Monday, June 16, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
My Turn!!!
Attention Book-Ho's:
The book I have chosen for us to read next is...
Deception Point by Dan Brown
http://www.danbrown.com/novels/deception_point/plot.html
I chose this book because I wanted to go with a "conspiracy" theme and I have read a few of his other books (The Davinci Code and Angels & Demons) and have really liked them. It has gotten a lot of good reviews, so I hope it is a good choice!
Besides reading the book, I want to assign additional homework to go with the theme. I would like everyone to be able to discuss their favorite conspiracy theory (JFK, Elvis, aliens, etc) and present a few reasons why they do or don't believe it. I think this will be fun and keep us more on track!
Nicole =)
The book I have chosen for us to read next is...
Deception Point by Dan Brown
http://www.danbrown.com/novels/deception_point/plot.html
I chose this book because I wanted to go with a "conspiracy" theme and I have read a few of his other books (The Davinci Code and Angels & Demons) and have really liked them. It has gotten a lot of good reviews, so I hope it is a good choice!
Besides reading the book, I want to assign additional homework to go with the theme. I would like everyone to be able to discuss their favorite conspiracy theory (JFK, Elvis, aliens, etc) and present a few reasons why they do or don't believe it. I think this will be fun and keep us more on track!
Nicole =)
Monday, May 26, 2008
Happy Memorial Day!
Sorry it's been awhile since the last post, I've got no real excuses so I'll save you from that.
Sunday is book club at Melany's. Not sure what time since Melany sucks but Holly, if you need a ride let us know!
Sunday is book club at Melany's. Not sure what time since Melany sucks but Holly, if you need a ride let us know!
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Not Denise!
Yay for a not-Denise post (see, Denise, someone else is showing initiative!)
Just a note about our current book: At least three times so far (I'm a little more than halfway through), I've come across the phrase "und so weite." Having taken German, I know that this basically means "and so on" or "and so forth" but I figure maybe our other readers might not know and be curious. So go forth and read in a more edumacated manner my little minions! Except Lorena, she prolly won't make it to the first time the phrase comes up!
Just a note about our current book: At least three times so far (I'm a little more than halfway through), I've come across the phrase "und so weite." Having taken German, I know that this basically means "and so on" or "and so forth" but I figure maybe our other readers might not know and be curious. So go forth and read in a more edumacated manner my little minions! Except Lorena, she prolly won't make it to the first time the phrase comes up!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Books!
Our next book club will be at Melany's house and we are reading The Time Traveler's Wife. It's longer than our other books have been so less ho'ing and more readin'! (This means you, Lorena).
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Almost Forgot
I almost forgot my Sunday post! OK well someone didn't vote in the pool but either way, next book club is Friday April 25th. Keep reading ladies!
On book news, I read Certain Girls! It was my fun book for the week and it was a good choice.
More later...
On book news, I read Certain Girls! It was my fun book for the week and it was a good choice.
More later...
Sunday, April 6, 2008
OUR TRIP TO THE GHETTO
We have successfully completed another book club. I think this book lent itself well to a good discussion and applied to many of current situations. Yay to Lorena for a good choice. And thanks for being a good hostess, with awesome treats and good Target wine.
I put a poll up for our next book club, let us know if that is an ok day for you. I think everyone already has the book so we are good to go!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday Wrap-Up
Again we have another poll and no firm answer. And since Catcher in the Rye and Great Gatsby are 2 of my favorite books, Grapes of Wrath wins for suckiest book.
Book club finally meets this friday. Lorena promises to make us some awesome goodies so I am excited!
On the less exciting front, I finished Harry Potter. Boo for being forced to read it!
Book club finally meets this friday. Lorena promises to make us some awesome goodies so I am excited!
On the less exciting front, I finished Harry Potter. Boo for being forced to read it!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Polls & Stuff
There was no clear winner of our last poll, therefore my answer wins! YA books rock! New poll up, I'll try to think of a weekly poll so let me know if you have a poll topic!
Books on the Brain (located in our links section!) is doing a giveaway on her blog through March 27th. Keeper and Kid is the book sounds good and she got a chance to interview the author onher blog so check it out!
I know I've already posted this but Emily has picked Water for Elephants as the next choice so if you are done with the current book and want to get ahead go for it!
Easter Hugs!
P.S. I just finished reading George Washington: Spymaster and I think it should be our next book!
Books on the Brain (located in our links section!) is doing a giveaway on her blog through March 27th. Keeper and Kid is the book sounds good and she got a chance to interview the author onher blog so check it out!
