Entries 41–50 of 86, most recent first
May 2015
We wanted a short classic for this month. It is short. It is a classic. It did win the Pulitzer Prize for Hemingway. It is slow. I put it on the radio for travel in Florida. It is such a slow book that my son was asleep within minutes.
Julia found versions on Youtube that included interesting art.
April 2015
Robert Heinlein was a prolific sci-fi writer in the 50's and 60's. My family (Jeff) has read several of his stories together when traveling, including most recently, Starship Troopers. When reading Starship Troopers, I saw that Stranger was a book of his. I'd heard of it, but didn't know much about it.
It introduces the word "grok" to the English language.
February 2015
Well, we're following Sistina (intrigue with the body of Christ) with a book concerning intrigue about the anti-Christ.
The book was first published in 1990.
Amazon.com Review:
Pratchett (of Discworld fame) and Gaiman (of Sandman fame) may seem an unlikely combination, but the topic (Armageddon) of this fast-paced novel is old hat to both. You see, there was a bit of a mixup when the Antichrist was born, due in part to the machinations of Crowley, who did not so much fall as saunter downwards, and in part to the mysterious ways as manifested in the form of a part-time rare book dealer, an angel named Aziraphale. Like top agents everywhere, they've long had more in common with each other than the sides they represent, or the conflict they are nominally engaged in. The only person who knows how it will all end is Agnes Nutter, a witch whose prophecies all come true, if one can only manage to decipher them.
January 2015
We have read a book previously by Brian,
World Hunger, July 2012
. At that meeting, Brian called in on Facetime. He plans to call in to this meeting too.
Susan edited this book. If you find any errors, you are not allowed to tell Susan! (I did find one.)
This one is an historical mystery book. It is short by our "normal" standards and is a compelling read.
December 2014
No book this month.
We got together, ate, and talked. (Hmm, seemed very much like a book club meeting.)
November 2014
As our scary, Halloween book of the year, we are reading another Ray Bradbury book. Last year at this time we read "Something Wicked This Way Comes." It is about 300 pages.
From the Editor's description:
THE OCTOBER COUNTRY is Ray Bradbury's own netherworld of the soul, inhabited by the horrors and demons that lurk within all of us. This classic collection of short stories includes:
THE EMISSARY: The faithful dog was the sick boy's only connection with the world outside--and beyond. . .
THE SMALL ASSASSIN: A fine, healthy baby boy was the new mother's dream come true--or her worst nightmare. . .
THE SCYTHE: Just when his luck had run out, Drew Erickson inherited a farm from a stranger! And with the bequest came deadly responsibilities. . .
THE JAR: A chilling story that combines love, death . . . and a matter of identity in a bottle of fear!
THE WONDERFUL DEATH OF DUDLEY STONE: A most remarkable case of murder--the deceased was delighted!
And nineteen other short stories.
September 2014
From the author of
Seabiscuit
this is the story of Louis Zamperini an incorrigible youth who became an Olympian in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He became an airman in WWII serving in the Pacific. He was captured after drifting in a life boat for over a month and was held as an unlisted POW in Japan during WWII. He was unlisted because the Japanese recognized him from the Olympics. They wanted to turn him to a propagandist. After reading this book many people finally understand what their family members possibly went through if they served in the Pacific during WWII.
August 2014
This month's book is "The Panther" by Nelson DeMille. DeMille is a particular favorite of Susan's.
The last DeMille book we read was in April 2012, so we are LONG overdue for a revisit to his witty sarcasm and first-person writing. The previous book from DeMille is
here
.
This book puts
Anti-Terrorist Task Force agent John Corey and his wife, FBI agent Kate Mayfield,
in Yemen after the USS Cole bombing. Paul Brenner, the character from Up Country --- the book we read before --- also appears in this book.
The topic is terrorism and the War on Terror. A suggested podcast to listen to is called "
60 Words
" produced by RadioLab. It is the legal basis of all of actions taken by the United States against terrorists.
The Panther
on GoodReads
July 2014
In the tech community Neil Stephenson is one of the most highly-read authors. His books tend to be very long. Snow Crash is one of his early books. The genre is often called cyberpunk, but apparently this term is also overused and avoided.
The meeting is scheduled for July 28, 2014.
June 2014
Meeting is on June 16th at 7:00.
Ok, if you can figure out before reading it how this book goes, then you will win a gold star.
Quoting the publisher's description:
The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local newspaper from a teacher looking for serious pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling delicately on a slender branch. “You are the teacher?” he asks incredulously. “I am the teacher,” the gorilla replies. Ishmael is a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story to tell, one that no other human being has ever heard. It is a story that extends backward and forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth of time to a future there is still time to save. Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to come from within ourselves. Is it man’s destiny to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny possible for him—one more wonderful than he has ever imagined?