So What Are We Reading This Month?

Hi There,

Sorry I missed Monday's meeting. Cam and I took the kids to Bandon for a long weekend. The weather was great, and we had a good time.

So what are we reading this month?

Kristin

Barbara K.

Shari - you have great taste (poor pun intended). Barbara Kingsolver is genuine American royalty...and so modest. Wish she'd run for President (or something), disembowel the Pentagon, pay school custodians what we pay admirals, and make hate illegal.

Did you read about her battle with the javelinas invading her garden when she lived in the desert ("High Tide in Tucson")? She has such sensitivity to all critters, great and small. Reminds me of Annie Dilliard's "Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek."


Leon

Happy summer everyone! I didn't read the book this month, but I did want to tell you all about a fantastic Barbara Kingsolver book that I just finished. It is call Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It is an account of her family's journey of eating locally for 1 year. They grew much of what they ate and relied on local farmers for the rest. I read it in a week and thoroughly enjoyed it! Let me know if you want it and I will bring it to book group. Now, I am going to try to read a few chapters of this book before book group!
Shari

New to Blogging

Hi All - I have not gotten into blogging before, so did some stumbling around to find what to do.

I enjoyed The Last Days of Summer and read it three books ago. Will have to do a review for the July 28th meeting.

I am just finishing The Virgin's Lover - Phillipi Gregory. As the others in this series that I read the intrigue really kept me going. I really like books from that era anyhow.

See you around.

Eunice

Trouble

Well, I don't know what happened but I had some trouble figuring out how to post a comment on here. Sorry it took so long. :-)
I finished the book a while ago and loved it! It was really funny and very creative. I can't wait to meet on the 28th and see how everyone else felt.
Sorry that you won't be there Joan, but I'm sure I'll see you at chruch.

See you all soon! Annie

July 28 Meeting

Hi Everyone,

I hope you're all enjoying a summer of great reading, among other things. I'd be interested to hear what you're all reading in addition to our book! I just finished "The Other Boleyn Girl" - in my opinion: a PERFECT summer read! If you enjoyed our book "The Queen's Fool" you'll definitely enjoy the other books in the series: romance, intrigue, historical detail, human foibles - I pretty much could not put it down.

I also wanted to let you know that I won't be at our July 28 meeting, but Sharon has graciously agreed to deliver the new books and collect the old ones. If for some reason you can't make it to the meeting, please leave your book in the church office for me (I have a box there.)

I chose a book for July that I thought would be enjoyable........a mystery with a psychological edge and a splash of romance, according to the review and not too long to allow for all that other summer reading that everyone wants to fit in. Have a great month and I'll see you in church or at our August meeting on August 25.

Joan

"I have sometimes dreamt, at least, that when the Day of Judgment dawns and the great conquerors and lawyers and statesmen come to receive their rewards ... the Almighty will turn to Peter and say, not without a certain envy when He sees us coming with our books under our arms, “Look, these need no reward. We have nothing to give them here. They have loved reading.”
Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)

Last Days

Hey nice ladies. Thanks for letting me in the literary gang.

Last Days of Summer is a very enjoyable and easy read. Kluger’s wit and sarcasm remind me a lot of David Sedaris, also Heller's Catch 22.

One recurring theme in the book involves Joey's Jewish name and spiritual traditions leading to persecution, singling him out for abuse by kids from other religions.

Growing up in the 60’s, a childhood idol was the Dodger pitcher, Sandy Koufax. Koufax was an Orthodox Jew who would not pitch on the Jewish Sabbath...Saturday. This stirred up no end of trouble for me - an extremely Unorthodox Christian who loved Koufax - as I would defend his honor against attacks by the Algonquin Nitwit Roundtable I played baseball with. Most felt he put his selfish religious commitment above team loyalty, causing our beloved Dodgers to lose Saturday games - further evidence of Jewish perfidy.

It’s a theme I find often in literature, where Christians revere Jews and Israel for their special relationship with God (Chosen People, Teacher's Pet etc.) yet gladly perpetrate the stereotype, most recently on hateful display by Mel Gibson and Co., that all Jews are money-grubbing Christkillers who conspire to control the financial markets, the U.N., own the Jew York Times, and would happily toss their crippled granny under the train to cash her Social Secruity check.

Any similar experiences? I would enjoy any related comments.

Leon