January History Book Club

"Looking Like The Enemy"

Mary Matsuda Gruenewald

Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates. The violent destruction of life and property incident to war, the continual effort and alarm attendant on a state of continual danger, will compel nations the most attached to liberty to resort for repose and security to institutions which have a tendency to destroy their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they at length become willing to run the risk of being less free.
-Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Papers.

In 1941, Mary Matsuda Gruenewald was a teenage girl who, like other Americans, reacted with horror to the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Yet soon she and her family were among 110,000 innocent people imprisoned by the U.S. government because of their Japanese ancestry. In this eloquent memoir, she describes both the day-to-day and the dramatic turning points of this profound injustice: what is was like to face an indefinite sentence in crowded, primitive camps; the struggle for survival and dignity; and the strength gained from learning what she was capable of and could do to sustain her family.

Please join us, in the Barnes & Noble Café, January 22, 2009 at 7:00 P.M. to discuss this exceptional narrative.

Happy New Year,
Milan

THIRD MONDAY DETECTIVES

Three of us met in the Cafe at B&N on this cold, cold December morning to discuss Susan Wittig Albert's Thyme of Death, the first in the China Bayles series. I like being in the small town of Pecan Springs and solving mysteries with China and her friends. However, that was not the consensus of this gathering. We have been meeting since September and I have yet to choose a book the majority liked! Help! This is a tough group.

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Our book for January 19th is Elizabeth Peters' Crocodile on the Sandbank. The major character in this selection is Amelia Peabody, who is described as "Indiana Jones, if he were female, a wife, and a mother who lived in Victorian times." I've not read any Elizabeth Peters' book, so I'm looking forward to curling up near the fire with this one.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS !

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Jane

Silent Night

The ‘Tommy’ cautiously raised his head above the protection of the trench, looked across toward the enemy position and witnessed, to his amazement, not the flashing bark of enemy machine gun fire, but perched prominently on top of the rival's bunker, tiny ferns ornamented with glowing candles. Then, more unbelievably, wafting across no man's land, he heard the familiar refrain of “Silent Night” being sung in German.

On this Christmas Eve of 1914, the insanity of war became, for a short time, a casualty of the season.

Join us, December 18th at 7:00 P.M., in the Barnes & Noble Café, as we discuss Stanley Weintraub’s remarkable book: “Silent Night”.

Milan

THIRD MONDAY DETECTIVES

The selection for the December 15th meeting is the first in the China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert.
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China Bayles has it all - a prestigious Houston law practice, money, power - but it's not enough. She's smart, she's tough, she's confident, and she knows she wants something more out of life than the fast track offers. Something like the Thyme and Seasons herb shop in Pecan Springs, Texas.
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You'll fall in love with the fictional small town in the Texas Hill Country.
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Please bring your favorite mystery/suspense author/book suggestion to the meeting for selection for reading in 2009.
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Have a happy Thanksgiving. See you in the Cafe at 10 am on the 15th.

Detective Jane

our odd discussion

jane, emily, tanya and i had a great discussion thursday night on this fascinating book by dean koontz.

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everyone had some interesting insights to share, and the meeting seemed to be over in about 15 minutes rather than an hour.

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in january, we will be reading hannibal rising by thomas harris. it's the story of where hannibal lecter came from - and how he became the "monster" that he is throughout the books.

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i look forward to the talk!

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jeff

January Knitting Group

We will not meet in December giving everyone a break for the holidays. Our next meeting will be on January 5, the first Monday, at 7:00 p. m.

We will be discussing the book, The Lace Reader, by Brunonia Barry. I haven't read it yet myself but have read several good reviews. It looks like an interesting story.

We will also collect any jester hats our members have knitted for our charity project. Please join us for a great discussion in the cafe.

Leslie

November Meeting

Our group met the evening of November 3. It was a small but productive meeting. Two of us met and discussed the different charities represented in the book Knitting for Peace. Many established and worthy charities are listed in the book. It includes good directions for the knitted items they collect as well.

