Book Twenty Three

11/30/2008 - My Life in France by Julia Child *
Why: I was pulled by the allure of France and cooking to learn more about this famous chef. I heard good things about the book while in Red Balloon – that it was a love story. Rachel picked it for what turned out to be our last official Vanaheim book club.
Emotions Felt: boredom, perhaps jealously but maybe just disbelief that someone would spend her days at cooking school and be so utterly free of commitments or worries
Remaining Questions: How did it end? I guess the book completes her life, including her sojourn to popularity in America and her husband’s death. I didn’t finish because I got bored with the quail and rabbit and other game meat. The chapters were too long.
Who Would Like This Book: Sarah loved it. Couldn’t quite understand why but she had her reasons.

Book Twenty Two

11/16/2008 – I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass **
Why: I have loved Julia Glass since Three Junes. She’s my second favorite author really next to Anna Quindlen. I was surprised to hear she had a new novel out and picked it up knowing little about it. I wouldn’t let myself read the reviews until I was finished and then was not surprised to see the comparisons with good chick lit.
Emotions Felt: The beginning was a little slow and I was confused about the direction of the plot. I could tell there was animosity between the sisters but didn’t understand it. I was remained interested because the author’s wording is so poetic and yet I think she took liberties at some points, waxing and waning a bit much. Too many men, so much so that I started to forget the characters. And I hate that Louisa ended up with a man from her suicide survivor’s group. A little too neat and tidy. I still don’t understand the title exactly which annoys me. I kinda think I missed something. And yet, I read and I read and I read. Pleasantly.
Remaining Questions: What happened to Roy? I liked him.
Favorite Quotes: I liked the part when Clem talked about her life going two ways and trying to catch up with her alternate life. I related. I hated the part when Louisa identified Clem’s dead body. It was too close to home right now and I started to cry.
Who Would Like This Book: I don’t think anyone would love it so I hate to recommend. But, at the same time, no one could say it sucked.

Book Twenty One

10/5/2008 – The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Not much to say about this one, I guess. Given the book as a gift. Gave it away and the darn thing came back to me again. Still didn't finish it though.

Fantasy land, picked by Nancy Berven of the Stillwater Book Club

Book Twenty

9/20/2008 – Guests of My Life by Elizabeth Watson***
Why: Mary Kassera from Stillwater Book Club presented this book to me at our August book club at Water Inn. I gave her a hug afterwards which I think made her uncomfortable. It was a thoughtful thing to do. They understood so well the pain I was going through and the book was a salve for me in August.
Emotions Felt: Mostly understanding. The book made grief feel like a normal emotion and a courageous journey that continues on. From Dickinson’s raw grief to Whitman’s realization that life is constant and evolves, I understood that my feelings all were part of the experience and that the tears would dry up eventually
Remaining Questions: I hated to finish the book because I felt then that the teachings would stop. It’s a funny thing grief. You want it to stop but the stopping means everything will be different and you don’t want anything at all to be different from the life you once knew. I wonder if I will pick this book up at a later time and what it will mean to me then.
Favorite Quotes: “Even death, like the nettle, loses its sting when grasped with courage.” “When we accept the unacceptable, it has no more power over us. We can move through and beyond the experience.” I like this quote a lot because I truly feel Mom’s death is unacceptable and yet something I have to accept. Such a paradox.
Who Would Like This Book: Erica, I think.

Book Nineteen

9/17/2008 – The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner***
Why: Saw this book for the first time at The Red Balloon and was simply intrigued by the concept and the fact that an MPR writer authored the text. The saleslady said it was a fabulous book and one that she read when she was getting through a difficult time. This summer has definitely been a difficult time for me and I wanted to learn the secret to being happy. Weiner was an excellent travel companion.
Emotions Felt: Funny. The descriptions of the countries and the people he met along the way were so captivating you felt like you were journeying along with him. I felt like I was learning and enjoying the process at the same time. The research was stimulating and the narrative interesting too. I felt happy reading the book.
Remaining Questions: What is the real story on Eric Weiner? Why is he so unhappy?
Favorite Quotes: feevty-feevty and the whole Moldova chapter. Plus the epilogue.
Who Would Like This Book: Everyone who liked Eat, Pray, Love. Others would think it was too indulgent. I absolutely loved. It.

Book Eighteen

9/9/2008 – How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez **
Why: Picked by the Stillwater Book Club. I, however, thought the book choice was In the Time of the Butterflies and had to rush to finish. Was not an easy, quick read but rather a series of vignettes that didn’t call me in. The writing was magnificent but the technique of writing the ending first and then telling the story backwards felt awkward. I didn’t finish (after going to book club) the last 100 pages because the rest of the book club felt much the same way and didn’t see the conclusion as tying the whole book together. I tried to convince the book club to read In the Time of the Butterflies which I think is a much more captivating story and a better representation of the unique talents of the author.

