Me Talk Pretty One Day - Recap

On Feb. 17 we had our meeting for Me Talk Pretty One Day, by David Sedaris. This book was rather difficult to discuss. Don't get me wrong - everyone had an opinion on it, but that was about it. Some of us really disliked it, some of us thought it had some great parts, some of us thought it was pretty good ... but that's as far as the discussion went. We talked about a few of the essays and about the author's ability to turn everyday experiences into humor. And all that took about 15 minutes total.

Nine of us rated this book, and the ratings went as follows: 4, 5x2, 6, 7x2, 8x2, 9. The average rating was 6.6.

The rest of the meeting was lots of fun though! Nancy is always an excellent hostess. We finally had our Christmas Book Exchange, and Nancy had lots of goodies for everyone to take home.

Our next book is Barbara Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible. It was my pick, and I can't wait to reread it!

Next Meeting: Me Talk Pretty One Day

For our next meeting Anna chose Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris. This has been on my "To Be Read" list for about a year so for me this is a a great choice. ;)

Next Meeting Details ...

Hosted by: Nancy
Date: Feb. 17 @ 2pm
Theme: Parisian Brunch
Food: Please check the evite for Nancy's menu suggestions.

Next Book Picker: me!
Next Book: The Poisonwood Bible

Our current book is really a collection of short humorous essays about the author's life. For the meeting, pick one or two favorites ... it will be fun to see what everyone else finds entertaining!

If you want to hear the author read some of the chapters from this book, and also his commentary on NPR, check out the links below. They are hysterical!

Life in New York City
The Sex of French Nouns
Inside French Health Care
The City of Lights in the Dark

Reading Lolita in Tehran - recap

Well we FINALLY had our meeting for Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi. Due to crises in their families, three members could not attend ... our thoughts and prayers are with them. The meeting was moved to my house at the last minute and 5 of us attended. Welcome to our newest members, Jessica and Kelli!

Our discussion of the book wasn't bad, considering that we had the three missing members on our minds. I loved the book, Annette loved it (she was home with the flu), Amber thought it was pretty good, Nicole HATED it, and I think Kelli didn't like it much either. Jess only read a chapter or so and it put her to sleep. :) I'll post the official ratings once I receive them.

To recap, here are some of the main points we discussed:

• the theme of each of the books/authors Nafisi mentioned, and how she related them to her life in Iran
• censorship in general, with discussion of modern day examples including The Satanic Verses, Harry Potter, and The Da Vinci Code
• the concept of home - is it portable or connected to a specific piece of land?

I spoke to mom (Annette) on the phone later. She listened to the audio version of the book and really enjoyed it. She said:

Listening to her describe how the women came into her house and took off their veils ... I could see it right in front of my eyes. I could see the girls coming into my kitchen and sitting down around the table ... it was amazing!

Now THAT is what makes audio books so great! I know there is great controversy in the book world about the use of audio books but this, for me, is why I love them. For more opinions on this, check out this blog.

There were lots of things that we did NOT discuss, including the criticism Nafisi received for writing this book. I had an Washington Post article to hand out, but forgot to give it to everyone at the meeting. Read it here when you get a chance. It talks about how some Iranian-Americans feel she portrayed their country incorrectly and tried to please her Western audience by saying what they wanted to hear. It's a very interesting article.

I heard an interview with Nafisi in which she talked about modern day Iran. Here's a brief excerpt:

Nafisi: Of course, now Iran, because of the young people’s rebellion, is much more open than when I left it in `97. But, I have to cover my hair. Nowadays, they’re much more relaxed because they couldn’t control it. But the way these girls are on the cover of my book, that even is not really proper. You should cover the hair properly. But nobody does that in Iran today.

Question: Do they still have morality patrols running around the city?

Nafisi: I don’t think they have anymore. When I was in Iran in `97 they still had them. But I’m talking with my friends and students and they said that there is so much unrest that they don’t want to add to people’s dissatisfaction by having the morality police around. But they still have raid parties and raid houses, and every once in a while they raid the streets.

Ok, that's about all I have for now. Please post any comments you may have as I'd love to hear them! We're still planning the date of our next meeting, and I'll post that as soon as I can. Happy reading to all!

Oh, here are the ratings for this book. There were 7 who read it and they gave it: 6x3, 6.5, 7, 8, and 10, with an average of 7.1.

Next Meeting: Reading Lolita in Tehran

Our meeting is almost here ... finally!!!!

Just a few reminders about our Christmas Party this Saturday (Jan. 12 @ 2pm @ Steph's):

• Please bring a wrapped book (new or used) for our book exchange.
• Steph is doing a tapas-style meal so bring a dish of something to share that goes with that theme

It's been quite a while since I read our current book, Reading Lolita in Tehran, by Azar Nafisi. I'm reviewing my notes tonight (after our Christmas dinner with my mom and dad - they were in FL for Christmas), so hopefully I'll remember everything for tomorrow!

