Happy Long Weekend Friends!
Hope you enjoy where ever you go and what ever you do! Just curious where we are at!
Are you finishing Almost Moon?
Are you starting The Birth House?
What else are you reading?
I am finishing up Belong To Me by Marisa de los Santos. I mentioned this a while ago, and while it has taken me a long time to read, in the end I have liked it so much I am going to pick up her other best seller, Love Walked In. It is one of those novels about every day people and how their lives and events just intertwine and unfold and I have become very attached to them. Also I am knee deep in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and it is one of those easy reads, short chapters, and interesting diagrams and pictures. Perfect for being interrupted sporadically by one of my little face invading nieces.
Looking forward to our next meeting! Oh yes, I will be getting my drink on. Hello Summer...how I have missed you.
Ciao Bellas.
29.7.08
August 14 - Malia's place
Hey Gals...
Note to self: short blogs inspire more comments...however, this one is kinda long.
Time for a sunny book club meeting in August! The date is August 14, time 6:30 unless Malia says otherwise. My favourite discussion questions from the Reading Group Guide to get you thinking are below. Our next book - The Birth House. I've updated the side bar for some background info on the author, etc. It is a really cute website with lots of material I'm sure will make even more sense while reading the book. It is a historical Canadian fiction book and I'm really excited about that, as I love historical fiction! Squeeeee!! I found this book in a 40% off bin at Safeway and I bet it's stacked up at Costco, or 30% off as one of Heather's picks on Chapters. Should be an easy find.
2. The Almost Moon opens with a startling confession. After the first several pages, why did you think Helen killed her mother? Did you feel sympathy for her at that point? As you learned more about Helen's relationship with her mother -- and her mother's overall mental state -- did your feelings about Helen change? Did you think she was more justified to act as she did, or did you lose sympathy for her?
4. What motivated Daniel to stay with Clair for all those years? Do you think his bouts of depression stemmed from a difficult home situation, or did he have larger issues? Should he have taken his daughter and left his wife—for Helen's sake, if not for his own -- or did he do the right thing by taking care of his wife so that she wouldn't have to be in an institution? How much do we owe to those we love or have married?
5. What moves Helen to seek a physical connection with Hamish? Did you think their interaction was more than just physical? Was their relationship troubling to you, and was Natalie right to be angered by it?
6. Helen's two daughters, Emily and Sarah, are very different from each other, at one point reminding Helen of polarized magnets (page 80). Helen also tells Jake that "You left the girls. . . . I may not have been perfect, but I didn't take off. . . ." (page 167). Do you think Helen was a good mother? Was she a better mother to Sarah than to Emily? How do you feel her daughters would respond to that question?
10. How did you interpret the ending of the novel? What is the best way for Helen to make amends or atone for what she did? Or is there no way for her to make things right?
Note to self: short blogs inspire more comments...however, this one is kinda long.
Time for a sunny book club meeting in August! The date is August 14, time 6:30 unless Malia says otherwise. My favourite discussion questions from the Reading Group Guide to get you thinking are below. Our next book - The Birth House. I've updated the side bar for some background info on the author, etc. It is a really cute website with lots of material I'm sure will make even more sense while reading the book. It is a historical Canadian fiction book and I'm really excited about that, as I love historical fiction! Squeeeee!! I found this book in a 40% off bin at Safeway and I bet it's stacked up at Costco, or 30% off as one of Heather's picks on Chapters. Should be an easy find.
2. The Almost Moon opens with a startling confession. After the first several pages, why did you think Helen killed her mother? Did you feel sympathy for her at that point? As you learned more about Helen's relationship with her mother -- and her mother's overall mental state -- did your feelings about Helen change? Did you think she was more justified to act as she did, or did you lose sympathy for her?
4. What motivated Daniel to stay with Clair for all those years? Do you think his bouts of depression stemmed from a difficult home situation, or did he have larger issues? Should he have taken his daughter and left his wife—for Helen's sake, if not for his own -- or did he do the right thing by taking care of his wife so that she wouldn't have to be in an institution? How much do we owe to those we love or have married?
