the movie? Until recently, I would have resoundingly said that the book was better - a movie could never capture the depth that a book can. But in the past few years, there have been some notable exceptions to this - The Lord of the Rings trilogy was like the books brought to life... Stardust, in theaters now is a wonderful adaptation of Neil Gaiman's book that is different, but not lesser... and The Prestige falls into this same camp. In fact, Karen picked up the book because she had seen the movie, and had questions she hoped the book would answer. If you're new to The Prestige, it is the saga of two feuding magicians around the turn of the century (played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in the movie). Their feud escalates to the point of being life-threatening, as they sabotage each other's performances. The book and the movie have the same characters... the same tricks... and some of the same plot, but they're different. Karen felt the book was weirder than the movie - I'm not sure I agree - but the book definitely takes you to different places than the movie does. I was captivated by the book, and also captivated by the movie. Karen's suggestion is to see the movie first - and I can see her point. Knowing the secret going into the movie took away a little of The Sixth Sense jaw-dropping twist. But if you watch closely, it's all there ('Did you see it?'). I think I might have to go watch the movie again, and then re-read the book.
Brad
Red Sky At Morning, Richard Bradford
As I mentioned above, Brad just brought one book, and it fell into the 'worthwhile' category. Described as A Catcher In the Rye out west, the book Brad chose (and not just because he thinks the author has an uncommonly noble surname) is a coming of age tale set midway through WWII, in New Mexico. It follows the formative years of Josh, whose influential father joins the Navy as a shipbuilder in the twilight of his years, 41 (hey wait! I'm 41! Twilight? I'm hoping it's only lunchtime, mabye early afternoon at the most), and ships his Southern Belle wife (Josh's mother) and his son off to their summer home in New Mexico for the duration. What follows is a culture clash of South meets West meets South of the Border, as Josh tries to acclimate to his new existence, keep his aristrocratic mother from freaking out, and deal with a permanent, mooching houseguest. Brad felt the description of being a western Catcher doesn't really do it justice - the book has a combination of a 'snarky' sense of humor and poignancy with a cast of quirky characters set against a rich description of life in the 1940s Southwest.
Gretchen
Fighting Words: A Toolkit for Combating the Religious Right, Robin Morgan
Gretchen described her reaction to both of the books she brought to share as a 'love/hate relationship.' First up was a book she had as an 'assignment' for another book club (makes me very grateful that this isn't the type of bookclub where you leave with homework). Fighting Words is subtitled as a toolkit, yet it turned out to be much more of a primer on the beliefs of our founding fathers and their intent as they authored the documents that provide the structure for our nation - disproving the religious conservative views of The Constitution as a conservative tome by pointing out that the framers were in their hearts revolutionaries. However, Gretchen was ultimately disappointed and irritated because the book drives home the fact that beliefs causes debate, and a person's beliefs are not likely to change. As one Amazon reviewer put it, 'It is a sad fact that those who should read this book are the least likely to read it.' I think I might have heard Ann Coulter say the same thing about her latest book - further illuminating the divide.
Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers' Rights at Wal-Mart, Liza Featherstone
This book covers the class action suit against what Gretchen described as 'The Evil Empire'... no, not the New York Yankees - Wal-Mart. The class action suit was over the treatment of women who were employed by Wal-Mart - and were subject to lower wages and fewer hours than their male co-workers, and saw males get promoted more frequently, and after less time-served than women were. Gretchen took this book to heart as she has a close friend whose entire family at one point worked at Wal-Mart, and she witnessed some of this. And even thought Gretchen agrees with the overall premise, she felt the book was very one-sided.
Bev
Rex and the City: A Woman, A Man, and a Dysfunctional Dog, Lee Harrington
Those of you who have been following the IBC since its humble origins may remember that Bev brought Marley and Me to our first meeting - and she's been looking for the next Marley ever since (no, not the ghost of Marley - that's a different story, and it's not yet the season). Rex in the City isn't it. But it's fun, nonetheless. Two hyper-successful and trendy 20-somethings in Manhattan decide a dog is just what they need to fulfill their lives. So the stop by the shelter and save Rex, a spaniel, from a certain end. Expecting the dog food commercial version of life with a dog, they are unprepared to deal with Rex's dysfunction. He runs away, terrorizes the neighbors, and acts out in general. Along the way, his behavior and their disagreement on how to train them strains their relationship. But it's a dog story, and although the dog sometimes dies (I haven't read it, so I don't know if Rex does), the dog always turns out good. Bev thought it was enjoyable, although no Marley - a bubblegum book.
Dogs, Unknown
I couldn't find a reference on the internet to this collection of short stories about dogs and the people they own - but if you're interested, I'm sure Bev would loan it to you.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, Lynne Truss
Yes, this is truly a book about punctuation. If you've wandered into a book store in the last year, you probably saw it on the shelf. Both the author and Bev have a near-pathogenic obsession with punctuation - so much so that I'm surprised I don't get redlined copies of my book club summaries from her, or get fined for WUICs - Writing Under the Influence of Commas. I've paged through this book, however, and even though the truth hurts, it's presented in a very amusing fashion. Fun read if you aren't the type that took all those comments your professors made on your poor use of grammar as personnally as I did.
Steal Away Home, Lois Ruby
Another constant of our book club (other than the mention of The Time Traveler's Wife and Lamb, The Gospel According to Christ's Childhood Pal, Biff - which I haven't done in this summary... oops - until now, that is), is that Bev reviews a children's book. This meeting's selection is Steal Away Home - a story of a 12 year old girl, Dana, who while helping her parents remodel an old house into a B&B, discovers a secret room with a skeleton with a diary inside. Unbeknownst to Dana and her parents, the house was a stop on the Underground Railroad. After the discovery, the book continues on in alternating chapters, from Dana's investigations and research of present day, through the diary to the events of 1856 that led to the skeleton being in the room.
Sharla
The Departed, Martin Scorsese
Okay, just to set the record straight – yes, I gave Sharla a good-natured ribbing about the number of books she had brought to IBC #4 in the last summary… and yes, I’d written the summary of her contributions before the last book club… but she had not seen it, I didn’t send it until after, and she couldn’t have known that I was going to tease her in my summary. I just don’t want anyone getting the impression that I scared her off from bringing a book to the book club. She chose not to bring one of her own volition. I swear. Honest! Sharla being Sharla, though, she cannot be present (and oft-times her presence isn’t even required) and not have a worthwhile contribution to the group. Sharla just selected a different medium. The Departed is a remake of the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs and tells the story of two deep cover moles - one cop who ingratiates himself to the local crime boss (Jack Nicholson being Jack), and a mob mole, who enters the State Police as a plant. Full of twists and turns (and violence) as the two search for each other, The Departed is Martin Scorsese's biggest box office success. Sharla saw this movie, said that Leonardo was amazing in it, and then wouldn't give up any details so that she wouldn't ruin the movie for anyone.
Alex
Alex didn't bring a book either - he brought a library. Fortunately the library was in his head, and he didn't have to carry any of the books. Alex recommended the works of H.P. Lovecraft. For those unfamiliar with his work, he is thought by many to be a master of gothic horror, in the Edgar Allen Poe tradition. (Wikipedia refers to it as cosmic horror - meaning is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely "reason", like his protagonists, gamble with their sanity). Poe didn't have many huge, ancient sea creatures like Lovecraft's Dagon. Strange, but highly literary (read: you need a dictionary to look up some of the words) horror - most of today's modern horror writers, including Stephen King cite Lovecraft as an influence.
Dave
The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
I picked this book up because the cover intrigued me. No, not the cover art, but rather the liner notes describing the book. These told of a story of a young woman who is summoned to the home of a much revered novelist who has deliberately misled everyone over the years on the details of her personal life. The liner notes suggested almost a mystery, and yes – I guess you could say that it has those elements. But what I found when I read this book was a very rich (as in Virginia’s Carrot Cake rich – so rich that although you want more, you fear that all of the fluid in your body will immediately become the consistency of jello) story of a dysfunctional family wrought with tragedy at the end of the age of the English gentry. I became so caught up in the cadence of the story that I frequently found myself thinking back on a section I had read, and having to go back to re-read it, just to make sure I read what I thought I did. This isn’t the best book I’ve read in the past year (that honor still belongs to The Time Traveler’s Wife), but it was an ultimately satisfying book… kind of like a home-cooked meal of your favorite comfort foods. After you finish, you feel like laying out on the couch and letting your dinner slowly digest. Now, where can I find some more of Virginia’s Carrot Cake?
Memories of My Melancholy Whores, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Unlike the previous book, this one left a bad taste in my mouth. I should have known. All of the signs were there – from the title, to the description on the back cover. And yet, I still picked it up. This is largely because I long ago read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and although I don’t remember a lot of it, I do remember that I liked it. And then a few years ago, after an overdose of Stephen King, Tom Clancy and the mystery of the month club, I saw a list of ‘books that everyone should read’. On this list was Marquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude. So I picked it up, and although it took me almost as long to read it as the title might suggest, I loved it. So, I thought, Marquez hadn’t disappointed me in the past – and even though the cover described a 90 year old confirmed bachelor deciding to treat himself for his birthday by sleeping with a virgin, who turns out to be a 14 year old girl, I thought I’d give it a chance. I either completely missed the point (which is entirely possible), or this book went nowhere, did nothing, and wasted about 2 days of my life. I’d love for someone else to read it (it’s nowhere near as lurid as it sounds – in fact, it’s downright boring and sedate) and tell me what they got out of it – but I got nothing. Read One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera – both excellent (if challenging) books. But I can’t really recommend this one.
