Next up

Looks like it'll be Looking for Alaska. (Hadn't heard from Mamie or Sarah, but I think we've reached a winner, regardless). There you have it folks. Let's do 12/8 for the discussion at my house!

For further listening...(not to distract from voting on Cory's books)

I'm a nerd.

Next point: I've discovered a really great podcast by American Public Media called Speaking of Faith, and two great features relate nicely to our recent books and discussions. If you like to listen to stuff like this, you should check them out.

Being Autistic and Being Human 

and 

Ethics and the Will of God: The Life and Legacy of Dietrich Bonhoeffer

It's My Turn Now!

After much deliberation...typing, deleting and several rounds of editing, I've selected the following three choices for our next book club discussion. When you make your choice, please also decide which date suits you better for the meeting (Monday 12/1 or 12/8). Thank you and may you have a prosperous and successful day!

All Over but the Shoutin’
By Rick Bragg

A word from me: Every since I moved to Alabama, writers and readers alike have been Bragging to me about this homegrown author. I'd like to see what all the fuss is about.

A word from goodreads.com : One reason Rick Bragg won a Pulitzer Prize for his feature articles at the New York Times is that he never forgets his roots. When he writes about death and violence in urban slums, Bragg draws on firsthand knowledge of how poverty deforms lives and on his personal belief in the dignity of poor people. His memoir of a hardscrabble Southern youth pays moving tribute to his indomitable mother and struggles to forgive his drunken father. All Over but the Shoutin' is beautifully achieved on both these counts--and many more.

Looking for Alaska

By John Green

A word from me: I love a good boarding school story... A Little Princess, Dead Poet's Society, and for Kara... Harry Potter, et al.

A word from goodreads.com: Miles Pudge Halter is done with his safe life at home. His whole life has been one big non-event, and his obsession with famous last words has only made him crave the Great Perhaps even more (Franois Rabelais, poet). He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. The gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating Alaska Young. She is an event unto herself. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then. . . . After. Nothing is ever the same.

Tender at the Bone

By Ruth Reichl (a NYTimes restaraunt reviewer)

A word from me: Recomended by a friend and member of Birmingham's foodie book club. For anyone who links tastes and smell (sorry James) to memories.

A note from goodreads.com: Her stories shine with the voices and recipes of those she has encountered on the way, such as her Aunt Birdie's maid and companion, Alice, who first taught Reichl both the power of cooking and how to make perfect apple dumplings; the family's mysterious patrician housekeeper, Mrs. Peavey, who always remembered to make extra pastry for the beef Wellington; Serafina, the college roommate with whom Reichl explored a time of protest and political and personal discovery; and, finally, cookbook author Marion Cunningham, who, after tales of her midlife struggles and transformation, gave Reichl the strength to overcome her own anxieties.
Reichl's wry and gentle humor pervades the book, and makes readers feel as if they're right at the table, laughing at one great story after another (and delighting in a gourmet meal at the same time, of course). Reichl's narrative of a life lived and remembered through the palate will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned.

October Book Club Tonight!

MMM.... I love October. This is going to be great! I'm looking forward to meeting tonight to talk about our lovely book and enjoy Fall inspired delights. I tried to email everyone with directions and details. If you didnt get it, comment to let me know, and I'll send it along!

October Book Club Tonight!

Audio Teaser

Do any of y'all do audio books? I'm thinking about trying it out with this one, though...I don't know. I love to feel a book, and read it my way. Thoughts?

Here's an audio teaser of our book.

Third times a charm

Sorry if I've dropped the ball on this one. But I offically dub The Book Thief our third book (yay!). I'll host the par-tay, but I'll check with Melissa to see if Monday the 27th is a good day to have it at her house so Erin can join us. Do you guys think 2.5 weeks is long enough to read the book, or should we postpone? I'm excited! (and I hope I can find a copy with the pretty cover!)