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Books.

As we draw closer to Summer, and free time for folks.. any volunteers to pick the first book?

Things I've read/am reading/have culled from the herd to read soon:
Have read:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo / The Girl who Played with Fire by Larson:
These were just good mindless fun. I liked them about the same as The Davinci Code, and put them on about the same level. The author really wanted to write this deep book about gripping issues... but fell short and wrote a good episode of Law and Order. It's well done, but at the end of the book(s) it's just fluff. These would be good ones for the beach... nothing too serious, and a good story to get lost in. Fair warning: there are some graphic scenes and whatnot, so don't think you're getting into anything too light. (I know there's a third book.. but I don't really feel like reading it... so I won't)
The Walking Dead by Kirkman
It's a comic series that uses the zombie apocalypse as a catalyst to bring out all the truly horrible aspects of what we are as humans (racism, fascism, sadism, apathy, etc) as well as the wonderful aspects (love, faith, camaraderie, bravery, etc) and lay them out for inspection. It's really an amazing series, the zombies are simply a plot device, and take a back seat tot the interactions of the broad cast of characters and really looks hard at how would we react of the rules and constructs of our world stopped existing tomorrow. What would the new rules be? Again, fair warning, this is some seriously graphic and shocking material, not for the faint of heart.... but there are few comics/stories I would recommend more.
The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History by Free Darko
In spite of myself, I dig pro basketball. I try to tell myself that I don't... and tell others that I don't..but if it's on I'm watching. Free Darko is a pro basketball blog (it unfortunately went dark this past Monday.. a loss for all)that writes essays on Pro Basketball like most philosophy majors write papers for their masters class. The book opens with an article comparing John Naismith to Martin Luther (Naismith invented the game, FYI... take that to your weekly trivia competition, free of charge).. and it doesn't stop from there. It's a very funny, incredibly smart, and really accurate book. If you like sports, or pop culture, I would highly recommend it.
God Save the Fan by Leitch
Again, a sports book from the writer of a sports blog. Will Leitch founded Deadspin, the first (and among the most fearless) arm of the new media found solely online. This book takes on the fact that the people behind the SportsasEntertainment machine don't actually give a shit about the fans, and how their slowly but surely ruining it for the those of us that simply enjoy catching a game. It's very (veryveryveryvery) funny, and takes on subjects from asshole athletes to asshole owners to asshole media members. Again, sports fans, or someone looking for a quick laugh need apply.

Currently Reading:
Swamplandia! by Russell
This woman writes like a magician. I love this book so far. It's about a the youngest daughter of an alligator wrestling family and her interactions with the underworld, ghosts, the real world (she grew up on her family-run amusement park on an island in the swamp called... Swamplandia!), and growing up all set against the back drop of the mangrove swamps of Florida.

Going to read:
True Grit by by Portis
B&N synopsis:
The story of Mattie Ross, who is just fourteen years of age when a coward going by the name of Tom Chaney shoots her father down in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and robs him of his life, his horse, and $150 in cash money. Mattie leaves home to avenge her father's blood. With the one-eyed Rooster Cogburn, the meanest available U.S. Marshal, by her side, Mattie pursues the homicide into Indian Territory.

An Exclusive Love by Adorjan
B&N synopsis:
“This book tells the story of Vera and István, Hungarian Jews who survived the Holocaust, fled during the 1956 uprising in Budapest to Denmark and in 1991 in Copenhagen took their own lives. They were found in their bed, hand in hand. It is the story of an unusual love. The story of my grandparents."—Johanna Adorján. (I found this one and Swamplandia! in the book reviews section of NPR.org... I will be returning there in the future and would highly recommend you do the same.

