QUIZ: What is bildungsroman? ANSWER: It represents a genre of novels about the moral and psychological growth of the main character. Examples: The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy, Great Expectations by Dickens, The House of Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and Villages by John Updike.

We have read some really good books this year! Thanks to all for the recommendations. Since my last (very long ago) post, this is what we've read. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand A Visit from the Goon Squad, by Jennifer Egan The Land of Green Plumbs, by Herta Muller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot The books I enjoyed the most were People of the book, Sisters Brothers, and Cutting for Stone. Which did you like?

May 6

At this meeting we came up with a list of possible titles. “Tiger’s wife“ by Tea Obrht "When the killing was done" by T.C. Boil “War at the end of the world” by Mario Vargas Llosa

April 1

Ella Minnow Pea was an odd little book, I thought. Set on an island off the coast of South Carolina, the marque in the town square with a quote by a local poet/famous man, kept loosing letters. One day a letter dropped off, and from that day on, the residents of the island were forbidden to use that letter in speaking and writing. On and on it went as letters continued to drop off. I found it silly and annoying, but others found it fascinating that someone could write such a cleaver book, using fewer and fewer letters as the novel went on. See for yourselves. Suite Frances is a novel about the German occupation in a small town in France. It provided an interesting perspective on the German occupying forces.

February 11, 2011

Our discussion of The Room focused mainly on the escape; the boy rolled up in a rug, slung over his fathers shoulder, to be buried. He gets out of the truck, and someone calls 911; the officers find the room within minutes, and the mother, and eventually Old Nick. The mother - how did she know what skills the child needed to survive in that little space, and prepare him for the real world, if they ever escape. Why did she try to kill herself after all she had accomplished? New recommended reads have been posted, as we brainstormed our favorite books ever, and those we still want to read. Happy singles awareness day (Valentine's Day)

Fast forward to the end of 2010

I missed the meeting in December at which the talk was about THE ELEGANCE OF A HEDGEHOG. Don't know how it was enjoyed. I'm still reading it, and won't know 'til the end if I like it or not. It's not what you call... rivetting. But the protagonists do bring up more than several interesting topics for discussion. So, on to 2011. We'll be reading THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS, by Rebecca Skloot. Amazon has 400 reviews already!

May Meeting

Oops, April went so quickly, I didn't get a post in about that meeting, but, nevermind. In May we all agreed, with wonder and amazement, about the The Book Thief. Most interesting was the identity of the narrator. We talked a lot about WWII, not only because it is the setting, but also because at the scene was our political science prof, and history prof, interested and knowledgable about this time in our pitiful history. So...... what have you to say? FYI> Two margaritas might be too much.