October 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,
Last night’s meeting to discuss The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was another great one.  All seemed to agree that this book, with its lighter feel and unique style was just the type of read we needed.  We gave the book an overall rating of 4.3333 stars.  Many thanks to Beth for hostessing and for leading the excellent discussion.  Incidentally, Marion found the reference to 42,000 inhabitants on the Island of Guernsey on page 55 of the book.  Welcome to new member Terry Twichell who just moved onto Ridge trail with her husband, their dog and cats.

In other business, we sent around a food signup sheet for the co-ed meeting to be held on Wednesday, December 2nd at my house.  If you signed up for something to bring last night, I will count you as coming unless I hear otherwise.  If you didn’t sign up, please let me know if you are coming and what you would like to bring.  Right now we could use a few more desserts and a couple more appetizers.  Remember, we try to have substantial appetizers for this meeting.  Please plan on coming hungry and arriving at 6:30 PM.  We will be discussing A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Tolle.  This book is a little tricky to find.  It can be ordered through Amazon (new or used), but I don’t get my free shipping on the paperback version.  It can also be ordered through Borders and Barnes & Noble.  The guys can bring any suggestions for their choice for 2010 to the 12/2 meeting.  We currently have 5 selections under consideration, the titles of which can be found in last month’s newsletter or on the blog.  It would be great if the men would actually review the choices before the meeting so they could think a bit about what appeals to them.

We also chose David Copperfield by Charles Dickens as our “long classic book” selection for 2010.  As you may recall, we decided that those who wanted to would read a huge book with a deadline a year off.  We thought that there were some lengthy classics out there that we have always wanted to read, but never pushed ourselves to tackle.  17 people cast a ballot in this selection process…we will see how many make it through the book and to the meeting!

Thanks again to Jennifer for organizing our group to provide more efficient help to neighbors who could use an extra hand due to illness, injuries, births or other trying life circumstances.  As a group, we brainstormed and came up with “CRBC Caring Tree” as the official title of this facet of our club.  Basically, the idea is we will network to provide support to neighbors in need in an organized way so that, as Jennifer puts it, “Someone doesn’t receive 22 tuna casseroles in the same week.”  If anyone knows of someone who could use this type of help, please call Jennifer.

In some Halloween notes, Jackie reminded us that she is considered the “Halloween Lady”.  Apparently, she really gets into decorating her home inside and out.  Kids and parents are invited to step inside to check out the scariness.  I also extended our usual invitation for families to make our house their last stop on Halloween night and to come in and hang out.  Bring a snack or bottle to share if you feel like it.  If you have any questions call me.

Ina will host the January 13th meeting.  The book for that night is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

I am probably forgetting some important stuff yet again, but I am running out of room, so I hope I have gotten most of it down.
Jan

September 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

  Last week’s meeting to plan our upcoming year’s selection was a huge success.  I think we all came away feeling not only like we had some picks to look forward to, but also that we had plenty of other ideas of books that we might want to read on our own.  We even came up with some decent choices for the 2010 co-ed meeting.

As promised, here is the list of what made it, what will be proposed to the guys and the extra ideas that were left over:

October 14th Book:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society  by M. Shaffer & A. Barrows

2010 Selections:

Fahrenheit 451 by R. Bradbury

The Falls by J.C. Oates

Shanghai Girls by L. See

Olive Kitteridge by E. Strout

The Help by K. Stockett

Revolutionary Road by R. Yates

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by M. Barbery

2010 Men's Selections:

Inventing Niagara by G. Strand

River Horse by W. Least-Heat Moon

The Lassa Ward by R. Donaldson

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by M. Chabon

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by J. Barendt

Other Suggestions:

The God of Small Things by A. Roy

Oxygen by C. Cassella

The Life of Pi by Y. Martel

The Shipping News by A. Proulx

Luncheon of the Boating Party by S. Vreeland

The Graveyard Book by N. Gaiman and D. Mckean

Love in the Time of Cholera by G. Marquez

Mutant Message Down Under by M. Morgan

The Middle Place by K. Corrigan

Audition by B. Walters

The Alchemist by P. Coelho

Jane Eyre by C. Bronte

Next up is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by M. Shaffer and A. Barrows.  We will meet to discuss it at Beth’s on Wednesday, October 14th at 7:15 PM.  I lost my sheet of paper saying who was bringing what for that meeting, so I sure hope you guys remember.  At this meeting we will also be selecting one long classic book as an extra book for anyone who wants to read something hefty (e.g. War and Peace) between now and next fall.  So if you have something of that nature you’d like to propose, bring that idea to Beth’s.