Winter's Bone

This title sounds fitting this week! I just started this book this morning, so I'm only about half way through, but really only wanted to put it down so I could tell others to read it!
This has been made in to a movie, which I haven't seen, and after reading what I have read so far, I can't imagine it could match the quality of the novel. This is very well written. I was hooked from the very first paragraph, which you can read, along with the first 2.5 chapters on Amazon for free. The descriptions are awesome, with some "one-liners" (if you will) that just say it all.
The story line is interesting and suspenseful. I don't want to give too much away because I think the author's way of moving the plot is a big part of why I'm hooked. It takes place in a poverty stricken area of the Ozarks. The main character is a 16 year old girl whose mom is mentally ill, father cooks meth, and has two younger brothers to look after. She is looking for her father who is out on bond and has disappeared ...and that's all I'm giving away!
I highly recommend this one. Now, I'm going to go finish it, I'll post again to let you know if I still like it after I'm finished.
Did I mention I really like the writing?

Brandon, I know you don't prefer female narrators, however, this girl has bigger balls than most of the guys we hang out with...I'm just sayin'...

Emily

Essays: Because who has time for a whole novel right now anyway?

Well hello there, fellow book-sharers. Schmei here. (It's pronounced like "pie", which, incidentally, is something I like to eat.) Most of you know who I am in real life, but I have this delusion about trying to remain somewhat anonymous on the interwebs, so humor me. 

Because I, in turn, will humor you, with my best book recommendation of late. 

Over Christmas, my librarian brother-in-law, Jon, gave me a book I'd never heard of. This is always a Good Sign. Jon is a master of the well-selected book, and I'm always excited when it's a complete unknown to me. 

As I hoped, he hit this one out of the park. So I'm sharing it with you, and I hope you'll have a chance to read it soon, so I can talk about it with someone other than my long-suffering husband who hasn't had time to pick it up yet. 

The book is  The Fiddler in the Subway by Gene Weingarten. 

I should note that I greatly enjoy journalistic writing, and for a brief time in a past life I considered becoming a features writer, so there's a part of me that essentially wants to be Gene Weingarten, without the facial hair. And damn, people, the man can write like I've never seen before. These essays made me laugh out loud and cry... more quietly, only because I didn't want to startle people around me. The essays about his father managed to do both at once, perfectly. The final essay - and the title piece - made me think about life. 

I mean Think. About Life. 

(Though I have to throw out that DC is a crazier town than Chicago. Things would have been different here, I just know it. I'll leave it at that.) 

Oh, and don't skip over the introduction. Weingarten gives some insight into his way of looking at life, and you can see how that informs his writing. It also offers some of the best writing advice I've seen since Stephen King's On Writing. Which is saying plenty. 

I feel that I should also note this: the essay entitled Fatal Distraction - Weingarten won a Pulitzer prize for it - is extremely difficult to read. I had heard about this essay from a few folks who read it when it was originally published because the subject matter is troubling. Weingarten gives a warning before the piece, and if you have a small child in your life, or, hell, if you're human, you may have some difficulty getting through it. 

But you should try. Because he manages to find some redemption there, in a painfully arbitrary, irredeemable situation.

And then he follows that up with a funny essay, because he knows what he just did to you. He's a man who respects his readers, that's what he is.  

So please, go check out this book, and read the whole thing, and when you've finished, and then after you re-read a few of the essays three times (that's not just me, right?) - let me know what you think of it. 

New Format... finally

So, as you all have seen... production and participation around here has ground to a damn-near halt. The reason: primarily school and the holidays. Most members on here are either in school or work in a shcool. So, with the increase in work and workload... a decrease in recreational reading time. So, here's my idea: traditional round robin book club format May through October; and November through April, it'll be a forum for reading. You read something good? Post on here, tell everyone about it, let them know if it's any good. We can still discuss the books in the comments, it'll just be more freeform so people can participate as they're able.

To post on here, it's simple. Just write your post (including any html to have pictures etc... for a quick primer: click here ) in an email, and send it to this address: Webb.brandon.twofold@blogger.com . Whatever you write will be posted as a new post, with the subject line being the post title. Thoughts on the new set up?

