What We Are Reading in January

Blond Roots by Bernadine Evaristo. Long listed for the Orange Prize (click for details), this book is a satire on the slave trade where Africans enslave Europeans over a 400 year period. To read more about the author and find reviews of the book see the author blog.

Book To Film: No Country For Old Men

Our book selection for November was No Country For Old Men. We viewed and discussed the film with Elaine Wertheim last night in our Book To Film program.

First the book: It is rare for the entire book group to like a book AND have a lengthy discussion; because when the entire group does like it, the discussion is truncated; what is there to talk about after all when you are in agreement? I, however, was fully prepared to dislike this book. I knew it was going to be bloody, and while I like edgy and gritty, I am uncomfortable with gratuitous violence. I also have little patience with sentimentality, but while the book is a morality play, it is told without too much sanctimoniousness. Although I did get a teeny bit weary with the monologues of the Sheriff. After all, all generations believe the members of younger generations are more immoral, less mannerly than theirs, and believe they are the causes of the end of the world as we know it. The vernacular (missing punctuation and west Texas speech) captures the characters perfectly. Speaking of characters; while I was reading the book, I heard Tommy Lee Jones' voice clear as day. For a better review than I could ever provide, see the link to metacritic.com

The movie: The casting was a work of perfection. One could not avoid reading about the film given the Oscar wins and press it garnered. So when I read the book, I saw the faces and heard the voices of the actors; I would believe it if McCarthy had written the book with Tommy Lee Jones in mind for Sheriff Tom. I rarely see movies in which I have read the book. Invariably, I am disappointed. This was the best adaptation I have ever seen. I could write a review, but I would not do it justice. Of all the reviews I read, the best is written by A.O. Scott in the New York Times.

For our book selections for the next several months, see our Reader's Connection.

What We Are Reading in December

All Shall Be Well; And All Shall Be Well; And All Manner of Things Shall Be Well by Tod Wodicka. Described by a reviewer for the New York Times as "tender and oddball", this is a first novel for the author. Book discussion is Monday, December 21 at 7pm.

And don't forget our film viewing and discussion of No Country for Old Men Monday, December 14 at 6:30pm.

What We Are Reading In November

On November 16 we will discuss the book: No Country For Old Men, by Cormac McCarthy. A lot of information can be found on the Official Web Site of the Cormac McCarthy Society. Including his biography, discriptions of his books, and more. There are several reviews to be found of the book, including the New York Times, The Guardian, etc. These links are provided by metacritic.com.

BOOK TO FILM: No Country For Old Men
We have a special Book to Film treat to offer in addition to the book discussion in the month of December. We will have a viewing and discussion on the film No Country For Old Men on December 14. Elaine Wertheim will show and lead the discussion of the film starting at 6:30. To prepare yourselves, here are a few links to film reviews:
Rolling Stone
New York Times

What we are reading for October

The October book is Map of Home by Randa Jarrar. What I really like about choosing books for the book group, is finding books that people may never hear about, that are contemporary, and which deal with issues of our time. Randa Jarrar is a novelist and translater who grew up in Kuwait and Egypt. Her novel Map of Home won the Arab American Book Award in 2009.

Some of the books I have chosen lately are by authors who have their own web sites. In most cases these are very young authors, but not always. I find this ability for artists to promote themselves and their work exciting and very interesting; it provides a view into the author that we might not have had before. For instance Ms. Jarrar's web site includes a link to a review of her book. The reviewing source is a blog called Electronic Intefada which "is a not-for-profit, independent publication committed to comprehensive public education on the question of Palestine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the economic, political, legal, and human dimensions of Israel's 40-year occupation of Palestinian territories."

What We Are Reading In September

The group will meet on Monday, September 21 to read Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh . The book is about the opium trade set in 1838 and is the first of a trilogy of books featuring the ship Ibis. For a review of the book click here.

Ghosh is one of the most well known Indians writing in English today. He has won several literary prizes including: The Kiriyama for the Hungry Tide, the Prix Medici Etranger for The Circle of Reason, The Sahitya Akademi (India's most prestigious literary award) for The Shadow Lines, The Calcutta Chromosome won the Arthur C. Clarke Award in 1997, and the Glass Palace won the Grand Prize for Fiction at the Franfurt International e-book Awards in 2001. This information was taken from his blog and website. For more click here.

As I read this book, I find that a lot of the dialog is difficult to follow since so much of it is in the vernacular. Here is a web site that may be useful while reading: Hobson Jobson

What We Are Reading In August

Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin. I love it when authors have their own website. Check it out. It even has excerpts and reviews of her books. Join us August 17 at 7pm for our book discussion.

We Are Reading In July

Ms. Hempel Chronicles by Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum. This book was a National Book Award finalist in 2004. Book Forum has a review of this book. Here is a website for the book. I love the section that includes music.

We Are Reading In June

Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith. I have found her website which provides her official biography, list of her publications, etc. The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have provided an interview of Ms. Smith.

We Are Reading in May

Our May book is Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. This is the third book by Russell the EBG has read. Our first was her debut novel The Sparrow and the sequel Children of God.
See Mostly Fiction Book Reviews for a bibliography, biography and review of this book

What we are reading in April

The Giver by Lois Lowry. This is the One Book One Community choice this year. For more information on the book and programs provided by ACLA, go the the One Book One Community website.

We Are Reading in March

We are reading What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn. Awarded the Costa First Novel Award and long listed for the Booker and the Orange Prize in 2007, this book is a mystery about a girl's disappearance. For a review of this book, see Vulpes Libris a literary blog. The reviewer describes it as, "splendid in so many ways. A page-turning, compelling story, as well as witty, touching, and altogether wonderful." Vulpes Libris also has an interview of the author.

We are reading in February

We are reading Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan. O'Nan, born in Pittsburgh has won several literary awards including the Drue Heinz Prize for Literature, 1993. Recently, O'Nan was interviewed in the Hot Metal Bridge, the literary magazine of the University of Pittsburgh, which publishes fiction, poetry, nonfiction, criticism, and art twice yearly (fall and spring). A review for February's book can be found in BookForum

Discussion: Everybody liked the book about a guy's last day at the Red Lobster Restaurant. I was surprised since some of the critics were bored with the level of detail provided on running a restaurant. The story is poignant and the main character is lovingly drawn: Manny is doing his best to make the last day at the Red Lobster a success inspite of a Christmas season snowstorm, bitter employees, and his own demotion. Manny maintains his dignity throughout.