Beyond that, we are tentatively set for Wednesday, December 2nd at my house for the co-ed meeting to discuss The Confederacy of Dunces.  Although we have come up with a handful of suggestions, the guys should feel free to add to the list.

Loraine mentioned that a group called the Silver Foxes is sponsoring some luncheons at (but not affiliated with) her church.  The October one is a magician and the November meeting is about the Roycroft.  They sound really fascinating.  Unfortunately for me, they are on Thursdays.  Please contact Loraine if you would like more details.  The gatherings include a catered lunch and were very economically priced.

The Buffalo organization, Babel, is hosting A.S. Byatt (Possession) on October 9th and Aza Nafisi (Reading Lolita in Tehran) this year.  To purchase tickets go to http://www.justbuffalo.org.

I think that is all for now.  Thank you all so much for bringing your well researched suggestions to the meeting.  I think we are really going to have a great year thanks to everyone’s efforts!

Jan

2010 Selection List

Here is the list of books suggested at the October 2009 Selection Meeting.

2010 Selections:
Fahrenheit 451 by R. Bradbury
The Falls by J.C. Oates
Shanghai Girls by L. See
Olive Kitteridge by E. Strout
The Help by K. Stockett
Revolutionary Road by R. Yates
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by M. Barbery

2010 Men's/Co-Ed Selections:
Inventing Niagara by G. Strand
River Horse by W. Least-Heat Moon
The Lassa Ward by R. Donaldson
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by M. Chabon
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by J. Barendt

Other Suggestions:
The God of Small Things by A. Roy
Oxygen by C. Cassella
The Life of Pi by Y. Martel
The Shipping News by A. Proulx
Luncheon of the Boating Party by S. Vreeland
The Graveyard Book by N. Gaiman and D. Mckean
Love in the Time of Cholera by G. Marquez
Mutant Message Down Under by M. Morgan
The Middle Place by K. Corrigan
Audition by B. Walters
The Alchemist by P. Coelho
Jane Eyre by C. Bronte

August 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,
OK, first things first...FOR ONCE I was rendered speechless and surprised by your kind and thoughtful celebration of my birthday at our book club gathering! I regret that I was unable to immediately come up with a voice to express my gratitude for your outpouring of good wishes. To be acknowledged for (almost) turning an age that many of you have attained and some still aspire to, touched me deeply. The cake and other goodies are tasty caloric memories that will eventually be burned off, the Barnes and Nobles gift card and sleep shirt will no doubt be put to good use, but the recognition of a group where I number all of you among my close friends will last forever. I really appreciate all the thought and consideration behind your efforts and highly value our friendships. You got me!
Going onward…what a terrific turnout we had! Barb’s deck was a terrific place for our summer meeting, the weather cooperated (a summer of 2009 rarity) and the food was fantastic. Jill did an AMAZING job of pulling together a lively discussion of Possession. That was an incredible, multimedia feat considering only 8 of 25 of us finished the book. Barb, Jill, and all who contributed, we can’t thank you enough for making such a special evening of our summer event.

Next up is the very important selection night for the ’09-’10 reading season. We will meet at Shirley’s on Wednesday, September 16th. Last year we commenced this meeting at 6:45 PM, so let’s shoot for that again. Snack volunteers are Polly, Joan and Marilyn (appetizers); Beth and Loraine (desserts) and Carol and Pam (wine). Each of you should bring 1-2 suggestions for our club to consider reading. They must be readily available (not out of print), and in paperback and audio book editions. The length should be something shorter than a book which risks back injury when lifting. Please bring a print out or brief handwritten description that may be placed on the counter during the voting process. You will also be expected to give a brief description of your selection(s) when we go around the room to review the proposed books. Consider also bringing an armload or two of books to throw into our used book swap. If you weren’t there last year and have questions about this meeting, please feel free to contact me.

Of the books selected, we will pick one of the shorter ones for a quick read for our next meeting which is October 14th at Beth’s. It would be wonderful if some of the guys sent along some ideas for consideration for the 2010 co-ed selection. Once again the 2009 co-ed selection is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Tolle.

Belated congratulations to Grace on her 50th wedding anniversary and to Polly who turned 80 (if you can believe that!) on the same day. Thank you all again for pulling together to create such a wonderful summer evening. Our book club rocks!

