HISTORY BOOK CLUB

We had a great session last night, despite the absence of some members who are on vacation or having grandchildren. Tanya says she forgot that only really big geeks read such thick and serious books in the middle of the summer! That's us, ambitious to the end.
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There was a very lively discussion both on point and tangential. I first thought we'd wrap up around 9pm, but we went on until they closed up the store at 10pm! We promise next time to keep it to the allotted hour.

Very much looking forward to discussing part two of the book! That will be Thursday, August 27th at 7:30 p.m.

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Tanya/Jane

THIRD MONDAY DETECTIVES

Eight of us turned out this rainy Monday morning to discuss Donna Leon's Death at La Fenice. I had been able to find and print pictures of the Venetian opera house as well as a picture of the main character from the German TV series. We all agreed that we liked the plotline, Ms. Leon's writing style, and Guido Brunetti very much. We'd all like to read more of this series.

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We are looking forward to reading the selection for August, P. D. James' Cover Her Face (Adam Dalgliesh Series #1). One of our members has read the entire series and highly recommended it to the group.

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The synopsis on BN.com says, "Sally Jupp was a sly and sensuous young woman who used her body and her brains to make her way up the social ladder. Now she lies across her bed with dark bruises from a strangler’s fingers forever marring her lily-white throat. Someone has decided that the wages of sin should be death...And it is up to Chief Inspector Adam Dalgliesh to find out who that someone is. "

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We hope that you can join us for the discussion of this who-done-it on Monday, August 17th at 10:00 a.m. in the Cafe.

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Jane

KNITTING BOOK CLUB

We met Monday evening with completed washcloths, current knitting and crocheting projects and Jane Austen's Persuasion. What a delightful hour. Leslie is a wonderful leader who is always prepared to help us get the most out of any book, especially Jane Austen's novels.

Persuasion is Rebecca's favorite, she re-reads it every year. David was a first-time reader and didn't particularly like the book. We beat him up gently! I love this one with it's mature and believable characters.

Our selection for August/September is Sense and Sensibility . This is a long book, so we decided to divide it into two parts: August will cover the novel until the sisters go to London; September will cover the remainder of the novel.

We've begun no new knitting projects. (I, the novice knitter, will continue to knit washcloths until I run out of yarn!) Leslie and Rebecca are knitting socks, David a scarf, and Bobbie is crocheting a top. What are your currently knitting?

Please join us for the discussion of Sense and Sensibility, Part I, on August 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the B&N Cafe.

Jane

FICTION BOOK CLUB

Leslie's selection for August is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.

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Brazilian author Paulo Coelho broke sacred ground -- and crossed over into worldwide fame as an author -- with this symbolic masterpiece. This is the 20th anniversary printing of this novel.

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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."

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Please join us August 13th at 7:00 p.m. in the B&N Cafe for the discussion of this thought-provoking novel.

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Jane

Second Monday Knitting Group

Well, we have graduated to all Jane Austen all the time for the time being....since her books are fairly long, we will continue with our every other month schedule. This month, we met, knit and chatted about Jane Austen and our impression of the many movie versions that have been made of some of her novels. We were going to knit a simple washcloth pattern but never got that far. Next month, however, we will discuss Persuasion (see earlier post for all the details).

I hope to see you then. It should be a lively discussion.

Leslie

THIRD MONDAY DETECTIVES

Our meeting on June 15th boasted our most lively book discussion yet. Perhaps that is due to the fact that there were thirteen in attendance and one by email! Whatever the reason, the consensus was that we enjoyed Mary Roberts Rinehart's The Circular Staircase.
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The book was written in 1908 and, although it did have some social references that would not be in a modern-day writing, its tone, mystery and sense of humor could easily have been a product of today's historical mystery writers. Mary Roberts Rinehart was herself an educated woman ahead of her time and there was a parallel for us to her central character in the novel, Rachel Innes. The mystery was well written, with rich character development and a well-developed plot. Several of our members "figured it out" early on in the story, but I, as usual, did not see it coming and enjoyed it to the end. We all agreed we could understand why she was so popular in her day and can still be read with enjoyment today.

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Our selections for the rest of the summer are:

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July - Death at La Fenice (Guido Brunetti Series #1) by Donna Leon. Beautiful and serene Venice is a city almost divoid of crime. But that is little comfort to Maestro Helmut Wellauer, a world-renowned conductor who is poisoned one night during intermission. As Guido Brunetti, vice-commissario of police and a genius of detection, pieces together the clues, a shocking picture of depravity and revenge emerges.

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August - Cover Her Face (Adam Dalgliesh Series #1) by P. D. James.

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September - The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

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All of these novels are now or soon will be available at B&N Cedar Hill.

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We were a little crowded in our corner of the Cafe, but our supportive management team at B&N is working to find a better meeting location in the store for our group. We invite all mystery lovers or visitors who just want to see what we're about to join us for our next meeting JULY 20th at 10:00 a.m.

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Detective Jane

Fiction Book Club

Our group met on Thursday night to discuss our selection for June - The Killing Floor by Lee Child. Wow, was it bloody! People didn't just die, they were horribly murdered. We lost track of the body count. None of us could understand such devotion to the hero Jack Reacher that there are several books in this series. I guess we're just not a murder and mayhem group.
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Our selection for July is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Mr. Zusak grew up hearing stories about Nazi Germany, about the bombing of Munich and the Jews being marched through his mother’s small German town. He always knew it was a story he wanted to tell.
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It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . . Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
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We hope that you will pick up a copy of this book and join us on July 9th at 7:00 p.m. in the Cafe for an enjoyable discussion of this BN Discover New Writers selection.

Jane