message from Rossi

In keeping with my preferred literature style pre book club; (fun books have grown on me quickly) it is a non fiction book. It made a huge impact on me and I think what this guy is doing for children in Pakistan and Afghanistan, building schools for girls, is so amazing and critical to the fight against terrorism. I am eager to learn more about the roots of terrorism, the conditions of these countries and the war we are fighting. Aside from learning about this really unique guy building schools, I also feel like I have a deeper understanding of these things. I believe his work is so important, I cut him a decent size check immediately after finishing the book, Mia Avery's class (and hopefully school) will do a fund raiser for these kids and I am splitting 25% of my profits of my photography business between his schools and Camp Horizon. A really cool thing is all the supplies for building and running the schools are only purchased locally, so their economy is stimulated as well. One penny buys a pencil and fifty dollars is enough for a teacher's salary for the entire year. It is not a page turner and the writing is not particularly good. However, in the midst of this fight against terrorism and as we enjoy the benefits of American society, the story and the perspective and knowledge it brings is too important to pass up. So inspiring and cool what one person can do... Rossi

Three Cups of Tea - Amy Rossi Gall January 2009 Book #8

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace -- One School at a Time
Greg Mortenson (See All Contributors)
Paperback, 349 pages
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated January 30, 2007

Description: The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Talibanas backyard.

Anyone who despairs of the individualas power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistanas treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schoolsaespecially for girlsathat offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortensonas quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, "Three Cups of Tea" combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

About the Author: Greg Mortenson is the director of the Central Asia Institute. A resident of Montana, he spends several months of the year in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

2008 BOOK CLUB

2008 Book Club Year Review

Superlatives..

Best Bookie (having read every book)
Amy Kenyon Jones

Perfect Attendance (always in attendance no matter how late):

Jennifer Malin, J.C. Loader

Most Improved Player (coming out strong at the end of 2008!):

Dana McWhirter

Saturday night was super fun! As you can see you had to be there to get recognized... LOL! And, since it was Denise was the Birthday Girl we all had a reason to celebrate!

I think we all need to bust out our calendars and decide when we are going to meet again. We probably need to weigh in on what nights are best for us these days b/c circumstances may have changed. I think doing mid January would be great. We had down the 9th but that seems too soon. Maybe January 15, 16, or 17? or 22, 23, or 24. It's Rossi's month so I'll let her take it from here.

Start 2009 off right and go get the January book! We have Dana down to pick the February book! YIPEE!

The Stranger Beside Me - freaking!

I'm pretty sure every woman in America should read this book. Wow, I'm almost finished and I feel like I will be so much more aware of my surroundings now. Really good book. Can't wait till Saturday!

Book Club/Denise's Birthday

SATURDAY DECEMBER 13th at the Loader/Wohl Club

7:00pm Book Club Christmas Party

9:00pm go out for Denise's Birthday Party (Channelside?) Remember, it's her 21st birthday!

So, it's here! The holiday season! Time to eat drink and be merry! Let's meet at the house for some spirits and snacks then head out to rock Channelside! (or whatever we want to do). Please please feel free to spend the night at my pad. We will most likely take cabs there and back.

Let me know if you are in!

Have a lovely day!

Here are some discussion points for the book we are reading:

• Explain why you think Ted Bundy's victims had so much in common?
• Did he seek out these young women intentionally or were their similarities just coincidental?
• Discuss the concept of trust. Did Ted grow up believing he could trust people?
• Why did he think his victims would trust him? Why did they?
• A serial killer is different from a murderer. Discuss the differences and similarities between the two.
• During Ted Bundy's incarceration he communicated with other serial killers such as David Berkowitz, the Son of Sam killer. What do you think was written in the letters to each other?
• What is your opinion of capital punishment?

Book Club Fun!

BOOK CLUB – HOW TO LEAD DISCUSSION

Need to lead a discussion on a best seller with your book club or class?
Want tips on how to promote a lively conversation in your book club?
Whether you are an outgoing extrovert or the shy one in the group, you can lead your book club in an engaging conversation by following these few simple steps. Complete steps 1 - 3 before meeting. Steps 4 - 9 tell you what to do during your book club or class.


1. Read the book - This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets.

2. Write down important page numbers - If there are parts of the book that made an impact on you or that you think may come up in discussion, write down the page numbers so that you can access the passages easily while preparing and leading the book club discussion.

3. Come up with eight to ten questions about the book - Check out our ready-to-go book club discussion questions on best sellers. Print them out and you are done with this step. Want to come up with your own questions? Check out the tips for writing book club discussion questions below.