Jan

July 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

Sorry to take so long to get the notes out from our meeting last week at Jennifer’s. She and Kathryn did a terrific job of leading the duel discussion of The Double Bind and The Great Gatsby. We gave Gatsby a 3.8 rating and Double Bind a 4.3. Doing the books together really facilitated some interesting probing into the intricacies of Bohjahlian’s novel. A big thank you to both our hostesses… but especially to Jennifer for cramming us all into her house when it was too cool to be outside.

We talked at length (sorry about that) about some “housekeeping issues” which are a byproduct of the success and growth of our group. All the topics raised came to me in the form of constructive criticism from members, and all seemed to fit under the general category of simplification. With some discussion and a few calls for a consensus (a.k.a. “majority rules”) the following items were agreed upon:

1. Less food is required at the meetings. There will be 4 “snack volunteers” for each regular meeting – 2 bringing a simple appetizer and 2 bringing dessert. The hostess will provide coffee, tea and wine (if she wants). A reminder was also issued that if you signed up to bring something and cannot attend, you should make arrangements for someone else to take your place.

2. When we go around the room rating the book, we should each provide a very brief reason for our rating, why we liked it or didn’t. Any points for open discussion or questions on interpretation should be saved for later. Perhaps any ideas for topics could even be shared with the hostess ahead of time since just about everybody would love a little help steering the discussion when it is their turn!

3. Hostesses are still having a tough time knowing how many people to prepare for. Jennifer raised the suggestion that, since she isn’t one to keep track of who called, members only call if they are unable to come. After the pros and cons of our current system vs. a “regrets only” policy were discussed, we voted to maintain the current plan of contacting the hostess to let her know that you are coming. It would be nice if this was not the day of the meeting. Also if it is your turn to host and you would like to go the “regrets only” route, we can put that in the newsletter.

4. The “getting to know you” questions at the beginning of the meeting will be eliminated for now. If anyone comes up with a great one that can be answered in just a few words, we might bring it back. Otherwise, we are thinking that with such great attendance of late, it only takes time away from the discussion of the book.

5. Of course no talk of how we run the club would be complete without the reminder that we can only have one person talking at a time during the discussion. With more people, side conversations become so tempting because you want is on your mind about what we are talking about now without waiting your turn…but side conversations make it hard to hear and enjoy the discussion.


In other news, Jill handed out detailed written instructions on the care and feeding of our book club’s online forum. If you didn’t get a copy and would like one, or would like some help setting it up on your computer, please feel free to ask Jill for help. She is a whiz at this!

Our summer meeting will take place at Barb’s instead of my house. Thank you so much, Barb for giving me a break. As in the past, we will make an expanded evening out of it. Please plan on arriving at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, August 19th for a dinner of substantial appetizers on Barb’s deck. If you signed up to bring something on the sheet we passed last week, you DO NOT need to call Barb to let her know you are coming. In this one case, you’re in unless you let her know otherwise. Anyone who did not sign the sheet, but is planning on attending should contact Barb to find out what else she needs. The book for discussion is Possession by A.S. Byatt. ***Please be careful…there are several books with this same title in circulation!***

We will meet Wednesday, September 16th at Shirley’s again for our 2009-2010 selection night and book swap. Details will follow, but please start thinking about books that you would like to have the group consider. With rare exception, choices must be available in paperback and audio book and should not be so long that no one will finish them. This will be your chance to trade some of the used books that are kicking around your house for some new ones to fill the same space! Below is a list of the books that did not quite make the cut last year. I am printing it here on a member’s suggestion in case there are any we want to include in our choices for the coming year.

The Whistling Season – Ivan Doig
Big Russ & Me – Tim Russert
The House the Rockefellers Built – Robert Danzell, et al
Bridge of Sighs – Richard Russo
The Scandal of the Season – Sophie Gee
Marjorie Morningstar – Herman Wouk
Goodbye, Mr. Chips – James Hilton
Plain & Simple – Sue & Richard Bender
The Luncheon of the Boating Party – Susan Vreeland
Life of Pi – Yann Martel
Chasing the Bard –Philippa Ballantine
Harvest Home – Thomas Tryon
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle – David Wroblewski
The People of the Book – Geraldine Brooks
The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls
Dreams of My Father – Barack Obama
Three Cups of Tea – Greg Mortenson
Peace Like a River – Leif Enger
A Good House – Bonnie Burnard
Gone with the Wind – Margaret Mitchell
Oranges – John McPhee
Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck
The Eight – Katherine Neville (Wasn’t formally discussed, summary was on table, I remember as great read)

Our first meeting of the fall is scheduled for October 14th and the co-ed meeting (A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Tolle) is tentatively set for December 2nd.

