JULY BOOK GROUP NEWS

                    
                                

  My book group consists of academics, college professors, an economist, a theatrical director, writers.... and me. The worst books can magically evolve into fabulous and meaningful stories because of their interpretations. 

  WHEN WOMEN WERE BIRDS by Terry Tempest Williams was our last book..about a woman that took custody of her late mother's journals and found them blank. So confusing, until the leader, Betsy S, who occasionally writes on this blog, led us to some understanding and enlightenment.

THE YELLOW BIRDS by Kevin Powers is the latest selection. I probably would not have chosen this book. Who wants to read about the effects of post-combat syndrome?

To Order Click on the Amazon Search Box in the Sidebar

  Powers' writing is rythmic and raw and I can literally feel the after effects of this war. He is an Iraq veteran so everything rings true. I just read that he's now a poet...not surprising. The prose is fluid and vivid.

  Do I like this book?....Why do both choices have birds in the title?.....To be continued....

INDECISION IS FOR THE BIRDS (06/12/2013)

   

I can't decide what to read next. My book group selected When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams... or should I succumb to two intriguing reads reviewed in the New York Times this week?





The  SundayTimes reviewed The Slippage by Ben Greenman and it really appealed to me.

Here's a blurb:
William's slippage begins when he sleeps with a married woman and punches his boss in the nose.

The reviewer calls the prose "fluid and commanding" and "The Slippage lands in John Cheever territory." Very enticing, indeed!

Read the New York Times Review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/books/review/the-slippage-by-ben-greenman.html?ref=books&_r=0


A second review that caught my attention was A Dual Inheritance by Joanna Hershon. I loved Rules of Civility by Amor Towles and reviewers are drawing a comparison.

A Duel Inheritance is a huge sweeping novel with the characters followed through decades starting at Harvard and moving towards Wall Street and lots in between.

Joanna Hershon is the author of several well received novels including the best seller A German Bride.

It sounds like an engrossing summer read..If you love size and substance this is a good choice.

Here's more information:
http://www.joannahershon.com/a-dual-inheritance/


Reality has kicked in and I'll start the book group selection before I get into anything else. I'll try to sound reasonably intelligent at the meeting and not just focus on the food! 

When Women Were Birds is a kind of memoir, unusual format and beautifully told. The author Terry Tempest Williams wrote this book at age 54, the age her mother was when she died. It was prompted by a single statement: "I'm leaving you my journals- but don't read them until after I'm gone"

Enter the title in the Search Box at the top of the blog and you'll be directed to more info about When Women Were Birds.

Or click on the link below:

http://www.themillions.com/2013/03/staff-pick-terry-tempest-williamss-when-women-were-birds.html

BLOGGER'S BOOK BANTER (10/25/2012)

Comments are not a big thing on my blog, but when I ask some blog readers via email, what they are reading, the responses keep coming. Email communication is fine with me, as long as I get some feedback.

So here's what a few blog readers wrote in response to my question, "Are you reading anything exciting lately?"(Because I'm not..)

Faye L. from Florida said she really is enjoying City of Women by David Gillham. Having just returned from Berlin, this book was of great interest to her. It chronicles a German wife drawn into an affair with a Jew but paints a picture of Berlin and Germans in a favorable light.

Betsy S. from Philadelphia has reviewed books on this blog and I can always rely on her for a timely on target suggestion...and she didn't disappoint.

Betsy said she liked The Tigers Wife by Tea Obreht and When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams.

I had never heard of When Women Were Birds, so I'll focus on that. After doing some research and checking reviews, it sounds like a very unusual book.

A gift of her mother's journals that were blank was the catalyst that inspired Terry Tempest Williams to write this very powerful piece. Reviewers said it's not a memoir..it's not fiction but it's timely in that it also reflects the political climate affecting women today. See what you think..Betsy S. highly recommends it. 

You can click on the Amazon Search Box in the sidebar for more information on the books mentioned above.