<p>1)Destiny of the Republic
2) Rules of Civility
3) Cats Table
4) Cloud Atlas
5) Salmon Fishing in the Yemen</p>
<p>1) The Cat’s Table or Salmon Fishing in America or Destiny of the Republic</p>
<p>2) Cloud Atlas</p>
<p>I think all the books sound good and will give the chosen book as much time/attention as I can. Hopefully, I’ll find enough snatches of time in May to read. If not, I’ll just come to the party a few days late. Might help if I don’t wait till the last minute to start this time around. </p>
<p>Mary: Give us a hint as to your reading preferences here … just curious. ;)</p>
<p>I love your variations on the name “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen,” Ignatius. Reminds me of when I once worked in a bookstore and we kept a list of the titles customers asked for that were amusingly a wee bit different from the actual titles. :)</p>
<p>Wow. I didn’t even realize I did that … I need to read over my posts before I hit “Submit Reply.” My mind is truly elsewhere … fortunately I caught my first mistake: The Cat’s Tale</p>
<p>I’m not ranking my choices-but I am most intrigried by the Cat’s Table-but again-I’m happy with anything!</p>
<p>Here you go, ignatius – for our next selection?: [Amazon.com:</a> The Cat’s Tale: Why the Years Are Named for Animals (9781596432024): Doris Orgel, Meilo So: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/The-Cats-Tale-Years-Animals/dp/1596432020]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/The-Cats-Tale-Years-Animals/dp/1596432020)</p>
<p>Here’s an amusing thread along the lines of what NJTheatreMOM just mentioned:
[Funny</a> Requests from patrons | Librarians who LibraryThing | LibraryThing](<a href=“Funny Requests from patrons | Librarians who LibraryThing | LibraryThing”>Funny Requests from patrons | Librarians who LibraryThing | LibraryThing)</p>
<p>For example:</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I hear ya: All five of my children are graduating in May, at every level (PhD, masters, bachelors, high school, grade school). It will be a summer of transition for us, as some leave the nest and others return.</p>
<p>With that in mind, let’s go with the shorter choice for June, The Cat’s Table. It’s at the top (or near the top) of everyone’s list, and NJTheatreMOM has suggested it often enough that it’s time to prove that “God is with those who persevere.” 
Just teasing NJTM; I’m looking forward to the book.</p>
<p>ignatius, in answer to your question, my preference list is quite similar to SouthJerseyChessMom’s, with the order flipped a bit. I’m very interested in Cloud Atlas, but since the movie is coming out in October, maybe we could put that on our short list for August.</p>
<p>If everyone is okay with The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaajte, I’ll start a new thread.</p>
<p>If it’s approved, I fervently hope everybody loves The Cat’s Table as much as I do, since I’ve been advocating for it for so long (beating you over the head with it, lol?..but you must admit, I held off on mentioning it this time until Ignatius did!). Thanks, Mary.</p>
<p>That “funny requests from patrons” thread is great. Imagine thinking “Chesapeake” was “Shakespeare”!!..that librarian practically had to be psychic to figure that out.</p>
<p>Two amusing requests that I still remember from 1985/1986, when I worked at a now-long-vanished Encore Books in Cherry Hill, NJ:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>A nice young man was looking for the hefty (1184 page) bestseller “…And Ladies of the Club,” for an older female in his family. He sheepishly said to us…"Uh, sorry, I’m not sure of the name, but it’s something like “The Old Ladies’ Club.”</p></li>
<li><p>Somebody wanted a book called "The Pleasures of the Belle </p></li>
</ul>
<p>I’m in.</p>
<p>The book? … </p>
<p>The Cat’s Tail … nope </p>
<p>The Cat’s Tale … nope</p>
<p>Catfish in the Yemen … no, no, definitely not</p>
<p>I got it … The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaajte … yes! Just right … as Goldilocks used to say. I’m looking forward to the book.</p>
<p>Mary: Enjoy a May filled with celebrating the accomplishments of your children. And, as usual, thank you for taking the time to spearhead the CC Book Club.</p>
<p>^ You, too, ignatius! And NJTheatreMOM, the spacing was from God, who must have wanted to ensure I’d be hanging around College Confidential for a long, long time. I hope we’ll all still be reading together when my youngest graduates college in 2020. :)</p>
<p>The Cat’s Table sounds great. I’ll read anything; I’m very happy that in this book group, everyone actually reads the book! :-)</p>
<p>Thanks for that “Funny requests from patrons” thread, Mary! I hadn’t seen it, but I’m a librarian, so I have my own list–it’s fascinating to me how our minds swap stuff around when we try to remember things. My list’s at work, but a few I can remember off the top of my head:</p>
<p>Breaking Dawn (but they wanted the book “Breaking Night”)
I Remember Mama (they wanted the movie “Mamma Mia”)
Upstairs, Downstairs (they were looking for “Up the Down Staircase”)
And my all-time favorite, a request for books by that Southern writer, Arthur Finkel. She was looking for William Faulkner.</p>
<p>Catfish in the Yemen…LOL!</p>
<p>Two other favorites from the librarians’ thread: “Oranges and Peaches” for that book by Darwin! And “W.C.” for “Debussy.”</p>
<p>I echo Ignatius’s thanks to you, Mary.</p>
<p>I’m in. </p>
<p>What a great endorsement fromNJTheaterMom. Always better to have personal recommendation for book discussion selection. </p>
<p>I am reading ** Destiny of the Republic ** now, and enjoying it, but don’t think there would be much to discuss, at least not so far. </p>
<p>Mary13, five graduations, spanning all those years. WOW! And, so many transitions for ** Ignatius**.
May the force be with both of you.</p>
<p>I’m in, too. </p>
<p>You guys did a great job with The Bridge of San Luis Rey. There was obviously more to the book than my quick read and tired brain let me see. I appreciate all the insight. I’ll add my special thanks to Mary for keeping the book club going!</p>
<p>My May is also busy. My youngest is graduating from high school and I am retiring from teaching. Yahoo!!</p>
<p>Transitions for you too BUandBC82! An empty nest and retirement gives you time for yourself. Hope you have some fun with it.</p>
<p>^^and more time to read…:)</p>
<p>Mary and ignatius (and anyone else with a busy May coming up), enjoy your families!</p>