4. Let others answer first - When you are asking questions, you want to facilitate discussion, not come off as a teacher. By letting others in the book club answer first, you will promote conversation and help everyone feel like their opinions matter.

5. Make connections between comments - If someone gives an answer to question 2 that connects well with question 5, don't feel obligated to ask questions 3 and 4 before moving to 5. You are the leader and you can go in whatever order you want. Even if you go in order, try to find a link between an answer and the next question. By connecting people's comments to the questions, you'll help build momentum in the conversation.

6. Occasionally direct questions toward quiet people - You don't want to put anyone on the spot, but you want everyone to know their opinions are valued. If you have a few talkative people who always jump right in, directing a question to a specific person may help draw out the quieter people (and let the loud people know it is time to give someone else a turn).

7. Rein in tangents - Book clubs are popular not only because people like to read, but also because they are great social outlets. A little off topic conversation is fine, but you also want to respect the fact that people have read the book and expect to talk about it. As the facilitator, it is your job to recognize tangents and bring the discussion back to the book.


8. Don't feel obligated to get through all the questions - The best questions sometimes lead to intense conversations. That's a good thing! The questions are there as a guide. While you will want to get through at least three or four questions, it will probably be rare that you finish all ten. Respect people's time by wrapping up the discussion when the meeting time is over rather than pushing on until you finish everything you planned.

9. Wrap up the discussion - One good way to wrap up a conversation and help people summarize their opinions of the book is to ask each person to rate the book on a scale of one to five.


Tips:
When writing your own book club discussion questions, avoid questions that are too general, like "What did you think of the book?" Also avoid questions that have yes or no answers. You want to ask questions that are open ended and help people talk about themes and how the book relates to deeper issues.

Do not make dismissive statements toward other people's comments. Even if you disagree, take the conversation back to the book rather than saying "That's ridiculous," etc. Making people feel embarrassed or defensive is a sure way to shut down the conversation.

Book 7: The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

Kimbril Pick - she love True Crime!

Please order this online asap or go to the Library. This book is out of print (being released again in January) so you have to buy it used (online) or check it out from the ole Library. Do it today!

Check your calendars for Friday December 12th. (Denise's Birthday!) If this date isn't going to work please check out the weekend before - Friday December 5th or Saturday December 13th.

Let me know what is good for you asap!

Description of book: Twenty five years after it was first published, Rule's chilling account of serial killer Ted Bundy is revived with a new postscript. Rule tells how she came to learn that the man who worked beside her at a crisis clinic and became her close friend was really the murderer of three women, and possibly 35 others. of photos.

This multiply-reprinted account of crime writer Ann Rule's detective work on serial killer Ted Bundy's case also honestly portrays her long-term, and often confusing, role as friend and confidante to an incomprehensibly magnetic serial killer. Includes a new, but not particularly enriching, update by the author.

Ann Rule, a former policewoman, is the author of fifteen New York Times bestsellers, including Small Sacrifices and Lust Killer. She lives in Seattle.

In case you would like to recap our 2007 year in books:

June Book 1 Barbara Walter Memoir - Denise Liptak

July Book 2 Those Who Save Us - Laurel Perry

August Book 3 Monster of Florence - Jennifer Malin

September Book 4 The Awakening by Kate Chopin - J.C. Loader

October Book 5 Are you There Vodka, It's me Chelsea - Amy Kenyon Jones

November Book 6 Twilight by Stephenie Meyers - Cherie Monarch

December Book 7 The Stranger Beside Me

Book 6: TWILIGHT by Stephenie Meyer

Hey Ladies. Just realized I have never posted on this site and thought I would now so I don't lose track of our books! This one was really good!

See you tonight - Bella's at 7pm. Good choice since the main characters name is Bella - and Cherie picked it b/c it's her favorite restaurant!

Book 5: Are You There Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

Thank you JC for the fabulous Book Club at your house - Everything was AMAZING! Please thank Greg for the late evening concert! JC please email or bring copies of the recipe of the Jumbalaya to our next meeting - it was so YUMMY!

This Month's Book is....ARE YOU THERE VODKA, IT'S ME CHELSEA

By Chelsea Handler

(Chelsea is on the E! Show - Chelsea Lately and was on Girls Behaving Badly)

JC wanted me to send out the rest of the schedule:

Thursday, October 9 - Amy K

Friday, November 7 - Cherie

Thursday, December 4 - Kimbril

Friday, January 9 - Amy R

The scheduled date is October 9 which is a Thursday - Does anyone else want the date changed to a Friday or Saturday? Just throwing it out there...

