Haunted by Mysteries

For December, our group read and discussed the spooky tale The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. Members of the group also enjoyed molasses cookies and tea. In addition, everyone snacked on chocolates provided by a couple of members. And, in giving with the seasonal spirit, one book group member presented everyone with their own wintery candle holder to take home.

Below are additional resources about the book for those who are interested in learning more.


Author Bios & Interviews 

• https://jennifer-mcmahon.com/biography/
• http://knopfdoubleday.com/2015/01/14/qa-jennifer-mcmahon-on-the-winter-peoples-haunted-world/
• http://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html?issue=276#m4975
• http://nationalpost.com/afterword/the-afterword-reading-society-the-winter-people-by-jennifer-mcmahon

Book Reviews 

• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jennifer-mcmahon/winter-people/
• https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-53849-7
• https://bookpage.com/reviews/16066-jennifer-mcmahon-winter-people#.WjLFOVWnFMw
• http://www.townandcountrygazette.com/2015/07/14/read-on-the-winter-people-by-jennifer-mcmahon/
• https://sqmag.com/2014/12/31/edition-18-book-review-the-winter-people-by-jennifer-mcmahon/

Discussion Questions  

• http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/fiction/9638-winter-people-mcmahon?start=3

Further Reading
Here is a list of other suspenseful books written by Jennifer McMahon (to date):

• Burn Town
• Dismantled
• Don't Breathe a Word
• Island of Lost Girls
• The Night Sister
• The One I Left Behind
• Promise Not to Tell

Miscellany

We talked about how aspects of the books reminded us of darker fairy tales. One member mentioned a new NPR podcast about fairy tales, more information about which can be found here: https://www.npr.org/podcasts/532788972/circle-round

New Year, New Reading

Here are the books we will be reading in the first few months of 2018. All meetings will be held in the library's Sivess room at 7pm. Feel free to join us for any or all of these discussions!

January 18: Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

Summary: Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, "Hidden Figures" follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA's greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances, and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country's future. [NONFICTION]

Year Published: 2016

Length: 346 pages

February 15: The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman

Summary: When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw--and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen "guests" hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. Jan, active in the Polish resistance, kept ammunition buried in the elephant enclosure and stashed explosives in the animal hospital. Meanwhile, Antonina kept her unusual household afloat, caring for both its human and its animal inhabitants--otters, a badger, hyena pups, lynxes.With her exuberant prose and exquisite sensitivity to the natural world, Diane Ackerman engages us viscerally in the lives of the zoo animals, their keepers, and their hidden visitors. She shows us how Antonina refused to give in to the penetrating fear of discovery, keeping alive an atmosphere of play and innocence even as Europe crumbled around her. [NONFICTION]

Year Published: 2007

Length: 368 pages

March 15: All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani

Summary: The movie business is booming in 1935 when twenty-one-year-old Loretta Young meets thirty-four-year-old Clark Gable on the set of The Call of the Wild. Though he's already married, Gable falls for the stunning and vivacious young actress instantly. Far from the glittering lights of Hollywood, Sister Alda Ducci has been forced to leave her convent and begin a new journey that leads her to Loretta. Becoming Miss Young's secretary, the innocent and pious young Alda must navigate the wild terrain of Hollywood with fierce determination and a moral code that derives from her Italian roots. Over the course of decades, she and Loretta encounter scandal and adventure, choose love and passion, and forge an enduring bond of love and loyalty that will be put to the test when they eventually face the greatest obstacle of their lives.

Year Published: 2015

Length: 453 pages

April 19:  Choose Your Own! Siblings Biographies

Once again, we'll be having a book discussion in which each group member chooses her or his own book to read and reports back to the group on it. In honor of National Siblings Day in April, the book should be a biography about siblings. You are free to choose any book you'd like, but here are some examples you could use if you wish.

• The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests To The Modern World by Jack Zipes 
• Frank and Jesse James: The Story Behind the Legend by Ted Yeatman
• The Jacksons Legacy by Fred Bronson
• Monkey Business: The Lives and Legends of the Marx Brothers by Simon Louvish
• The Nine of Us: Growing Up Kennedy by Jean Kennedy Smith
• Sisters: The Story of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine by Charles Higham
• Swing It!: The Andrews Sisters Story by John Sforza
• The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

Plagued by the Past

In November, members of the South River Book Discussion Group met to talk about the 2008 book The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich. This book is the first in a loose trilogy; the other two titles are The Round House (2012) and LaRose (2016). This first title covers many generations within the same town (and often, within the same family lines) as they deal with the fallout of a heinous crime and a vicious reprisal.