Here is a list of some of the questions/topics that we’ll discuss at the meeting, in case you want to think about your answers ahead of time:

1 – According to Nafisi, how is the Ayatollah Khomeini like Humbert in Lolita?

2 - Think about "the blind censor" and how he relates to the larger story.

3 - Consider the position of women in Iran before the revolution versus their position during Nafisi's story.

4 - Why did the regime feel it necessary to ban/restrict most books? Why did it matter what the people were reading? What did the government fear?

5 - In your opinion, should books ever be censored or banned? Why or why not? Are there circumstances that would be an exception to your rule?

6 – What is “home” to you? Is it a place, people, things? Is it stationary or “portable”?

7 - Nafisi focused on two specific novels, Lolita and The Great Gatsby, and on two specific authors, Henry James and Jane Austen. Why did she choose these and not others? What was the relation between the books/authors and Nafisi and her students in Tehran at that specific time?

8 - And finally, the message at the core of the book - What is the real value of fiction? Why should we read it? Is it meant solely for enjoyment or is there something more to "great fiction"? I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these topics and more!

See you all tomorrow!

- Heather

PS. If you’d like to hear Azar Nafisi herself, here are some links you may enjoy:
http://www.authorbytes.com/abmediaplayer/readerscircle10/player.htm http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=3617 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5140411773302656963 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4602009390796832062

Who We Are

There are 20 ladies on the SdelleS mailing list but only half of them are active members. Here is a bit about each of us, starting with the original members [at least, those who gave me info to add!].




Heather - Book Club Founder and unofficial leader ... I started this club back in the summer of '05 because I am a reading addict and am always looking for people to discuss my books with me. I love to learn (and to teach) so researching authors, themes, etc. is a perfect fit for me. My favorite thing about SdelleS is our discussion time ... you know, those great discussions where everyone has an opinion and a strong desire to share it. That doesn't happen with every book, but when it does, I'm in my glory! A little about me ... I've been married since '98 and have a son who was born in '02. My favorite things to read are historical fiction, true stories and the sci-fi/fantasy of Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Orson Scott Card, Frank Herbert, JRR Tolkien and the Dungeons and Dragons series. In addition to reading, I'm an avid scrapbooker and family historian.


Kara - original club member, Heather's college friend



Carrie - original club member, Heather's childhood friend



Nicole - original club member, Heather's sister



Steph - original club member, sister to Kara ... I joined SdelleS for some self-care time, girl time, and because I love to read (well, usually). My favorite thing about book club is that is gives me time with family & friends & always good food. A little about me ... I am a fun-loving thrill seeker but have a busy schedule. So books are a way for me to get a quick thrill when I can't jet off to another state or country for a reality thrill (like volcanoes and scuba diving...). It is also time for me to just be me, to take off the hat of being a professional and wear the hat of being a fun-loving, spiritual woman with my family and friends.


Bev - member since 2005, Kara & Steph's mom


Nancy - member since 2006, Bev's friend ... I joined SdelleS for the love of reading, conversation and friendship. My favorite thing about the club is that we are a diverse group of women who bring an array of experience and personality. Each has a story and we are sisters in heart, hence our chosen book club name! Our meetings are serious, yet FUN and always interesting. The themed meals make the meetings enjoyable to plan. A little about me ... I am a 51 year young woman, Fancy Nancy is my name. My interests include knitting, stamping, party planning, cooking, gardening, shopping (treasure hunting and bargain shopping), spending time with family, traveling and helping others. I love anything that sparkles and yes, I admit, I read Martha Stewart Magazine and follow her show. Cannot help it, she does have great ideas!



Annette - member since 2006, Heather & Nicole's mom


Amber - member since 2006, Heather & Nicole's friend



Anna - member since 2006, Carrie's friend ... I would often read books and not finish them, so I hoped that being in a book club would give me the extra nudge to finish books. My favorite things about the club are meeting some pretty amazing women and all the great FOOD and laughs we share. Hmm, not sure what to tell you about me. The great thing about our book club is we get to know each other and share a lot of ourselves and our lives with each other. Some things that may surprise everyone about me:

1. I took Opera lessons (I love to sing, but not opera)

2. I love taking language classes, most recently I took Russian

3. I wish I could be a professional dancer (not with a pole)... ha ha ha...

4. My passion is to have enough money to oversee an Orphanage and guarantee that every child will receive the BEST care and feel loved until a family adopts them. Thus the reason I selected Russian as my recent language class (they have the most horrible Orphanages in Russia and the government has restricted help for decades).

