A Suggestion

I have started reading the book for this month. I got a late start on it, but I'm flying through it in the last couple of days. I'm not going to talk about it too much until I finish. But I wanted to suggest that for this one, since it is a collection of short stories, rather than just post our normal general reviews of it everyone should pick a story that they liked the most and do a post about that story in a bit more detail. I think it would be a lot of fun to see what different stories everyone picks out to talk about, and why.

What do y'all think?

Oh Edward!

Alright, here we go...

Really, I constantly had to keep myself motivated to read this book. Nothing really exciting happened and I don't think I really understood where Edward was coming from. I'm all about saving the wildlife, but sometimes he got preachy and extreme about it. He would rather kill a human than a snake? Come on!

He did however make me ever so slightly wish I was sitting next to him. Some of the writing was poetic and I wish I was there to see what he was describing. It was interesting to watch him as a man combine with nature. I think the problem with me though is that I don't feel the same way he does, so it was hard to relate.

So really, other then him being poetic I didn't really like the book. I guess Moab will forever be a mystery to me.

December Book!

Hi All...

Sorry this is so late in coming. It has been a busy couple of days down here, and solidifying a choice is harder than it seems. I have been going back and forth between three different books for a while and have finally picked one. It should be easy to find on Amazon and such.

Without further ado...




I have a deep place in my heart for Raymond Carver. We have yet to tackle a short story collection, and I thought it would be the perfect time to do so with the holiday season upon us.

This collection of short stories was Carver's last published collection. He was one of the few authors who brought the short story back as it were in the 1980's. People often compare him to Kafka, Hemingway, and Chekhov. (Carver refers to the later quite frequently in his poems.)

I can't wait to hear what y'all have to say about it. I hope you enjoy it!

Let's Chat

Hey guys...

Remember a few weeks ago when we talked about being a little more on the ball with the books, and discussing them?

Anybody have anything to discuss so far?

Cleaning Up

So I like the idea that Karen has come up with. Trying to get everyone involved would be a good idea. At least have people create a post each month with their own thoughts on the book we are doing.

I've noticed that most people are just getting their copy of Brandon's choice. What does everyone think about extending his book to November? That way everyone can start to read that book instead of rushing through it and reading Novembers choice. Just an idea... let me know what you think.

One more thing. Can everyone who is interested in continuing this book club comment on this post? I think its time to clean up the authors who are not participating in it. So far I believe Brandon, Brittni, Fe, Karen, Shawn and I are the ones who are still reading and giving our opinions. So, if I don't get a response from anyone else from this post I'll assume they are no longer in the club. Also if anyone else wants to be added as an author and be apart of our good times leave a comment with your e-mail address and I will send you an invite to get involved.

Can't wait to start reading again!

Love you all!

I've Been Thinking...

So I totally love being in this online reading group and we've had some awesome books so far.

I haven't gotten to this month's selection yet, but I've ordered it and am anxiously awaiting its arrival.

I realized that I never posted my feelings on The Shack, mostly because I didn't finish reading it until a week into October.

We're all busy, busy, BUSY people. I am. And I know y'all are too.

BUT.

I'm thinking that maybe we need a little bit more structure in order for this group to really work. I'm not entirely sure how to go about it, but perhaps breaking each book down in fourths and taking some time to post something every week? Or maybe on the last week of each month we can post a different topic each day like themes, characters, symbolism, and overall message?

Like I said, I'm not entirely sure. Partly because I don't really know any of you very well and I don't know your preferences or what works for you. I am just throwing it out there because I think this group is a great idea and I think it can become something amazing.

Oh, and would it be possible to post the selection schedule in the sidebar? I keep going back through the archives to check the list on the original post just so that I make sure not to get ahead of myself.

Anyway, thanks! Y'all are awesome!

An Apology

I owe Brandon a major apology.

This month I've been slacking in the reading department. I have the book at home for this month, I just haven't read anything yet. I feel horrible especially since Brandon has read faithfully everyone's choices, but I haven't done the same for him. I do promise to read this book though. I may just not be able to finish it by the end of this month.

My bad!