In addition to discussing The Plague of Doves, members enjoyed a treat of frybread with honey, a traditional Native American food mentioned in the book several times. Below are some resources to further your understanding of the book.

"... from the KC kitchen ovens great roasters of meat soup, baked beans, frybread, potatoes, and roasted chicken were being lugged to the serving table. We’d pass by and fill our plates, eat in an exciting good-natured garble of cheer." 

Author Bios & Interviews 

• http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04092010/profile.html
• https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/louise-erdrich
• https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=90167624
• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/books/louise-erdrich-on-her-new-novel-larose-and-the-psychic-territory-of-native-americans.html
• https://www.theparisreview.org/interviews/6055/louise-erdrich-the-art-of-fiction-no-208-louise-erdrich

Book Reviews 

• https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/18/fiction.reviews 
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/24/AR2008042403018.html
• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/books/29kaku.html
• http://articles.latimes.com/2008/apr/27/books/bk-frase27
• http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/books/review/Barcott-t.html

Discussion Questions  

• http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/fiction/790-plague-of-doves-erdrich?start=3 
• http://www.thefriends.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/plague-of-doves.pdf

Historical Background 

• Louis Riel: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-riel/ 
• Mustache Maude: http://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/the-real-cowboys-of-n-d/article_976b59e8-353d-5c29-8fa8-1d8e5a88f8cb.html
• Erdrich said the book's core story of the murder/lynching was inspired by true events. This one she specifically referenced in an interview: https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SDU18971115.2.4. I suspect this one had a role to play in her imagination as well, given the similarities of some details: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-wolf-family-murders-north-dakotas-most-brutal_us_57fbe48ae4b0b665ad818798

Miscellany

• Frybread recipe: https://thestayathomechef.com/authentic-indian-fry-bread/
• A couple of readers' attempts at making a family tree for the novel's many characters:
• https://bookclubcats.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/plague_of_doves_family_tree_.pdf
• https://prezi.com/esb8g1jvnldm/copy-of-copy-of-plague-of-doves-family-tree/
• The short story version of a chapter in this book (other parts of the book were also previously published in magazines and anthologies): https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/06/28/the-plague-of-doves
• Review of Erdrich's most recently published novel: https://www.npr.org/2017/11/14/562339935/louise-erdrich-delivers-a-dystopian-feminist-thriller-in-future-home

Looking Ahead to a New Year

Please take a moment to help us pick our future book titles. Fill out our survey to decide which books we will read for January, February, and March of 2018. The survey is available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YWTY8LG and will be open until November 30.

Contemplating Immortality

To kick off our fall reading, book discussion group members met at the library to discuss The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. This nonfiction text raised many questions about bioethics and the group had a lively discussion about the implications. Members also enjoyed a rice pudding, like Henrietta Lacks used to make for her family. Below are additional resources for those wishing to learn more about the book.

Author Bios & Interviews

• http://rebeccaskloot.com/about/bio/
• https://www.avclub.com/rebecca-skloot-author-of-the-immortal-life-of-henriett-1798225778
• https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/magazine/rebecca-skloot-feels-indebted-to-henrietta-lacks.html
• http://www.thedailybeast.com/rebecca-skloot-how-i-write
• http://www.cc.com/video-clips/4h8104/the-colbert-report-rebecca-skloot [VIDEO]
• http://www.oregonlive.com/books/index.ssf/2010/04/like_father_like_daughter_rebe.html

Book Reviews

• http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/books/review/Margonelli-t.html?pagewanted=all
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012902147.html
• https://www.wired.com/2010/02/book-review-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks/
• http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2010/01/25/review-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-by-rebecca-skloot/#.WcMniYjytPY
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/7837654/The-Immortal-Life-of-Henrietta-Lacks-by-Rebecca-Skloot-review.html
• http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2010/02/the_consent_conundrum.html

Discussion Questions

• http://rebeccaskloot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/HenriettaLacks_RGG_questions.pdf
• http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/14-non-fiction/1251-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-skloot?start=3
• http://libguides.library.ncat.edu/content.php?pid=132289&sid=1180100
• http://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/2813
• http://mnliteracy.org/sites/default/files/attachments/the_immortal_life_of_henrietta_lacks_book_discussion_questions_related_resources.pdf
• https://www.abss.k12.nc.us/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=29229&dataid=24076&FileName=HeLa_Discussion.pdf

Movie Tie-In

• http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-oprah-20170420-story.html
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2017/04/20/oprah-winfrey-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-hbo-rebecca-skloot/100653868/
• https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/04/the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks/523962/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/20/arts/television/review-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks-condensed.html?mcubz=1
• https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/04/weve-been-bamboozled-the-immortal-life-of-henriett.html
• http://www.npr.org/2017/04/20/524833630/tv-movie-review-the-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lacks