5. What moves Helen to seek a physical connection with Hamish? Did you think their interaction was more than just physical? Was their relationship troubling to you, and was Natalie right to be angered by it?
6. Helen's two daughters, Emily and Sarah, are very different from each other, at one point reminding Helen of polarized magnets (page 80). Helen also tells Jake that "You left the girls. . . . I may not have been perfect, but I didn't take off. . . ." (page 167). Do you think Helen was a good mother? Was she a better mother to Sarah than to Emily? How do you feel her daughters would respond to that question?
10. How did you interpret the ending of the novel? What is the best way for Helen to make amends or atone for what she did? Or is there no way for her to make things right?
16.7.08
11.7.08
Thoughts on Book Club...
Hey Gals!
GREAT book club. Left me with lots of thoughts to chew on. Here they are in no particular order...
1. A Wikipedia synopsis of Afghanistans history as it pertains to our book and discussion (1973-2007) click here. The most interesting part I found is that the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, once in power in 1978, moved to permit freedom of religion and carried out an ambitious land reform, waiving farmers' debts countrywide. They also made a number of statements on women’s rights and introduced women to political life. A prominent example was Anahita Ratebzad, who was a major Marxist leader and a member of the Revolutionary Council. Ratebzad wrote the famous New Kabul Times editorial (May 28, 1978) which declared: “Privileges which women, by right, must have are equal education, job security, health services, and free time to rear a healthy generation for building the future of the country .... Educating and enlightening women is now the subject of close government attention.”[]
On this web page also is a picture of the Buddhas of Bamyan that were an important part in A Thousand Splendid Suns, which is cool to see.
2. Who is Heather?
I had to look up Heather of Chapters "Heather's Picks". Click here to see her full list of picks.
She says of James Frey's new book (And Ambers first pick for next year) "You will in turn be moved, angry, charmed, saddened, and entertained, but you won’t be bored. A great summer read." Looking forward to that one!
Of the books in our Book Club she has recommended - Almost Moon, Water for Elephants, The Glass Castle, and The Birth House.
3. Do you read parts of our books and intend to highlight, dog-ear, or make note of something that you would like to discuss at our meeting, but too soon forget? I do! I do! I volunteer to keep track of any and all such bits for discussion and bring them to book club meetings. Just e-mail them to me (if they include a spoiler - because I don't mind a spoiler) or post on the blog and I'll compile a list.
4. Upon searching for the Alberta Rules on What Not to Name Your Baby, I came across this article from the Edmonton Journal which gave me a few chuckles. I've highlighted the funnies if you are only in for a skim.
"There were also a few more creative monikers among Alberta babies in 2006.
They include girls named Tequila, Gladness, Glee, Treasure and Rejoice and boys named
Ancient, Tyrant, Rowdy, Boss and DieselBlaze.
Lansky warns that flamboyant names can be a double-edged sword as the child gets older. They may have an original, one-of-a-kind name, but it could give people the wrong impression.
"We know that there are girls named Brandy and I don't think anybody would name a kid Vodka," said Lansky, whose eight books on names have sold a total of 10 million copies. (Note from Christine - I do know a baby just named "Hennessey")
"But there is something offbeat about Tequila or Brandy that would suggest this could be a wild child."
Service Alberta spokesman Eoin Kenny said the province does not allow names that are numeric, obscene, or composed of run-on words such as "Kingoftheworld." (Damn...I really like Kingoftheworld.)
"It would be embarrassing for the child," he said.
Overall, however, Albertans appear to be following a trend that has been going on for several years in the United States.
Lansky, also a publisher and bestselling children's poet, conducted a survey of about 100,000 people to find out their perceptions of various names.
What he discovered was that male names ending with the letter "n" were considered more sensitive and modern than were terse and macho-sounding names such as Chuck or Hank.
"I think it makes sense to have a boy's name that is a little bit softer and might give him credibility as a nice person. But Logan is a cool, surfer-dude's name."