Joan - member since 2007, invited by Heather


Jessica - member since 2007, started attending in 2008, invited by Carrie

Kelli - member since 2007, started attending in 2008, invited by Carrie

Questions to Ponder as You Read a Book

While reading through the 3rd edition of The Book Group Book I came across a list of questions used by a very large and very formal book discussion group in San Antonio, Texas. I've modified that list slightly and am posting here. These questions are not necessarily things we would discuss at our meetings but they will help you to look at any book with the eye of a literary critic. Taking the time to consider these questions as you read will give you more insight into the book and likely provoke deeper discussion at our meetings. Enjoy!

Questions to Help Analyze Literary Style

Style
1. Is there anything strikingly different about the author’s style?
2. Does the author use figures of speech?
3. Is there much wit or humor? Pathos?
4. Is there anything unusual about the author’s method of description?
5. Is there much dialogue? Is it natural? What is its purpose?
6. Do you feel the author is a close observer of life? Is the author sensitive to life?
7. Does the author ever moralize or seem didactic?
8. Is the author particularly interested in moral problems? Social problems?
9. Does the author succeed in evoking an emotional response from the reader?

Theme
10. What are the themes? Are they universal or shallow?
11. Is the title related to the theme? Is it appropriate? Effective?
12. Is the setting essential to the story (i.e. are the particular times and places especially important)?

Setting
13. Is an unusual amount of space devoted to establishing the setting? Is so, what seems to be the reason?
14. Are the descriptions important either in establishing mood or atmosphere?
15. Is nature unused to increase the effect of a scene?
16. Are there many changes of scene? Why or why not?

Characters
17. Can the character development of the protagonist be readily traced? How and why did she or he change?
18. What use is made of minor characters?
19. Could any characters have been omitted? If so, why has the author included them?
20. What are the author’s methods of character portrayal?
21. Who are the ‘essentially evil’ characters? Do they have any redeeming qualities?
22. Who are the ‘essentially good’ characters? Do they have any detracting qualities?
23. Do the characters seem more important than the action? Is what they are more important than what they do?

Plot
24. What is the basic conflict of the plot?
25. How is the exposition handled?
26. How is suspense created and maintained?
27. Is each chapter a unit? How does it begin? End? What keeps it going?
28. Is the hand of the author apparent in the plot or is what happens the natural outgrowth of the circumstances, the character, and their interactions?
29. Is there foreshadowing? Is it signposted by the author?
30. What is the method of narration (chronological, flashback, diary, letters, parallel events, etc.)?
31. Are there episodes, incidents, or chapters that might have been omitted as far as the plot is concerned? If so, why did the author include them?
32. What makes the first scene a fitting beginning? Or is it?
33. What makes the last scene a fitting (or unfitting) ending?
34. Is the basic conflict of the plot completely and logically resolved?

Other
35. What do you learn or assume to be the author’s sense of morals or moral values?
36. Is there close integration of plot, character, setting and theme?
37. What have you learned that will help you to “live more finely”?

For those of us who have been out of school for a while, here are some helpful definitions:

Didactic designed or intended to teach OR making moral observations

Exposition a setting forth of the meaning or purpose of a literary work

Figure of speech a form of expression (as a simile or metaphor) used to convey meaning or heighten effect often by comparing or identifying one thing with another that has a meaning or connotation familiar to the reader or listener

Narration to tell (as a story) in detail

Pathos an element in a literary work evoking pity or compassion

Protagonist the principal character in a literary work

Setting the time and place of the action of a literary, dramatic, or cinematic work

Signposted to provide with guides in a literary work

Style a distinctive manner of expression

Theme a subject or topic of discourse in a literary work

Celebrate Banned Books Week

The American Library Association sponsors "Banned Books Week" every year. This year it ran from Sept. 29-Oct. 6. Seeing as we had our meeting for Life of Pi during that time, I brought a list of the top 100 banned/challenged books for each member. We talked a bit about our freedom to read in this country, but we didn't spend a lot of time on it.

Here are a few of the more famous books that have been banned in some part of the world:

• Animal Farm
• Black Beauty
• The Age of Reason
• The Call of the Wild
• For Whom the Bell Tolls
• The Manchurian Candidate
• Ninteen Eighty-Four
• Uncle Tom's Cabin

And these books have been challenged but not banned:

• A Wrinkle in Time
• Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
• Bridge to Terabithia
• Of Mice and Men
• Native Son
• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
• James and the Giant Peach
• Huckleberry Finn & Tom Sawyer
• The Catcher in the Rye
• The Color Purple
• To Kill a Mockingbird

Our current book, Reading Lolita in Tehran, is an excellent example of what can happen in countries where people are not free to read what they choose. So please remember how lucky we are to live in a nation that gives us such freedom, and take advantage of your freedom to read.

For more info on the ALA's Banned Books Week, visit their website.