Miscellany

• Argument for patients' rights - https://www.aclu.org/blog/privacy-technology/medical-and-genetic-privacy/henrietta-lacks-story-powerful-lesson-patients
• BBC documentary on Henrietta Lacks & HeLA - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0lMrp_ySg8
• Book banning controversy - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/sep/09/henrietta-lacks-book-rebecca-kloots-porn-allegation-tennessee-parent
• Family rift regarding the book/movie -https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/on-the-eve-of-an-oprah-movie-about-henrietta-lacks-an-ugly-feud-consumes-the-family/2017/03/28/d33d3418-1248-11e7-ada0-1489b735b3a3_story.html?utm_term=.6cd8c78630e5
• The Henrietta Lacks Foundation - http://henriettalacksfoundation.org/
• Rolling Stone magazine article mentioned often in the book - http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/the-double-edged-helix-19760325

Who's Ready for Some Reading?

Here is an update on what we'll be reading this fall:

October 19 - With ComicCon rolling into New York City this month, we'll get in the spirit of things by reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. In this novel, Joe Kavalier, a young artist who has also been trained in the art of Houdini-esque escape, has just pulled off his greatest feat to date: smuggling himself out of Nazi-occupied Prague. His cousin, Brooklyn's own Sammy Clay, is looking for a collaborator to create the heroes, stories, and art for the latest novelty to hit the American dreamscape: the comic book.As the shadow of Hitler falls across Europe and the world, the Golden Age of comic books has begun.




November 16 -  In honor of National Native American Heritage Month, we'll be reading a novel from the vast catalog of books by Chippewa author Louise Erdrich. In The Plague of Doves, Erdrich writes about the unsolved murder of a farm family that haunts the small, white, off-reservation town of Pluto, North Dakota. The vengeance exacted for this crime and the subsequent distortions of truth transform the lives of Ojibwe living on the nearby reservation and shape the passions of both communities for the next generation.






December 21 - Winter is coming! We'll enter in the Winter Solstice by discussing The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon. In this paranormal novel, nineteen-year-old Ruthie begins a search for her agoraphobic mother and discovers the century-old diary of her farmhouse's long-ago resident, a grieving mother named Sara who died under mysterious circumstances. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara's fate, she discovers that she's not the only person who's desperately looking for someone that they've lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.




All book discussion meetings begin at 7pm. Light refreshments will be served at each. Please feel free to join us for any or all of these upcoming discussions!

And in case you were wondering -- no, you did not miss a survey. This time around the books were chosen by the book group's moderator. Starting in the new year, we will go back to our more democratic selection process of suggesting and voting for books as a group.

Reunions & Revelations

To wrap up the summer, book club members read The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg for the month of August. This book goes backwards and forwards in time from the present to the 1930s and 1940s, covering a wide geographic swath, including the deep South and the Midwest. Within its pages, family secrets are concealed and divulged as the main characters grow to learn more about themselves and their relatives.

The book discussion group met to discuss this book and enjoy a light snack of pepper jelly, cream cheese, and crackers alongside some coconut-flavored water. A hearty discussion surrounded this book, which was largely liked all around. Below are additional resources for those wishing to learn more.

“She had always liked cheese, especially pimento cheese sandwiches. Could that have come from her genetic background, or did she just love cheese?”

Author Bios and Interviews

• http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/fannie-flagg
• http://blog.al.com/living-press-register/2010/11/a_conversation_with_alabama-bo.html
• http://www.signature-reads.com/2014/09/17-things-you-didnt-know-about-fannie-flagg-author-fried-green-tomatoes/
• https://dianerehm.org/shows/2013-11-04/fannie-flagg-all-girl-filling-stations-last-reunion
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5WM7ad5WxE [VIDEO]
• http://www.southernliving.com/culture/writing-the-all-girl-filling-stations-last-reunion

Book Reviews

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-all-girl-filling-stations-last-reunion-by-fannie-flagg/2013/11/18/5b32ac96-4af0-11e3-be6b-d3d28122e6d4_story.html
• http://www.richmond.com/entertainment/books/book-review-fiction-the-all-girl-filling-station-s-last/article_b959d3a3-1ce7-5275-a872-1963b1fe97c0.html
• http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013/10/fannie_flaggs_latest_novel_ano.html
• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/fannie-flagg/all-girl-filling-stations-last-reunion/

Discussion Questions

• http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/rc/2014/07/14/readers-guide-the-all-girl-filling-stations-last-reunion-by-fannie-flagg
• https://mppl.org/check_it_out/book-discussion-questions-the-all-girl-filling-stations-last-reunion-by-fannie-flagg/