Similarly, female names that end with an "ah" sound are typically thought to be stronger than those ending with a "y" or "ie."
"It's all in the name of gender equality," Lansky said. "All those names like Debbie, Pattie, Susie were cheerleader names that were cute, peppy and zippy, but they weren't the name of a scholar."
By contrast, he said, a lot of people perceive girls with the name Abigail to be smart.
"It has the image of brains," Lansky said. "Now we want girls to be competent. We want to pick a name for a girl as if she were a judge, lawyer or professor. We want our daughters to be able to make it in the world."
Ironically, the name was also given 21 different spellings in Alberta last year, including Abbigail, Abigayle, Abbygail, Abagail, Abbiegail, Abygail, Abbiegayle, and Abigael.
Ava, once a rare name, is being carried to the top of naming lists by the "ah" sound, he said -- certainly not because of its fading association with movie star Ava Gardner.
"Ava is sort of a super 'a' name, if you will," Lansky said. (This is Shannon's fave name for a girl)
Melissa Gretzan, whose daughter was born March 24, 2006, would agree with that. She and her husband Allan named their baby Ava.
"I've really liked that name for three to five years," she said. "I loved what it stood for, which is Eve, a derivative of life."
The obstetrics nurse also believes the name portrays a strong image, is easy to pronounce and it should remain suitable as little Ava grows up.
"I find that a lot of parents are making up names and spellings and these poor kids don't even know how to spell their own names and nobody knows how to pronounce them," she said. "My first name is Melissa and I have an 'a' at the end of mine, and I consider myself to be a very strong woman."
GREAT book club. Left me with lots of thoughts to chew on. Here they are in no particular order...
1. A Wikipedia synopsis of Afghanistans history as it pertains to our book and discussion (1973-2007) click here. The most interesting part I found is that the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, once in power in 1978, moved to permit freedom of religion and carried out an ambitious land reform, waiving farmers' debts countrywide. They also made a number of statements on women’s rights and introduced women to political life. A prominent example was Anahita Ratebzad, who was a major Marxist leader and a member of the Revolutionary Council. Ratebzad wrote the famous New Kabul Times editorial (May 28, 1978) which declared: “Privileges which women, by right, must have are equal education, job security, health services, and free time to rear a healthy generation for building the future of the country .... Educating and enlightening women is now the subject of close government attention.”[]
On this web page also is a picture of the Buddhas of Bamyan that were an important part in A Thousand Splendid Suns, which is cool to see.
2. Who is Heather?
I had to look up Heather of Chapters "Heather's Picks". Click here to see her full list of picks.
She says of James Frey's new book (And Ambers first pick for next year) "You will in turn be moved, angry, charmed, saddened, and entertained, but you won’t be bored. A great summer read." Looking forward to that one!
Of the books in our Book Club she has recommended - Almost Moon, Water for Elephants, The Glass Castle, and The Birth House.
3. Do you read parts of our books and intend to highlight, dog-ear, or make note of something that you would like to discuss at our meeting, but too soon forget? I do! I do! I volunteer to keep track of any and all such bits for discussion and bring them to book club meetings. Just e-mail them to me (if they include a spoiler - because I don't mind a spoiler) or post on the blog and I'll compile a list.
4. Upon searching for the Alberta Rules on What Not to Name Your Baby, I came across this article from the Edmonton Journal which gave me a few chuckles. I've highlighted the funnies if you are only in for a skim.
"There were also a few more creative monikers among Alberta babies in 2006.
They include girls named Tequila, Gladness, Glee, Treasure and Rejoice and boys named
Ancient, Tyrant, Rowdy, Boss and DieselBlaze.
Lansky warns that flamboyant names can be a double-edged sword as the child gets older. They may have an original, one-of-a-kind name, but it could give people the wrong impression.
"We know that there are girls named Brandy and I don't think anybody would name a kid Vodka," said Lansky, whose eight books on names have sold a total of 10 million copies. (Note from Christine - I do know a baby just named "Hennessey")
"But there is something offbeat about Tequila or Brandy that would suggest this could be a wild child."