And that finishes off this episode of 'An update so late that it should be called a postdate'. Off to IBC #6 and Happy Reading!
BookTracker
Name Books Borrowed from
Colleen The Thirteenth Tale Dave
Karen Hyperion Brad
Fall of Hyperion
Brad Kim Karen
His Majesty’s Dragon
Fighting Words Gretchen
Gretchen The Prestige Karen
Virginia The Stolen Child Dave
Steal Away Home Bev
Dave Endymion Brad
The Rise of Endymion
Bev Time Stops for No Mouse Virginia
(not really borrowed, but left @ Bev’s house)
Colleen
The Inner Circle, T.C. Boyle
Colleen was about halfway through this book when I saw the movie Kinsey, which shares the subject of this book. In the movie, Alfred C. Kinsey, the great sex researcher was portrayed (with gravitas by Liam Neeson) as a tireless and dedicated tyrant who demanded blind loyalty from the members and families of his research team. In the book, he’s portrayed in much the same way – although I’m sure that Colleen would use stronger words for this (I think the kindest sentiment she used was ‘brainwashing fiend’). This was Colleen’s selection for the book that disappointed her. It’s not that it was a bad book – in fact, Colleen had lots of praise for how well it was written, and especially the character development – but the main character was portrayed as such a reprehensible being that finishing the book became a chore for her. If you’re inviting Colleen over for movie night, you might better off not having Kinsey on the playbill.
Northern Lights, Nora Roberts
This was Colleen’s contribution for a book that she liked. She only picked up a Nora Roberts book because Sharla recommended this one - and Colleen read it in about 23 minutes - just kidding - but it was such a light, yet enjoyable read that she blazed through it. A Baltimore cop takes a job in Lunacy, Alaska, where he joins Dr. Joel Fleischman in Holling's saloon where Shelly serves them beer, and eavesdrops on their 'frozen fish out of water' stories... okay I made that up. What really happens is that he start up a relationship with a feisty bush pilot named Meg (not Maggie), played by Janine Turner... okay, I made that up too - well, not all of it... he does have a dalliance with a feisty bush pilot - does every eccentric Alaskan town have a beautiful but feisty bush pilot? (Omigod, I just turned that into an Ellen Degeneres joke... ) ANYWAY... part small town romantic mystery, part fish out of water, part ode to the community, this is another Nora Roberts book that outsold all of the iPods ever manufactured. Colleen's comment - very good - she liked it, she didn't think she could read another one.
The Hidden Giants, Sethanne Howard
How often do you get the opportunity to sit and talk with someone, about the weather, travel abroad, how wonderful this cheese dip is, etc., only to find out later that they're a published author? This is what happened when Colleen found herself drug to a party where she didn't know anyone, surrounded by astronomers and rocket scientists (and no - Brad wasn't there, but he should've been!), conversing with two very friendly outspoken women. Sethanne Howard retired from the U.S. Naval Observatory, after a ground-breaking career in astronomy (how many women who are astronomers do you know? Brad and Virginia are disqualified from answering) as one of the few women in her field. Inspired by this, she wrote the book The Hidden Giants, about the contributions of women to science throughout the ages. Sethanne calls them 'natural philosophers', and does a good job of drawing you into wanting to know more about them. According to Colleen, The Hidden Giants is very readable - Sethanne's style is very much like her conversation - but I don't think there's any mention of the cheese dip in the book.
Virginia
How to Make Your Man Behave in 21 Days or Less Using the Secrets of Professional Dog Trainers, Karen Salmansohn
This was on the list of disappointing books for Virginia. Karen Salmansohn's illustrated book takes the 'men are dogs' analogy to the extreme (i.e., 'A dog is nicest when he wants to be fed'). While Virginia found some of this book mildly amusing, overall it was a disappointment, going for the obvious pun rather than subtle humor. However, it was very impressive how Brad leapt out of his seat when Virginia pointed to the floor, and then she made him rollover and jump up and touch her hand with his nose. And of course, as soon as she brought out the treats, Alex and I joined Brad, all of us sitting on our haunches at attention, looking up at Virginia expectantly.
Autobiography of a Face, Lucy Grealy
Virginia had much more praise for this non-fiction, autobiographical account of a girl who, at the age of nine, had part of her jawbone removed due to Ewing's Sarcoma. The author candidly and wittily (did I just make that up?) describes the tauntings of other children, society's and her own feelings toward physical appearance and the numerous treatments she endured to return to a 'normal' appearance. Virginia found in this book insight into how children deal with trauma, how cold and isolating a society obsessed with physical beauty can be, but ultimately triumph as the author found her own inner beauty on her journey toward acceptance.
The Last Lion, Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory 1874-1932, William Manchester
Virginia's third offering was an biographical account of Winston Churchill, the Early Years - covering the time before our history books picked up the story of his life. Suprisingly (well, maybe not so surprisingly), little Winston was a poor student and a troublemaker (maybe the saying should be amended... 'well behaved women and young English Army officers rarely make history'). Young Winston served and fought in India and in South Africa, where he was taken (and escaped) as a prisoner of war. The author not only provides insight into the development of one of the most recognizable figures of the 20th Century (and not because he looked like W.C. Fields), but also provides a clear picture of life during those years. This is the first of two volumes - Visions of Glory taking us up to Winston's entry into Parliament, and Alone chronicling his rise to power, before the war. Virginia counted this among her 'books to recommend', but did say at times it became heavy-handed in showing what type of young man Churchill was.
Karen
Kim, Rudyard Kipling
Karen then introduced us to a little-known classic - Rudyard Kipling's Kim... at least little known to me - however one of the things that struck Karen was how many references had their origins in Kipling's story of the orphan son of an Irish soldier in British Colonial India. Kipling's story is very well-written, but heavily footnoted (over 400 notes) and rife with descriptions of so many places - Karen felt she should have had an atlas next to her. The customer reviews on Amazon bear up Karen's assertion that the footnotes and descriptions of places got in the way of the story, but are almost unanimous is saying the book is worth every bit of the struggle it is to read.
His Majesty's Dragon, Naomi Novik
From a classic to historical fantasy... His Majesty's Dragon is set in England during the time of the Napoleonic Wars - but there are dragons. Yes, flying, reptilian, fire-breathing (well - some of them) dragons. The author borrows heavily from previous dragon lore - most notably Anne McCaffrey's Pern books (numerous enough to fill most municipal libraries) in that dragons 'bond' and communicate with their masters, in a unique relationship. What makes this unique is that the setting is a well documented period of history, which Novik weaves together with the fantastical to become almost an 'alternative history'. The main character is a Navy captain, tied to all of the heierarchy, tradition and dogma that the British Navy of the early 18oo's represented. Suddenly he finds himself with a new life companion in his dragon, in a new branch of the military (an 'air force' of dragons). The dragons (and the fact that certain types of dragons only bond with women) have an impact on the tactics used in war (of course, France has them too), and the society in which the dragonriders find themselves in. The fascinating thing about this book, according to Karen (and as I also read it, I would have to agree) is that although this falls into the fantasy realm, it's very pragmatic - leaving you with the feeling of 'if there really had been dragons, this is how it would have happened'. There are two more books in this series that I've yet to pick up - but will. And a word of caution - this is one of those books you will not be able to put down.
The Prestige, Christopher Priest
Which is better? The book or the movie? Until recently, I would have resoundingly said that the book was better - a movie could never capture the depth that a book can. But in the past few years, there have been some notable exceptions to this - The Lord of the Rings trilogy was like the books brought to life... Stardust, in theaters now is a wonderful adaptation of Neil Gaiman's book that is different, but not lesser... and The Prestige falls into this same camp. In fact, Karen picked up the book because she had seen the movie, and had questions she hoped the book would answer. If you're new to The Prestige, it is the saga of two feuding magicians around the turn of the century (played by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale in the movie). Their feud escalates to the point of being life-threatening, as they sabotage each other's performances. The book and the movie have the same characters... the same tricks... and some of the same plot, but they're different. Karen felt the book was weirder than the movie - I'm not sure I agree - but the book definitely takes you to different places than the movie does. I was captivated by the book, and also captivated by the movie. Karen's suggestion is to see the movie first - and I can see her point. Knowing the secret going into the movie took away a little of The Sixth Sense jaw-dropping twist. But if you watch closely, it's all there ('Did you see it?'). I think I might have to go watch the movie again, and then re-read the book.