I think (and hope) that covers everything. I apologize for taking so much meeting time addressing these mundane matters of procedure. I am so glad that our club continues to thrive and that we are constantly working to make it even better as our membership grows in number and closeness. If I got anything wrong that was mentioned or decided, let me know and I will try to get it right.

Whew, now you can see why it took me so long to sit down to write this newsletter.

Jan

May 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

We had an excellent meeting at Sarah’s last week. The weather was perfect to enjoy her new digs, and the setting sun provided an excellent back drop to our lively discussion of Suite Francaise. I am not sure what we ended up rating the book, but there seemed to be a wide range of opinions on the plot and writing style. All agreed that the French perspective on WWII was fascinating. Big thanks to Sarah and also to all who brought such delicious food that night.

Our next meeting is at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, July 8^th at Jennifer’s with Kathryn helping out. Please call Jennifer to let her know if you are coming. Snack people for that night are Elizabeth, Natalie and Shirley. This is the meeting where we are discussing two books, The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian and the classic it refers to, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Since our meeting, I have received some member feedback that the part where we go around the circle and answer a question and give our take on the book is taking so long that it leaves less time and enthusiasm for the actual discussion. Instead of giving up on that portion, which allows everyone to weigh in on the book and share a little, I would like to suggest that we all try to keep our comments concise at that point. Perhaps if any of us have a particular aspect of the book that we would like to see discussed in more depth, we can save it as a topic for the general discussion which follows. (I’m sure the hostesses would welcome other people raising discussion points!) My hope is that by keeping the opening comments down to just a few words we can still hear everyone’s opinion of the book without getting too far afield before we get into the meat of the meeting. Let me know if you have any further thoughts on this.

Our field trip to Graycliff is scheduled for Saturday, June 13^th at 11:15 AM. Marion has arranged for our tour. We all need to assemble there by 11:00 AM…no later! Because we signed up for a private group tour, we need to not be casual about the numbers. If you signed up the other night and have since changed your mind, please contact Marion. If you were not there last week and would like to attend, you should contact her as well. If our group falls below 15, the charge will be $15 per person instead of $14. If you have any additional questions, call Marion.

Finally, our summer meeting is set for August 19^th at my house. We are currently contemplating Possession by A. S. Byatt. If you are having trouble finding the book, know that there is a new paperback edition being released on June 23^rd. I think the book looks very intriguing, but if we come up with some wonderful author opportunity or unusual idea in the meantime, we can still modify our plan.

I think that is a wrap for now. Put down your garden tools, get out the lounge chair and get reading.

Jan

April 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

Whew, what a great meeting we had tonight! We rated A Thousand Splendid Suns as a 4.3 which is behind only To Kill a Mockingbird and The Book Thief since we introduced this rating system. Sue not only did a great job hostessing, but she also arranged a great sunset for us tonight. One consistent point to come out of our discussion was how fortunate we are to live in the country we do with the rights and opportunities we have.

Our next meeting will be at Sarah’s at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, May 20^th. The book for that night is Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky. Call Sarah to let her know if you are coming. Directions to Sarah’s home in N. Boston will follow at a later date. Please bring ideas for a summer, fun, food & bookish thing to the May meeting as well as a possible suggestion for the fall before we start in on the next year’s books that we will select in early September.

After the May meeting we will be at Jennifer’s on July 8^th to discuss The Great Gatsby and The Double Bind. Katherine O. will be co-hosting that night, and we will likely be outside on the deck.

In other new business, those of you with Internet access will receive an e-mail containing an invitation to join the Craneridge Book Club’s Google Group. This is something Jill has set up to allow us to communicate within the group in a way that isn’t out there in front of the public. Hopefully, this forum can serve as a place to share stuff about books we’ve read, books we have available to loan out or are seeking to borrow, and whatever else is on our minds. You will have to set up a Google account to access this location, but I tried it earlier and it was quick and easy. Let Jill know if you have any questions or need help getting set up.

Click here for the link to the CRBG Group

Marion is working on lining up a visit to Graycliff for this summer. She will have more information at the next meeting.

Ina reminded us that Alternative Arts show at the Springville Center for the Arts continues until May 2^nd. The Gallery hours are Wednesdays from 12-6, Thursdays from 12-8, Fridays from 12-6 and Saturdays from 10-3. Don’t forget she is a featured quilter at the Clarence Log Cabin Quilters show May 15-17 at the Clarence Town Park Clubhouse. Ina also brought fliers on the current Springville Players production, The Odd Couple, which is running 4/16-4/26 with shows at 8 PM Thursdays-Saturdays and at 2 PM on Sundays. Tickets can be obtained by calling the theater at 592 - 9038 or at the box office. Call Ina REALLY SOON if you are interested in going with a group on Thursday, April 23^rd.