We made progress on the projects we were creating. I showed an example of the baby jester hat we are knitting for Care Wear. I hope to collect them from other members at the January meeting.

Leslie

odd discussion

next month, in November, the fiction book club will be discussing one of my favorite books by Dean Koontz.
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Odd Thomas is about a simple man - a fry chef at a diner - who just happens to be able to see and talk to dead people.
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Odd Thomas himself is a fascinating character, and the exploits that he gets into are very entertaining - and sometimes harrowing. This is one of the few times that Koontz takes a character into several different books - normally he creates new characters for each new book.
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please pick up a copy of Odd Thomas and join us for a great discussion in November. We'll send you a reminder by email of the date - and please feel free to come even if you haven't read it.
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jeff

next month - one of my all time favs!

next month the Religion book club will be discussing a book by one of my all time favorite authors. the book is called "Father Elijah", by Michael O'Brien.

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it's the sort of book that you read a paragraph, then put it down and ponder the wisdom for a while. sometimes a few minutes... sometimes you have to think about it for a day or two and come back.

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so you better get started reading it right away! :)

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please grab a copy of this great book and join us for a great discussion in November.

jeff

ok book - great discussion!

honestly i didn't really like "Jesus for President" very much.

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but it made great fodder for discussion!

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we had a pretty good turnout tonight... and everyone present contributed and seemed to enjoy the talk.

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the book was far more Mennonite than i realized. as i read it, i got a VERY strong 'pacifist' vibe. i didn't know that the authors studied with the Mennonites for several years... no wonder!

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overall the book was ok for a teen study guide on the history of the political process from adam and eve to the present, from an extreme pacifist viewpoint, with some pointers thrown in at the end on how to 'rise above' the political process. the author, it turns out, doesn't vote.

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i certainly will. :)

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jeff

THIRD MONDAY DETECTIVES
HOT ON THE MYSTERY TRAIL AGAIN!

This month our detective book club moves from England to the desert southwest of Arizona and J A Jance's first book in the sheriff Joanna Brady series. Joanna is a widow, mother and new sheriff of Cochise County, AZ. and faces tough times in all three venues of her life. This has been a very successful and popular series for Ms. Jance and I hope that all of you enjoy this beginning adventure.

Our next meeting will be November 17th at 10:00 a.m. Please plan to join us for this book discussion.

If you cannot make the Third Monday Detectives at their appointed discussion time but have read the book and would like to discuss it, just log into the comment section of this blog and leave me your comments. I will be glad to answer any questions and hear your comments on the book. For instance, this month (MYSTERY MONTH, by the way) we discussed The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. If you've read this book, just leave a comment on the blog. Blogs can be fun and a useful tool for all our readers and discussion leaders. We'd love to hear from you.

Jane

November History Book Club Selection

Is this the scenario of the latest Mega-Disaster television drama? No, this actually happened throughout Europe between the years 1347 to 1350.

Norman F. Cantor’s “In the Wake of the Plague” paints a vivid picture of what happened to fourteenth century Europe during the Black Plague.

Join us on Nov. 20 at 7:00 P.M. in the Cedar Hill, Barnes & Noble Café to discuss this intriguing book..

Milan

November 3--Monday Night Group

At the November meeting we will be working on a charity project in the spirit of the holidays. The project will be from Knitting for Peace, a jester hat for preemies--perfect for a beginning knitter. We will collect the hats in January and donate them to the group listed in the book. There will be no meeting in December giving everyone a chance to prepare for the holidays. I look forward to seeing you then!