Brad
Red Sky At Morning, Richard Bradford
As I mentioned above, Brad just brought one book, and it fell into the 'worthwhile' category. Described as A Catcher In the Rye out west, the book Brad chose (and not just because he thinks the author has an uncommonly noble surname) is a coming of age tale set midway through WWII, in New Mexico. It follows the formative years of Josh, whose influential father joins the Navy as a shipbuilder in the twilight of his years, 41 (hey wait! I'm 41! Twilight? I'm hoping it's only lunchtime, mabye early afternoon at the most), and ships his Southern Belle wife (Josh's mother) and his son off to their summer home in New Mexico for the duration. What follows is a culture clash of South meets West meets South of the Border, as Josh tries to acclimate to his new existence, keep his aristrocratic mother from freaking out, and deal with a permanent, mooching houseguest. Brad felt the description of being a western Catcher doesn't really do it justice - the book has a combination of a 'snarky' sense of humor and poignancy with a cast of quirky characters set against a rich description of life in the 1940s Southwest.
Gretchen
Fighting Words: A Toolkit for Combating the Religious Right, Robin Morgan
Gretchen described her reaction to both of the books she brought to share as a 'love/hate relationship.' First up was a book she had as an 'assignment' for another book club (makes me very grateful that this isn't the type of bookclub where you leave with homework). Fighting Words is subtitled as a toolkit, yet it turned out to be much more of a primer on the beliefs of our founding fathers and their intent as they authored the documents that provide the structure for our nation - disproving the religious conservative views of The Constitution as a conservative tome by pointing out that the framers were in their hearts revolutionaries. However, Gretchen was ultimately disappointed and irritated because the book drives home the fact that beliefs causes debate, and a person's beliefs are not likely to change. As one Amazon reviewer put it, 'It is a sad fact that those who should read this book are the least likely to read it.' I think I might have heard Ann Coulter say the same thing about her latest book - further illuminating the divide.
Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers' Rights at Wal-Mart, Liza Featherstone
This book covers the class action suit against what Gretchen described as 'The Evil Empire'... no, not the New York Yankees - Wal-Mart. The class action suit was over the treatment of women who were employed by Wal-Mart - and were subject to lower wages and fewer hours than their male co-workers, and saw males get promoted more frequently, and after less time-served than women were. Gretchen took this book to heart as she has a close friend whose entire family at one point worked at Wal-Mart, and she witnessed some of this. And even thought Gretchen agrees with the overall premise, she felt the book was very one-sided.
Bev
Rex and the City: A Woman, A Man, and a Dysfunctional Dog, Lee Harrington
Those of you who have been following the IBC since its humble origins may remember that Bev brought Marley and Me to our first meeting - and she's been looking for the next Marley ever since (no, not the ghost of Marley - that's a different story, and it's not yet the season). Rex in the City isn't it. But it's fun, nonetheless. Two hyper-successful and trendy 20-somethings in Manhattan decide a dog is just what they need to fulfill their lives. So the stop by the shelter and save Rex, a spaniel, from a certain end. Expecting the dog food commercial version of life with a dog, they are unprepared to deal with Rex's dysfunction. He runs away, terrorizes the neighbors, and acts out in general. Along the way, his behavior and their disagreement on how to train them strains their relationship. But it's a dog story, and although the dog sometimes dies (I haven't read it, so I don't know if Rex does), the dog always turns out good. Bev thought it was enjoyable, although no Marley - a bubblegum book.
Dogs, Unknown
I couldn't find a reference on the internet to this collection of short stories about dogs and the people they own - but if you're interested, I'm sure Bev would loan it to you.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, Lynne Truss
Yes, this is truly a book about punctuation. If you've wandered into a book store in the last year, you probably saw it on the shelf. Both the author and Bev have a near-pathogenic obsession with punctuation - so much so that I'm surprised I don't get redlined copies of my book club summaries from her, or get fined for WUICs - Writing Under the Influence of Commas. I've paged through this book, however, and even though the truth hurts, it's presented in a very amusing fashion. Fun read if you aren't the type that took all those comments your professors made on your poor use of grammar as personnally as I did.
Steal Away Home, Lois Ruby
Another constant of our book club (other than the mention of The Time Traveler's Wife and Lamb, The Gospel According to Christ's Childhood Pal, Biff - which I haven't done in this summary... oops - until now, that is), is that Bev reviews a children's book. This meeting's selection is Steal Away Home - a story of a 12 year old girl, Dana, who while helping her parents remodel an old house into a B&B, discovers a secret room with a skeleton with a diary inside. Unbeknownst to Dana and her parents, the house was a stop on the Underground Railroad. After the discovery, the book continues on in alternating chapters, from Dana's investigations and research of present day, through the diary to the events of 1856 that led to the skeleton being in the room.
Sharla
The Departed, Martin Scorsese
Okay, just to set the record straight – yes, I gave Sharla a good-natured ribbing about the number of books she had brought to IBC #4 in the last summary… and yes, I’d written the summary of her contributions before the last book club… but she had not seen it, I didn’t send it until after, and she couldn’t have known that I was going to tease her in my summary. I just don’t want anyone getting the impression that I scared her off from bringing a book to the book club. She chose not to bring one of her own volition. I swear. Honest! Sharla being Sharla, though, she cannot be present (and oft-times her presence isn’t even required) and not have a worthwhile contribution to the group. Sharla just selected a different medium. The Departed is a remake of the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs and tells the story of two deep cover moles - one cop who ingratiates himself to the local crime boss (Jack Nicholson being Jack), and a mob mole, who enters the State Police as a plant. Full of twists and turns (and violence) as the two search for each other, The Departed is Martin Scorsese's biggest box office success. Sharla saw this movie, said that Leonardo was amazing in it, and then wouldn't give up any details so that she wouldn't ruin the movie for anyone.
Alex
Alex didn't bring a book either - he brought a library. Fortunately the library was in his head, and he didn't have to carry any of the books. Alex recommended the works of H.P. Lovecraft. For those unfamiliar with his work, he is thought by many to be a master of gothic horror, in the Edgar Allen Poe tradition. (Wikipedia refers to it as cosmic horror - meaning is incomprehensible to human minds and the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely "reason", like his protagonists, gamble with their sanity). Poe didn't have many huge, ancient sea creatures like Lovecraft's Dagon. Strange, but highly literary (read: you need a dictionary to look up some of the words) horror - most of today's modern horror writers, including Stephen King cite Lovecraft as an influence.
Dave
The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
I picked this book up because the cover intrigued me. No, not the cover art, but rather the liner notes describing the book. These told of a story of a young woman who is summoned to the home of a much revered novelist who has deliberately misled everyone over the years on the details of her personal life. The liner notes suggested almost a mystery, and yes – I guess you could say that it has those elements. But what I found when I read this book was a very rich (as in Virginia’s Carrot Cake rich – so rich that although you want more, you fear that all of the fluid in your body will immediately become the consistency of jello) story of a dysfunctional family wrought with tragedy at the end of the age of the English gentry. I became so caught up in the cadence of the story that I frequently found myself thinking back on a section I had read, and having to go back to re-read it, just to make sure I read what I thought I did. This isn’t the best book I’ve read in the past year (that honor still belongs to The Time Traveler’s Wife), but it was an ultimately satisfying book… kind of like a home-cooked meal of your favorite comfort foods. After you finish, you feel like laying out on the couch and letting your dinner slowly digest. Now, where can I find some more of Virginia’s Carrot Cake?
Memories of My Melancholy Whores, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Unlike the previous book, this one left a bad taste in my mouth. I should have known. All of the signs were there – from the title, to the description on the back cover. And yet, I still picked it up. This is largely because I long ago read Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and although I don’t remember a lot of it, I do remember that I liked it. And then a few years ago, after an overdose of Stephen King, Tom Clancy and the mystery of the month club, I saw a list of ‘books that everyone should read’. On this list was Marquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude. So I picked it up, and although it took me almost as long to read it as the title might suggest, I loved it. So, I thought, Marquez hadn’t disappointed me in the past – and even though the cover described a 90 year old confirmed bachelor deciding to treat himself for his birthday by sleeping with a virgin, who turns out to be a 14 year old girl, I thought I’d give it a chance. I either completely missed the point (which is entirely possible), or this book went nowhere, did nothing, and wasted about 2 days of my life. I’d love for someone else to read it (it’s nowhere near as lurid as it sounds – in fact, it’s downright boring and sedate) and tell me what they got out of it – but I got nothing. Read One Hundred Years of Solitude and Love in the Time of Cholera – both excellent (if challenging) books. But I can’t really recommend this one.
And that finishes off this episode of 'An update so late that it should be called a postdate'. Off to IBC #6 and Happy Reading!
BookTracker
Name Books Borrowed from
Colleen The Thirteenth Tale Dave
Karen Hyperion Brad
Fall of Hyperion
Brad Kim Karen
His Majesty’s Dragon
Fighting Words Gretchen
Gretchen The Prestige Karen
Virginia The Stolen Child Dave
Steal Away Home Bev
Dave Endymion Brad
The Rise of Endymion
Bev Time Stops for No Mouse Virginia
(not really borrowed, but left @ Bev’s house)
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
What are you or have you been reading?
Like a kid with a new toy, I just can't stay away from the blog! So what have you read recently that you'd recommend? Add a comment to let us know even if you're going to talk about it September... All comments will appear in a popup window.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Welcome to the IBC Blog!
