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What our book clubs thought of the books we discussed in April:
The Widow by Fiona Barton got mixed reviews from our 13 attendees. About a third liked it, a third didn't, and a third were mixed. The group that liked it appreciated the complex psychological portraits of the main characters and the deceptively simple story telling. The story is told from the point of view of the widow, the detective, the reporter, and the mom with varying degrees of reliability. The 'didn't like it' crowd couldn't relate to the characters and didn't think there was much suspense.
'Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks was a fun read. This was the consensus of the small group that gathered for the Travel group. While we all enjoyed reading the tale of the Englishman who agreed to hitchhike around Ireland with a mini-fridge, I'm afraid there wasn't much to talk about. It's a good example of a book that is enjoyable to read, but doesn't give you much to chew on.
Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott was also well received and with this book there was lots to talk about. The stories of four very different women during the civil war- two Union supporters and two Confederates- were exciting and often unexpected. While "Liar, etc." reads like a novel, the material is true, documented, and referenced. Each of us learned something from these brave women and their stories.
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Our Book clubs are fun and friendly!
Read the book, bring either a pupu or beverage, and enjoy a lively discussion.
Our Travel Group: Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads by Paul Theroux
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Deep South
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Paul Theroux has spent the past fifty years roaming the globe, describing his encounters with remote people and far-flung places in ten best-selling travel books. Now, for the first time, he explores a part of America--the Deep South. Setting out on a winding road trip, Theroux discovers a region of architectural and artistic wonders, incomparable music, mouth-watering cuisine--and also some of the worst schools, medical care, housing, and unemployment rates in the nation.
Yet, no matter where he goes, Theroux meets the unsung heroes of the South, the people who, despite it all, never left, and also those who found their way home and devoted their lives to rebuilding a place they could never live without. Join us to talk about
Deep South on
Tuesday, May 16 @ 6:30pm.
Our Non-fiction group: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
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The Zookeeper's Wife
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After their zoo was bombed, Polish zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski managed to save over three hundred people from the Nazis by hiding refugees in the empty animal cages. With animal names for these "guests," and human names for the animals, it's no wonder that the zoo's code name became "The House Under a Crazy Star." Best-selling naturalist and acclaimed storyteller Diane Ackerman combines extensive research and an exuberant writing style to re-create this fascinating, true-life story--sharing Antonina's life as "the zookeeper's wife," while examining the disturbing obsessions at the core of Nazism. We will discuss this award winning book that is now a movie on
Tuesday, May 23 @ 6pm.
Our Fiction Group: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
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Station Eleven
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Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, the famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of King Lear. That was the night when a devastating flu pandemic arrived in the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end.
Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. They call themselves The Traveling Symphony, and they have dedicated themselves to keeping the remnants of art and humanity alive. But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band's existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed. This critically acclaimed book will be the discussion topic on
Tuesday, June, 13 @ 6:30pm.
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Joy and Brenda (Owners)
Noble and Chloe (Cats)
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Hours:
Monday-Friday: 10am-6pm;
Saturday: 10am-5pm;
Sunday: 11am-5pm
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