Profiles in Courage

We are not readers of mere "fluff."  Oh no.  Shallow novels beware our vituperative ire!  We cast aside all senseless mediocracy for the pillars of significant writing.  May we ever value the written word, the deliverer of knowledge and power, and its ability to transform the mind, elevate the spirit, capture the heart!

Yeah, yeah, we read a Pulitzer Prize novel by John F. Kennedy in memory of his legacy and untimely death that occurred exactly 50 years ago today.  We felt pretty smart about it all, until we actually got into the book.  Not that it's terrible, by any means, just a bit...dry.  It did lead to some good discussion, however, inside Jessica's cozy home as the temps rapidly dropped outside.

We were treated to beef stew, baked potatoes, spinach salad, and wine (which I offered to the pregnant women...as a test.  They passed.)  We greatly missed Greta and Erin who were unable to join us.

Points of Discussion

• What is the role of a Senator?  Are they elected to vote their conscience or as a voice for the constituents' will?  
• What do we accept today as normal that 50 years from now we'll think "How could that have been okay?"
• Nancy shared her experience of the JFK assassination: she was in high school.
• Some of us thought the best part of the book was Kennedy's foreword.
• We talked about our views of history and its impact on us, especially as we learn new things we never knew before.

Fun Facts:
Nancy, Kindle reader extraordinaire,  finally darkened the door of her local library and even got a library card in order to check out this book.
Speaking of the library, Becky (with the wisdom of her age) outsmarted Emily (who isn't even old enough to be a Senator) and found the lighter weight copy of the book, though Emily's version did have pictures.
Boy did we ever cover the topic of designer babies, and we also gave Elspeth a little science lesson on the birds and bees.

 a new wine aerator!

 only a few weeks left!

Replay

In Replay by Ken Grimwood, the main characters relive a period of their lives over and over.  Each "replay" is different in some ways than the ones before as the characters make new choices and events are altered.  We met at Greta's house to discuss this intriguing book and soon found ourselves in our own little "replay" as Greta had cleverly made the exact same dinner as the last time she hosted book club!

As in all replays, some things were slightly different:

And some things were vastly different:

Points of Discussion:

• This book challenges the idea we sometimes have that if we could do life over again (knowing what we know now) it might be so much better.
• Through the book, the characters try almost everything people think will satisfy them including money, sex, having a child, helping the world, running away with a lover, and convincing the world of the truth...strangely, the one thing they never try is any type of spiritual journey.
• There are lots of unanswered questions.  Why only 3 replayers?  Why are they replaying?  What will happen at the end?  
• Becky thought the conclusions drawn by the main character at the end of the book were selfish and sad but others saw them as accurate and less harsh.  
• Quote: "The unexamined life is not worth living, but a life too closely scrutinized leads to madness."
• We mostly agreed that this was a quick, easy read with an interesting plot that kept us turning the pages.

Fun Facts:
Jessica announced she is having a.....GIRL.
Greta washed our dishes in the bathtub.
As of today, while I write this, the date of the replays is TOMORROW, Oct. 18.  Hope none of y'all replay tomorrow.
After careful consideration, Jessica chose Pet Wash for our next read.  It's a Level 2 book, a bit of a challenge.

Just kidding.  Jessica has chosen Profiles in Courage by JFK because next month is the 50th anniversary of his assassination.  Look at us being all history-buff-ish and intellectual.  We're awesome like that.

We enjoyed lovely Fall weather and a yummy Fall dessert and pumpkin spice latte.

Crossing to Safety

In this quiet, thoughtful book by Wallace Stegner, the marriages and friendships of two couples unfold richly before our eyes.  We met at Becky's house to discuss..."we" being the 7 of us.  Seven?  Yes!  Two new ladies joined us for the first time and we were so happy to have them with us!

Welcome, Elspeth and Emily!

Points of Discussion:

• What makes a functional or dysfunctional relationship?  All marriages and friendships have good and bad qualities.  We have a choice to focus on the positive or negative aspects of others.
• Stegnar's writing style was impressive.  The rich, descriptive narrative along with great character development drove the book even with its relatively low key plot.  Jessica likened it to an Oscar nominated independent movie.
• The end was hard to read for many because of our personal experiences with illness and or the deaths of loved ones.  What decisions does one make as dying and how do those decisions affect those around them?  What if there's disagreement about those choices?  Are we entitled to die the way we want?
• Charity was the strongest character so we discussed her quite a bit.  Understatement of the night: "She really, really has a control problem."- Jessica  We wondered about the ways we might be controlling others in our own relationships, even if not on the same scale as Charity.  And we pondered Stegner's reasons for writing such strong woman characters.
• We mostly agreed the Italy section of the book was slow, not as interesting, and didn't lend much to the book as a whole.