Hey, everyone - long time no type!
Rather than clog the email highways and throughways with my ever-expanding tomes on our meetings, I thought it'd be more efficient to set up a blog - that way you can easily reference previous posts, or see what books have been discussed in the Irreverant Book Club (plus, I don't have to go searching through my email to find the previous posts).
First some administrative stuff - sorry about having you create an account and log in - I wanted to restrict this to only members to prevent random comments from people who have no affiliation with any of us - but in no means do I wish to restrict membership - if you want someone added to the blog, just let me know, and I'll get them on the list. Anyone who has attended a previous IBC meeting should be included, but if I forgot anyone, my apologies. Let me know and I'll correct it.
I also wanted to create an opportunity for other members to post - if you're interested in composing posts, let me know, and I'll make you an author (note - anyone who is a member can post comments). I only ask that we keep the topics to books. Additionally, I thought this would be a good place to include virtual discussions - such as - 'What are you reading now?', 'What did you read recently that you'd recommend?' - to forums that I will open up this week. However, I want to make sure that we do continue our get togethers in person - the food is too good, the company too wonderful, and we've gotta have a way to return all of those books we've borrowed!
So I hope you enjoy the blog. I'm still 2 posts behind (although I do have the book list from the 5th meeting up) - I intend to catch up. I also would like to schedule a meeting sometime in September... I miss all of you guys! - so stay tuned for further information on that.
If you have any suggestions for the blog, let me know... and until then, Happy Reading!
Dave
Rather than clog the email highways and throughways with my ever-expanding tomes on our meetings, I thought it'd be more efficient to set up a blog - that way you can easily reference previous posts, or see what books have been discussed in the Irreverant Book Club (plus, I don't have to go searching through my email to find the previous posts).
First some administrative stuff - sorry about having you create an account and log in - I wanted to restrict this to only members to prevent random comments from people who have no affiliation with any of us - but in no means do I wish to restrict membership - if you want someone added to the blog, just let me know, and I'll get them on the list. Anyone who has attended a previous IBC meeting should be included, but if I forgot anyone, my apologies. Let me know and I'll correct it.
I also wanted to create an opportunity for other members to post - if you're interested in composing posts, let me know, and I'll make you an author (note - anyone who is a member can post comments). I only ask that we keep the topics to books. Additionally, I thought this would be a good place to include virtual discussions - such as - 'What are you reading now?', 'What did you read recently that you'd recommend?' - to forums that I will open up this week. However, I want to make sure that we do continue our get togethers in person - the food is too good, the company too wonderful, and we've gotta have a way to return all of those books we've borrowed!
So I hope you enjoy the blog. I'm still 2 posts behind (although I do have the book list from the 5th meeting up) - I intend to catch up. I also would like to schedule a meeting sometime in September... I miss all of you guys! - so stay tuned for further information on that.
If you have any suggestions for the blog, let me know... and until then, Happy Reading!
Dave
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Notes from Long Ago (IBC #4 - October 29, 2006)
It’s been almost months, or 119 days, or 2856 hours (or 171360 minutes) since our 4th book club meeting. Based on how I normally go about my day, and the amount of free time I typically have per day, and given that we’ve had 34 weekend days, 4 holidays (if you count either Veteran’s Day for you government-holiday grubbing types, or the day after Thanksgiving for you capitalist commercial types), and four additional days that I spent luxuriating in the balmy clime of central Florida, there have been approximately 2672 hours that I could’ve been using to compose the last summary. However, I’m gonna cut myself a break, because I do occasionally spend time with others (during which it would be rude to be typing an email), play volleyball (difficult to both type and play at the same time – although I think my typing would suffer more than my volleyball-playing), read (especially the books that I borrowed out of this last meeting) and bathe (electrical shock hazard), so in actuality, there are probably only 884 hours I spent procrastinating the construction of the last summary. Although, I’ve now spent about 25 minutes on the composition of this opening paragraph, and the inane (and presumably, largely inaccurate) calculations enclosed within it, in an attempt to explain away why the summary is coming to you three months late – and of course, we’ve had another book club… so without further adieu, here is the summary that I should’ve completed three months ago. Especially since the 5th book club meeting was a week ago.
IBC Meeting #4 (the Sci-Fi experience)
There have been brilliant moments in the course of human history, where the confluence of passion and diligent study, brought together with context and opportunity create something truly awe-inspiring to behold… Events such as Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903, Michael Jordan’s ankle-breaking juke, and soaring Game 6 clutch shot over Byron Russell to clinch the 1998 NBA Championship in what should have been his last and defining moment in his playing career… Those of us who attended the 4th meeting of our irreverently-themed book club witnessed such an event… it all began with the words, uttered softly by Brad, ‘I brought a shopping bag…’
But first, let me set the stage. We gathered at Colleen’s former apartment, infused with the rich aroma of mulled wine, nestled lakeside in Fair Lakes on a warmer than average last Sunday in October. Gathered around her living room, we knoshed on a variety of choices as the attendees drifted in (including the aforementioned, foreshadowed Brad and his shopping bag). After everyone had a full plate and something to drink, the man with the bag got us started.
Bradford
For those of you who are not familiar with who some or all of us are outside of our book club experiences, it might help qualify the shopping bag of Brad to know that by trade, passion and paycheck, he is an astronomer. Not the kind that a former first lady consulted (that’s a-s-t-r-o-l-o-g-e-r), but the kind that gazes into the heavens, does a lot of math, and lets us know why it’s unlikely we’ll be demolished by a rogue asteroid or sucked into a black hole (actually, I’m displaying my ignorance of how Brad spends his time in the office on a daily basis, but I digress. Again.). So the theme resonated not only with Brad’s chosen profession, but his lifelong dreams. And so it began, as Brad dug into Santa’s Bag of Sci-Fi...
Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
As a classy guy, it’s only natural Brad would start with a ‘sci-fi classic’. Ender’s Game is the first of several ‘Ender’ books that Orson Scott Card wrote, and it introduces the reader to a world where the Earth has been invaded from galaxies afar, and twice, the human race has been successful in repelling the invasion twice, but has serious concerns about its chances the next time around. As a result, they’ve started recruiting their military leaders early (waayyyy early), with the primary method of learning being video games. Out of the masses emerges Andrew (or ‘Ender’) who has a great gift for gaming, as the potential savior of the human race. Could he be the one? The book also explores the dynamics of Ender’s older siblings. Ender’s Game spawned many sequels, but according to Brad, you don’t need to read the sequels to enjoy the book – as a work of great Science Fiction, it stands alone.
Ender's Game from amazon.com
Spock’s World, by Diane Duane
Yes, that Spock. Growing up in the generation I did (a few years ahead of Brad’s time), I first enjoyed Star Trek in syndication. Although I was never a trekkie, I did look forward to Kirk’s bravado, Bones’ frustration, and the inevitable demise of the red-shirted ensign. This book is set in that same universe of colored spandex shirts and doors that go ‘whoosh’. As Brad says, there were many many Star Trek novels, some bad (some very bad), but this one had more to tell than the usual Trekisms. Interspersed with the modern day story of the travails of the Enterprise and her crew, was a treatise on the philosophy of Surak on the planet Vulcan, who inspired the Vulcan affect we came to know and love in Spock. His philosophy was one of peace, non-violence and, of course, logic. But deeper than that it was rooted in seeing the universe as it is – not how you would like it to be. Perhaps it should be required reading for Poly Sci, Law and MBA students.
Spock's World
Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion, by Dan Simmons
Brad continued his guided tour down sci-fi lane with a more contemporary offering. This series of books by Dan Simmons (actually two series of two books) is set 500 + years into our future, when war and consumption of natural resources have forced the human race into colonizing planets afar. Advances in Artificial Intelligence led to a new ‘race’ that seceded from the human race, yet still maintained a symbiotic relationship with man (as servants or puppetmasters?). Interplanetary travel was initially accomplished through the Hawking drive (yes, that Hawking), but the AI race laced the far-reaching colonies together through a web of portals, or farcasters. A group of humans split off from the great Hegemony of Man and became known as the Ousters – outlaws, anarchists, AI-hating global warming alarmists – you know, the bad sort of people. One planet, Hyperion, which lay outside the web, possesses an area where tides of time run in reverse. This area is patrolled by the Shrike – a particularly nasty metallic creation of razor sharp appendages that appears out of nowhere, creates carnage, and disappears again. A cult has risen out of this phenomenon, whereas 7 pilgrims are chosen to seek out the Shrike. And only one returns.
The Hegemony is in crisis and the Shrike holds the key – so seven pilgrims are chosen – a Consul, a Soldier, a Scholar, a Poet, a Templar, a Detective and a Priest. On their journey, they realize their only chance of survivor is to understand why each is on the quest. And so Hyperion becomes kind of a science-fiction version of The Canterbury Tales, with each, in turn, telling their tale. The Fall of Hyperion picks up immediately (in fact, I wouldn’t recommend reading Hyperion without having The Fall of Hyperion handy – otherwise, you will scream in frustration, rush out at 1 am, commit felony breaking and entering of your local Borders, just to continue the series). The Endymion books pick up in the same universe several hundred years later.