I know I've already posted this but Emily has picked Water for Elephants as the next choice so if you are done with the current book and want to get ahead go for it!
Easter Hugs!
P.S. I just finished reading George Washington: Spymaster and I think it should be our next book!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Separated @ Birth?
If you didn't come to Idol night tonight, this is what you missed! Now you'll never get it!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Free Books
Many of the book blogs I subscribe to (shut up, I know I am a nerd!) often have book giveaways on their sites. I thought I would highlight some here for you if you guys are interested. Generally it involves leaving a comment on that person's blog or you have to give them your blood. Usually one or the other.
This first one is from Shakespeare Geek and he's giving away a copy of a The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber. It's a literary thriller with lots of good reviews. Check it out man!
This first one is from Shakespeare Geek and he's giving away a copy of a The Book of Air and Shadows by Michael Gruber. It's a literary thriller with lots of good reviews. Check it out man!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
A Few Notes
I was just adding some new books to my Shelfari account and I thought I'd mention it for those that I haven't forced to sign up for one already. It's a good way to track books that you've read, want to read, and even that you own so you know what you have! You can have friends on there to see what other people have read that like the same types of books as you and rate and review books. There are other sights similar to this, like GoodReads.com, but this is the one that I've been using and am happy with. I know other people might not want/need something like this but it's helpful for me to remember what I've read and especially what I want to read.
Also this week I sat in on a teacher book group in a high school and got some good recommendations. Has anyone read Mary Modern? or Devil in the White City? Those are on my list books I will read after May 1st!
Another one is kind of the girl version of My Bloody Life, A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown. I can't wait to read that either!
See you at book club, sorry for not finishing the book in a timely manner!
Also this week I sat in on a teacher book group in a high school and got some good recommendations. Has anyone read Mary Modern? or Devil in the White City? Those are on my list books I will read after May 1st!
Another one is kind of the girl version of My Bloody Life, A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown. I can't wait to read that either!
See you at book club, sorry for not finishing the book in a timely manner!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Attention Book Club Ho's
OK, so the new date for the book club meeting is:
FRIDAY - APRIL 4TH, 2008
The book is still The Alchemist. The dress code is still sweatpants and high heels. The location is still the ghetto/Lorena's house. The more people who come the more fun we will have, so PLEASE try and make it!
On another note - for those of you who still want some geeky fun this weekend, we will have a game night at Nicole's house at 7pm on Saturday night. Feel free to still wear your high heels and sweatpants if you want (Nick will be). Also, we will not be doing dinner, but if you want to bring a snack food to share that would be great!
FRIDAY - APRIL 4TH, 2008
The book is still The Alchemist. The dress code is still sweatpants and high heels. The location is still the ghetto/Lorena's house. The more people who come the more fun we will have, so PLEASE try and make it!
On another note - for those of you who still want some geeky fun this weekend, we will have a game night at Nicole's house at 7pm on Saturday night. Feel free to still wear your high heels and sweatpants if you want (Nick will be). Also, we will not be doing dinner, but if you want to bring a snack food to share that would be great!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Bad Blogger
So I've been a bad blogger but then you all have the ability to post too!
Book club this saturday! As previously stated we can meet up in FP between 5 and 5:30and commute together or just let me know and I'll pass on Lorena's address. You can probably find it on any bathroom stall anyway!
Emily's grabbed the April book club and has gone with Water for Elephants. I'll post on that whenever I have time and don't spend the evening looking up salaries of all the teachers I know.
So really, who exactly finished the book??? :-)
Book club this saturday! As previously stated we can meet up in FP between 5 and 5:30and commute together or just let me know and I'll pass on Lorena's address. You can probably find it on any bathroom stall anyway!
Emily's grabbed the April book club and has gone with Water for Elephants. I'll post on that whenever I have time and don't spend the evening looking up salaries of all the teachers I know.
So really, who exactly finished the book??? :-)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Book 2 - Going to the 'hood
Our newest book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, has a dream about finding a treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. A gypsy woman and an old man claiming to be a mysterious king advise him to pursue it. "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation," the old man tells him. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
With the courage of an adventurer, Santiago sells his sheep and travels to Tangiers in Africa. After a thief steals his money, Santiago takes a job with a crystal merchant who unwittingly teaches Santiago important lessons for his long journey ahead. After working at the crystal shop for a year, Santiago earns enough money to cover his losses and return home. But then something unexpected happens. On a desert caravan, Santiago meets an intriguing Englishman. The Englishman's passion for knowledge and his relentless quest to uncover the secrets of alchemy inspire Santiago to pursue his own dream of finding the treasure. As the Englishman searches for the two hundred year old alchemist who resides in the desert oasis, Santiago falls in love with a young woman, Fatima. Exposed to the greatest and eternal alchemy of all–love–Santiago thinks he has found the treasure. But the greatest test of all is yet to come. With the help of the alchemist, Santiago completes the last leg of his journey–dangerous and infused with discoveries of the most profound kind–to find that the treasure he was looking for was waiting for him in the place where he least expected.