Historical Background

• Pulaski, Wisconsin
• http://www.villageofpulaski.org/home/history/
• http://casimirpulaskiday.org/casimir-pulaski-local-history/
• http://pulaskiwihistory.com/
• http://pulaskipolkadays.com/
• 1930s-1940s Gas Stations
• http://www.phillips66gas.com/history
• http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/collection/object_103.html
• http://www.industrialoutpost.com/the-phillips-66-highway-hostesses/
• http://rvtravel.com/highway-hostesses-cleaning-up-americas-gas-station-restrooms/
• http://danielwyatt.blogspot.com/2013/07/route-66.html
• Aerial Stunts 
• http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/barnstormers/EX12.htm
• http://mentalfloss.com/article/70002/day-baby-ruths-rained-down-pittsburgh
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FI6STwhPCuI [VIDEO]
• http://www.centennialofflight.net/essay/Explorers_Record_Setters_and_Daredevils/pangborn/EX14.htm
• 1940s Radio (shows/songs specifically mentioned in the book)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlvacbi8Cp4 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOG89TrL4Vk 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnGEX72AToU 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mm1wuKvrxAw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L5d6ATKCZo (1895)

• World War II
• Invasion/Occupation of Poland
• https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/06/world-war-ii-the-invasion-of-poland-and-the-winter-war/100094/
• https://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005070
• http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/germany-s-wwii-occupation-of-poland-when-we-finish-nobody-is-left-alive-a-759095.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8eAmFrPS7U [VIDEO]
• Women Air Service Pilots (WASPs)

• https://www2.gwu.edu/~erpapers/myday/displaydoc.cfm?_y=1942&_f=md056279
• http://www.wstthemovie.com/
• http://waspmuseum.org/
• http://wingsacrossamerica.us/wasp/tribute.htm
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-wasps-flew-for-their-country-in-world-war-ii-now-theyre-hoping-for-a-rose-bowl-float/2013/11/06/f4067e60-464b-11e3-bf0c-cebf37c6f484_story.html
• http://twudigital.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/landingpage/collection/p214coll2
• http://www.npr.org/2010/03/09/123773525/female-wwii-pilots-the-original-fly-girls
• https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/689318/wasp-pursued-love-of-flying-fought-for-women-vets-recognition/
• Female pilots officially become part of the U.S. military in the 1970s
• https://www.womenofaviationweek.org/u-s-women-of-military-aviation-history-since-world-war-i/
• https://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/rr/s01/cw/students/leeann/historyandcollections/history/lrnmre1970s.html
• Planes of WWII/1940s
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_J-3_Cub
• http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/100years/stories/p-38.html
• https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=82
• http://acepilots.com/planes/p47_thunderbolt.html
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rk5S2SyZxXQ [VIDEO]
• http://www.aviation-history.com/consolidated/b24.html
• http://www.boldmethod.com/blog/lists/2015/11/15-things-you-never-knew-about-the-b-17-flying-fortress/

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

For the month of July, SRPL book discussion members read the memoir The Rainbow Comes and Goes by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt. The book covers correspondence between the mother-and-son authors, in which they discuss important events that affected their lives and careers over the years.

Members had a lively discussion and enjoyed a rainbow-layered cake. Below are resources for those wishing to learn more about the book.

Author Interviews

• https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/03/fashion/anderson-cooper-gloria-vanderbilt.html
• http://people.com/books/why-anderson-cooper-and-gloria-vanderbilt-wrote-the-rainbow-comes-and-goes/ [includes video]
• https://dianerehm.org/shows/2016-03-31/anderson-cooper-and-gloria-vanderbilt-the-rainbow-comes-and-goes [includes audio]
• http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/television/gail-pennington/gloria-vanderbilt-anderson-cooper-talk-loss-joy-in-hbo-documentary/article_d726db7d-3447-56df-ae61-fc0de15b9ef7.html
• http://www.vogue.com/article/anderson-cooper-gloria-vanderbilt-documentary-nothing-left-unsaid-hbo
• http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-april-14-2016-1.3535150/anderson-cooper-reflects-on-love-loss-and-his-relationship-with-mom-gloria-vanderbilt-1.3535191

Book Reviews

• http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/apr/25/book-review-the-rainbow-comes-and-goes-a-mother-an/
• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anderson-cooper/the-rainbow-comes-and-goes/
• https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-245494-2
• http://www.aarp.org/entertainment/books/info-2016/gloria-vanderbilt-anderson-cooper-book-review.html#slide1

Discussion Questions

• http://www.readinggroupguides.com/reviews/the-rainbow-comes-and-goes-a-mother-and-son-on-life-love-and-loss/guide

Gloria Vanderbilt: Oh hell, please don’t label me a hopeless optimist. We all have moments when we die a little, or a lot. But stay calm. Take a look at yourself in the mirror. No crying, please. These moments can be the beginning of a rebirth, another chance to reinvent yourself. “The rainbow comes and goes,” Wordsworth wrote, and boy, was he right.