Service Alberta spokesman Eoin Kenny said the province does not allow names that are numeric, obscene, or composed of run-on words such as "Kingoftheworld." (Damn...I really like Kingoftheworld.)
"It would be embarrassing for the child," he said.
Overall, however, Albertans appear to be following a trend that has been going on for several years in the United States.
Lansky, also a publisher and bestselling children's poet, conducted a survey of about 100,000 people to find out their perceptions of various names.
What he discovered was that male names ending with the letter "n" were considered more sensitive and modern than were terse and macho-sounding names such as Chuck or Hank.
"I think it makes sense to have a boy's name that is a little bit softer and might give him credibility as a nice person. But Logan is a cool, surfer-dude's name."
Similarly, female names that end with an "ah" sound are typically thought to be stronger than those ending with a "y" or "ie."
"It's all in the name of gender equality," Lansky said. "All those names like Debbie, Pattie, Susie were cheerleader names that were cute, peppy and zippy, but they weren't the name of a scholar."
By contrast, he said, a lot of people perceive girls with the name Abigail to be smart.
"It has the image of brains," Lansky said. "Now we want girls to be competent. We want to pick a name for a girl as if she were a judge, lawyer or professor. We want our daughters to be able to make it in the world."
Ironically, the name was also given 21 different spellings in Alberta last year, including Abbigail, Abigayle, Abbygail, Abagail, Abbiegail, Abygail, Abbiegayle, and Abigael.
Ava, once a rare name, is being carried to the top of naming lists by the "ah" sound, he said -- certainly not because of its fading association with movie star Ava Gardner.
"Ava is sort of a super 'a' name, if you will," Lansky said. (This is Shannon's fave name for a girl)
Melissa Gretzan, whose daughter was born March 24, 2006, would agree with that. She and her husband Allan named their baby Ava.
"I've really liked that name for three to five years," she said. "I loved what it stood for, which is Eve, a derivative of life."
The obstetrics nurse also believes the name portrays a strong image, is easy to pronounce and it should remain suitable as little Ava grows up.
"I find that a lot of parents are making up names and spellings and these poor kids don't even know how to spell their own names and nobody knows how to pronounce them," she said. "My first name is Melissa and I have an 'a' at the end of mine, and I consider myself to be a very strong woman."
9.7.08
Meeting Tonight!
Hey Gals!
Meeting tonight at 6:30 at Jasmine's place! Can't wait to see the new digs.
Tonight we discuss A Thousand Splendid Suns...anyone remember that book? Just kidding. I am on Chapter 9 of The Almost Moon and not really loving it so far. Is anyone else finding it just dark and disturbing? It is something to discuss the two books we have read back to back. A Thousand Splendid Suns no doubt was hard to read about the tragedies they endured and terrible things that happened to them, but in the end it was uplifting and rewarding to read about the relationships that were developed over their lives. Almost Moon is like a horror movie. It is totally empty, in my opinion. The dark and troubling just gets deeper and deeper as the story continues without any hope of a turn that could make it all worthwhile! Sorry, now I'm venting. I don't want to turn any one off the book, but would be interested to hear what you are thinking!!!
See you tonight!!
Meeting tonight at 6:30 at Jasmine's place! Can't wait to see the new digs.
Tonight we discuss A Thousand Splendid Suns...anyone remember that book? Just kidding. I am on Chapter 9 of The Almost Moon and not really loving it so far. Is anyone else finding it just dark and disturbing? It is something to discuss the two books we have read back to back. A Thousand Splendid Suns no doubt was hard to read about the tragedies they endured and terrible things that happened to them, but in the end it was uplifting and rewarding to read about the relationships that were developed over their lives. Almost Moon is like a horror movie. It is totally empty, in my opinion. The dark and troubling just gets deeper and deeper as the story continues without any hope of a turn that could make it all worthwhile! Sorry, now I'm venting. I don't want to turn any one off the book, but would be interested to hear what you are thinking!!!
See you tonight!!
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