Part of the reason I was such a slacker on getting this out is because I borrowed the first two books from Brad, and spent many a sleepless night because I could not put them down. I’ve not yet picked up the Endymion series, because I think it’s a bad idea to neglect your health, your work and your friends in the middle of winter. But if you don’t hear from me for a prolonged period of time, you can bet I’m holed up somewhere quiet with Endymion and The Rise of Endymion – if they are even half as good as the Hyperion series. Very well written, tremendous characters that you care about, and a terrific story set in a fascinating future.
Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion
Firefly, by Joss Whedon and Tim Minear
In this recommendation, Brad took the book club’s moniker to heart. Being irreverent Brad broke away from the written word, and ventured into the media of prematurely cancelled TV series. For those of you who have not heard of Firefly, you’re forgiven – but anyone who has not heard of Joss Whedon, the creator of Firefly needs to come out of their cave. Joss Whedon is perhaps best known for his very popular series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and less so (but just as passionately) for its spin-off, Angel. Firefly first aired in the fall of 2002, and had a brief, 13 episode run (16 were filmed). It introduced us to the ragtag crew of smugglers of the Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship. They spent their days up to no good, trading wisecracks, insults and self-deprecating humor, while avoiding the Alliance and it’s near totalitarian ways. I realize, as I’m typing this, that I’ve not really presented a compelling argument for you to see it – so let me just say – I’ve seen the entire series (and I mean the entire 16 episode series) four times since I first picked up the DVDs about 16 months ago. And I’m looking for a reason to watch it again. I’ve recommended it to about a dozen people, more than half of whom have watched it. And of those, the ones who haven’t watched it again simply have not had time to. It’s that good. You’ll love the story, the dialogue, the characters. You will never see any of the actors again as anything other than the characters they played so perfectly on Firefly. The groundswell of support when the DVD was released led to a full-length movie called Serenity (and yes, I saw it on opening night. And yes, I’ve seen it four times).
So if it’s so good, why did it have such a short run? Ratings. Lack of support from the network. A Friday night timeslot – I don’t know, but it’s one of the more disillusioning missteps of modern broadcast media. Just watch it. You will not be disappointed. Oh – and Brad liked it too.
Firefly: The Complete Series
Lee
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl, by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball
Lee was next up, claiming that she would be quick and to the point. She brought Acorna: The Unicorn Girl, the first of a series by Anne McCaffrey of the Dragonriders of Pern series. This led to a sidebar about that series, as several of us in the room had read it (although it’s been 20 years since I have). Acorna is written in true McCaffrey fashion, not just dealing with the fantasy, but also social issues (child labor in this case). The title character is found by three crusty space miners, and soon demonstrates her seemingly magical abilities. Unfortunately, this attracts the attention of scientists who wish to study her, and she flees to a planet where children are kept as slave-labor. Of course, Acorna seeks to end this practice. Lee said that if you liked the Pern books, you’d like this – and McCaffrey excels at describing strange worlds and colorful characters.
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl
Tales from Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Lee also discussed this followup to the 70’s eco-classic Watership Down. In this book, the author revisits the culture he created in that field some 30 years ago, by recounting the mythologies and legends and ongoing saga of the society of rabbits in a series of interrelated tales. If you liked the original, you’ll enjoy re-acquainting yourselves with the characters and where they went from the end of the previous novel.
Tales from Watership Down
Sharla
Having seen the prolificacy of Brad regarding Sci-Fi, you would have thought that the number of items reviewed could not have been equaled. Well – you’d be wrong. Sharla took the loose definition of Sci-Fi/Fantasy and applied it to the horror realm… well – as much as Nora Roberts could be considered within the horror genre. And then she went on… and on… displaying an endurance and a velocity of speech that left our heads spinning… kinda like playing ‘Hell’ with her – for those of you who have had that experience…
Morrigan’s Cross, by Nora Roberts
Sharla’s first book is really the first of a trilogy by Nora Roberts. Nora writes would some would call… ummm… beach reads (Gretchen had a good description, but I’ll save it for her section – don’t worry… you’ll only have to wade through the plethora of books that Sharla brought to discuss), frequently with a touch of the supernatural. Morrigan’s Cross is about vampires. And witches. And warriors. And bodice-ripping romance. Six people of such species, gender and disposition to pair off romantically undertake the hunt for Lilith, last seen singing with Sarah MacLaughlin and the Indigo Girls at Merrirweather Post Pavilion… no, I’m just kidding. Sarah MacLaughlin and the Indigo Girls don’t make an appearance in this book. At least, I don’t think so – to be honest, I haven’t read it. Lilith is the queen of the vampires. Sharla reads a lot of Nora Roberts, and wasn’t disappointed in this – if you’re looking for a romantic light literary snack flavored with creatures of the dark, this may be your series.
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Morrigan's Cross (The Circle Trilogy, Book 1)
Promise Me, by Harlan Coben
Sharla took a decidedly darker turn (how could one be darker than vampires, you say?) with Harlan Coben’s latest book. Harlan Coben writes thrillers of the most ordinary variety – not that his stories are ordinary, but they happen to ordinary people. In New Jersey. Everything I’ve ever read from him was the type of novel that sucked you in, and forced you to finish it – and it never really ended up the way you thought it would. Ever read a book and wishing the author had not gone for the obvious, somewhat upbeat ending, but rather had the guts to play the story out the way it might in actual life? Harlan Coben has the guts. Promise Me reintroduces a character from one of Coben’s previous books – a former basketball star who now dabbles in sports and entertainment agency, and occasionally performs the role of the ‘knight in shining armor’. He gives a couple of teenage girls (one the daughter of a friend) his contact information to call in case they ever get into trouble… and one of the girls takes him up on it. Madness ensues. If you are a fan of thrillers and haven’t read Harlan Coben, you won’t be disappointed.
Promise Me
The Face of Deception, by Iris Johansen
Yet another thriller offered up by Sharla… The main character in this one is a forensic sculptor, with the ability to recreate a face from a skull (like Bones’ sexy assistant, whose character is the love child of Billy F. Gibbons. I’ll bet most of you don’t know who that is… sheesh, I feel old). She is dealing with the loss of her child and sinks herself into her career. The ubiquitous handsome, single millionaire contracts her to identify a skull. Madness ensues. I’m assuming (haven’t read this one, either). For more info:
The Face of Deception
Beautiful Lies: A Novel, by Lisa Unger
Sharla’s next thriller deals with kind of a unique premise. The main character discovers that what she thought were her parents are not really hers. As an infant, she was stolen and raised as another family’s child. Along comes the ever-present handsome next-door neighbor who happens to be a private investigator (editorial note: How come it’s never a mildly pleasant-looking next door computer executive? Or volleyball player?), and together they embark on a search for her real parents. Along the way the discover an undercover stolen infant ring (that doesn’t involve changelings. See below), as well as each other. Sharla really identified with the main character – and felt the author did a good job of getting the reader invested in her story.
Beautiful Lies: A Novel
Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven: A Novel, by Fannie Flagg
Sharla’s final offering (phew!) is not a thriller, but rather a very warm and funny novel from Fannie Flagg, of Fried Green Tomatoes…´ fame. The story follows an 80 year old woman who passes from her earthly life into heaven. Madness ensues. Just kidding. Sharla highly recommended this book – in addition to being heartwarming, it offered a vision of heaven that was as humorous as it was beautiful, and caused Sharla to reflect on life in general. Reviews at Amazon were very good:
Can't Wait to Get to Heaven: A Novel
Gretchen
Three Sisters Island Trilogy (Dance Upon the Air, Heaven and Earth, Face the Fire), by Nora Roberts
Gretchen had also read a fair amount of Nora Roberts… in her estimation.. bubblegum for the brain. But there’s nothing wrong with a little bubble gum (unless you blow really big bubbles and they explode and get into your hair, and you have to apply peanut butter to get it out. Trust me. It’s not pleasant). She recommended this Nora Roberts series for those looking for a little literary escapism.
Three Sisters Island Trilogy
Lightning, By the Light of the Moon, by Dean Koontz
In keeping with the Sci-Fi/Fantasy theme, Gretchen brought books from the traditionally supernaturally-tinged Dean Koontz. In the first book, Lightning, the main character is born during a tremendous thunderstorm and her entire life is touched by the presence of a character (who arrives by lightning, ergo the title) who you never figure out until the end is on the side of good or the side of evil. Only Oliver Stone is more prone to conspiracy theories then Koontz, and this is no different.