Miscellany

• HBO documentary: http://www.hbo.com/documentaries/nothing-left-unsaid-gloria-vanderbilt-and-anderson-cooper/synopsis/about.html 
• Brief article about Gloria Vanderbilt's 2001 art exhibit: http://observer.com/2012/09/gloria-vanderbilt-paints-the-town-exhibits-60-years-of-artworks-at-1stdibs/
• Photos of Vanderbilt and her homes over the years: http://www.vogue.com/slideshow/gloria-vanderbilt-homes-photography
• Wordsworth poem containing the title line: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45536/ode-intimations-of-immortality-from-recollections-of-early-childhood

Lakeside Reading

Summer is here and the South River Book Discussion Group met to discuss the "beach read" The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman. Members enjoyed some maple and sea salt caramel fudges in honor of the book's character Lolly, who works in a fudge shop. Also, thanks to one group member's generosity, we were able to make and take our own charm bracelets!

Additional resources about the book can be found below.

Author Bios & Interviews

• http://mybookthemovie.blogspot.com/2016/03/viola-shipmans-charm-bracelet.html
• http://dailycatch.coastalliving.com/2016/04/08/8-questions-with-the-author-of-the-charm-bracelet/
• https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/authors/profiles/article/69311-lucky-charms-wade-rouse.html
• http://www.tulsaworld.com/blogs/scene/arts/memoirist-wade-rouse-finds-charm-in-fiction/article_92e86166-3817-5598-a5f9-5dc45aee22f2.html
• http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/wade-rouse
• http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/open-author-interview-wade-rouse-author-of-im-not-the-biggest-b-in-this-relationship

Book Reviews

• https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-250-07132-3
• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/viola-shipman/the-charm-bracelet-shipman/
• http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-charm-bracelet

Discussion Questions

• http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/13-fiction/10958-charm-bracelet-shipman?start=3

Miscellany

• Book two in the series coming soon: http://violashipman.com/violas-books/the-hope-chest/
• Essay by the author about his father's fatal illness: http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a43239/my-fathers-caregiver-family/

Summer Reading

The results of our survey are in and here are the books we'll be reading this summer!

June 22 at 7pm: The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman

Summary: Through an heirloom charm bracelet three women will rediscover the importance of family, love, faith, friends, fun and a passion for living as the magic of each charm changes their lives.

Year Published: 2016

Length: 298 pages

July 20 at 7pm: The Rainbow Comes and Goes by Anderson Cooper and Gloria Vanderbilt

Summary: Though Anderson Cooper has always considered himself close to his mother, his intensely busy career as a journalist for CNN and CBS affords him little time to spend with her. After she suffers a brief but serious illness at the age of ninety-one, they resolve to change their relationship by beginning a year-long conversation unlike any they had ever had before. The result is a correspondence of surprising honesty and depth in which they discuss their lives, the things that matter to them, and what they still want to learn about each other. [NONFICTION]

Year Published: 2016

Length: 290 pages


August 17 at 7pm: The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg

Summary: Spanning decades, generations, and America in the 1940s and today, this novel is a fun-loving mystery about an Alabama woman today, and five women who in 1943 worked in a Phillips 66 gas station, during the WWII years.

Year Published: 2013

Length: 347 pages



September 21 at 7pm: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Summary: Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells--taken without her knowledge in 1951--became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta's cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can't afford health insurance. This bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew. [NONFICTION]

Year Published: 2010

Length: 381 pages

What Are Your "Beach Reads"?

It's that time again! We have yet to decide on books for the rest of the summer. Please take the survey here to let your choices be known for our upcoming titles: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LD6NMTN

The top three books voted on will be our reads for July, August, and September.The survey will close on June 1st, so make sure to respond by then if you want a say in our next reads!

Searching for a Lost City

In April, the South River Book Discussion Group members met to talk about the nonfiction book The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston and to partake in a traditional Honduran treat of baked bananas (with coconut). Below are resources for those wishing to learn more about the intriguing expedition and discovery detailed in the book.