Procede with caution...

For those of you who don't know, they are currently in pre-production of a 'Hunger Games' movie. No one has been cast yet (that I'm aware of), and the set release is sometime in 2013. Stumbled across this fan movie though.. and wow, this book could make an awesome movie.. if done right. Fair warning on the vid: it is violent.. and is the scene of Rue's death.. so if you're the crying type (it got a little dusty for me watching it...), don't watch at work.

Productivity is at an all time low.

Emily's picking the next book. It'll be up soon. Watch for structural changes to our little corner of the interwebs, coming soon. I'm gonna make it more interactive, with more updates.

New book. better late than never.

Sorry for the delay.. my screen is broken, and I've been slightly busy.

New book:


World War Z by Max Brooks

Synopsis:
Brooks, the author of the determinedly straight-faced parody The Zombie Survival Guide (2003), returns in all seriousness to the zombie theme for his second outing, a future history in the style of Theodore Judson's Fitzpatrick's War. Brooks tells the story of the world's desperate battle against the zombie threat with a series of first-person accounts "as told to the author" by various characters around the world. A Chinese doctor encounters one of the earliest zombie cases at a time when the Chinese government is ruthlessly suppressing any information about the outbreak that will soon spread across the globe. The tale then follows the outbreak via testimony of smugglers, intelligence officials, military personnel and many others who struggle to defeat the zombie menace. Despite its implausible premise and choppy delivery, the novel is surprisingly hard to put down. The subtle, and not so subtle, jabs at various contemporary politicians and policies are an added bonus.


I'll give some of you a second to get the eye-rolling out of your system.

Done? Feel better? This book is really good. I promise. It's about the emotion, and survival instinct that this kind of event would have, not just the horror, and scare factor of traditional zombie fare.

Plus, Halloween is coming up. Zombies are fitting.

This book wants to fight you.

Laurie (Drama Mama) picks the new book:




American Shaolin by Matthew Polly.t

Synopsis:
The raucously funny story of one young American’s quest to become the baddest dude on the planet (and possibly find inner peace along the way) Growing up a ninety-eight-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series Kung Fu. American Shaolin is the story of the two years Matthew spent in China living, studying, and performing with the Shaolin monks. The Chinese term for tough training is chi ku (“eating bitter”), and Matthew quickly learned to appreciate the phrase. This is both the gripping story of Matthew’s journey and an intimate portrait of the real lives of the Shaolin monks, who struggle to overcome rampant corruption and the restrictions of an authoritarian government. Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of- age story of one man’s journey into the ancient art of kungfu—and a poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.

Her reason for the choice:

I have always been fascinated by what others can do with their bodies, what they can do TO their bodies, and so as a result I have always enjoyed anything kung-fu related. I found this book and when I realized it was the story of an American self-professed weakling who went to China in search of the infamous Shaolin Temple to request training, I was intrigued. Matthew Polly's writing is witty, engaging, and easygoing. The story could have been very dry and technical, but it feels like you are sitting around a corner table at a college bar and listening to your buddy tell a story. Not only did I learn a lot about Chinese culture, but I have a new found respect for all things Shaolin. This book had me snickering unattractively to myself, reading parts aloud to ambushed family members, and inspired me to do some self-inventory of my own. I hope you all like it!

A new book has been chosen.

I sat out my pick... and gave it to Natalie. She picked:


Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julie Gregory.



Description:
A young girl is perched on the cold chrome of yet another doctor’s examining table, missing yet another day of school. Just twelve, she’s tall, skinny, and weak. It’s four o’clock, and she hasn’t been allowed to eat anything all day. Her mother, on the other hand, seems curiously excited. She's about to suggest open-heart surgery on her child to "get to the bottom of this." She checks her teeth for lipstick and, as the doctor enters, shoots the girl a warning glance. This child will not ruin her plans.

Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I found it fascinating. It is the true story of an Ohio girl, raised by mother who suffers from Münchhausen by Proxy Syndrome. I have always been interested in abnormal psychology and the completely whacked out things people do. The story is kind of like watching a train-wreck. I thought it was an easy book to read while still covering a very interesting and bizarre topic.

New book. This one from Abbie

So, it's Abbie's turn to pick and her choice is:

A Fisherman of the Inland Sea by Ursula LeGuin

B&N has this to say about it:

The winner of the Pushcart Prize, the Kafka Award, and the National Book Award, Ursula K. Le Guin has created a profound and transformational literature. The award-winning stories in A Fisherman of the Inland Sea range from the everyday to the outer limits of experience, where the quantum uncertainties of space and time are resolved only in the depths of the human heart. Astonishing in their diversity and power, they exhibit both the artistry of a major writer at the height of her powers and the humanity of a mature artist confronting the world with her gift of wonder still intact.

Book THREE.

So.. it's Gretta's turn to pick a book. Her pick is:



Mans Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl From B&N:

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of those he treated in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory—known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")—holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.



Not a terribly cheerful sounding synopsis. But it does sound incredibly interesting. Happy reading.

New book!

Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides

All the synopses that I found were too long to put here. It's about a hermaphrodite. So yeah... There you go.

Mel recommends this book because "It's good." It did win the Pulitzer Prize... so she's probably right. Happy reading!

On deck...

Well, the first book was a pretty big success I'd say. And the next one will be thrown out in the near future. Mel is picking next, and will present it in the next week or two.

A few reminders: if you want to receive an email for new comments as they're posted, just let me know. Also, if you ever want to post anything here independent of the current conversation, just email it to me (i.e. book websites or thoughts) and I'll put it up here for you.


Happy Reading kids...

I'll leave you with a cat fighting a watermelon. It was going to be Puppies Dressed as Cats... but NBC sucks.

First book... go!

Jen throws out the first book for our reading pleasure:

The Hunger Games

~ Suzanne Collins


Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

Jen says we should read it because:

"Read it because it's good. I can't think of any real intellectual comments to make."

So.. go forth, read it. Comments here on what you think.. feel free to post during reading or after you've read it. Fair warning on spoilers/plot points, if you're going to give something away, let folks know you're going to; that way they can wait till they've read it.

The List.

Ok. So, the list of people who have informed me they will be participating is as follows. Feel free to introduce yourselves in the comments section, for those who don't know each other.

Abbie W.
Laurie F.
Mary B.
Jen R.
Natalie H.
Greta T.
Joanna K.
Mel S.
Brandon W.
Emily F.

Jen R. will pick the first Book.... which means Mel is up after that, then Greta. Post coming next Wednesday about what the book is.

If you're not on the list, let me know, the more the merrier.

Bookkeeping (he he)

I can set the blog up to email you whenever a comment is posted to the entry. If you want this to happen, just let me know what email address you want it sent to.

Also, keep in mind that this is a group experiment: if you have any suggestions on the way anything is done, throw them out there.

First Post.

This seemed to be the most logical way to start this reading circle, book club, group.. what have you. First a few introductory type things:

If you have a better idea for the name of this page/group, by all means throw it out there, I picked the current one simply because creativity eluded me.

Leave a comment to let us know that you're in for the first book. In the comments of this post we should try and decide the length of time given for reading books, and other ground rules. My suggestions are these:
*1 book = 1 month.
*Rotate who picks the book, go in alphabetical order, starting at a random letter for last name.
*Genre and style do not matter for your suggestion (unless you're suggesting a Danielle Steele novel or Sarah Palin's book.. if that's the case: this is not the website for you), the point here to to be exposed to books that we wouldn't normally encounter.
*You pick the book, you write the post that kicks off the conversation for it.

Hopefully this works, and I look forward to this little experiment.

We'll aim for picking the first book Wednesday, March 10th. That way everyone will have time to log their name here and we can know how many people will be participating.

~Brandon.