2014 Scheduling and Book Recommendations

Once again we had a great book club. We are celebrating 5 years of literary enjoyment as a group! We came and suggested books. We also schedule who was in charge for which month. (See side bar.)

Heidi's book ideas - 
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
Heaven is Here by Stephanie Nielson
Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Jenny chose to do I am Malala for August.

Mickie will be doing This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald in October. Mickie suggested ( possibly Letters in)The Jade Dragon Box by Gale Sears as a good read, too.

Lynda talked about books by Maya Angelou , and Josi Kilpack. She also thought of Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Chaliece's book ideas -
The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Michele's book ideas - 
Macy Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James

Jeannie's book ideas - 
A Joseph Smith biography

Wendy's book ideas - 
On A Pale Horse by Piers Anthony
The Victorian Internet by Tom Standage

Kacey also suggested His Good Opinion by Nancy Kelley.

Anya chose The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern which will be our book for January.

See you January 8, 2014. Happy reading!

Our 3rd year!

We kicked of our year of reading last night. I will give you break down of the books that were suggested, the book and host(ess) for next month and you can check out the side bar for the year schedule. (I did not list the book chosen for book club reading on their month so we don't have repeats.) Yay!

Mindy suggested:
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate
The Wednesday Letters by Jason F. Wright
Jenny suggested:
The Snow Angel by Glenn Beck
(the book she thought was called Bright Angel is not.)
Michele H. suggested:
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
The Great and Terrible series by Chris Stewart
Michelle L. suggested:
The book she chose will be her book in November (see sidebar)
Adrianne suggested:
Al Capone Does my Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
Heidi suggested:
Austenland by Shannon Hale
Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie
Stork by Wendy Delsol
The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
Stacie suggested:
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
Kacey suggested:
The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton*
House at Riverton by Kate Morton*
Jeannie suggested:
Return From Tomorrow by George Richie
Time for Andrew by mary Downing Hahn
Children of the Dust Bowl by Jerry Stanley
Mickey suggested:
Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn
Nightmare Mountain by Peg Kehret
A Dog Named Kitty by Bill Wallace
Tennyson by Lesley M.M. Blume


*Not recommended for book club reading necessarily


Stacie is hosting next month at Kacey's house. The book is Rocket Boys by Homer Hickam

A View From Saturday

Our next meeting time will be the 4th Wednesday in January. We are reading whatever books we want and then will plan the year. Our discussion will be about heroines, who we like and dislike. Kacey gave a list of book suggestions:

True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

The Wolves at the Door (Female spies) by Judith L. Pearson

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Cheaper By the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey

Heidi also suggested:

Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman

Keeping Corner by Kashmira Sheth

Last night we were few in numbers because of the day change. It was the last time we meet this year, so that was sad. Still, we had a good discussion about the book. If you care to know about the author, go here.

We talked about one of the themes in the book being friendship and how Julian was knew who he was. We discussed the stupidity of the assistant superintendent and how Ethan's grandma was hard to figure out.

Some questions to consider:

How is friendship portrayed and developed?

Why is "The Souls" a good name for the group?

When (and how) does Mrs. Olinski become a Soul?

How are risks demonstrated? Are they willing?

What are qualities of a good team? Why are "The Souls" a good team?

Read the last page. What do you think it means?

Who did you relate to most?