"One might say that modern  Honduran history began in 1873, when Jules Verne introduced Americans to the banana in his novel Around the World in 80 Days, where he praised it as being 'as healthy as bread and as succulent as cream.'" - The Lost City of the Monkey God

Author Bios & Interviews

• https://www.bookreporter.com/authors/douglas-preston
• https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/lost-city-monkey-god-close-enough/#!
• https://www.theverge.com/2017/2/4/14502606/the-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god-interview-honduras-civilization
• https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/csi_interviews_douglas_preston_on_the_lost_city_of_the_monkey_god
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xbGbkromI4 [VIDEO]

Book Reviews

• https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/18/books/review/lost-city-of-monkey-god-douglas-preston.html
• https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/lost-city-monkey-god/#!
• https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781455540006
• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/douglas-preston/the-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god/
• http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/books/sc-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god-douglas-preston-books-0124-20170123-story.html
• http://www.santafenewmexican.com/pasatiempo/books/book_reviews/the-lost-city-of-the-monkey-god-by-douglas-preston/article_10f18380-3381-5e5e-9064-ee7f32a101f5.html

Discussion Questions

• http://sites.psu.edu/markbonta/2017/01/17/24/
• http://www.litlovers.com/run-a-book-club/questions-for-nonfiction

Miscellany

• Trailer for the National Geographic documentary: http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/explorer/episodes/legend-of-the-monkey-god/
• National Geographic article (with photographs) by the author: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/03/150302-honduras-lost-city-monkey-god-maya-ancient-archaeology/
• The New York Times article by another journalist who visited the expedition: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/20/opinion/finding-this-lost-city-in-honduras-was-the-easy-part.html

Further Reading

These are books mentioned by Preston throughout the text, containing additional historical context.

• Annals of the Cakchiquels by Francisco Hernandez Arana Xajila
• The Book of Chilam Balam of Chumayel (http://www.mayaweb.nl/mayaweb/chilam.pdf)
• The Cost of Conquest: Indian Decline in Honduras Under Spanish Rule by Linda Newson
• The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King by Rich Cohen
• Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond
• The Hot Zone by Richard Preston
• Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatan by John Lloyd Stephens
• Jungleland: A Mysterious Lost City, a WWII Spy, and a True Story of Deadly Adventure by Christopher S. Stewart
• Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice by Mark Plotkin

The (Un)Luck of the Irish

For the month of March, book club members gathered to discuss the book Angela's Ashes. Beforehand, we watched the movie of the same name together. At the meeting, we were able to compare and contrast the two. Members also enjoyed an Irish bread pudding and tea as we discussed the book and movie as well as an "Irish potatoes" confection. Below are further resources for those interested in learning more about this book and the world depicted in it.

“We race around the playground and the twins laugh and make goo-goo sounds till they get hungry and start to cry. There are two bottles in the pram filled with water and sugar and that keeps them quiet for a while till they’re hungry again and they cry so hard I don’t know what to do because they’re so small and I wish I could give them all kinds of food so that they’d laugh and make the baby sounds. They love the mushy food Mam makes in a pot, bread mashed up in milk and water and sugar. Mam calls it bread and goody.” - Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Author Bios & Interviews

• http://www.biography.com/people/frank-mccourt-9391286
• https://www.democracynow.org/2009/7/21/frank_mccourt_1930_2009_late_authors
• http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1045022 [audio]
• http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/entertainment-jan-june97-mccourt_3-17/
• http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/20/books/20mccourt.html
• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/culture-obituaries/books-obituaries/5867097/Frank-McCourt.html
• http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/frank-mccourt-late-flowering-writer-whose-book-angelas-ashes-set-in-train-the-genre-of-misery-1755609.html

Book Reviews

• http://ew.com/article/1996/09/20/angelas-ashes-4/
• https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/frank-mccourt/angelas-ashes/
• http://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/17/books/generous-memories-of-a-poor-painful-childhood.html
• https://dianerehm.org/shows/2012-03-21/readers-review-angelas-ashes-frank-mccourt
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/19/AR2009071901768.html

Discussion Questions

• https://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm/book_number/202/angelas-ashes#reading_guide
• http://www.shmoop.com/angelas-ashes/questions.html
• http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/angelasashes/study.html
• http://www.novelguide.com/angelas-ashes/essay-questions
• http://www.gradesaver.com/angelas-ashes/study-guide/essay-questions

Movie Tie-In

• http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0145653/
• http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B04E0D71539F937A15751C1A96F958260
• https://culturevulture.net/film/angelas-ashes/
• http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/angelas-ashes-2000
• Explanation of why water was thrown in front of the funeral carriage - http://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/04/local/me-5253

Irish History
Bits of Irish history are discussed throughout the book, especially by Malachy Sr. Below are links to some more information about names, groups, events, etc. mentioned.