Leslie

October First Monday Book Group

Friday Night Knitting Club--on a Monday Night

Three of us met last Monday night, October 6. After we discussed the types of books we like and the various projects we are currently working on, we settled in to discuss this month's selection. As it turned out, we are very picky readers. We liked the idea of this book but were disappointed in the way it was written. The characters all have interesting quirks but do not draw the reader in as much as we would have liked. We also thought the ending was a bit contrived. We all agreed it was a good "first novel" for this author. But, it felt and read like a first novel. We had hoped for more. Better luck next time!

Actually, the next book is a project. Check out the November selection and join us in the cafe for good coffee, conversation and a relaxing knitting session. Leslie

great discussion

we had a really enjoyable discussion this evening. there wasn't a huge group there, but sometimes smaller groups allow for more interaction.
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we really delved into the complexities of "The Eye" by Nabokov. this work is a fascinating mystery, leaving you guessing until the final pages who the protagonist actually is. Jane, one of our regular contributors, knew from the early parts of the book who he was. but it wasn't until the final few pages that i realized it, and that's mostly because the author tells us.
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i enjoyed lolita when i read it a few years ago. and i've read an introduction to english literature written by Nabokov that i really liked. but reading "The Eye" made me want to read everything that Nabokov wrote. but maybe not right now - i've got "Odd Thomas" to read for next month.
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please feel free to pick up a copy of "Odd Thomas" and join us in four Thursdays for coffee, talk, and laughs.

jeff

the eye of nabokov

Most people know Nabokov from his controversial book "Lolita" which has been adapted for the screen many times.

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But very few have experienced the thought provoking lines of the little book called "The Eye".

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Only 100 pages long, this book is a concise but amazing look into the soul of man. Nabokov is a master of examining the human condition, and this book does what he does so well.

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You still have plenty of time to pick up a copy of the book and tear through it in a day or two, mull it over, and then join us this Thursday, October 9th in the Barnes & Noble cafe in Cedar Hill for some discussion, some coffee, and some laughs.

- jeff

October History Book Club

October’s history book club selection, For the Thrill of It by Simon Baatz.

Set in 1924 Chicago, Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb, planned and executed the heinous murder of Bobby Franks to prove, through superior intelligence and guile, they could commit the perfect crime and there by escape detection and penalty.

This well written book, delves into insanity’s correlation to justice and the mitigation of punishment. Defended by the famed lawyer, Clarence Darrow and prosecuted by State’s Attorney, Robert Crowe, this book describes the legal battle about the moral ethics of capital punishment and society’s expectation of retribution.

Come to Barnes & Noble, Cedar Hill, October 16, 2008 at 7:00 P.M., to discuss this captivating and thought provoking book.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Milan

First Monday Book Group--"For readers who like to knit and knitters who like to read." by Leslie
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This group will meet on the first Monday of every month from 7:00p to 8:30p in the cafe at Barnes & Noble, Cedar Hill.
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The purpose of the group is to discuss a book, a project, or both. We will read a novel one month and work on a project from a knitting book the next. Designed with the busy reader/knitter in mind, this approach will allow everyone two months to read a book and/or finish a project.
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Knitters, crocheters, and readers of all levels, including beginners, are welcome. Bring questions about the book, or a project, and a sense of adventure.
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In October, we will discuss the novel The Friday Night Knitting Club. In the spirit of the holidays, the November project will be from Knitting for Peace, a jester hat for preemies--perfect for a beginning knitter. We will collect the hats in January and donate them to the group listed in the book. There will be no meeting in December, giving everyone a chance to prepare for the holidays.

Mystery by Jane

Our first meeting was held on September 15th and four of us discussed A Beautiful Blue Death by a new writer on the mystery scene, Charles Finch. It was a Victorian mystery set in 1865 London. Unfortunately, I was the only one who liked the book.
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We are reading The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield for discussion on October 20th at 10:00 A.M. This is a pitch-perfect, first-class mystery that will remind you of Jane Eyre and Rebecca. I anticipate a lively discusson.
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Please join us, even if you don't have an opportunity to read the selection for the month. Also, bring your favorite book choice for consideration by the group for future months.