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

May Update - date change!

Hey ladies,
As most of you already know, the date for our May party has been changed to Thursday, May 14. We'll still meet at 7:30 p.m. at Rachel M's place.

Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming emails re: directions and location!

Happy reading,
S

May's Selection

Hello Paperback Princesses!

Well Clara Callan was a big hit - thanks to Sarah D for hosting a great soiree and discussion.

And now, on to May!

Our May hostess is Rachel M, and her book selection is Absurdistan by Gary Shteyngart.

Meet Misha Vainberg, aka Snack Daddy, a 325-pound disaster of a human being, son of the 1,238th-richest man in Russia, proud holder of a degree in multicultural studies from Accidental College, USA (don’t even ask), and patriot of no country save the great City of New York.

Poor Misha just wants to live in the South Bronx with his hot Latina girlfriend, but after his gangster father murders an Oklahoma businessman in Russia, all hopes of a U.S. visa are lost.

Salvation lies in the tiny, oil-rich nation of Absurdistan, where a crooked consular officer will sell Misha a Belgian passport. But after a civil war breaks out between two competing ethnic groups and a local warlord installs hapless Misha as minister of multicultural affairs, our hero soon finds himself covered in oil, fighting for his life, falling in love, and trying to figure out if a normal life is still possible in the twenty-first century.

Sounds great, Rachel!

Schedule Updates

Hi ladies,

As discussed at our last party, there will be some scheduling changes in the upcoming months, due to holidays etc.

Make sure to check your calendars and mark these important dates:

April 20 - This is the new date for our April meeting to avoid Easter/Passover conflicts.

May 11 - Rachel M. will graciously be hosting the May party on this Monday evening, so that we don't have any conflicts with Mother's Day festivities.

I hope that works with everyone!
S

April's Book Selection!

Hi everyone, and thanks again for a lovely March meeting!

I think we can all agree that A Thousand Splendid Suns was a beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable read.

And now... on to April! Next month our host is Sarah Dobranowski, who has chosen the novel Clara Callan by author Richard Wright. Here is a description of the book - it sounds great!

Clara Callan is set in the middle of the Great Depression, chronicling the lives of two sisters.Clara is a spinsterish school teacher whose quiet life in a small Ontario town masks a passion for love and adventure. Nora, her flighty and very pretty sister, travels to New York where she lands a starring role in a radio soap opera. Written in diary and letter form, the novel brilliantly reveals the sisters' stories, as their lives become increasingly complex.

With Wright's extraordinary eye for small but telling details, the world of the thirties comes vividly to life, an era when show business was in its infancy, and the Dionnes grabbed the headlines, when Automats were a futuristic way of buying fast food and the Women's Auxiliary still ruled the social roost in small towns everywhere. Above all, Wright's portrait draws a world of young women -- pre-divorce, pre-Pill, pre-liberation, where judgment weighed heavily upon anyone who defied convention.

Clara Callan is so elegantly and seamlessly constructed that the reader enters it effortlessly and does not depart willingly.

It sounds like a great pick!

Happy reading ladies!

S