December Book Club

New Member!

As of today, we have a brand, new member!!

Introducing....

Derrick Trumbly!

Now, the official Book Selection Order will be as follows:

Chris Ian, Kyra, Jared, Mikah, Erin, Rachel, Jordan, Derrick

 

 

 

Welcome, Derrick!!!

September Pick!

Sept 2011

Next Book Club:

Nov 2nd at 4:30pm

Where:

TBA

Book Club September 2011

Cleopatra: A Life

JORDAN’S FIRST PICK IS...

Cleopatra: A Life

By Stacy Schiff

September 21^st @ 7:30pm

Location TBA

Reminder:

THE HELP

August 24^th @ 7pm

Location Lincoln Center 68^th St

(Be sure to come early to buy tix)

Book Club August 2011

AUG 17

Hey Literazzians,

Just a reminder & a bit of details...

Next week is our meeting, August 17^th at 7:30pm

At Cha Cha’s house.

177 W 126^th St

Apt 3

Harlem, NY 10027

Directions:

Take the 1 going uptown

Get off at 96^th st & transfer to the 2/3 going up

Get off at 125^th st

Walk to 126^th & make a left at Planet Fitness

Walk to the end of the block to Brownstone 177.

What would everyone think of doing a snack potluck?

Just like the people’s lives and stories came together over this

one event in the book…

Let’s each bring one of our favorite snacks to share with the group.

Maybe bring something that you wouldn’t normally buy yourself

cuz you “shouldn’t”. Well, let’s indulge for the day and share our favorite

things. J

Nothing expensive. Just a little snack.

Really excited. See you then!

~Cha

The Help, Movie!!

MOVIE DATE!!

THE HELP
Wednesday, July 24th
Approx 7pm?
TBA

Let The Great World Spin!

NEW BOOK PICK!

Miss Rachel's 1st book pick is...
LET THE GREAT WORLD SPIN by Colum McCann!

We Meet At Rachel's Aparment

Wednesday, August 17th at 7:30pm

(Address post to follow)

One Year Celebration!!

HAPPY ONE-YEAR, LITERAZZI!!!

The Books!

Matched (How Other Clubs Live)

Whoa, these people really take their book club seriously! Even the author showed up! What??

http://cranberryfries.blogspot.com/2011/01/book-club-matched-special-guest-ally.html

Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture

I just started the Guardians of Ga'Hoole series by Kathryn Lasky, not realizing, of course, that the series is at least fifteen books long. The first is called The Capture. The series is about (you guessed it) owls of all different kinds and it's actually very educational if you've ever wanted to know about owls. It's fascinating. It has mystery and legend. It has a great sense of camaraderie - very Lord of the Rings band of travelers. There are some great enemies here too. It's a combination of the natural and the fantastic. I would definitely recommend this series if you're interested in a different kind of journey.

The Key to Rondo

I can't say this was my favorite. The Key to Rondo, by Emily Rodda, is about two children who find their way into a magical world through a music box - a family heirloom handed down after the death of a beloved aunt. The summary on the back was more intriguing than the book itself, unfortunately. It was a light read, fairly easy, and very fantasy-oriented. The premise was great - four rules of a music box and once they're broken, the evil is allowed out. Very Pandora. Still, if you recall the Chathams' story from The Magicians, this tale is more reminiscent of that specific story. It also incorporates a number of fairy tales and legends and that is the most interesting part of it. I wouldn't go completely out of my way to read this one, but it was a light, easy read if you want something fun.

The Clockwork Three

I really liked this book! Matthew Kirby's debut novel, The Clockwork Three, is a great mix of - again, Oliver-esque characters, fantasy, mystery, and fun. It's a trio of unlikely heroes battling against a city that threatens to swallow them up from varying angles. It's two boys and a girl (very Harry, Ron, and Hermione), each from different walks of life. There's music, magic, mechanics, and mayhem...something for everyone! Chris-Ian, you would especially like this one, I think.

Solomon Snow and the Silver Spoon

I'm way behind on reviews. I've been reading a great deal of young adult, so the next few posts will be about them. The first one that I finished after Anthem was Solomon Snow and the Silver Spoon by Kaye Umansky. It's an Oliver-esque story with quite an odd cast of characters. It's the first in a series of Solomon Snow books, apparently. I wouldn't say that I'm dying for the others, but I definitely enjoyed this book. It starts off a little snow, but once you start adding the other characters, there's a healthy mix of personalities. I'd say if you want something light and you enjoy a Dickensian story, you should try this one.

Once Is Not Enough

Ok, if we are recommending books, I have to recommend this one. This is one of the books I was highly considering making our Book Club Selection for this month. The only reason I didn't was because I had already read it in college and Jared was flipping out about that - lol. (Love you, Jared.) Anyway, this is one of my all-time favorite books!! It will catch you on page one and you won't be able to stop reading it until you are finished. Please give it a try and tell me what you think!! (PS - This is the book ChaCha always incorrectly calls, "Once On This Island" - sigh.)

Anthem

So, guys, I just finished Anthem by Ayn Rand. Of course, I didn't need to buy it apparently, although I did. There's a full online text with notes.

I have to hand it to Jordan. This was a great dystopian society. Very reminiscent of The Giver by Lois Lowry. In my mind, I definitely saw the politics of it: communism vs. capitalism. After learning that Ayn Rand grew up in Russia and was against the collectivism of the country, it makes even more sense. It doesn't quite reach the harshness of 1984 (George Orwell) or The Handmaid's Tale (Margaret Atwood), it definitely has tendings toward that and one can definitely sense the potential for the violence of these two later novels. The contrast of fear and hope is fascinating, though it's funny...while I was definitely rooting for the protagonist throughout, I had brief moments of doubt. Scary to think that the rules set in place by a dystopian society may be there for a reason, but as Franklin said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."

The point is, I'd recommend it. It's a quick and easy read, but it definitely gets you thinking.

Next Meeting

So my Texas wedding isn't until the end of JULY! I'm free any Wednesday night now at the end of June. What would work best for all of you?

NEW BOOK PICK!!

May 2011

Next Book Club:

July 6th at 7pm

Where:

Meet at statue in

Columbus Circle

May 2011

April 2011

February 2011

January 2011

November 2010

October 2010

Sept 2010