Amy

Book 4: The Awakening

For those of you couldn't make it last night... we took a photo... check out my rockin' "I heart books" tat - courtesy of Ali.

Anyway, this months book is by Kate Chopin The Awakening. Never recognized while she was alive, this novel has become a literary masterpiece. It's very short since we only have 3 weeks before the shin-dig at my abode Friday September 12th. I purchased all five books that were at Barnes and Noble and gave them out at the meeting. Malin already has it so I have an extra. If you regularly go to B and N - call and see if they have restocked. The woman working the desk said she would. It is only 155 pages and there are several selected short stories included that are also supposed to be great.

Big Book Fun!

The Awakening – Kate Chopin First published in 1899, this controversial novel of a New Orleans wife's search for love outside a stifling marriage shocked readers. Today, it remains a first-rate narrative with superb characterization. An American classic of sexual expression that paved the way for the modern novel, The Awakening is both a remarkable novel in its own right and a startling reminder of how far women in this century have come. The story of a married woman who pursues love outside a stuffy, middle-class marriage, the novel portrays the mind of a woman seeking fulfillment of her essential nature.

Book Three

Hi girls - I'm back in town - hope you enjoy the new book.
Thanks for posting it Laurel! Jen Malin

Monster!

So, just got Monster of Florence today! Loving it! And now must plan a visit to Italy pronto stat!!! Can we make the book club also into a travel club? I have to say that the book club is such a great idea, it really is, and I don't even know how this got started, but I'm so glad someone had this great idea! (who was it?)......

I must say though Book Club is expensive for me, went to Borders also bought Skinny Bitch, and Naughty Girls on Top........diverse interests! LOL! Must go, have like 10 books to read, thanks for the new addiction. Now if I don't start eating bon bons while reading I'll be fine!

XO,
D.

Review and Info

Reviews

"The fascinating story unfolds with memorable characters and dizzying plot twists that could come off as far-fetched if the book was fictional. The writing is evocative, and the two collaborators skillfully weave the narratives back and forth to create, at times, a razor's edge of tension." from the Chicago Tribune.

The book received a B rating from Entertainment Weekly.

The Monster of Florence

Author Douglas Preston,Mario Spezi
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) True crime
Publisher Grand Central Publishing
Publication date 2008
Media type Hardcover
Pages 336
ISBN ISBN 0-446-58119-4
Preceded by Blasphemy
Followed by
—

Book Three: The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston

Hi ladies. Ok, after MUCH internal debate I have selected the non-fiction crime story - The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston. It has gotten rave reviews. I do not normally pick hardbacks because of the cost - but this one is available for only $15.59 on amazon.com (It was also an amazon best pick for June).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0446581194/ref=s9subs_c3_at1-rfc_g1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0B4Q0D7M81RHPH106NQ1&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846

Also for those of you that enjoyed the historical aspect of last month's book - I highly recommend "Night" by Elie Wiesel - amazing book about a man's survival of the holocaust. (Winner of Noble Peace Prize and Oprah book club book too)

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Oprahs-Book-Club-Wiesel/dp/0374500010/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216863028&sr=1-1

I think we talked about meeting at Queen of Sheba for some Ethiopian food. I'll confirm that later this month. Thanks and I hope we love it!

Jennifer

Not your regular Holocaust story

How is it different from other novels that address the issues surrounding the Holocaust?

Ordinarily, Holocaust stories are nonfiction. At least that has been my exposure and understanding. Because this story is a work of fiction, the reader's perspective of the Holocaust is broadened in that here, nothing is being held back for any reason. Fiction has this way of liberating the author to allow the unthinkable to exist.

The Holocaust, unthinkable in itself, becomes a part of this world of fiction. The horrible reality meshes into the author's work, intertwines with her imagination, with her perception of the war, the treatment of the Jews, and what it might have been like to be a civilian, a German civilian, caught in the crossfire - so to say.

From this blooms the complex relationship of a daughter being saved by a mother's love. This theme of saving runs throughout the novel and would be interesting to look into.

Saving Perspectives

1. How would you categorize Those Who Save Us: as a war story, a love story, a mother-daughter story? Why? How is it different from other novels that address the issues surrounding the Holocaust? What new perspectives does it offer?

More than a war story or a love story I see Those Who Save Us as a mother-daughter story. It would be unfulfilling to read this expecting a love story. Certainly, though it does offer insight to the war, it cannot be considered a war story either. The story is about a mother and her daughter, and a daughter and her mother, and the invisible wall between them that for so long has kept them from knowing one another and from knowing about the past. As a mother, the wall is a form of protection, shielding the young. As a daughter, the wall is a barrier, keeping a very real part of who she is out of reach and off limits. As the reader, we see the great sacrifices the mother has made for the safety of her daughter. We also see the hurt that dictates the daughter's life because of her resentment for what she does not realize was her mother saving her.