Fun Facts:

BIG news was announced...Jessica is expecting!  No name was announced, so as to avoid our harsh, unrelenting criticism.
Emily came to us already expecting, so we didn't get a big announcement but we are excited about her little one, too.  It's a new generation of bibliophiles.
It was the first time we've ever had 7 ladies at a meeting, and it was wonderful!
Becky finally got to use her French tablecloth and knives for the first time.

The Food:

Seahawk Bread- an Oregon style appetizer with cream cheese, smoked salmon, baby shrimp, chopped red onion, and dill Havarti cheese.  

Trying to avoid splattering oil while searing scallops.

Seared scallops on a bed of mashed cauliflower with arugula, asparagus, goat cheese salad.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Jesus, Etc.

Okay, so the real title of the book is Jesus, My Father, the C.I.A., and Me by Ian Cron.  It's a mouthful, huh?

A few of us enjoyed the book so much that we read his other novel Chasing Francis as well.  And when Jessica referred to the book club choice as "Jesus, Etc.," Becky's ears perked up in delight thinking there was yet another title by him she could read.  No such luck.

We savored a delicious trio salad meal at Nancy's house while discussing menopause, cemeteries, and last wishes.  I am going to be nice and not reveal which member shared that she wants her husband and her to be buried spooning.  I couldn't make this stuff up.

Our book choices always stimulate deep, personal discussion.  But this book perhaps more than the others struck a chord with our group as we explored the role of our parents in our lives.

• Greta brought up the universal question we all seem to ask, "Did you love me?" as we search for validation for our existence.
• We explored our responses of either wanting, or not wanting to be like our parents.
• We touched on the topic of alcoholism and addiction and the destruction it causes and can cause through family generations.
• It got personal as we shared the issues we have yet to resolve, or have been trying to resolve in our personal relationships with our parents.
• We thought about the emptiness a broken relationship with parents can create in a person and how people often try to fill those holes with something else, "Team Ian," for example.  We shared some ways that we have done that, too.
• The author's style was warm, engaging, vulnerable, and just the right blend of funny and serious.  We appreciated that.
• We wondered about the experience of writing a book like this as opposed to penning a blockbuster fiction novel.  It seems like it could be a healing experience for the author and also as others read it and find solace or comfort or solidarity it might encourage the author.
• Unfortunately, we had to think about the ways we could be screwing up our own children because it doesn't seem like a matter of if, but how.

Fun Facts:

I hope Erin doesn't get mad at me for posting this photo.  I feel that if you wear a strapless dress then cozy up with a blanket on the couch, then you have to be willing to accept the consequences:

We discussed adding a new member to the group.  Jessica deftly interrogated us as she simultaneously spewed out every possible scenario one could ever imagine about adding a member.  I think we were all impressed and slightly scared at the same time.

Nancy's dessert announcement: "I have dessert.  It's chocolate pie.  I did not make it.  It's good."

We revealed the next TWO book choices, although I think Greta was regretting that.

 the obligatory "wine-opening" shot

The Measure of a Man

Where do we start?  Our group headed out of town for this meeting for an overnight stay in Canton.  It was a much-needed girls' weekend away.  Usually Erin drives from Canton to meet with us, but this time the tables were delightfully turned.  We got to see her beautiful home and meet her sweet family.

We ate dinner at the only restaurant in town where one can get a margarita but not fresh spinach.  After a lively time talking and catching up we headed to the place we had rented for the night.  It was a cute place on 12 acres.  We headed outside for a few pictures.

(wearing reverse applique shirts Becky made for the group)

Aren't we adorable?  We are even more adorable when trying to make a "jumping picture."  Apparently, we were unable to make it happen, but we sure had fun trying.

Two anonymous group members frantically read the remaining few pages in their books while Erin and Jackie opened bottles of wine.  Erin was in favor of using a traditional bottle opener, while Jackie preferred the "knife method."

We had a great book discussion.  Our group is authentic, open, and not afraid to talk about the deeper things of life, spirituality, and emotion.

• This was definitely a reflective book on life/spirituality instead of on his acting career which disappointed some.
• Several of us watched a movie of his, or plan to watch one because of curiosity about his acting career.
• Nancy had a unique vantage point into the times he talked about in the book because she grew up in that era when segregation was wide spread.
• He seemed to view his work as reflective of his identity so he chose respectable roles
• Jackie was dubious of his true convictions throughout the book
• It was interesting to see how far he came from his humble beginnings and how racism didn't affect him in the same way it might have affected others because of his upbringing in a society that didn't teach the devaluing of humans based on skin color.
• We talked about the lack of motivation for the people in power to examine themselves or make changes toward justice

Fun Facts:

Erin made us a fabulous breakfast Saturday morning complete with mimosas!

And while this isn't really fun, it is a fact...this was Jackie's last book club meeting with us.  We will miss you, Jackie.  

We shopped till we dropped at Canton First Monday Trade Days.  In fact, the one of us who claims to not be much of a shopper was the biggest shopper of all!

We all took home beautiful watercolor bookmarks made by Erin.