By the Light of the Moon also deals with a government conspiracy, with a scientist abruptly entering the life of two people who don’t know each other, injecting them with some mysterious substance, and then telling them that someone else is out to get them right before he is killed (phew!). The book centers around these two people – one a devoted brother and companion to his autistic brother, and the other a stand-up comedienne who suddenly develops visions. Koontz uses his traditional conspiracy, assassin, chase formula, along with the plot device of the autistic brother. Publisher’s Weekly spoke highly of this novel – ‘Perhaps more than any other author, Koontz writes fiction perfectly suited to the mood of America post-September 11: novels that acknowledge the reality and tenacity of evil but also the power of good; that celebrate the common man and woman; that at their best entertain vastly as they uplift.’ For information on both -
Lightning, By the Light of the Moon
Bev
The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau
The question is not whether we will ever have a book club without referencing this classic – the question is rather how long before we no longer remember the name of the prequel and can only recall, ‘The Prophet of Not-So-Much’? Bev introduced all of the newcomers to the City of Ember and incandescent light, as well as the follow on ‘People of Sparks’. If you’ve not yet read them, what are you waiting for? Just forget anything by this author with a title that has the word ‘Yawn’ embedded in it.
The City of Ember
The Rumplestiltskin Problem, by Vivian Vandevelde
Why would anyone name their height-challenged child ‘Rumplestiltskin’? This is another of Bev’s young adult offerings – in this one the author tackles several holes in the traditional fairy tale – such as, why is the miller so poor if his daughter can spin straw into gold? What does Rumplestiltskin want with someone else’s baby? And how does any of this relate to Rasputin? (don’t give yourself a migraine trying to figure that out… it’s an inside joke). This book has six tales that attempt to answer these questions and more – all the while relating the fairy tale to the here and now.
The Rumplestiltskin Problem
Colleen
The Stolen Child: A Novel, by Keith Donohue
The beauty of our book club is how much it expands our selection of reading material. Colleen borrowed this book from me after the 3rd IBC meeting – but I found it as a recommendation when I was looking up information on The Time Traveler’s Wife, at the suggestion of Colleen. Since then, I happened to catch Keith Donohue on the Kojo Nnamdi Show. He wrote The Stolen Child while working downtown for the National Endowment for the Arts. While being interviewed by Kojo, he talked about writing part of it while riding the Metro to and from work, or on nice days sitting outside in McPherson Square. Another thing Donohue discussed was that once he had the idea (not inspired by the Yeats poem, but rather The Waterboys song inspired by the Yeats poem), and decided how to structure it, the book wrote itself. The Stolen Child is about a boy, Henry Day, who is kidnapped and replaced by a changeling– child-like creatures of the woods who never age – and the book alternates, chapter by chapter, of the changeling adapting into the human child’s life, and Henry (now Aniday) adapting as a changeling. Colleen read a good part of this at a trade show one day – and I would get frequent text messages as she reacted to the book. I loved the book, passed it on to Martin, who loved the book, and Colleen loved the book – so three of us recommend it – although Colleen suggests that you read it slowly – there is such great imagery, you don’t want to miss any of it. This is on my read-again list.
The Stolen Child: A Novel
Dave
Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
My first adult novels were Science Fiction. I cut my teeth on Robert Heinlein’s young adult fiction, and quickly moved on to his more advanced books, Asimov, Niven & Pournelle and Arthur C. Clarke. So why, you may ask, did I bring a book to a Sci-Fi-themed book club that I don’t consider science fiction (no matter what Borders and Amazon say)? When I was a kid, it seems like every other meal was Kraft Macaroni and Cheese – because it was one of the few things my sister would eat. When I got to the point where I would do my own grocery shopping, I never bought Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. I was tired of it. In a way, Sci-Fi was the same for me – I’d just fallen out of the habit. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite books. Cryptonomicon follows the Waterhouse and Shaftoe clans (staples in Neal Stephenson’s literature) both during WWII, and present day in converging sagas. Lawrence Waterhouse, a brilliant mathematician is recruited into the Army during WWII as a cryptographer on the European front, while halfway across the world, Bobby Shaftoe, a Marine who through his own breezy, devil-may-care outlook, finds himself bouncing and surviving from one life-threatening impossible situation to another. Flash forward 60 years to find Waterhouse’s grandson, and Shaftoe’s granddaughter crossing paths while embroiled in corporate intrigue and financial espionage. As the stories each proceed, I found myself disappointed when the narrative would flip from the war to present day and back again, because each of the stories were engaging in their own right – but as they converged in ways that I could not foresee, I found myself unable to put it down. As a warning, this book is a commitment – over 900 pages, but every single one worth it.
Cryptonomicon
Only Revolutions, by Mark Danielewski
From one mathematically themed novel to another. Only Revolutions is Mark Danielewski’s novel as an art form… or something like that. As suggested by its name, it is 360 pages long – although those 360 pages are written in sometimes nonsensical prose, in varying sizes of print, with sidebars of events to give context to the events (or non-events) on the page. Only Revolutions follows the meeting, romance, illness, flight of Sam and Hailey, two sixteen year olds from different times. Sam’s story progresses from one side of the book, and Hailey’s from the other – you’re supposed to read eight pages of one, and then flip the book over, and read eight pages of the other’s perspective. Sam’s story progresses from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900’s, and Hailey’s from the mid 1900’s to the future, as they travel in a variety of context-appropriate vehicles (while Sam is in a Model A, Hailey is in a ’69 GTO) through their adventures… I think. Confused? So was I. This book was such a challenge, and I kept looking for something in it, and not finding it. I gave up before I even got halfway around the circle. If you’d like to read this book, I’d be happy to give it to you. Maybe you can find something in it that I couldn’t. Meanwhile, it looks pretty on my bookshelf.
Only Revolutions
Virginia
Time Stops for No Mouse, by Michael Hoeye
The final offering for the fourth meeting holds a special place in Virginia’s heart – as Brad would read it to her over the phone during their long distance courtship. Half of the fun of the book, according to Virginia is. trying to sound out the names. Time Stops for No Mouse tells the story of Hermux Tantamoq, a mouse who repairs clocks and watches. Hermux is a somewhat rigid, fastidious mouse who has a pretty structured, mundane life with his pet ladybug Terfle. All of this is turned on its head with the arrival in his shop of one Ms. Linka Perflinger, an aviatrix and adventuress, demanding the repair of her watch. When she doesn’t return at the scheduled time, despite her repeated admonitions that the watch must be ready at that particular time, Hermux embarks on an adventure of his own, encountering an over-eager gopher reporter, his awful, and perhaps evil neighbor – Tucka Mertslin, a cosmetic tycoon, and a mysterious evil doctor. Virginia likened this to a bedtime story for adults, perhaps because Brad lulled her to sleep over the long distances.
Time Stops for No Mouse: A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure
And this concluded our fourth IBC meeting, as well as my long overdue summary. It’s only been a week since our fifth meeting, so I’m already behind on the summary for that. And look for the eVite for the sixth meeting, hosted by Brad and Virginia on April 22. Enjoy your books!
drs
IBC Meeting #4 (the Sci-Fi experience)
There have been brilliant moments in the course of human history, where the confluence of passion and diligent study, brought together with context and opportunity create something truly awe-inspiring to behold… Events such as Wellington’s defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815, the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903, Michael Jordan’s ankle-breaking juke, and soaring Game 6 clutch shot over Byron Russell to clinch the 1998 NBA Championship in what should have been his last and defining moment in his playing career… Those of us who attended the 4th meeting of our irreverently-themed book club witnessed such an event… it all began with the words, uttered softly by Brad, ‘I brought a shopping bag…’
But first, let me set the stage. We gathered at Colleen’s former apartment, infused with the rich aroma of mulled wine, nestled lakeside in Fair Lakes on a warmer than average last Sunday in October. Gathered around her living room, we knoshed on a variety of choices as the attendees drifted in (including the aforementioned, foreshadowed Brad and his shopping bag). After everyone had a full plate and something to drink, the man with the bag got us started.
Bradford
For those of you who are not familiar with who some or all of us are outside of our book club experiences, it might help qualify the shopping bag of Brad to know that by trade, passion and paycheck, he is an astronomer. Not the kind that a former first lady consulted (that’s a-s-t-r-o-l-o-g-e-r), but the kind that gazes into the heavens, does a lot of math, and lets us know why it’s unlikely we’ll be demolished by a rogue asteroid or sucked into a black hole (actually, I’m displaying my ignorance of how Brad spends his time in the office on a daily basis, but I digress. Again.). So the theme resonated not only with Brad’s chosen profession, but his lifelong dreams. And so it began, as Brad dug into Santa’s Bag of Sci-Fi...
Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card
As a classy guy, it’s only natural Brad would start with a ‘sci-fi classic’. Ender’s Game is the first of several ‘Ender’ books that Orson Scott Card wrote, and it introduces the reader to a world where the Earth has been invaded from galaxies afar, and twice, the human race has been successful in repelling the invasion twice, but has serious concerns about its chances the next time around. As a result, they’ve started recruiting their military leaders early (waayyyy early), with the primary method of learning being video games. Out of the masses emerges Andrew (or ‘Ender’) who has a great gift for gaming, as the potential savior of the human race. Could he be the one? The book also explores the dynamics of Ender’s older siblings. Ender’s Game spawned many sequels, but according to Brad, you don’t need to read the sequels to enjoy the book – as a work of great Science Fiction, it stands alone.