Those Who Save Us Meeting

Good morning ladies! I hope everyone is having a marvelous Monday. Have you marked your calendar for Friday's book club meeting? I would love to invite you all over to my house for a nice cozy talk but I doubt Charlie would let us get much of anything done, so I hired a sitter. How about sushi instead?

Matoi Sushi
602 North Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33609
(813) 871-3233
http://www.matoisamonjung.com/

Our reservation is for Friday at 7pm. Hope you can attend, but if you cannot please reply, "Sorry, next time!" You know the drill.

Looking forward to some great company, conversations, sushi, and oh yeah Those Who Save Us discussions.

sayonara, (or should I say...auf wiedersehen?)

(sayonara - a farewell remark; "they said their good-byes"
bye-bye, cheerio, good day, good-by, good-bye, goodby, goodbye, so long, adieu, adios, arrivederci, au revoir, auf wiedersehen, bye
farewell, word of farewell - an acknowledgment or expression of goodwill at parting)

About that 'who doesn't need to be saved..."

I finished the book and am off on another one - took a bit of searching - but then I got to the one that felt as though it should come next as it is also about the need to be saved.

So much more could be said here - but for those of you philosophical, introspective readers...blog with me - or talk to me about this need. I am not really sure that EVERY one does need to be saved.

The new book I am reading is called The Mermaid's Chair. Very Pat Conroyish. I am loving it.

Will be back in Tampa tomorrow to plan our next book meeting - maybe at a bakery?

toodles...Laurel

Tiny Words, Thin Pages

Ok, now maybe it is just me - but I am trying desperately to read this book in a timely fashion and somehow when it seems like I have 20 pages left, I check the numbers and in reality I have 100 pages left. How can this be?

With all of this page counting it might seem that I am not enjoying the content within the pages - au contraire - I am quite enthralled. But my soon-to-be sister-in-law has just given me a new book that I am dying to get into. It's called Water for Elephants. Have any of you read that one? She says it is great.

Muah!

ps. For those of you who are interested, here are book discussion questions from jennablum.com.

reading group guide
1. How would you categorize Those Who Save Us: as a war story, a love story, a mother-daughter story? Why? How is it different from other novels that address the issues surrounding the Holocaust? What new perspectives does it offer?

2. Discuss the novel's title, Those Who Save Us. In what ways do the characters save each other in the novel, and who saves whom? How does Blum play with the concept of being saved, being safe, being a savior?

3. In the beginning of the novel, what is Anna's attitude towards the Jewish people of Weimar? Does her attitude change? If so, where does this transformation occur and why?

4. While she is hiding Max, Anna thinks she would "pay a high price to be plain, for her looks pose an ever-greater danger to both herself and Max." Do you see Anna's beauty as a blessing or a curse? What role does it play in shaping her destiny? How do her looks affect her relationships with Max, Gerhard, the Obersturmführer, Trudy?

5. When living with Mathilde, Anna asks why Mathilde risks her life to feed the Buchenwald prisoners "when everyone else turn a blind eye." Why does Mathilde take this risk? Why does Anna? Do you think American women would react differently than German women in similar circumstances, and if so, why?

6. What are Anna's sexual reactions to the Obersturmführer, and what effect do they have on how she sees herself? How do they shape Anna's relationship with Trudy?

Do you see Anna's relationship with the Obersturmführer as primarily sexual, or are there places in the novel where their relationship transcends the sexual?

7. Do you see the Obersturmführer as a monster or as human? What are his vulnerabilities? To what degree is he a product of his time? If the Obersturmführer had been born in contemporary America, what might he be doing today?

8. Toward the end of the novel, Anna thinks that the Obersturmführer "has blighted her ability to love." Do you think he has forever affected her ability to love Jack? To love Trudy? What are Anna's real feelings for the Obersturmführer, and what are his true feelings toward Anna and her daughter?

9. Are Trudy's difficulties with her mother caused only by the secrets Anna keeps? If the past had not come between them, what would their relationship have been like? In what ways are Trudy and Anna typical of mothers and daughters everywhere? What parallels can you draw between their relationship and yours with your own mother?

10. Trudy has been familiar with shame all her life, both her own shame and Anna's. How does Trudy learn about shame from Anna? Does Trudy's shame stem solely from her suspicions about her Nazi parentage or from her German heritage as well? How has her shame manifested in her adult lifestyle?