Book Seventeen

8/27/2008 – The Shack by William P. Young ***
Why: Stacey Prestegaard gave it to me when she was out for my mom’s funeral
First Impressions: This was my first religious genre book and I was intimidated before I started to read it. That said, I was completely caught up in the story. I’m not sure I liked how they kept referring to the “Great Sadness” as if it was some sort of cliché and yet I understood how Mack felt and how overwhelmed he was in the years after Missy’s death. Emotions Felt: Surprise at how modern some of the religious thought seemed to me: that God would be depicted as a humorous African American women and that Sarayu was an Asian women and Jesus a homely Middle Eastern man. I appreciated the discussion on God’s perspective on following rules instead of living in him. A lot of it just really made sense. The middle of the book was a bit dense for me and I feel like I would have to re-read the passages with a highlighter if it were my book. While this book was clearly trying to get across a message, the message resounded with me. He’s not an incredible author and yet he did something profound. His book made me feel like I could have a different, more intimate relationship with God.
Remaining Questions: Wish I could hear a pastor’s perspective on the book and how it would be interpreted by the ELCA.
Favorite Quotes: pg. 56 “In one day, he had spent a year’s worth of emotions, and now he felt numb, adrift in a suddenly meaningless world that felt like it would be forever gray.” Pg. 80 “I’m done God. I’m tired of trying to find you in all of this.” My favorite quote said again and again, I am exceedingly fond of you.
Who Would Like This Book: Anyone who shares my spiritual thought. Sarah, I guess.

Book Sixteen

8/10/2008 – The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver ***
Why: Not sure. Was recommended by lots of independent bookstores and it was really cheap on half.com
First Impressions: This book is really, really long and a sad knock-off of the Sliding Doors movie with Gwyneth Paltrow. And yet, it was fictiony enough that I was very interested in the characters and wanted to know how it would end up with Lawrence Trainer and snooker player Ramsey Acton. The characters were exceptionally well developed. Interesting that Irina did not come across as an evil, unfeeling character even though she was a cheat in one storyline. She was a very real character. At first, I was very clearly wanting Irina to end up with Lawrence and thought I would get that conclusion. However, the novel seemed to say that neither outcome was better or worse, just different.
Emotions Felt: Much anger for Ramsey when he was being emotionally abusive, sadness and surprise when the couple became broke and Ramsey died of cancer and surprise that in both endings Lawrence and Irina did not get back together. In Irina’s & Lionel’s novel, the ending is not a Hollywood finish but requires more thought. I think this would be a great book club to discuss if it were not so long and naughty. Some of the fantasy scenes were quite indulgent for some readers.
Remaining Questions: Thinking about my own decisions and what my parallel universe would look like.
Favorite Quote: pg. 474 “Funny how you’re always waiting for your life to begin” pg. 483 when Ramsey apologizes and Irina answers back with the best moments of her life pg. 194 “But these moments were the stuff of life and they were the stuff of a good life (running out with the raincoat Lawrence forgot)
Who Would Like This Book: Maybe Kate but not sure. If you can get through the first 100 pages, the novel is a real winner.

Book Fifteen

8/5/2008 – Twilight by Stephanie Meyer **
Why: Everybody is doing it.
First Impressions: I knew that this would be the book to get me out of my slump. It worked. I finished the book in two days. I was initially embarrassed to have the book with me in public despite the fact that a million other adults are reading it too. This book is not the next Harry Potter. Not even close. It’s Sweet Valley High with a dark side.
Emotions Felt: Anger at Bella and the author that her character was such an insipid, love sick fool. I couldn’t get into the romance and that Bella would compromise her life wanting Edward to turn her into a vampire. I think the action towards the end of the book would make a great movie though. Jury is still out.
Any Remaining Questions: Wishing that Jacob had played more of a part in Book One. Hoping that he does in Book Two and that Meyer develops a compelling character. Not sure that Book Two is worth my time or my money though. What is the deal with Rosalie? And what are they going to do with Bella after her senior year?
Who Would Like This Book: not very cultured teenagers and those who have not seen Buffy the Vampire Slayer which is much, much better

Book Fourteen

7/14/2008 – Atonement by Ian McEwan ***
Why: It was cheap on half.com and a book I’ve always wanted to read.
Winner of the 2002 National Book Critics Circle Award, Fiction
Shortlisted for the 2001 Booker Prize
First Impressions: It took a few chapters to get into but the writing was absolutely wonderful and I immediately was drawn into a grand like (Cecilia) or dislike (Briony) of the characters. The book drew me right in as I wanted to know what happened with Robbie and Cecilia until the very end. The characters were exquisitely drawn out and I loved how the story was told during 3 different decades.
Emotions Felt: Anger at Briony and anxiousness for Robbie & Cecilia. I was a bit surprised that their love lasted throughout the war. I felt certain Cecilia would turn away from Robbie. It was sad to learn that they both died without ever really getting the atonement that they hoped for (because Briony’s novel could not come out until after the death of the Marshalls). I feel like I missed some of the ending in my rush to finish the novel and perhaps this would be a good book club to glean other thoughts.
Any Remaining Questions: I wanted to know more about the secondary characters (Leon, Emily, the dad, Paul Marshall and Lola). Each character was a treat.
Who Would Like This Book: Certainly Erica and perhaps others