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
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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.