11. Anna's consistent response to Trudy's questions is, "The past is dead, and better it remain so." Why does Anna keep her silence? Is this fair to Trudy? Were you surprised that Anna refuses to talk about her past even when she has been confronted and deemed a heroine by Mr. Pfeffer? In her position, would you do the same?

12. During his German Project interview, Rainer plays what he calls "a dirty trick" on Trudy by reading a prepared statement about his aunt's experience and eventual deportation to Auschwitz instead of telling his own story. Why does he do this? Why is Rainer so angry with Trudy? Is he angry with her? Do you think his anger is justified?

13. Why does Trudy get involved with Rainer? Is Trudy and Rainer's relationship a healthy one? When Rainer departs for Florida, he says, "I do not deserve this . . . . I am not meant to be this happy," a statement with which Trudy agrees. If Trudy and Rainer's relationship were not affected by their wartime pasts, would it have been happy? Would it have existed at all?

14. What does each of Trudy's interview subjects-Frau Kluge, Rose-Grete Fischer, Rainer, Felix Pfeffer-represent about German actions during the war and how Germans feel in retrospect? What does Trudy learn from her German subjects?

15. At the end of Those Who Save Us, the characters' fates are ambiguous; Trudy, for instance, is left in a "vacuum between one part of life ending and another coming to take its place." Why does Blum do this? What statement, if any, is she trying to make? Do you feel that the novel's end is a happy one for Trudy? For Anna? Why or why not? And what do you think has happened to the Obersturmführer?

Totally Surprised

Hi Fancy Book club Members!!!

Is anyone else blogging? I'm new to the blog scene myself, but I like it!!!! So, I FINALLY started the book this past weekend, and to my absolute amazement, I couldn't put it down, read the first 7 chapters pronto stat. I would have NEVER picked this book, so here's to trying new things, that are not necessarily of interest at the time!

Going to read a little now, hope you guys are jumping on the train.
Can't wait to see you guys!

Sweetie Pie

Laurel - That was so very sweet of you to make the We Heart Kat Post-It! Very creative. This is my first time blogging...it took me about ten minutes to figure out how to post something! Hope everyone is doing well!

Tally

I know the notebook tally is off. (and that I should have something better to do on a Saturday night.) But things being the way they are...we'll have to settle for this, for now.

Just watched Bucket List - feeling a little Jack Nicholson. Wanna make a list?

Random - I know. I am. ;)

Open Invitations

Members of Tampa Bay Bookies: You should have gotten an email inviting you to be an author. This means that you can post to the blog as well. So please select yes! This way you can post anything. Photos, announcements, questions. You get the jist.

How's the reading coming along? Are we enjoying the book? I am about half-way (not quite) through and find myself suprised to be enjoying the book. If I look at it with an English teacher's eye I find TONS of vocabulary words.

Kit Kat

Our last meeting - our first - was missing a member...and she read the book! Due to a miscommunication - oops! - Kat did not make it to the Barbara Wawa/ Kenyon Birthday Bash. So, I would like to take this opportunity to formally invite Kat to our next book club.

Also, I will be posting a tally list of the points. Alisha came up with a fabulous motivational plan to keep (get) us reading. Read the book, earn five points for the meeting. Too busy to read? Come anyway. Put a buck in the pot. When we get to book club #12, whoever has the most points - wins the pot! Who knows it may be $50, $60, $70.

Remember it is not too late to start reading. If you have not yet gotten the book, here is your assignment: By Friday, you are to have gone out and purchased the book. Or go to the library and check it out. If you are like me, you may want to get the book on CD so when you are in the car, the story can play out while you sit in rush hour traffic.

Name of the book: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

Muah!

Book Two: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

Meeting number two's book choice was up to Laurel to decide. For an indecisive Libra, this was not an easy task, but it is done.

Book #2: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

The reasoning behind the choice of the month: "I always judge a book by its cover and who doesn't need to be saved." Enough said right?

Next meeting is July 18th - that's a Thursday - location to be announced.

Happy Reading!

Book One: Audition by Barbara Walters

Our first official meeting was at Denise's. Some of us read the book, some of us listened to it, some of us got part way through it, and some of us didn't quite get started. More importantly, we got together. Kenyon's birthday was celebrated, wedding plans were discussed, and we got to put a face to the story.

Book Club or Get out of Jail Free Pass?

Monthly we unite as a band of girls. Our goal? To read said book. Do we always read? Not quite. Is it okay? Sure...Put a buck in the pot and come along.