Ender's Game from amazon.com
Spock’s World, by Diane Duane
Yes, that Spock. Growing up in the generation I did (a few years ahead of Brad’s time), I first enjoyed Star Trek in syndication. Although I was never a trekkie, I did look forward to Kirk’s bravado, Bones’ frustration, and the inevitable demise of the red-shirted ensign. This book is set in that same universe of colored spandex shirts and doors that go ‘whoosh’. As Brad says, there were many many Star Trek novels, some bad (some very bad), but this one had more to tell than the usual Trekisms. Interspersed with the modern day story of the travails of the Enterprise and her crew, was a treatise on the philosophy of Surak on the planet Vulcan, who inspired the Vulcan affect we came to know and love in Spock. His philosophy was one of peace, non-violence and, of course, logic. But deeper than that it was rooted in seeing the universe as it is – not how you would like it to be. Perhaps it should be required reading for Poly Sci, Law and MBA students.
Spock's World
Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion, by Dan Simmons
Brad continued his guided tour down sci-fi lane with a more contemporary offering. This series of books by Dan Simmons (actually two series of two books) is set 500 + years into our future, when war and consumption of natural resources have forced the human race into colonizing planets afar. Advances in Artificial Intelligence led to a new ‘race’ that seceded from the human race, yet still maintained a symbiotic relationship with man (as servants or puppetmasters?). Interplanetary travel was initially accomplished through the Hawking drive (yes, that Hawking), but the AI race laced the far-reaching colonies together through a web of portals, or farcasters. A group of humans split off from the great Hegemony of Man and became known as the Ousters – outlaws, anarchists, AI-hating global warming alarmists – you know, the bad sort of people. One planet, Hyperion, which lay outside the web, possesses an area where tides of time run in reverse. This area is patrolled by the Shrike – a particularly nasty metallic creation of razor sharp appendages that appears out of nowhere, creates carnage, and disappears again. A cult has risen out of this phenomenon, whereas 7 pilgrims are chosen to seek out the Shrike. And only one returns.
The Hegemony is in crisis and the Shrike holds the key – so seven pilgrims are chosen – a Consul, a Soldier, a Scholar, a Poet, a Templar, a Detective and a Priest. On their journey, they realize their only chance of survivor is to understand why each is on the quest. And so Hyperion becomes kind of a science-fiction version of The Canterbury Tales, with each, in turn, telling their tale. The Fall of Hyperion picks up immediately (in fact, I wouldn’t recommend reading Hyperion without having The Fall of Hyperion handy – otherwise, you will scream in frustration, rush out at 1 am, commit felony breaking and entering of your local Borders, just to continue the series). The Endymion books pick up in the same universe several hundred years later.
Part of the reason I was such a slacker on getting this out is because I borrowed the first two books from Brad, and spent many a sleepless night because I could not put them down. I’ve not yet picked up the Endymion series, because I think it’s a bad idea to neglect your health, your work and your friends in the middle of winter. But if you don’t hear from me for a prolonged period of time, you can bet I’m holed up somewhere quiet with Endymion and The Rise of Endymion – if they are even half as good as the Hyperion series. Very well written, tremendous characters that you care about, and a terrific story set in a fascinating future.
Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, The Rise of Endymion
Firefly, by Joss Whedon and Tim Minear
In this recommendation, Brad took the book club’s moniker to heart. Being irreverent Brad broke away from the written word, and ventured into the media of prematurely cancelled TV series. For those of you who have not heard of Firefly, you’re forgiven – but anyone who has not heard of Joss Whedon, the creator of Firefly needs to come out of their cave. Joss Whedon is perhaps best known for his very popular series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and less so (but just as passionately) for its spin-off, Angel. Firefly first aired in the fall of 2002, and had a brief, 13 episode run (16 were filmed). It introduced us to the ragtag crew of smugglers of the Serenity, a Firefly-class spaceship. They spent their days up to no good, trading wisecracks, insults and self-deprecating humor, while avoiding the Alliance and it’s near totalitarian ways. I realize, as I’m typing this, that I’ve not really presented a compelling argument for you to see it – so let me just say – I’ve seen the entire series (and I mean the entire 16 episode series) four times since I first picked up the DVDs about 16 months ago. And I’m looking for a reason to watch it again. I’ve recommended it to about a dozen people, more than half of whom have watched it. And of those, the ones who haven’t watched it again simply have not had time to. It’s that good. You’ll love the story, the dialogue, the characters. You will never see any of the actors again as anything other than the characters they played so perfectly on Firefly. The groundswell of support when the DVD was released led to a full-length movie called Serenity (and yes, I saw it on opening night. And yes, I’ve seen it four times).
So if it’s so good, why did it have such a short run? Ratings. Lack of support from the network. A Friday night timeslot – I don’t know, but it’s one of the more disillusioning missteps of modern broadcast media. Just watch it. You will not be disappointed. Oh – and Brad liked it too.
Firefly: The Complete Series
Lee
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl, by Anne McCaffrey and Margaret Ball
Lee was next up, claiming that she would be quick and to the point. She brought Acorna: The Unicorn Girl, the first of a series by Anne McCaffrey of the Dragonriders of Pern series. This led to a sidebar about that series, as several of us in the room had read it (although it’s been 20 years since I have). Acorna is written in true McCaffrey fashion, not just dealing with the fantasy, but also social issues (child labor in this case). The title character is found by three crusty space miners, and soon demonstrates her seemingly magical abilities. Unfortunately, this attracts the attention of scientists who wish to study her, and she flees to a planet where children are kept as slave-labor. Of course, Acorna seeks to end this practice. Lee said that if you liked the Pern books, you’d like this – and McCaffrey excels at describing strange worlds and colorful characters.
Acorna: The Unicorn Girl
Tales from Watership Down, by Richard Adams
Lee also discussed this followup to the 70’s eco-classic Watership Down. In this book, the author revisits the culture he created in that field some 30 years ago, by recounting the mythologies and legends and ongoing saga of the society of rabbits in a series of interrelated tales. If you liked the original, you’ll enjoy re-acquainting yourselves with the characters and where they went from the end of the previous novel.
Tales from Watership Down
Sharla
Having seen the prolificacy of Brad regarding Sci-Fi, you would have thought that the number of items reviewed could not have been equaled. Well – you’d be wrong. Sharla took the loose definition of Sci-Fi/Fantasy and applied it to the horror realm… well – as much as Nora Roberts could be considered within the horror genre. And then she went on… and on… displaying an endurance and a velocity of speech that left our heads spinning… kinda like playing ‘Hell’ with her – for those of you who have had that experience…
Morrigan’s Cross, by Nora Roberts
Sharla’s first book is really the first of a trilogy by Nora Roberts. Nora writes would some would call… ummm… beach reads (Gretchen had a good description, but I’ll save it for her section – don’t worry… you’ll only have to wade through the plethora of books that Sharla brought to discuss), frequently with a touch of the supernatural. Morrigan’s Cross is about vampires. And witches. And warriors. And bodice-ripping romance. Six people of such species, gender and disposition to pair off romantically undertake the hunt for Lilith, last seen singing with Sarah MacLaughlin and the Indigo Girls at Merrirweather Post Pavilion… no, I’m just kidding. Sarah MacLaughlin and the Indigo Girls don’t make an appearance in this book. At least, I don’t think so – to be honest, I haven’t read it. Lilith is the queen of the vampires. Sharla reads a lot of Nora Roberts, and wasn’t disappointed in this – if you’re looking for a romantic light literary snack flavored with creatures of the dark, this may be your series.
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Morrigan's Cross (The Circle Trilogy, Book 1)
Promise Me, by Harlan Coben
Sharla took a decidedly darker turn (how could one be darker than vampires, you say?) with Harlan Coben’s latest book. Harlan Coben writes thrillers of the most ordinary variety – not that his stories are ordinary, but they happen to ordinary people. In New Jersey. Everything I’ve ever read from him was the type of novel that sucked you in, and forced you to finish it – and it never really ended up the way you thought it would. Ever read a book and wishing the author had not gone for the obvious, somewhat upbeat ending, but rather had the guts to play the story out the way it might in actual life? Harlan Coben has the guts. Promise Me reintroduces a character from one of Coben’s previous books – a former basketball star who now dabbles in sports and entertainment agency, and occasionally performs the role of the ‘knight in shining armor’. He gives a couple of teenage girls (one the daughter of a friend) his contact information to call in case they ever get into trouble… and one of the girls takes him up on it. Madness ensues. If you are a fan of thrillers and haven’t read Harlan Coben, you won’t be disappointed.
Promise Me
The Face of Deception, by Iris Johansen
Yet another thriller offered up by Sharla… The main character in this one is a forensic sculptor, with the ability to recreate a face from a skull (like Bones’ sexy assistant, whose character is the love child of Billy F. Gibbons. I’ll bet most of you don’t know who that is… sheesh, I feel old). She is dealing with the loss of her child and sinks herself into her career. The ubiquitous handsome, single millionaire contracts her to identify a skull. Madness ensues. I’m assuming (haven’t read this one, either). For more info:
The Face of Deception
Beautiful Lies: A Novel, by Lisa Unger
Sharla’s next thriller deals with kind of a unique premise. The main character discovers that what she thought were her parents are not really hers. As an infant, she was stolen and raised as another family’s child. Along comes the ever-present handsome next-door neighbor who happens to be a private investigator (editorial note: How come it’s never a mildly pleasant-looking next door computer executive? Or volleyball player?), and together they embark on a search for her real parents. Along the way the discover an undercover stolen infant ring (that doesn’t involve changelings. See below), as well as each other. Sharla really identified with the main character – and felt the author did a good job of getting the reader invested in her story.
