2017 Book List

JAN

CASSANDRA AT THE WEDDING by Dorothy Baker


FEB National AA History Month

MARCH (Book One) by Congressman John Lewis


MAR

AT THE EXISTENTIALIST CAFE by Sarah Bakewell


APR National Poetry Month

BORN PALESTINIAN, BORN BLACK by Suheir Hammad


MAY Short Fiction

OBLIVION by David Foster Wallace


JUN

STORK MOUNTAIN by Miroslav Penkov


JUL

TRUMP: The Art of the Deal by Donald J. Trump


AUG

THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA by Philip Roth


SEP National Banned Books Month

STRANGE FRUIT by Lillian Smith


OCT

LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders


NOV

NUTSHELL by Ian McEwan

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

March Meeting 2016

1. Analyze and evaluate Atticus Finch as a symbolic character.
2. Discuss Miss Maudie Atkinson as a non-stereotypical Southern lady.
3. Although Dill is a relatively minor character, discuss his impact on the development of the plot.
4. The author eventually merges two narrative strands as the bases for the plot. In view of these two strands, discuss the appropriateness of Lee's title choice.
5. What other themes, besides prejudice and injustice, does the author develop in the novel?
6. The author once commented that she considered the novel to be "a simple love story." Do you agree or disagree?
7. Other reactions/observations/comments?

A Gathering Of Old Men, by Ernest J. Gaines

February Meeting 2016

1) What was your overall opinion of the novel?


2) Each chapter of the novel is told by a different narrator. Discuss the effect that this narrative technique creates. To what purpose does it serve?


3) Many of the old men express gratitude for the fact that they can confess to Beau's murder, even though they did not kill him. Why would they feel grateful when they could be possibly punished for their confessions?


4) Reverend Jameson - The one black character who refuses to go along with Candy's plan, why?

5) What significance does the label “Salt and Pepper” have in regards to the overall meaning of the story and the interactions between the characters?

6) What do you think of the judge's final verdict? Why does the author choose to close the book with a comical courtroom scene after dealing with such serious issues?

A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman

January's book is A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman, originally published in Sweden. It may be a more light-hearted book than we're accustomed to in this book club, but it packs more of a wallop than you might expect. And I thought it would be a perfect read over the busy holidays.

I have noticed that the reviews, etc. on the web reveal way too much, about the character and the plot, information that I think might've ruined it for me if I'd known it before I read the book.

It's kinda like the night our family sat down to watch Thelma & Louise years ago. I said "I love watching a movie I know absolutely nothing about," and Durren replied "All I know is they die in the end."

Gee, I hope you've all seen Thelma & Louise by now!!

I picked this book for January because we are all so busy during the holidays and might not have been able to read a heavier book. And because I thought it expressed the love and joy that the season is all about. It's a good thing I did because these questions would probably be even later than they are! I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts about it and hope to see everyone there.

Also, my Aunt Nancy and Uncle Ralph are back in town and will be joining us again - they love our book club! And I believe Trudy is bringing a guest as well. Since we'll have guests, let's present a more Parveneh than Ove attitude!! Just kidding, we're wonderful all the time!!

Jonna

1. I may be the only one, but I like to get a general assessment at the beginning of the meeting. So, how many of you loved Ove?

2. We all know our own grumpy old men (not that 59 is old, mind you). Which of Ove's values do you agree of disagree with? Which of his pet peeves do you share?

3. As readers, we get to know Ove slowly, with his past revealed piece by piece. What surprised you about Ove's past? What piece of his past do you think had the most profound influence on Ove's personality / belief system?

4. Ove loves things that have a purpose, that are useful. How does this worldview fail him when he believes himself to be useless?

5. Parveneh seems to share his wife Sonja's near opposite approach to life, and both seem to have seen something in him that brought out what was in his heart, saving his life, in Parveneh's case (not to mention the others - Pat the Lanky One, the 7-year old, Nasanin, Anita, Adrian, Mirsad). Why do you think that is? Is it simply because he felt needed again? Or is he more motivated by his desire to please his Sonja, even after her death?

6. On page 246, the author muses that when people don't share sorrow, it can drive them apart. Do you agree? Why or why not?

2016 Book List

JAN - Jonna - A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman


FEB - Huey - Black History Month - A GATHERING OF OLD MEN by Ernest J. Gaines


MAR - Donna - TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD by Harper Lee


APR - Paul - Poetry Month - HALF OF THE WORLD IN LIGHT by Juan Felipe Herrera


MAY - James - GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee


JUN - Dick - ONLY WHAT WE COULD CARRY by Lawson Fusao Inada


JUL - Sky - Short Stories - VAMPIRES IN THE LEMON GROVE by Karen Russell


AUG - Trudy - THE CHANGELING by Joy Williams


SEP - Jonna - Banned Books Month - THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD by Zora Neale Hurston


OCT - Durren - EVENING by Susan Minot


NOV - Linda - ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr


DEC - Our "WE DID IT!!" Party

Lamb, by Christopher Moore

Brad Echols is our monitor this next Tuesday, when we'll have a great time discussing LAMB by Christopher Moore! His questions below.

On a side note, Eddie Bills, author of THE 1910 SLOCUM MASSACRE that we read in February, will be at the East Texas Book Festival in Tyler from 9:30 to 5:00 tomorrow (Sat 2015-08-22).

Lamb Questions

1. If you had to describe Lamb in two words, what would they be?

2. What did you think of the portrayal of Jesus/Joshua in Lamb? Sacrilegious? Reverential? Something in between? Does his relationship with Biff give him a different dimensionality?

3. Is Biff a realistic character, a literary device, both or neither?

4. Lamb and Christopher Moore's works in general are often classified as "absurdist humor." Do you agree with that label? Which scene, sequence or situations was the funniest to you? Did anyone find his humor sophomoric at times (as some critics of his work do)?

5. Does Lamb have something serious to say?

6. What is Lamb's greatest strength and its biggest weakness?

7. Will you read more Moore?

The Railway Man, by Eric Lomax

The Railway Man

Questions provided by Dick Smith

1. What did you think of the book? Why do you think Lomax wrote the book? What is your assessment of his writing; presentation, story line, descriptions, details and flow?

2. The story appears to be in three sequential segments - (1) pre-war experiences, (2) military and POW experiences and (3) post-war experiences. What was your reaction to each of the segments?

3. Did you get a different understanding of the war in S.E. Asia and the treatment of military prisoners by the Japanese from reading the book?

4. Did Lomax's post war symptoms appear to be what we now refer to as PTSD?

Discuss your understanding of why most WW II veterans refused to talk about their experiences.How did the attitudes of those "back home" toward the war influence both veteran and civilian responses?

5. Lomax raises the issue about how little of the S.E. Asia war is included in post war writing and documentation of experiences in contrast to that which occurred in Europe? Why do you think that is?

6. Did you watch the movie (The Railway Man) currently showing on Showtime. How do you compare it with the book?