This story, timeless and entertaining, exotic yet simple, breaks down the journey we all take to find the most meaningful treasures in our lives into steps that are at once natural and magical. It is about the faith, power, and courage we all have within us to pursue the intricate path of a Personal Legend, a path charted by the mysterious magnet of destiny but obscured by distractions. Santiago shows how along the way we learn to trust our hearts, read the seemingly inconspicuous signs, and understand that as we look to fulfill a dream, it looks to find us just the same, if we let it.
Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy, has a dream about finding a treasure in the pyramids of Egypt. A gypsy woman and an old man claiming to be a mysterious king advise him to pursue it. "To realize one's destiny is a person's only obligation," the old man tells him. "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
With the courage of an adventurer, Santiago sells his sheep and travels to Tangiers in Africa. After a thief steals his money, Santiago takes a job with a crystal merchant who unwittingly teaches Santiago important lessons for his long journey ahead. After working at the crystal shop for a year, Santiago earns enough money to cover his losses and return home. But then something unexpected happens. On a desert caravan, Santiago meets an intriguing Englishman. The Englishman's passion for knowledge and his relentless quest to uncover the secrets of alchemy inspire Santiago to pursue his own dream of finding the treasure. As the Englishman searches for the two hundred year old alchemist who resides in the desert oasis, Santiago falls in love with a young woman, Fatima. Exposed to the greatest and eternal alchemy of all–love–Santiago thinks he has found the treasure. But the greatest test of all is yet to come. With the help of the alchemist, Santiago completes the last leg of his journey–dangerous and infused with discoveries of the most profound kind–to find that the treasure he was looking for was waiting for him in the place where he least expected.
This story, timeless and entertaining, exotic yet simple, breaks down the journey we all take to find the most meaningful treasures in our lives into steps that are at once natural and magical. It is about the faith, power, and courage we all have within us to pursue the intricate path of a Personal Legend, a path charted by the mysterious magnet of destiny but obscured by distractions. Santiago shows how along the way we learn to trust our hearts, read the seemingly inconspicuous signs, and understand that as we look to fulfill a dream, it looks to find us just the same, if we let it.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Hey Book-Ho's
Yay for book club! I'm really glad everyone liked the book and was ready to discuss (except Lips). I think it was a really good discussion for our first meeting. It gave me things to think about for other discussions as well. I know things got a bit heated at the end but maybe next time we'll get drunk instead!
So our next book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. My thought is that everyone get the book and then we can discuss dates, probably looking at about a month. Maybe March 8th or 9th.
Thanks for indulging me!
So our next book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. My thought is that everyone get the book and then we can discuss dates, probably looking at about a month. Maybe March 8th or 9th.
Thanks for indulging me!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Friday!
Our book club will meet Friday February 8th at Nicole's house. Keep up that reading! And everyone should be thinking about books they think we should do next month
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
about choosing books
from here
Choosing the Right Book to Discuss, Part 1
Say this is your first reading group. You’ve got five committed friends, but don’t know what to read. The health of a reading group lies in its choices. Not all good books spark a good discussion.
How do you decide what to read together? In many clubs, members take turns choosing the titles. If it’s a gathering of real book lovers, this can be a stimulating exchange, turning each other on to your favorite experiences. But it’s a serious problem if members are unfamiliar with books, if they’re selecting in the dark. Choosing from bestseller lists can be disastrous. Some delightful books have absolutely nothing to discuss. Finding the right book as a conversation piece is different from choosing a book for personal enjoyment. Democratic choosing of titles has killed many a club.
Genre books are frequently not the best choices. That doesn’t mean they don’t provide excellent entertainment. It just means that all-too-often there’s nothing much to talk about except the genre itself. Simply a good story – say, a good mystery, a courtroom drama, a fantasy epic or an edge-of-your-seat thriller – can give you wonderful hours of reading pleasure and about fifteen minutes worth of conversation.