• The Red Branch Knights - http://www.libraryireland.com/SocialHistoryAncientIreland/I-III-3.php
• The Fenian Men - https://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2008/12/20/the-bold-fenian-men-history-ireland/
• The IRA - https://www.britannica.com/topic/Irish-Republican-Army
• Michael Collins - http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/collins_michael.shtml
• Eamon De Valera - http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/people/eamon.htm
• Oliver Cromwell - http://www.historytoday.com/tom-reilly/cromwell-irish-question
• General O'Duffy/the Irish Blueshirts - http://www.theirishstory.com/2012/05/18/the-blueshirts-fascism-in-ireland/#.WM1gs9LysdU
• The Angelus - https://www.osv.com/TheChurch/Article/TabId/563/ArtMID/13751/ArticleID/10353/What-Is-the-Angelus.aspx & http://www.rte.ie/archives/exhibitions/681-history-of-rte/685-rte-1950s/321918-pro-cathedral-dublin/
• The Battle of Kinsale - http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~irlmun2/History/kinsalebatt.htm & http://www.historyireland.com/early-modern-history-1500-1700/the-battle-of-kinsale-1601/
• Cuchulain legend - http://www.bbc.co.uk/legacies/myths_legends/northern_ireland/ni_7/article_1.shtml
• Dublin's G.P.O & the statute of Cuchulain - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Post_Office,_Dublin & http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/modern-ireland-in-100-artworks-1935-the-death-of-c%C3%BAchulainn-by-oliver-sheppard-1.2154483
• Gaelic football - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaelic_football

“Dad is out looking for a job again and sometimes he comes home with the smell of whiskey, singing all the songs about suffering Ireland. Mam gets angry and says Ireland can kiss her arse. He says that’s nice language to be using in front of the children and she says never mind the language, food on the table is what she wants, not suffering Ireland. She says it was a sad day Prohibition ended because Dad gets the drink going around to saloons offering to sweep out the bars and lift barrels for a whiskey or a beer.”  - Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Irish Geography
McCourt vividly describes many places in his neighborhood growing up. More details on some of these locales can be found in the links below.

Limerick:

• 'Walking tour' of Angela's Ashes - http://homepages.iol.ie/~avondoyl/angelas1.htm, https://toirelandwego.wordpress.com/2014/04/12/limerick-angelas-ashes-walking-tour-and-king-johns-castle/, & http://www.ireland.com/en-us/what-is-available/literary-ireland/destinations/republic-of-ireland/limerick/limerick-city/articles/angelas-ashes/
• Carrigogunnell Castle - http://www.megalithicireland.com/Carrigogunnell%20Castle.html & http://www.aboutireland.ie/carrigogunnell-castle.htm
• Mungret Abbey - http://www.culturalheritageireland.ie/index.php/heritage-sites-and-centres/87-mungret-abbey-near-limerick-city-co-limerick
• Shannon River - http://www.mydiscoverireland.com/blog/2016/04/19/irelands-longest-river-shannon/; https://www.theceltictimes.com/index.php/shannon-region/the-shannon-river; & http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/ireland-the-river-shannon/2339/
• O'Connell Monument - http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=LI&regno=21517118
• People's Park - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People's_Park,_Limerick
• St. Joseph's Church - http://archiseek.com/2013/st-josephs-church-limerick/
• Franciscan Church - http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=LI&regno=21512005
• Redemptorist Church - http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=LI&regno=21521011
• Sarsfield Bridge - http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=LI&regno=21512010
• Sarsfield Barracks - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarsfield_Barracks

Outside of Limerick:

• Killaloe - http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/places/killaloe_history.htm
• Banagher - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banagher
• Glens of Antrim - http://www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com/The-Glens-Of-Antrim--P3075 & http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/causeway/The-Glens-of-Antrim-A38
• Lough Neagh - http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/topics/land/lough_neagh.shtml

Irish Vocabulary & Expressions

• boreen - narrow country road
• brawn - meat from a pig's or calf's head that is cooked and pressed in a pot with jelly
• cock o' the walk - someone who acts more important than others in a group
• gansey - a seaman's knitted woollen sweater
• omadhaun - fool, someone who is out of their senses, simpleton
• poltroon - an utter coward
• quiff - a piece of hair, especially on a man, brushed upward and backward from the forehead
• wigs on the green - a fight, brawl or fracas, or to a difference of opinion that could lead to fisticuffs

“The master, Mr. Benson, said the government was going to give us the free lunch so we wouldn’t have to be going home in the freezing weather. He led us down to a cold room in the dungeons of Leamy’s School where the charwoman, Nellie Ahearn, was handing out the half pint of milk and the raisin bun. The milk was frozen in the bottles and we had to melt it between our thighs. The boys joked and said the bottles would freeze our things off and the master roared, Any more of that talk and I’ll warm the bottles on the back of yeer heads. We all searched our raisin buns for a raisin but Nellie said they must have forgotten to put them in and she’d inquire from the man who delivered. We searched again every day till at last I found a raisin in my bun and held it up.” - Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

Literature & Poetry

In many respects, Frank is an autodidact who learns by the bits of reading he manages to snatch here and there. Listed below are some of the authors, books, and poems he notes in his memoir.

