March, April, May March 29, 2009
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The four of us who met at Vintage Estates Beer and Wine in Boardman to talk about Watchmen had a good time. It was all girls, so naturally, we enjoyed a feminist reading of the text. Really with four girls and Watchmen, it’s all but a countdown until the word “misogyny” makes its way into the conversation. I’m sure there are still more of you who’d like to get together to talk about Watchmen. Feel free to use the email list to do so.
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday April 28 at 7:00 (back to 4th Tuesdays for good). Mark your calendars. Location is TBA. It’ll be a secret location, like a rave party, without drugs, and with books, so in other words, nothing like a rave party.
This month we’re reading Z.Z. Packer’s collection of short stories Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, which I’ve just found at barnesandnoble.com for $4.98 in hardback! You can’t beat that price.
And now on to May. There is a slight modification here. Richard Bowes’s Minions of the Moon is out of print, but it’s available used online. We’re still going to discuss this book, but we’ll discuss it during the second hour of our May meeting.
We’re adding another book to May, Chuck Palahniuk’s Survivor: A Novel. Palahniuk is best known for being the author of Fight Club, the novel and film that brought us light and wonderful thoughts like “I wanted to destroy something beautiful.” We’ll discuss Survivor during the first half of the May meeting.
As always, email me with questions,
Kris
“Merricat, said Connie, would you like a cup of tea?” October 15, 2008
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“Oh no, said Merricat, you’ll poison me.”
Our October selection, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle , is told from the point of view of Mary Katherine Blackwood, or Merricat, who lives in isolation along with her sister Constance and Uncle Julian on the family’s sprawling estate.
Merricat tells us early on that “the rest of my family is dead” and “the people of the village have always hated us.” She also intrigues us with her lists of what she likes and doesn’t like. Merricat doesn’t like to wash herself, but she likes her sister Constance and Amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom.
Although the novel is short and easy to read, its length is deceptive. The text is multi-layered and rich with what have become the hallmarks of gothic literature. Everything has meaning in this book, from the characters’ names to the “last” library books to the Blackwoods’ shifting position of power in their neighboring village.
Join us for a discussion of this classic mystery that raises questions about who is living and dead, sane or insane, guilty or innocent.
How, exactly, did the arsenic get into the sugar bowl?
Here are some reviews:
And here is a site that provides some biographical information (and links): http://www.classicauthors.net/Jackson/
This month’s meeting is on Tuesday October 21 at 7:00 at the Cedars restaurant.
If you didn’t come last month, you missed some lively conversation (although not necessarily about the book). Which members both served as the Bible study directors at their local high school? Which member looked for a sign from God about whether she should be a nun? Which member at age seven had inappropriate thoughts about an attractive priest? See what you’re missing?
So hurry up, read the book (or not) and join us for what is sure to be another memorable meeting.
Book Club Next Tuesday (9/30) September 24, 2008
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Remember, you don’t have to have actually finished the book to attend and enjoy the conversation. We’re meeting at Cafe Cimmento again, 7:00, September 30 (next Tuesday). Last month, the guys at Cimmento set us up in our own room. We had a fruitful and focused discussion of The Lover, and I think a few people left liking the book more than when we started (not me, I loved it from the beginning).
This month’s book, Christopher Moore’s Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, is described in multiple reviews as “laugh out loud funny, ” so if you haven’t started it and are intimidated by the size, don’t be. It’s a fun and easy read. If you’ve ever attended CCD or were raised in a Christian household, you’ll enjoy the extra kick of the naughtiness (being bad feels good, right?). We may also fully revel in the blasphemy and play some Bible-themed card games.
Here are some links to reviews of Lamb (they’re mostly just summary with a couple of good analytical points):
Feel free to post links to additional reviews in the comments section.
We’ll also need to talk about how we’d like book-procuring to happen from now on. Yesterday, I spoke with Jack from Dorian books, and he said he’d ordered pre-paid copies of our next book, Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, for $14 each. Bring cash if you’re interested in ordering from Jack/Dorian.
Let me know if you have any questions, and I’m looking forward to seeing you all.
Kris
Catching up… September 2, 2008
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The Oakland Book Club is in full swing, contrary to popular perception via this blog.
Some changes: we’ll be meeting the 3rd Tuesday of the month instead of the 4th Wednesday, except for September, when we’ll meet on the 30th to accomodate some members’ schedules.
Kris Harrington is now a moderator. Chris B and me are swamped with work, and Ric has been busy being a supahstar, so Kris has graciously agreed to take over for a bit. You’ll be hearing more from her soon, we hope!
I think we might move our meeting to our neighbor, Cafe Cimmento. At our last gathering, they gave us a whole lovely room where discussion could flow as loud as we wanted in a quiet, safe space. The food is FAB, the staff is uber friendly, and the prices are manageable. Plus, they’re such great neighbors that we want to support them as much as possible.
Marcie Applegate, Fred Shepherd, and Karen Wennberg all designed some kickass bookmarks. I threw together some beady thingys which people did not care for as much as Marcie’s cool photos pronted on leather-like material or Karen’s laminated watercolors…sturdiness is, apparaently, key to a grand bookmark.
So if you haven’t signed up yet, do so in time for our rousing discussion of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, our September pick. It tells the story of Jesus from the POV of his childhood friend. I’ve never read any Christopher Moore, but there are a few fans in our group and they swear he’s great, so I’m looking forward to it.
I’m behind and still in the throes of The Lover, August’s steamy read. Ms. Duras knows her way around exposition, something that was discussed at length in the last meeting, and her way with words and description is grand. It’s a very prose-y book and a quick read. Pick it up and see what you think!
More to come…thanks for staying tuned!
First Official Meeting May 5, 2008
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- Introduction of Book Club book ambassadors Ric Panning, Chris Barzak, and Brooke Slanina
- Overview of Book Club Rules [number one rule: you don't have to finish the book to join the discussion!]
- Review of Annual Membership Fee and Rewards Package [10 bucks a year (starting the date you join) gets you tons of cool stuff like exclusive party invites, discounts to Oakland shows, backstage passes, an originally designed bookmark, and tons more!]
- Book Ordering Info [in order to keep our book club as pro-Yo as possible, we will be ordering all our books through locally owned staple of the community, Dorian Books, located on Madison right by the YSU dorms]
- Schedule of Books [each ambassador has chosen 2 books, so we have our first 6 months of reading planned...with December being a true culmination/celebration of local author Chris Barzak's second book release]
- Announcement of First Official Book Club Discussion [House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski - June 25]
- Order Placement for House of Leaves [if you'd like to order a copy of the book for the first meeting, please bring 20 bucks and we'll do the rest of the work for ya!]
Welcome to the Oakland Book Club April 10, 2008
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Welcome to the Oakland Book Club. We’ll be organizing for our first book club meeting on May 7th, 2008. If you’re interested in joining, please venture back to this page in the near future. We’ll have more information forthcoming as soon as possible.
