It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, April 8th at 7 p.m.
What Book? The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Send me an e-mail if you'd like to see Discussion Questions, Reviews and Author Interviews.
Upcoming Book Choices:
On Thursday, May 13th we’ll read The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.
“Renee Michel, 54 and widowed, is the stolid concierge in an elegant Paris hotel particulier. Though "short, ugly, and plump," Meanwhile, "supersmart" 12-year-old Paloma Josse, who switches off narration with Renee, lives in the building with her wealthy, liberal family. Having grasped life's futility early on, Paloma plans to commit suicide on her 13th birthday. The arrival of a new tenant, Kakuro Ozu, who befriends both the young pessimist and the concierge alike, sets up their possible transformations. By turns very funny (particularly in Paloma's sections) and heartbreaking, Barbery never allows either of her dour narrators to get too cerebral or too sentimental. Her simple plot and sudden denouement add up to a great deal more than the sum of their parts in this dark but redemptive novel.” (Publishers Weekly)
(Please note you may have to place a request at the library for a copy of The Elegance of the Hedgehog.)
On Thursday, June 10th, we’ll read A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts. (The book can be found in Biography under Holman)
“Roberts offers a biography of a British wanderer renowned in his day--James Holman (1786-1857), a Royal Navy lieutenant who went blind at age 25. Roberts seizes readers immediately with scenes of Holman daring the summit of an erupting Vesuvius in 1821. Such encounters with wild nature, so appealing to the period's Romantic sensibility, contribute to Roberts' account of Holman's popularity. Blindness itself was the vital condition in Holman's adventures and the public's eventual attention, which briefly included that of a young Queen Victoria. Combining reflections on blindness with the particulars of Holman's career and travels, Roberts reveals thorough research through a perceptive, expressive narrative. (Booklist)
I look forward to seeing you at the Fairfax Library.
Thanks for reading with us!
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library
Friday, April 2, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
Mister Pip - February 11 choice
It's time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group
When: Thursday, February 11th at 7 p.m.
Where: Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book: Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
IMPORTANT - A change of plans for March:
One Book One Marin has reserved the meeting room at the Fairfax Library at our usual time on March 11th for a presentation. They are reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and invite you to join them that evening for:
The Supergirls: A Slide Show Presentation by Author Mike Madrid
The recently published book, The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, by Mike Madrid, is a cultural history of female superheroes in American comic books. This one-hour presentation traces the evolution of these fantasy characters from the 1930’s to the present day and discusses how their roles and personas often reflected the lives of American women in the “real world.” Touching on issues such as male/female relationships, empowerment and heroines’ costumes, Mr. Madrid combines history with a touch of humor. This program will appeal to all audiences with an interest in comic books and cultural history.
We'll pick up again in April:
Thursday, April 8th - The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
When: Thursday, February 11th at 7 p.m.
Where: Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book: Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
IMPORTANT - A change of plans for March:
One Book One Marin has reserved the meeting room at the Fairfax Library at our usual time on March 11th for a presentation. They are reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and invite you to join them that evening for:
The Supergirls: A Slide Show Presentation by Author Mike Madrid
The recently published book, The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, by Mike Madrid, is a cultural history of female superheroes in American comic books. This one-hour presentation traces the evolution of these fantasy characters from the 1930’s to the present day and discusses how their roles and personas often reflected the lives of American women in the “real world.” Touching on issues such as male/female relationships, empowerment and heroines’ costumes, Mr. Madrid combines history with a touch of humor. This program will appeal to all audiences with an interest in comic books and cultural history.
We'll pick up again in April:
Thursday, April 8th - The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Mister Pip - February 11 choice
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It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, February 11th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
A change in plans for March…
OneBook One Marin (which is reading The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay) has reserved the meeting at the Fairfax Library at our usual meeting time on March 11th. You are welcome to join the fun with their presentation:
The Supergirls: A Slide Show Presentation by Author Mike Madrid
The recently published book, The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, by Mike Madrid, is a cultural history of female superheroes in American comic books. This one-hour presentation traces the evolution of these fantasy characters from the 1930’s to the present day and discusses how their roles and personas often reflected the lives of American women in the “real world.” Touching on issues such as male/female relationships, empowerment and heroines’ costumes, Mr. Madrid combines history with a touch of humor. This program will appeal to all audiences with an interest in comic books and cultural history.