Shirley also informed us that we do have a slot for outgoing mail in the 5^th bank of boxes at the mail center. Apparently, our blue mailbox is gone for good, but it is nice to know that we do have an option for getting mail out without driving to the post office.

Finally, please remember to vote on the Craneridge budget on Saturday. If you are unable to attend and need to submit an absentee ballot, contact Katie.

I think that is all the business. I am hoping that if we get the Craneridge Book Club Google Group running, we can use it to share some of the community event dates and so forth because these newsletters sure are getting long!

Jan

March 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

Wednesday night’s meeting to discuss Loving Frank by Nancy Horan was a tremendous success. We had another super turnout and the discussion seemed to point out that, while people derived very different things from the book, most found it very readable and enjoyed it on some level. Our overall rating was a 3.8. Natalie did a terrific job of hostessing and she and Rory have done amazing things with their home! Welcome to new member Jackie Wells…we’re thrilled to have you!

Our next book is (finally) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. We will discuss it at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, April 15th at Sue Payne’s. Sue’s place is about 10 minutes away on Heath Road near Hayes Hollow. At that meeting we will firm up date, book and destination for somewhere around 5/20 or 5/27.

In other news, Jill announced that she is hosting a Pamper Chef party on Saturday, April 4th at 2 PM. She emphasized that this is just a chance to enjoy food and fellowship and there will be no pressure to purchase. All (even guests) are welcome.

Ina reported that the Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries have a “Book Club in a Bag” program. Basically, you get 10 copies of the book, discussion questions as well as large print and audio copies if available. Although you can keep the materials for 6 weeks, you are not allowed to reserve them for a specific time which makes the planning a little tough. Definitely something we can consider in our planning for next year. None of the books that are in our queue are on the list. Go to this link for more details.

Ina also reported that her wonderful creations will be part of an Alternative Arts show at the Springville Center for the Arts from April 11th to May 2nd. The Gallery hours are Wednesdays from 12-6, Thursdays from 12-8, Fridays from 12-6 and Saturdays from 10-3. She will also be a featured quilter at the Clarence Log Cabin Quilters show May 15-17 at the Clarence Town Park Clubhouse. Congratulations to Ina for earning this honor.

Jennifer Parsons had the idea of sharing with one another books that we have read and enjoyed so that we all have plenty of things on our reading lists even if they are not book club picks. Because our meetings seem plenty full with the business stuff, “circle time”, book discussion and snack and social hour, we thought it would make sense to do this outside the meeting setting. Jill will show us in an upcoming meeting how to post these suggestions on the blog. In the meantime, if you want to share ideas with each other, just select “reply to all” when reading your book club e-mail and shoot your ideas back at your fellow members. Please keep in mind that not everyone has e-mail and keep Marion, Polly, Ann and Gert in the loop.

I think that is all for now. Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything.
Jan

January 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

Last week’s meeting was a blast. Someone commented that we yucked it up a lot over this book! Overall we gave the book 4 stars. Apparently, books that leave some room for interpretation make for lively discussion. Katie and Pam did an outstanding job of coming up with a “kick off” question for our “go around the group circle time”. They also did an excellent job getting the book discussion rolling and the refreshments were delicious.

The business part was a little chaotic as we tried to pair upcoming book selections with dates and locations to try to make things work for as many people as possible. The next meeting is Wednesday, March 11^th at Natalie’s. The book for that night is Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. I can order the paperback from Amazon for $11.20 plus tax for anyone who wants it. Snack people for that night are Elizabeth, Ina, Jennifer and Beth.

After that we will be at Sue Payne’s on Wednesday, April 15^th to read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Basically you have 14 weeks to read two books, although the spacing is a little weird. Tentatively we will be at Sarah’s house sometime in late May for Suite Francaise…I think.

In other news, Beth brought it to our attention that Geraldine Brooks, the author of some reportedly excellent books including, People of the Book, A Year of Wonders, and March, is speaking at Buff State in early February. Details should be posted on the blog soon.

I guess that is about all there is to say for now. Hopefully, the hustle and bustle of the holidays has quieted and you can curl up with a good book in front of the fire and stay cozy during these cold winter days.

Jan