Becky, frightened by a gigantic bird on the drive home, cussed in the most rapid succession Nancy had ever heard.

It was a wonderful weekend, greatly enjoyed by all.  

State of Wonder

Thank you, Ann Patchett, for a wacky unpredictable story in a fantasmical setting.

You sure gave us a lot to talk about over a super yummy Mexican themed dinner at Jessica's house.  Those sour cream chicken enchiladas would have been fun to enjoy on the patio.  That's what Jessica had planned for us.  Unfortunately, Winter decided to have one last hurrah (at the end of April!)

We were also down in number.  Jackie was in Israel.  She wanted to cancel her trip to the Holy Lands in order to be here for book club but we all said, no, no...you should go to Israel even if it means missing book club.  She reluctantly went.  And poor Nancy got sick.

The four remaining members hashed out the themes involved in State of Wonder and had a fabulous evening together.  We are looking forward to the end of May when we will all be together again...in Canton!  Book club road trip.  Yeah, baby!

The discussion about State of Wonder:

• At first we weren't sure why the book is titled as it is.  But the more we talked about it, we realized that we were left to wonder about every single character in the book.  Nothing was wrapped up at the end and many questions remained.  The title could also refer to the mystical setting, or the mental state of the characters during the book about themselves or others.
• We were left with a lot of unanswered questions about rather important things throughout the book.  It was annoying.
• Some felt the book got off to a slow start, others hit a wall in the middle.  But we agreed it was a unusual subject and plot and we liked that.
• Ethical questions of lying for the greater good...especially in Dr. Swenson's motives for keeping part of her research secret.  Note, the Tuskegee case.
• Marina's redemption as she failed earlier in life in a certain setting, then she is reunited with her teacher and given a second chance to perform under pressure.
• There is some good writing that brings the characters to life well, however some felt that often the characters behaved in unlikely or unbelievable ways.
• None of us appreciated the scene at the end of the book between two characters that felt completely out of place and unnecessary.

Fun Facts:

"The mind can only absorb what the bottom can endure."- Greta.  Or her somewhat less intellectual statement: "I'm all about reading about racism!"

There were a couple of shout outs to Maisie Dobbs, that lovable detective we all adore!

Erin showed us her gorgeous new Dalai Lama boots which are way more peaceful than boots made by his less famous relative Tony.

First time beer was served at book club

Interestingly, Erin decided to choose a book that 3 out of 4 of us already have sitting on our shelves but have never read!  One guess who doesn't have it on her shelf.  Greta, you say?  How did you ever guess?

Man's Search for Meaning

On an unseasonably chilly night in March, 5 of us gathered in Greta's warm living room for a lively discussion of the classic, thought-provoking, must-read book Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.  Poor Jackie missed out on the fabulous meal and discussion because she had surgery that morning to repair her torn ACL.  Her husband claims she was really out of it after her day of major surgery, pain meds, and nausea, but I don't know...

She looks fine to me.  Chipper, even.  Well, except for being hooked up to some strange pump-looking contraption.  Okay, I guess she had a good excuse for missing book club.  Feel better soon, girl!

Meanwhile, at Greta's we feasted on fruit with vanilla honey infused Greek yogurt and creamy Italian soup with bow-tie pasta and hearty bread.  Then we retired to the living room for what I think was one of the most thorough, passionate, authentic book discussions we have ever had (which is saying a lot because we always tend toward those three things.)

• Many felt the book was inspiring, uplifting, fascinating...those are just a few of the adjectives of praise I heard.
  
• Unavoidable vs. avoidable suffering and the role suffering plays in the discovery of meaning and growth in our lives.
  
• Disequilibrium and its role in mental health (what one is and what one will become)
  
• The meaning of life is not a broad general statement or the same for everyone.  It is changing moment to moment and unique to each person.
  
• The appreciation of old people, how they have actualized realities that cannot be taken from them.
• Freedom vs. Responsibility
• Logotherapy and its role in seeking the meaning of life instead of avoiding pain or seeking pleasure
• Depression, Aggression, and Addiction (in the absence of meaning)
• 3 ways for finding meaning: create a work or do a deed, experience something or someone, persevere in suffering.
• Live as if you were living for the second time and that you are about to make the same mistake you made the first time, realizing you can change it right now as if you were altering the past.  How that thought can add to our decision making.  
• It is not what we expect from life, but what life expects from us.
• Americans are commanded to be happy, but happiness is not pursued, it must ensue.

Fun Facts:

Nancy and Jessica received a lesson in decanting and general wine-aeration and have hopefully added aerators to their list of ideas for Mother's Day gifts

Jessica's liberal use of awkward fractions had most of us speechless.

We gabbed about past trips to Africa and future (as in the very next day) trips to Denmark and London.

Becky forgot to hand out the Rwandan condoms she and Jackie picked up at their hotel in Gisenyi...next time girls!

 using an African bottle opener on the wine!