We’ll pick up again in April:
Baker's brilliant debut is infused with vibrant language and quirky, original characters. Narrator Truly Plaice is unusually large and considered ugly. Growing up in rural Aberdeen in upstate New York in the 1950s, Truly finds shelter with the Dyersons, hard-luck people living on a farm at the outskirts of town. There, Truly and best friend Amelia Dyerson do their best to grow up. This book is both a work of literature and an easy read. Truly may struggle for love in the novel, but she will find no such trouble among readers; she is an unforgettable heroine with a story that begs to be read and read again.
I look forward to seeing you at the library.
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Please join us on January 14th as we discuss The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer.
"Winding up her book tour promoting her collection of lighthearted wartime newspaper columns, Juliet Ashton casts about for a more serious project. Opportunity comes in the form of a letter she receives from Mr. Dawsey Adams, who happens to possess a book that Julia once owned. Adams is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-no ordinary book club. Rather, it was formed as a ruse and became a way for people to get together without raising the suspicions of Guernsey's Nazi occupiers. Written in the form of letters (a lost art), this novel by an aunt-and-niece team has loads of charm."
"Winding up her book tour promoting her collection of lighthearted wartime newspaper columns, Juliet Ashton casts about for a more serious project. Opportunity comes in the form of a letter she receives from Mr. Dawsey Adams, who happens to possess a book that Julia once owned. Adams is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-no ordinary book club. Rather, it was formed as a ruse and became a way for people to get together without raising the suspicions of Guernsey's Nazi occupiers. Written in the form of letters (a lost art), this novel by an aunt-and-niece team has loads of charm."
Saturday, December 5, 2009
The History of Love - December 10th choice
It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, December 10th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Going Green: Instead of printing copies of background material for the meeting, it’s attached to this e-mail for you to read before or after our discussion or check out these links for more background info
Blog, blog, blog: Be sure to bookmark our book blog which has information about upcoming meeting dates and the books we've chosen: http://fairfaxbookgroup.blogspot.com/
Book Swap: If you’d like, please feel free to bring a wrapped book (it MUST be used) to exchange with others at our meeting.
Upcoming book selections:
Thursday, January 14th – we’ll discuss The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society By Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
Winding up her book tour promoting her collection of lighthearted wartime newspaper columns, Juliet Ashton casts about for a more serious project. Opportunity comes in the form of a letter she receives from Mr. Dawsey Adams, who happens to possess a book that Julia once owned. Adams is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-no ordinary book club. Rather, it was formed as a ruse and became a way for people to get together without raising the suspicions of Guernsey's Nazi occupiers. Written in the form of letters (a lost art), this novel by an aunt-and-niece team has loads of charm.
Thursday, February 11th – we’ll discuss Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
When the conflict between the natives and the invading soldiers erupts on an unnamed tropical island in the early 1990s, 13-year-old Matilda and her mother, Dolores, are unified with the rest of their village in their efforts for survival. Amid the chaos, Mr. Watts, the only white local, offers to fill in as the children's schoolteacher and teaches from Dickens's Great Expectations. The precocious Matilda, who forms a strong attachment to the novel's hero, Pip, discovers independent thought. Jones's prose is faultless, and the story is innovative.
Thursday, March 11th – we’ll discuss The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Baker's brilliant debut is infused with vibrant language and quirky, original characters. Narrator Truly Plaice is unusually large and considered ugly. Growing up in rural Aberdeen in upstate New York in the 1950s, Truly finds shelter with the Dyersons, hard-luck people living on a farm at the outskirts of town. There, Truly and best friend Amelia Dyerson do their best to grow up. This book is both a work of literature and an easy read. Truly may struggle for love in the novel, but she will find no such trouble among readers; she is an unforgettable heroine with a story that begs to be read and read again.