Beautiful Lies: A Novel
Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven: A Novel, by Fannie Flagg
Sharla’s final offering (phew!) is not a thriller, but rather a very warm and funny novel from Fannie Flagg, of Fried Green Tomatoes…´ fame. The story follows an 80 year old woman who passes from her earthly life into heaven. Madness ensues. Just kidding. Sharla highly recommended this book – in addition to being heartwarming, it offered a vision of heaven that was as humorous as it was beautiful, and caused Sharla to reflect on life in general. Reviews at Amazon were very good:
Can't Wait to Get to Heaven: A Novel
Gretchen
Three Sisters Island Trilogy (Dance Upon the Air, Heaven and Earth, Face the Fire), by Nora Roberts
Gretchen had also read a fair amount of Nora Roberts… in her estimation.. bubblegum for the brain. But there’s nothing wrong with a little bubble gum (unless you blow really big bubbles and they explode and get into your hair, and you have to apply peanut butter to get it out. Trust me. It’s not pleasant). She recommended this Nora Roberts series for those looking for a little literary escapism.
Three Sisters Island Trilogy
Lightning, By the Light of the Moon, by Dean Koontz
In keeping with the Sci-Fi/Fantasy theme, Gretchen brought books from the traditionally supernaturally-tinged Dean Koontz. In the first book, Lightning, the main character is born during a tremendous thunderstorm and her entire life is touched by the presence of a character (who arrives by lightning, ergo the title) who you never figure out until the end is on the side of good or the side of evil. Only Oliver Stone is more prone to conspiracy theories then Koontz, and this is no different.
By the Light of the Moon also deals with a government conspiracy, with a scientist abruptly entering the life of two people who don’t know each other, injecting them with some mysterious substance, and then telling them that someone else is out to get them right before he is killed (phew!). The book centers around these two people – one a devoted brother and companion to his autistic brother, and the other a stand-up comedienne who suddenly develops visions. Koontz uses his traditional conspiracy, assassin, chase formula, along with the plot device of the autistic brother. Publisher’s Weekly spoke highly of this novel – ‘Perhaps more than any other author, Koontz writes fiction perfectly suited to the mood of America post-September 11: novels that acknowledge the reality and tenacity of evil but also the power of good; that celebrate the common man and woman; that at their best entertain vastly as they uplift.’ For information on both -
Lightning, By the Light of the Moon
Bev
The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau
The question is not whether we will ever have a book club without referencing this classic – the question is rather how long before we no longer remember the name of the prequel and can only recall, ‘The Prophet of Not-So-Much’? Bev introduced all of the newcomers to the City of Ember and incandescent light, as well as the follow on ‘People of Sparks’. If you’ve not yet read them, what are you waiting for? Just forget anything by this author with a title that has the word ‘Yawn’ embedded in it.
The City of Ember
The Rumplestiltskin Problem, by Vivian Vandevelde
Why would anyone name their height-challenged child ‘Rumplestiltskin’? This is another of Bev’s young adult offerings – in this one the author tackles several holes in the traditional fairy tale – such as, why is the miller so poor if his daughter can spin straw into gold? What does Rumplestiltskin want with someone else’s baby? And how does any of this relate to Rasputin? (don’t give yourself a migraine trying to figure that out… it’s an inside joke). This book has six tales that attempt to answer these questions and more – all the while relating the fairy tale to the here and now.
The Rumplestiltskin Problem
Colleen
The Stolen Child: A Novel, by Keith Donohue
The beauty of our book club is how much it expands our selection of reading material. Colleen borrowed this book from me after the 3rd IBC meeting – but I found it as a recommendation when I was looking up information on The Time Traveler’s Wife, at the suggestion of Colleen. Since then, I happened to catch Keith Donohue on the Kojo Nnamdi Show. He wrote The Stolen Child while working downtown for the National Endowment for the Arts. While being interviewed by Kojo, he talked about writing part of it while riding the Metro to and from work, or on nice days sitting outside in McPherson Square. Another thing Donohue discussed was that once he had the idea (not inspired by the Yeats poem, but rather The Waterboys song inspired by the Yeats poem), and decided how to structure it, the book wrote itself. The Stolen Child is about a boy, Henry Day, who is kidnapped and replaced by a changeling– child-like creatures of the woods who never age – and the book alternates, chapter by chapter, of the changeling adapting into the human child’s life, and Henry (now Aniday) adapting as a changeling. Colleen read a good part of this at a trade show one day – and I would get frequent text messages as she reacted to the book. I loved the book, passed it on to Martin, who loved the book, and Colleen loved the book – so three of us recommend it – although Colleen suggests that you read it slowly – there is such great imagery, you don’t want to miss any of it. This is on my read-again list.
The Stolen Child: A Novel
Dave
Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson
My first adult novels were Science Fiction. I cut my teeth on Robert Heinlein’s young adult fiction, and quickly moved on to his more advanced books, Asimov, Niven & Pournelle and Arthur C. Clarke. So why, you may ask, did I bring a book to a Sci-Fi-themed book club that I don’t consider science fiction (no matter what Borders and Amazon say)? When I was a kid, it seems like every other meal was Kraft Macaroni and Cheese – because it was one of the few things my sister would eat. When I got to the point where I would do my own grocery shopping, I never bought Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. I was tired of it. In a way, Sci-Fi was the same for me – I’d just fallen out of the habit. Nevertheless, this is one of my favorite books. Cryptonomicon follows the Waterhouse and Shaftoe clans (staples in Neal Stephenson’s literature) both during WWII, and present day in converging sagas. Lawrence Waterhouse, a brilliant mathematician is recruited into the Army during WWII as a cryptographer on the European front, while halfway across the world, Bobby Shaftoe, a Marine who through his own breezy, devil-may-care outlook, finds himself bouncing and surviving from one life-threatening impossible situation to another. Flash forward 60 years to find Waterhouse’s grandson, and Shaftoe’s granddaughter crossing paths while embroiled in corporate intrigue and financial espionage. As the stories each proceed, I found myself disappointed when the narrative would flip from the war to present day and back again, because each of the stories were engaging in their own right – but as they converged in ways that I could not foresee, I found myself unable to put it down. As a warning, this book is a commitment – over 900 pages, but every single one worth it.
Cryptonomicon
Only Revolutions, by Mark Danielewski
From one mathematically themed novel to another. Only Revolutions is Mark Danielewski’s novel as an art form… or something like that. As suggested by its name, it is 360 pages long – although those 360 pages are written in sometimes nonsensical prose, in varying sizes of print, with sidebars of events to give context to the events (or non-events) on the page. Only Revolutions follows the meeting, romance, illness, flight of Sam and Hailey, two sixteen year olds from different times. Sam’s story progresses from one side of the book, and Hailey’s from the other – you’re supposed to read eight pages of one, and then flip the book over, and read eight pages of the other’s perspective. Sam’s story progresses from the mid 1800s to the mid 1900’s, and Hailey’s from the mid 1900’s to the future, as they travel in a variety of context-appropriate vehicles (while Sam is in a Model A, Hailey is in a ’69 GTO) through their adventures… I think. Confused? So was I. This book was such a challenge, and I kept looking for something in it, and not finding it. I gave up before I even got halfway around the circle. If you’d like to read this book, I’d be happy to give it to you. Maybe you can find something in it that I couldn’t. Meanwhile, it looks pretty on my bookshelf.
Only Revolutions
Virginia
Time Stops for No Mouse, by Michael Hoeye
The final offering for the fourth meeting holds a special place in Virginia’s heart – as Brad would read it to her over the phone during their long distance courtship. Half of the fun of the book, according to Virginia is. trying to sound out the names. Time Stops for No Mouse tells the story of Hermux Tantamoq, a mouse who repairs clocks and watches. Hermux is a somewhat rigid, fastidious mouse who has a pretty structured, mundane life with his pet ladybug Terfle. All of this is turned on its head with the arrival in his shop of one Ms. Linka Perflinger, an aviatrix and adventuress, demanding the repair of her watch. When she doesn’t return at the scheduled time, despite her repeated admonitions that the watch must be ready at that particular time, Hermux embarks on an adventure of his own, encountering an over-eager gopher reporter, his awful, and perhaps evil neighbor – Tucka Mertslin, a cosmetic tycoon, and a mysterious evil doctor. Virginia likened this to a bedtime story for adults, perhaps because Brad lulled her to sleep over the long distances.
Time Stops for No Mouse: A Hermux Tantamoq Adventure
And this concluded our fourth IBC meeting, as well as my long overdue summary. It’s only been a week since our fifth meeting, so I’m already behind on the summary for that. And look for the eVite for the sixth meeting, hosted by Brad and Virginia on April 22. Enjoy your books!
drs
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