Our March Book

Hey ladies,

So I think we can all agree that The Help was a fantastic read! Thanks Alison!

Our book for March has been selected by Rachel M, and is called Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Here are the deets:

Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is on a mission to find the lock that matches a mysterious key belonging to his father, who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. An inspired innocent, Oskar is alternately endearing, exasperating, and hilarious as he careens from Central Park to Coney Island to Harlem on his search. As he roams the five boroughs, Oskar encounters a motley assortment of people who are all survivors in their own way. His journey concludes in an emotional climax of truth, beauty and heartbreak. Foer once again demonstrates his ability to evoke and unravel the most personal and complex matters of the heart.

Sounds great! Happy reading ladies :)

February's Book

Hi princesses!

So, last month's book - Lullabies for Little Criminals - was a big hit. Thanks to Sarah D for the fantastic party and wonderful discussion.

And now, on to February's book!

Our hostess next month is Alison, and the book she's chosen is called The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Here's the blurb:

Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can cook like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

Sounds great! See you at our next meeting - February 7th at Sarah R's house!

Happy reading :)

S

A Little Holiday Reading

Hey Princesses!
Well, November's book - Little Bee - was fantastic. Thanks Clara for hosting such a lovely evening.

As discussed, we won't be meeting in December because of busy holiday schedules. Hopefully we all have a great time during Christmas and Hanukkah and get a chance to re-charge and spend time with family.

Our next party will be taking place on Sunday, January 10 at Sarah D's place. Sarah's pick is called Lullabies for Little Criminals, by Heather O'Neill. Here's the blurb:

This strikingly original portrait of a year in the life of a young Montrealer opens with dash and optimism. Baby, almost twelve, and her father, Jules, twenty-six, have taken up residence at a once-stylish downtown hotel.
Like all their friends, Jules exudes style: fur hat, long leather jacket, slippery leather boots. He also has a heroin habit. Yet Montreal’s decrepit downtown is viewed through Baby’s eyes as an enchanted place where everyone plays an endless game of dress-up. Going out for “chocolate milk” means dad needs to score.
But the strong love and good memories between them keep her hopeful. Baby moves in and out of foster homes and even into a detention centre where every kid she meets is a character. Although nothing shakes her love for Jules, there’s only one career option for an attractive, neglected girl, no matter how bright and imaginative. But O’Neill allows us to see beyond the squalor into the heart of a girl who won’t be destroyed.

Sounds great! Happy reading and Happy Holidays!
S

November's Read

Hi ladies!
So, the discussion on the 13th Tale was great... it seems like we all enjoyed it very much! I think reading something a bit spooky was great to get us in the Halloween spirit :)

And now - on to November!

For November's book, Clara has picked Little Bee, by Chris Cleave. I'm not going to put a description of the book up because it might ruin the plot. So happy reading!

SarahR

October Pick

Hi again!

Can you believe our next party will be in October? Summer really does fly by!

Our next read promises to be another great one - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. Here's a brief description of the novel:

Vida Winter, the most famous novelist in England and quite possibly the world, has never been forthcoming when it comes to her past. Her entire life is a secret, and for fifty years reporters and biographers have attempted to discover the truth.

With her health quickly fading, Ms. Winter enlists a bookish amateur biographer named Margaret Lea to bear witness to the tragic story of the Angelfield family, their eccentric beginnings as well as their demise.

Margaret, who has family secrets of her own, must unravel the mysteries of the past in order to reconcile not only Miss Winter with her ghosts, but also Margaret with her own.

Happy Reading! SarahR

Long-Overdue Update

Hey ladies!
So summer is winding down (I just can't bring myself to say over...) and I think it's about time the blog got a little more attention!

Two of our reading picks weren't posted here, due to our laissez-faire, summer-esque attitudes (aka my laziness) so here's a brief overview:

Our book for July/August was Rachel P's pick, 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa by Stephanie Nolen. It was a deeply moving collection of personal stories that touched all of us. Good pick Rachel P!

The September book was Then We Came To The End by Joshua Ferris, chosen by Alexis. I think we all related to the crazy characters and trials of office life. Thanks Alexis!

Thankfully, the summer weather is lasting (starting, some might argue) in September, so let's all take advantage of it!

Happy reading,
SarahR

June's Book Selection

Hey there ladies!

Well, last night we had a fabulous time at Rachel M's house... I think we can all agree that Absurdistan lived up to its name, and was crazy but thoroughly enjoyable! Thanks again to Rachel for the incredible spread and great discussion.

And now, on to June!

This month it's Alison's turn to pick, and she's chosen Paula Spencer by Roddy Doyle.

Paula Spencer begins on the eve of Paula’s forty-eighth birthday. She hasn’t had a drink for four months and five days. Having outlived an abusive husband and father, Paula and her four children are now struggling to live their adult lives, with two of the kids balancing their own addictions.

Knowing how close she always is to the edge, Paula rebuilds her life slowly, taking pride in the things she accomplishes, helped sometimes by the lists she makes to plan for the future. As she goes about her daily routine working as a cleaning woman, and cooking for her two children at home, she re-establishes connections with her two sisters, her mother and grandchildren, expanding her world.

She discovers the latest music, the Internet and text-messaging, treats herself to Italian coffees, and gradually ventures beyond her house, where she’s always felt most comfortable. As Paula thinks of herself, “She’s a new-old woman, learning how to live.”

Sounds great!

Happy reading everyone.

S