I look forward to seeing you at the library.
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library
When? Thursday, December 10th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Going Green: Instead of printing copies of background material for the meeting, it’s attached to this e-mail for you to read before or after our discussion or check out these links for more background info
Blog, blog, blog: Be sure to bookmark our book blog which has information about upcoming meeting dates and the books we've chosen: http://fairfaxbookgroup.blogspot.com/
Book Swap: If you’d like, please feel free to bring a wrapped book (it MUST be used) to exchange with others at our meeting.
Upcoming book selections:
Thursday, January 14th – we’ll discuss The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society By Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Shaffer
Winding up her book tour promoting her collection of lighthearted wartime newspaper columns, Juliet Ashton casts about for a more serious project. Opportunity comes in the form of a letter she receives from Mr. Dawsey Adams, who happens to possess a book that Julia once owned. Adams is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society-no ordinary book club. Rather, it was formed as a ruse and became a way for people to get together without raising the suspicions of Guernsey's Nazi occupiers. Written in the form of letters (a lost art), this novel by an aunt-and-niece team has loads of charm.
Thursday, February 11th – we’ll discuss Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
When the conflict between the natives and the invading soldiers erupts on an unnamed tropical island in the early 1990s, 13-year-old Matilda and her mother, Dolores, are unified with the rest of their village in their efforts for survival. Amid the chaos, Mr. Watts, the only white local, offers to fill in as the children's schoolteacher and teaches from Dickens's Great Expectations. The precocious Matilda, who forms a strong attachment to the novel's hero, Pip, discovers independent thought. Jones's prose is faultless, and the story is innovative.
Thursday, March 11th – we’ll discuss The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker
Baker's brilliant debut is infused with vibrant language and quirky, original characters. Narrator Truly Plaice is unusually large and considered ugly. Growing up in rural Aberdeen in upstate New York in the 1950s, Truly finds shelter with the Dyersons, hard-luck people living on a farm at the outskirts of town. There, Truly and best friend Amelia Dyerson do their best to grow up. This book is both a work of literature and an easy read. Truly may struggle for love in the novel, but she will find no such trouble among readers; she is an unforgettable heroine with a story that begs to be read and read again.
I look forward to seeing you at the library.
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends of the Fairfax Library
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Into the Beautiful North Nov. 12th
It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, November 12th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
Our December 10th book selection is The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
I look forward to seeing you at the library.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH by Luis Alberto Urrea
1. Into the Beautiful North tells the exceptional story of a small group’s successful mission to save their village in its bleakest hour. What are some of the other themes that Luis Alberto Urrea unpacks along the way?
2. Language and dialect play an integral role in the novel’s style. Spanish words and phonetic spellings are laced throughout, and Spanglish and slang are used on both sides of the border. What does Urrea achieve by mixing language in this way? What does it say about the ability of language to bridge --- or not to bridge --- cultural gaps?
3. Into the Beautiful North is divided into two parts—Sur and Norte. References to American pop culture abound in the first half as Nayeli and her friends speak of life across the border with unwavering certainty. Where do their ideas of America come from? How does the reality of their time in the U.S. compare to their initial ideas of it? Are they surprised or disappointed?
4. Nayeli tells GarcÃa-GarcÃa, “Perhaps it is time for a new kind of femininity?” What does she mean? Given the homage to The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai in the novel, how has Urrea played with gender stereotypes?
5. Into the Beautiful North examines physical and psychological borders. Urrea repeatedly shows that while the physical borders can be crossed, some that are culturally defined appear unbridgeable. What are those culturally defined differences, and do you think it’s possible to eradicate such invisible borders?
6. After traveling thousands of miles in search of her father, Nayeli is unable to confront him. In your opinion, does she make the right decision to heed his words at this time—“all things must pass”—or should she have approached him?
