first book of the new year

If you'd like to host the next book group discussion, to be held January 29, please let Amanda or Dulsanna know. Enjoy this Christmas season with family and friends!

The Christmas Chronicles discussion

The November book group was attended by Mary, DeDe, Amanda and Dulsanna. Mary and DeDe had not yet read the book. Click below to listen to the discussion. There will be no book group in December. If you've not yet read The Christmas Chronicles, enjoy this quick read this month.  Enjoy Christmas with your family. Our upcoming books are under the 2013 tab and in the left side of this page. If you'd like to host the January discussion, email Dulsanna or Amanda or post directly to the blog using the email on the left side of this page.

Also, Dulsanna has a library copy of the Christmas book. It's due 12/22. If anyone would like to borrow it, just email or call.

Finally, the February book is a Pageturners to Go selections. We could check out 10 copies from the library as a group if we are interested.


 

Hunger Games and Last Newspaper Boy discussion

The October book group was attended by Mary, DeDe and Becky. Mary said they talked about how there were similarities with the Hunger Games, the Olympics and Survivor. And how the Hunger Games sent usually sent one teen at a time into battle, while wars such as the Civil War also pitted teens against each other. The Last Newspaper Boy seemed especially 'young' after this book.

last minute book group meeting home change

Due to illness, the October Book Group discussion will be at Mary's house tonight at 7 p.m.

Ella Minnow Pea discussion

The September book group was attended by Renae, Betty, Amanda, Ruth, Becky and Dulsanna.
Here's the voice memo from that discussion.

Sundance Resort Author Series

If you are interested in listening to the podcasts for authors discussing their books at the Sundance Resort Author Series, you can click here to download those from iTunes. You can give this a try by downloading the discussion with Stephenie Nielson, author of Heaven is Here. It's pretty great to spend an hour with an author giving their thoughts on writing, and then answering questions. And, amazing that you can do this for free while doing chores at home—or whenever you decide to listen—instead of flying to Utah, driving to Sundance, and paying $75/ticket to attend. Not that it wouldn't be enjoyable!

Here's a bit on the podcast to help you decide if it may interest you:
Close

"Stephanie Nielson began writing about her life in 2005, in what soon became a very popular blog (nieniedialogues.com). In August 2008 she and her husband were in a horrific plane crash in which Stephanie suffered burns to 80% of her body and spent four months in a coma. In her book, Heaven is Here, Stephanie shares the extraordinary story of her unlikely survival and the love that helped her along the way – from a gripping account of the crash to her courageous battle to overcome the odds and return to her family."

September book group

We will discuss Ella at Dulsanna's house Tuesday, September 25. All are welcome, even if you haven't read the book. It should be a good discussion, as I've heard people both like and not like the book.

Ella books

I got a call from the Troutdale Library yesterday. Someone turned in one of the Ella Minnow Pea books. I checked them out as a collection of 10 books, so please let me know who returned it, so I can cross you off my list. This is what I have so far:

Cami and Glennda returned books to me.
Amanda, Amy, Diane, Dianne, Terese, Mary, A.J., Renae and myself still have books. Plus I have 2 extras.

Let me know if I can pass two off to anyone else. I've had feedback of both ends of the spectrum, so this should be a good discussion on Sept. 25.

Dulsanna

August book group meeting

Becky, Mary, Amanda, DeDe, Terese and Dulsanna attended the August book group discussion. We discussed Mrs. Mike, a bit ahead on The Hunger Games (one of two October reads) and made plans for books to read through March 2013. Amanda had a Christmas book for November, Terese for January, DeDe for February, and Dulsanna for March! We are going to see if we can come up with another Pageturners to Go book choice for April. If anyone reads one off the list, send an email with your recommendation.

Check the 2012/2013 tab for the upcoming titles. Or scroll down the left side of this site to see the covers. September's book group place is still undecided. Let Dulsanna know if you would like to host on September 25.  You can post directly to this blog by emailing dulsanna.cpbookgroup@blogger.com. It's an easy way to post a title of a book you'd like to suggest, volunteer to host the discussion one month, etc.

UPDATE: PAINFUL NEWS...Dulsanna made a mistake with the recording!! SO sorry, especially to Renae : ( When I went to copy the discussion online, it was just a few seconds. I must have started and stopped it right away. After two successful recordings and uploads, I thought I had it down. Apparently not. If anyone wants to take time to send their comments on Mrs. Mike, you can email and they'll immediately post to the blog. I know I can't remember all that was said, and Renae would hear any thoughts from the discussion. Again, I apologize!

August book group tonight

The book group is tonight, and we will be discussing Mrs. Mike. You are invited to come even if you haven't read the book! If you can't make it, feel free to add your comments here and we'll add them to the discussion. You can check back in a few days and the recorded discussion will be posted here. I also saw this interesting article about the book here: http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Mrs-Mike-Changed-My-Life/1

Adult Summer Reading

If you are interested in a drawing for an e-book reader, fill out the library's Read 4 Life Adult Summer Reading card and turn it in by the end of August.




Here's what is says online:

Read 4 Life Adult Summer Reading

A game for readers 18 and up. Join your community of readers!

Pick up a Read 4 Life card at any Multnomah County Librarybeginning June 15, 2012.
Complete a combination of 4-6 of the following activities:
Read or listen to a book
"Like" us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter

List each title or activity on your Read 4 Life card and return to any Multnomah County Library by August 31, 2012.

