One Book, One CC

Parent Cafe
21

<p>In general I’m not a big poetry person, but Billy Collins is very accessible. How about a book of his poems? The poems are mostly about everyday stuff, sudden insights and so on. Most are fairly short.</p>

<p>Here is one of my all time favorites.</p>

<p>[Forgetfulness</a> by Billy Collins : Poetry Magazine [poem/magazine]](<a href=“http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=26905]Forgetfulness”>Forgetfulness by Billy Collins | Poetry Magazine) </p>

<p>And another</p>

<p>[Questions</a> About Angels by Billy Collins : The Poetry Foundation [poem]](<a href=“http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=176044]Questions”>Questions About Angels by Billy Collins | Poetry Foundation)</p>

<p>and I certainly think of this in the winter</p>

<p>[Shoveling</a> Snow With Buddha – Billy Collins](<a href=“http://www.panhala.net/Archive/Shoveling_Snow.html]Shoveling”>http://www.panhala.net/Archive/Shoveling_Snow.html)</p>

22

<p>Re: I am Charlotte Simmons</p>

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<p>I am willing to re-read many books, but I thought this was one of the worst books I have ever read and the depiction of the main character was so bad it was laughable. Nothing against Tom Wolfe, I thought Bonfire of the Vanities was brilliant).</p>

23

<p>Also Re: I am Charlotte Simmons - yuck! The most stereotypical set of characters I’ve ever read. I’ve never wanted to smack a character in the head so much as I did Charlotte. </p>

<p>How about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society? [Amazon.com:</a> The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Random House Reader’s Circle): Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/Guernsey-Literary-Potato-Society-Readers/dp/0385341008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243724136&sr=8-1]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/Guernsey-Literary-Potato-Society-Readers/dp/0385341008/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243724136&sr=8-1) Wonderful book. I’d be willing to re-read and do some research just to discuss.</p>

24

<p>The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society gets a vote from me. I have it on my summer list anyway.</p>

25

<p>I’ve heard good things about Still Alice and would like to ‘second’ that nomination.</p>

26

<p>Considering posts #12, 14, 22, and 23, I am going to make my first Executive Decision (inalienable right of the OP), and remove I am Charlotte Simmons from contention (with apologies to JustAMomOf4).</p>

<p>Updated list of nominees:</p>

<p>The Secret History (Donna Tarttt)
Tam Lin (Pamela Dean)
Still Alice (Lisa Genova)
The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
Sarah’s Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)
Mean Little deaf Queer (Terry Galloway)
Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell)
The Empty Nest (Karen Stabiner)
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
Forgetfulness (or other selections) (Billy Collins)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (M.A. Shaffer, A. Barrows)</p>

27

<p>I think I mentioned it first, not because I want to read it, but because it was about college. Maybe we should all just reread Love Story. ;)</p>

28

<p>Disclaimer- I have not read “The Help” (my suggestion)- if anyone has please speak up. </p>

<p>Anyone have any interest in the book to movies which are out or due out?
Angels and Demons, or Julie and Julia (read this couple years ago and looking forward to the movie). </p>

<p>Not sure if Julie and Julia is a good “discussion” book, but it made me laugh! Then again, I am drawn to Sarah Vowell, Bill Bryson, and Augusten Boroughs, and recently David Sedaris, who always seems to push beyond my comfort levels.</p>

29

<p>southjersey, I just read Angels and Demons and it seems to me there wouldn’t be much to discuss, but was a fun read. </p>

<p>I’m happy to see Charlotte Simmons get dropped. Hated it, and would rather do Bonfire any day.</p>

<p>Guernsey Literary is one I’d love to read. Was worried that it might be a “chick” novel, but possibly not, based on the Amazon description. Is this a book CC guys would like?</p>

<p>Pluses: $7.70 in paperback and also available on Kindle (my new best friend) at the same price.</p>

30

<p>I would reread the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society again, I read it the first time in one big gulp. It is really light summer reading so it could be a good choice for the beach readers. How about Giliad? One of the best books I’ve read in years.</p>

31

<p>How does a book club work?</p>

32

<p>tom1944, as far as I know, a book club simply means that everybody reads the same book and discusses it. Obviously, a book like Crime and Punishment is going to generate more intense discussion than, say, The Cowboy’s Christmas Proposal (Harlequin Romance # 3986). I’ve noticed that some novels have “starter questions” in the back for book clubs to use. I’m not sure how this will work in the CC forum. I figure we can just make up the rules as we go.</p>

<p>Updated list of nominees:</p>

<p>The Secret History (Donna Tarttt)
Tam Lin (Pamela Dean)
Still Alice (Lisa Genova)
The Help (Kathryn Stockett)
Sarah’s Key (Tatiana de Rosnay)
Mean Little deaf Queer (Terry Galloway)
Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell)
The Empty Nest (Karen Stabiner)
The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
Forgetfulness (or other selections) (Billy Collins)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (M.A. Shaffer, A. Barrows)
Gilead (Marilynne Robinson)</p>

<p>Feel free to keep adding ideas. I will pare down the list tomorrow, via a complex mathematical formula to be disclosed later (after I invent it :))</p>

<p>What do people think of having three finalists? One for June, one for July, and one for August (presuming that we’re enjoying ourselves and want to continue).</p>

33

<p>It occurs to me that it might be easier to trim the list of suggestions based on what people are absolutely NOT interested in, rather than the reverse. So if you have some powerful negative feelings about any book on the above list, please speak up.</p>

34

<p>I love the idea of one for each month.
How about a new thread naming the book for June on the 1st, and start discussion on the 8th or the 15th; repeat the process for July and August?</p>

35

<p>On another thread a couple of people highly recommended I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb - that may be a good one.</p>

36

<p>I suggest choosing a recently released title, since anything else will likely have been read by many of us. I rarely if ever want to reread something–there are too many wonderful books waiting for me out there. I want to second The Help–I read one excellent review and also heard that the audio version (from audible.com) is terrific, if anyone wants to go that route.</p>

37

<p>I think most of us probably have read “Kite Runner”.</p>

38

<p>Another vote for Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - I’m reading it now!</p>

39

<p>How cool is this? A cyber Book Club! Count me in. I read “Guernsey” – excellent! We just added it to next year’s schedule (we meet Sept. - May) for my RL Club. “Still Alice” is also on our list. I agree that many/most have already read “Kite Runner.”</p>

<p>The concern about picking a recent release is it will only be available in hardcover, and may be difficult to get from the library.</p>

40

<p>Suggestion: Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. Anyway, I am taking it on the plane for my trip to the states early June. I am interested in reading Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and will pick it up in an airport bookstore as well.</p>