7. What do you make of the overwhelming turnout produced by Aunt Irma’s interviews? Why do so many men want to return to Mexico, and does this strike you as ironic?
8. Nayeli and her friends are inspired by the movie The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the Japanese film Seven Samurai. Both films climax with the showdown between good guys and bad guys, but Urrea ends his novel before such a clash. Why do you think he did so?
9. Were you surprised to find the Mexican characters so knowledgeable about American pop culture? If you were surprised, did it change how you think about Mexico?
10. The road travelled by immigrants intent on sneaking across the border is perilous. Were you surprised by how dangerous it was for immigrants in Mexico before they crossed the border?
11. Where did your family emigrate from? Did you recognize any parallels between your family stories and this one?
When? Thursday, November 12th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea
Our December 10th book selection is The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
I look forward to seeing you at the library.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
INTO THE BEAUTIFUL NORTH by Luis Alberto Urrea
1. Into the Beautiful North tells the exceptional story of a small group’s successful mission to save their village in its bleakest hour. What are some of the other themes that Luis Alberto Urrea unpacks along the way?
2. Language and dialect play an integral role in the novel’s style. Spanish words and phonetic spellings are laced throughout, and Spanglish and slang are used on both sides of the border. What does Urrea achieve by mixing language in this way? What does it say about the ability of language to bridge --- or not to bridge --- cultural gaps?
3. Into the Beautiful North is divided into two parts—Sur and Norte. References to American pop culture abound in the first half as Nayeli and her friends speak of life across the border with unwavering certainty. Where do their ideas of America come from? How does the reality of their time in the U.S. compare to their initial ideas of it? Are they surprised or disappointed?
4. Nayeli tells GarcÃa-GarcÃa, “Perhaps it is time for a new kind of femininity?” What does she mean? Given the homage to The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai in the novel, how has Urrea played with gender stereotypes?
5. Into the Beautiful North examines physical and psychological borders. Urrea repeatedly shows that while the physical borders can be crossed, some that are culturally defined appear unbridgeable. What are those culturally defined differences, and do you think it’s possible to eradicate such invisible borders?
6. After traveling thousands of miles in search of her father, Nayeli is unable to confront him. In your opinion, does she make the right decision to heed his words at this time—“all things must pass”—or should she have approached him?
7. What do you make of the overwhelming turnout produced by Aunt Irma’s interviews? Why do so many men want to return to Mexico, and does this strike you as ironic?
8. Nayeli and her friends are inspired by the movie The Magnificent Seven, a remake of the Japanese film Seven Samurai. Both films climax with the showdown between good guys and bad guys, but Urrea ends his novel before such a clash. Why do you think he did so?
9. Were you surprised to find the Mexican characters so knowledgeable about American pop culture? If you were surprised, did it change how you think about Mexico?
10. The road travelled by immigrants intent on sneaking across the border is perilous. Were you surprised by how dangerous it was for immigrants in Mexico before they crossed the border?
11. Where did your family emigrate from? Did you recognize any parallels between your family stories and this one?
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
The Song is You October 2009
It’s time to talk books with the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group!
When? Thursday, October 8th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The Song Is You by Arthur Phillips
check out these links for more background info
Do you have a soundtrack of your life? These folks do…
A playlist by Arthur Phillips
The soundtrack of my life
Favorite songs/personal soundtrack
make your own soundtrack
Do you have an iPod or mp3 player? I love my Zune and listen to it daily – podcasts more than music, though. Read how the iPod changed these lives:
How the ipod changed my life
iPod, Therefore I Am
iPod and the knowledge gap
Get even more info with BookMovement.com: Sign up with BookMovement.com for the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group and get book reviews and reminders.
Our November 12th book selection is Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea.
Our December 10th book selection is The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
I look forward to seeing you at the library.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The Song is You by Arthur Phillips
1. Julian is suffering something of a mid-life crisis. He looks back at the life he intended to live and sees the life he has created – even though he is seemingly successful in his field. Is such an experience inevitably disappointing? Have you experienced disappointment in your adult life?
