Friends of the Library reading club
Here's the place to talk about books being read by this club. Join in the conversation, whether or not you're a member!
Here's the place to talk about books being read by this club. Join in the conversation, whether or not you're a member!
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December 9th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Retreads or Fast Forwards?
The Friends of the Library reading club today discussed December's book, "Dune" , by Frank Herbert; this 1965 fantasy became a movie. We talked of its pertinence to contemporary traumas unknown then. "I read it every year," one male reader said. He does the same with one of our earlier books, "the Once and Future King," by T. H. White. An East Coast friend recently encouraged my return to "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C. S. Lewis (1950s), he had a similar comment. But too many new books, so little time. Do we return to our loved ones? (sic). Do I have aberrant friends? I don't whether to move forward or backward--will probably move sideways re-dipping in old, examining new. How about any of you?
December 11th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Our 2010 Reading/Talk Story List
“The Reading Edge,” Aiea Library’s Book Club, meets first Thursdays at 7:00 p.m. Stop in tor ask about it here.
Jan. The Master Butcher’s Singing Club, Louise Erdrich
Feb. Catfish and Madala, Andrew X. Pham
Mar. Crazy for the Storm: Memoir of Survival, Norman Ollestad
April: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, Mary Ann Shaffer. Also: A Moveable Feast, Ernest Hemingway (I’ll do an essay on it).
May: Whatever It Takes, Geoffrey Canada
June: The Piano Teacher, Janic Y. K. Lee
July: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz
Aug. Rain of Gold, Victor Villasenor
Sept. Talking Hawaii’s Story, Michiko Kodama-Nishimoto, Warren S. Nishimoto, Cynthia A. Oshiro
Oct. Half-Broke Horses, Jeanette Walls
Nov. The Glass Castle, Jeanette Walls
December 14th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Glad the Aiea group's reading list includes at least one Hawai‘i title and am thankful it's a UH Press one. See a sample chapter from Talking Hawai‘i's Story (the September selection) on the University of Hawai‘i Press website:
http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/shopcore/978-0-8248-3390-9/
Hope to see additional books written and/or published in Hawai‘i in 2011!
December 17th, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Suggested "Best Reads" for a New Year
National Public Radio's Lynn Neary has suggestions for book clubs--goods for discussion--after Aiea Library's "Reading Edge" picked their's for 2010. Here are her thoughts for you who may be making lists.
"Cutting for Stone", Abraham Verghese. What its like to be a good doctor.
"The Interrogative Mood: A Novel?", Padgett Powell. She has the questions, do you have any answers?
"Too Much Happiness," Alice Monroe. Short stories you can't have too much of (solecism is mine).
"A Reliable Wife," Robert Goolrick. I'll measure what "Corinthians" says against what Goolrick offers.
"In Other Rooms, Other Wnders," Daniyai Mureenubbig. Is on "Best of the Year" lists.
Been there, done that? Comments, anyone?
December 18th, 2009 at 8:17 am
How do your book club members select which books to read? Does each person pick a title (or two, depending on size of group), is there a call for suggestions with discussion, does everyone vote to come up with a final list? Do you have a sort of group "leader"?
December 19th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
Selecting Books:
1. Ask for suggestions from all.
2. Suggestion(s) made with a summary.
3. Curiosity sets in--book reviews checked.
4. Group talks, heads nod or shake.
5.Votes made.
Voila!
December 20th, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Not Maninini, Not McKinney
This site lives up to its claims: "Hear from Authors Here"
Q. To Chris McKinney: Your present tense in "Mililani Mauka" A Novel, (sic) departure from using past for fiction books, present tense for scripts. Why do you cross conventional lanes and innovate?
A. From McKinney: I like to play around with point-of-view and tense.
I enjoyed using third person present in "Mauka." It was an instinctive decision--just liked the sense of immediacy it brought with the opening scene (the bulldozer) and decided to stick with it. Glad you liked the book.
December 20th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
Aiea "The Reading Edge" Recently Read
Here's some from our list on view. note local authors, too:
The Kite Flyer by Khaled Husseini
The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai by John Tayman
Behold the Many by Lois Ann Yamanaka
Saturday Night at the Pohala Theatre
House of Many Gods by Kiana Davenport
East Wind Rain by Caroline Paul
Plum Wine by Angela Davis-Gardner
Out! by Natsuo Kirino
Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama
The Innocent Man by John Grisham
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Mocking bird: A Portrait of Harper Lee by Charles J. Shields
March by Geraldine Brooks
Nightwatch by Terry Pratchett
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
The Accidental by Ali Smith
Honor Killings by David Stannard
December 25th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Theatrical and Howe!
Writers, students, dramatists—readers all--at Craig and Sarah Howe’s heights lookout for reading talk, chow down, and…Family singers performing polyphonic a cappella, Christmas music, some of it centuries old—both sotta voce and huge and bold—who started Christmas singing at the Howes’ when the huge guy was littler with an unchanged voice: He now sings with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City—three octave range, easily.
“Kids” from UH’s final 620 writing/reading class, (curriculum’s been modified), one recruited for Kumu Kahua Theater, projected enthusiasm throughout a room filled with bodies. Footwear left outside the front door: Sleepah, sneekah, high heels, dress-ups, down at the heels (mine), work boots—it’s what we wear who appreciate this kaleidoscopic site and its insight on readers and from writers.
December 26th, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Reprise: This Disappeared From Site:
“Buss Laugh” at Bess Press’ Collegial
Kamehameha Press…Bamboo Ridge founder…UH Press…Native Books’
Maile…UH Biography Center’s Howe…Poets as readers with leis and
loved ones or twos, overhead projection so all could read the
lines…Lots to eat from Buddy Bess the feeder, plus a huge
chocolate decorated cake “to evaporate” almost instantly after it
was cut..El vino–not manini in quality or quantity.
What joyful kick-off in Maximum Pidgin’s home base: Lee T.
couldn’t stop an everlasting grin from stretching his face.
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December 26th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
"Where do you find good books having local flavor?" Just visit a "local" bookstore. In Hawaii, that means the Hawaiiana or na mea Hawai`i section.
Do check out Literary Lotus too. The blog can be found at literarylotus.com.
December 30th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Speaking of Hawaiiana sections in book stores, is it just me or does the organization of the books at Borders drive everyone nuts? Borders Ward has it alpha by title, so my two books are miles apart, but at least they have fiction and non separate. Borders Windward has it alpha by author, which is great for me, but everything is all together, fiction and non. I like B&N best for organization. (And I like the state library best of all!) What do you all think?