• "The Deserted Village" by Oliver Goldsmith - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/44292
• Butler's Lives of the Saints - http://sacred-texts.com/chr/lots/index.htm & https://archive.org/stream/ButlersLivesOfTheSaintsCompleteEdition#page/n111/mode/2up
• Charlotte M. Brame - http://www.ulib.niu.edu/badndp/brame_charlotte.html
• Oedipus Rex - http://www.theatrehistory.com/ancient/oedipus001.html
• Sean O'Casey - http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0330.html
• Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" - http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html
• "The Owl and the Pussy Cat" by Edward Lear - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/43188
• "They Went Forth to Battle, But They Always Fell" by Shaemas O'Sheel - http://www.ricorso.net/rx/az-data/authors/o/OSheel_S/life.htm
• The Little Messenger of the Sacred Heart - http://www.messenger.ie/
• John Mitchel's Jail Journal - http://www.irishhistorylinks.net/Historical_Documents/Jail_Journal.html
• P.G. Wodehouse - http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/plenty-of-room-for-stupidity-on-p-g-wodehouse
• The Amazing Quest of Mr. Ernest Bliss by E. Phillips Oppenheim - http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks12/1202641h.html
• Tom Brown's School-Days - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/sep/20/booksforchildrenandteenagers
• "The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes - https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poems/detail/43187#poem
• Henry VIII by William Shakespeare - http://shakespeare.mit.edu/henryviii/henryviii.2.4.html

Miscellany

• A playlist of various songs mentioned in the book - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHKVnKnXrj9jblUHWGXHyTT_ge4-3lZOe
• Irish bread pudding recipe - http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/irish-bread-pudding-with-whiskey-caramel-sauce/

Further Reading

Books by Frank McCourt:

• Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
• 'Tis: A Memoir
• chapter in Yeats Is Dead! A Mystery by 15 Irish Writers
• Teacher Man: A Memoir
• Angela and the Baby Jesus (adult & children's editions)
• A Couple of Blaguards (with Malachy McCourt)

Books by Malachy McCourt (Jr.):

• Voices of Ireland: Classic Writings of a Rich and Rare Land
• Singing My Him Song 
• A Monk Swimming: A Memoir 
• Danny Boy: The Legend of the Beloved Irish Ballad 
• The Claddagh Ring: Ireland's Cherished Symbol Of Friendship, Loyalty And Love 
• Bush Lies in State 
• Harold Be Thy Name: Lighthearted Daily Reflections for People in Recovery
• Through Irish Eyes: A Visual Companion to Angela McCourt's Ireland 
• History of Ireland 
• Essay in The Face in the Mirror: Writers Reflect on Their Dreams of Youth and the Reality of Age

To Be Read...

UPDATED WITH NEW DATES (as of 4/3/17)

Your survey answers are in and thus our next few months' worth of reading is ready!

March 20 & 21: We will be comparing and contrasting a book and its movie adaptation. [NONFICTION]

On Monday, we'll be showing the movie version of Angela's Ashes at 6pm.

Then on Tuesday, we will gather together at 7pm to discuss both the book and its movie adaptation. Join us on either day or for both!

April 20 at 7pm: Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas J. Preston

Summary: A five-hundred-year-old legend. An ancient curse. A stunning medical mystery. And a pioneering journey into the unknown heart of the world's densest jungle. Suspenseful and shocking, filled with colorful history, hair-raising adventure, and dramatic twists of fortune, "The Lost City of the Monkey God" is the absolutely true, eyewitness account of one of the great discoveries of the twenty-first century. [NONFICTION]

Year Published: 2017

Length: 326 pages

May 18 at 7pm: Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik

Summary: In 1995, Adam Gopnik and his family left their familiar home in New York City and headed to the glamorous, historically rich, and romantic city of Paris, France. Here, Gopnik presents a personal memoir about his time in the City of Light and what it was like to be an American family in Paris. [NONFICTION]

Year Published: 2000

Length: 338 pages

June 22 at 7pm: The Charm Bracelet by Viola Shipman

Summary: Through an heirloom charm bracelet three women will rediscover the importance of family, love, faith, friends, fun and a passion for living as the magic of each charm changes their lives.

Year Published: 2016

Length: 298 pages

Can't wait to hear your thoughts on these books at an upcoming meeting!