2. Julian’s life is framed by the music he listens to on his iPod. What is the role of music in modern life? In your life?
3. Do you have a soundtrack of your life?
4. Is Julian an unlikeable protagonist? Is it possible to sympathize with an unlikeable protagonist? Can you give an example?
5. Is Julian’s behavior towards Cait explainable? Does he have Cait’s best interests at heart or is he not much more than a stalker?
6. Did you think the characters and their problems/decisions/relationships were believable or realistic? Was the author trying to make them realistic, and why did he fail or succeed? Were the characters drawn realistically? Which character could you relate to best and why? Talk about the secondary characters. Were they important to the story? Did any stand out for you?
7. A reviewer on SecondSupper.com described the book as a romantic anti-romance. Would you agree?
8. What is the central conflict of the plot? Is the conflict internal to the character (a psychological conflict)? Or is it external, having to do with character vs. character? Character vs. society? Character vs. nature?
9. What central ideas might the author be exploring in the novel's themes? Consider ideas about the nature of love, the requirements of goodness, the meaning of justice, the burden of the past...basic human issues that are at stake in the book.
10. Consider the ending. Did you expect it or were you surprised? Was it forced? Was it neatly wrapped up? Or was it unresolved, ending on an ambiguous note?
11. Overall—how did you experience the book while reading it? Were you immediately drawn into the story—or did it take a while? Did the book intrigue, amuse, disturb, alienate, or irritate you?
When? Thursday, October 8th at 7 p.m.
Where? Fairfax Library meeting room
What Book? The Song Is You by Arthur Phillips
check out these links for more background info
Do you have a soundtrack of your life? These folks do…
A playlist by Arthur Phillips
The soundtrack of my life
Favorite songs/personal soundtrack
make your own soundtrack
Do you have an iPod or mp3 player? I love my Zune and listen to it daily – podcasts more than music, though. Read how the iPod changed these lives:
How the ipod changed my life
iPod, Therefore I Am
iPod and the knowledge gap
Get even more info with BookMovement.com: Sign up with BookMovement.com for the Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group and get book reviews and reminders.
Our November 12th book selection is Into the Beautiful North by Luis Alberto Urrea.
Our December 10th book selection is The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
I look forward to seeing you at the library.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
The Song is You by Arthur Phillips
1. Julian is suffering something of a mid-life crisis. He looks back at the life he intended to live and sees the life he has created – even though he is seemingly successful in his field. Is such an experience inevitably disappointing? Have you experienced disappointment in your adult life?
2. Julian’s life is framed by the music he listens to on his iPod. What is the role of music in modern life? In your life?
3. Do you have a soundtrack of your life?
4. Is Julian an unlikeable protagonist? Is it possible to sympathize with an unlikeable protagonist? Can you give an example?
5. Is Julian’s behavior towards Cait explainable? Does he have Cait’s best interests at heart or is he not much more than a stalker?
6. Did you think the characters and their problems/decisions/relationships were believable or realistic? Was the author trying to make them realistic, and why did he fail or succeed? Were the characters drawn realistically? Which character could you relate to best and why? Talk about the secondary characters. Were they important to the story? Did any stand out for you?
7. A reviewer on SecondSupper.com described the book as a romantic anti-romance. Would you agree?
8. What is the central conflict of the plot? Is the conflict internal to the character (a psychological conflict)? Or is it external, having to do with character vs. character? Character vs. society? Character vs. nature?
9. What central ideas might the author be exploring in the novel's themes? Consider ideas about the nature of love, the requirements of goodness, the meaning of justice, the burden of the past...basic human issues that are at stake in the book.
10. Consider the ending. Did you expect it or were you surprised? Was it forced? Was it neatly wrapped up? Or was it unresolved, ending on an ambiguous note?
11. Overall—how did you experience the book while reading it? Were you immediately drawn into the story—or did it take a while? Did the book intrigue, amuse, disturb, alienate, or irritate you?
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