Bold Spirit discussion

You can listen to the July 31 discussion on Bold Spirit.

the September books are here!

The 10 Ella books for our September book choice have arrived from the library. We have them for 6 weeks from today. Let Dulsanna know if you'd like to borrow a copy.

July book group meeting

In attendance at Amanda's for the discussion of the July book  Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian American were: Betty, DeDe, Becky, Dulsanna, Amy and Amanda. Dulsanna recorded the discussion, and it will be posted on the blog shortly. You can download the discussion from the last book group here.

The August book choice is Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman.

The September book choice is Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. We will use Multnomah County Library's Pageturners 2 Go book group collection.

The October book choices are The Last Newspaper Boy in America by Sue Corbett and/or The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

Please come to the August book group with ideas for the Christmas book we'll read for November.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet discussion

You can listen to the 50 minute July 3 book group discussion.

Bold Spirit review by Renae

We'll miss Renae during the July book group, as she'll be out of town. Lucky for us she sent her notes for us to enjoy. Hopefully we can record the discussion for her to enjoy when she returns.

Bold Spirit

Advents in Helga's life caused her to take unplanned roads

1. At 2, Father died
Raised by a single parent

2. At 7, mother married wealthy merchant
She could go to private school, she learned English

3. At 11 her family moved to USA
Had every advantage in a wealthy home

4. At 15 She became pregnant...married a Swedish Man
They moved to prairie...lived in a sod house

5. Moved to Spokane
Injured in a fall, sued city, had newly developed surgery

6. In danger of house foreclosure
Walked across America, received accolades, was going to write a book for $10,000

7. Two children died while she was gone
Family, Community angry...never forgave her

She Was Silenced

Powerful Comments:
"Honey, be sure to take care of this story for me" (told to her granddaughter)

Elementary School Experience

Teacher taught Jonah and the Whale. Helga found out the opening was too small for a man to go through. Told the teacher. Teacher said "Don't you know Helga that anything is possible with God?"
Helga lived by that motto.

Thoughts of the Era:Women's biology made her susceptible to disease and ill health.
Page 83. "Long walks are to be avoided"
Page 97. Women's work is "to soften and refine men. 
 Men living without you by themselves become savage and sinful.
Page 106. LaGrande, OR Tramp followed and threatened them for several days.
 They shot him in the leg.
Page 119. "Until woman is allowed to have ankles, there is no hope for her brain."

Helga was prejudiced against Indians and she taught her children to also be prejudiced.
She hired and Indian woman to wash clothes. She wouldn't allow her children outside.

Her trip taught her that she was wrong in her prejudices.

I love the hero in the book who hid the 2 scrapbooks of newspaper articles...The Daughter in Law

I was heartbroken for the family when diphtheria struck...two children died..the rest of the children were quarantined in a cold outbuilding ..couldn't even have a blanket for fear it would spread the disease.

A tragedy was that the daughters burned their mother's possessions...especially her writings

I'm glad the author added the chapter about how and why stories are silenced

I am sad I won't be able to be there. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Renae

June book group meeting

In attendance at DeDe's for the discussion of the June book Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet were: Renae, Betty, DeDe, Becky, Mary, Terese, Nellie Mae and Dulsanna. Dulsanna recorded the discussion, and is in the process of learning how to post an audio file to this blog. In the meantime, if you are interested in hearing it, she can email it in parts small enough to send.

The July book choice is Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian American by Linda Lawrence Hunt.

The August book choice recommended tonight by Mary is Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman.

We decided that we would all go to the Multnomah County Library's book group site to check out the titles available. Click here to go to the Pageturner To Go list. We are to each skim the list and see if there are any that we've read and would recommend. We are hoping to come up with a title for our September book choice. You can post directly to this blog with your recommendations by emailing to dulsanna.cpbookgroup@blogger.com.

A few mentioned also enjoying young adult books. Maybe we could choose one for October.

Pageturners To Go picks +

There were a number of books on the list that we've already read for the book group. There are quite a number that sound interesting, but I can't recommend until I've read them. Here are three that I've read and would pass on to the group as possible September titles:

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation 

by Lynne Truss [non fiction, funny & informative]

The Good Earth 

by Pearl S. Buck [a classic I read long, long ago]

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time 

by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin [non fiction, great cause]

If there are other books (aside from Pageturners list) that you've recommended in the past, or would like to recommend now, send an email to the address on the left and we'll post them under the possible future books tab.

Dulsanna

June Book | Hotel... by Jamie Ford

Our June book is Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Discussion is July 3 at 7:00pm at DeDe's home.

A bit about the author:

Jamie Ford is and LDS author that writes for the national market. He is the parent of three teenagers. Jamie won the 2009 Whitney award for Best General Fiction for Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Jamie grew up in the Seattle area and now lives in Montana with his family.

A bit about the book:

1986, The Panama Hotel The old Seattle landmark has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made a startling discovery in the basement: personal belongings stored away by Japanese families sent to interment camps during the Second World War. Among the fascinated crowd gathering outside the hotel, stands Henry Lee, and, as the owner unfurls a distinctive parasol, he is flooded by memories of his childhood. He wonders if by some miracle, in amongst the boxes of dusty treasures, lies a link to the Okabe family, and the girl he lost his young heart to, so many years ago. With over a million copies sold worldwide, this captivating debut is a story of the sacrifices one boy makes for love and for his country. (Taken from Amazon.)

Did you read the book? Did you like it? What were you favorite parts? Least favorite? Did anything really stand out to you and get you thinking?