For the best discussions to occur, there needs to be some issue that’s ambiguous, some value that’s debatable, some character whose behavior is controversial. Something on which readers can differ in their opinions. Some issue that causes a revelation of personal values.
Try this: choose one member to be the selector for a couple months. Make it someone who will happily take plenty of time to be familiar with the best titles, someone bold enough to get ideas from booksellers and librarians. In the book club at University Book Store in Seattle, I choose the monthly title. Our club’s angle is the best new title of the month from around the world. I read as many advances as I can. I try to find the best reading experiences that are also discussable. The minute you have at least two sides to an opinion, a spark ignites the group. One smart woman thinks Gilead is boring, religious nonsense. Two sensible readers think the hero of The Bad Girl is a fool. Two readers don’t believe Russell Banks’ narrator in The Darling is a realistic woman. That’s all it takes to trigger a great conversation.
When a book works, the clash of opposing opinions causes everyone’s concept of the book to deepen and change. That’s why you participate in a good reading group, to share personal responses to a provocative reading experience.
Choosing the Right Book to Discuss, Part 1
Say this is your first reading group. You’ve got five committed friends, but don’t know what to read. The health of a reading group lies in its choices. Not all good books spark a good discussion.
How do you decide what to read together? In many clubs, members take turns choosing the titles. If it’s a gathering of real book lovers, this can be a stimulating exchange, turning each other on to your favorite experiences. But it’s a serious problem if members are unfamiliar with books, if they’re selecting in the dark. Choosing from bestseller lists can be disastrous. Some delightful books have absolutely nothing to discuss. Finding the right book as a conversation piece is different from choosing a book for personal enjoyment. Democratic choosing of titles has killed many a club.
Genre books are frequently not the best choices. That doesn’t mean they don’t provide excellent entertainment. It just means that all-too-often there’s nothing much to talk about except the genre itself. Simply a good story – say, a good mystery, a courtroom drama, a fantasy epic or an edge-of-your-seat thriller – can give you wonderful hours of reading pleasure and about fifteen minutes worth of conversation.
For the best discussions to occur, there needs to be some issue that’s ambiguous, some value that’s debatable, some character whose behavior is controversial. Something on which readers can differ in their opinions. Some issue that causes a revelation of personal values.
Try this: choose one member to be the selector for a couple months. Make it someone who will happily take plenty of time to be familiar with the best titles, someone bold enough to get ideas from booksellers and librarians. In the book club at University Book Store in Seattle, I choose the monthly title. Our club’s angle is the best new title of the month from around the world. I read as many advances as I can. I try to find the best reading experiences that are also discussable. The minute you have at least two sides to an opinion, a spark ignites the group. One smart woman thinks Gilead is boring, religious nonsense. Two sensible readers think the hero of The Bad Girl is a fool. Two readers don’t believe Russell Banks’ narrator in The Darling is a realistic woman. That’s all it takes to trigger a great conversation.
When a book works, the clash of opposing opinions causes everyone’s concept of the book to deepen and change. That’s why you participate in a good reading group, to share personal responses to a provocative reading experience.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Blog?
Nicole suggested I make a blog (she's too lazy) for the book club. So this is basically a way to track book club info like the current book, when we meet, stuff like that!
So is there any day that is bad for people to meet in February? I was thinking something along a weekend day.
So is there any day that is bad for people to meet in February? I was thinking something along a weekend day.
Books! 2008!
Hey friends! Welcome to our book club!
Since I started the club I chose the first book.
The Year of Living Biblically
- A.J. Jacobs
A Review:
Make no mistake: A.J. Jacobs is not a religious man. He describes himself as Jewish "in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant." Yet his latest work, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, is an insightful and hilarious journey for readers of all faiths. Though no fatted calves were harmed in the making of this book, Jacobs chronicles 12 months living a remarkably strict Biblical life full of charity, chastity, and facial hair as impressive as anything found in The Lord of the Rings. Through it all, he manages to brilliantly keep things light, while avoiding the sinful eye of judgment.
Since I started the club I chose the first book.
The Year of Living Biblically
- A.J. Jacobs
A Review:
Make no mistake: A.J. Jacobs is not a religious man. He describes himself as Jewish "in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant." Yet his latest work, The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible, is an insightful and hilarious journey for readers of all faiths. Though no fatted calves were harmed in the making of this book, Jacobs chronicles 12 months living a remarkably strict Biblical life full of charity, chastity, and facial hair as impressive as anything found in The Lord of the Rings. Through it all, he manages to brilliantly keep things light, while avoiding the sinful eye of judgment.
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