Also, I am not sure I remember who is Decembers pick but you have been bumped up to November! We had a friend drop out of the club and wasn't able to pick for her month. So now everyone is moved up a month. Let me know if you have any questions.

The October Selection: Desert Solitaire

Desert Solitaire

“A venturesome minority will always be eager to set out on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for Godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches - that is the right and privilege of any free American.”

- - - Edward Abbey


For the month of October let us now take a little field trip of the soul. I had a while to ponder my book choice, so I debated several different ones in my mind. But when I picked up Desert Solitaire: A Season In The Wilderness by Edward Abby, and read it, I knew with absolute certainty that this was the one.

This was not my first trip into Abbey’s country. I read the Monkey Wrench Gang a couple of years ago. It’s a great book too. But this one, my friend Colby assured me, would change my life. I’m not sure that it has changed my life. But it did evoke the most passionate response from me of any book that I have read in a very long time. Therefore I can’t help but share it.

Edward Abbey believed that, “Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity of the human spirit.” That is what all of his writing is about. The Monkey Wrench Gang, his most famous, and controversial novel, was a best-selling fiction about a loose gang of misfits who roam the desert attempting to right the wrongs of industrial exploitation of the Earth; their ultimate goal to blow up the Glen Canyon Dam. It is credited as a revolutionary flashpoint in radical environmental movements, and the term “Monkey wrenching” is still used to describe acts of vandalism, industrial sabotage, or what some might call eco-terrorism.

Desert Solitaire, on the other hand, comes from way back in his younger days. It is a more simple, purer, less politically incendiary story taken from personal journals he wrote in his time as a park ranger in Arches National Park. This was way back in the day when Arches was just a remote, scarcely visited park way off the beaten tourist track. The roads were still rugged jeep trails. You could still be alone there, and experience some peace and quiet. Now you can scarcely escape the flow of Winnebagos and Hummers loaded up with crazed camera-toting tourists who come there to take the same snapshots that everyone takes without ever leaving the air-conditioned comfort of their steel boxes on wheels. I am a photographer myself, and yet even I can not understand what motivates these people to drive across the country from West Virginia with their screaming children so that they can whiz around in their cars at the butt crack of dawn to capture a photograph that looks identical to the post cards you can buy at the gift shop.

Abbey’s book is about the value of the simple experience of being there, or anywhere else where a person can go to be alone. He evokes the beauty, and mystery, and wonder that comes with being “true to the earth”. He tells the stories of his adventures in and around Moab with incendiary wit, irreverence, and an unholy passion. His ideas are politically incorrect on both sides of the debate. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat you can get equally pissed off. Personally, I agree whole-heartedly with each and every stinking word of his filthy report. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me sick to my stomach. I was filled with joy and rage all at the same time. It’s no wonder that the likes of Hunter S. Thomson and Cormac McCarthy have cited him as an influence on their work.

So, if you have ever floated down a river with good people, or jumped off a cliff, or drank unpurified water from a mountain stream, or got lost in the wilderness, or laid down on cold sandstone to stare at the milky way, or lived out of a backpack, or surprised a rattlesnake, or questioned authority, or jumped a fence, or talked to strangers, or kissed a girl, or a boy, or stepped into quicksand, or gotten high on life, or pulled cactus needles from your best friends eye, or dreamed mystical dreams in the desert, or done something wrong just because you could, then I highly recommend this book to you. And if you have done none of those things then I am truly sorry, and I insist you must read this book. It could change your life.

So let’s do this.

Da Shack

Well - this book has obviously brought out a lot of emotions in everyone who has read it so far. That within itself I find very interesting. I do agree when Shawn said the writing wasn't the best. I have seen much, much better. However I am thankful I read this book now. For everyone who doesn't know my mother died surprisingly in July of this year. Which brought on a lot of feelings while reading. I was able to look past some of the "prechy" conversations between God and Mack - that was probably the worst part of the book for me.

Two of my favorite parts so far is when Mack first gets to the shack and he is reminded of his great sadness. He gets so angry that someone might have been toying with his emotions that he walks out of the shack and yells at God. I can honestly say I knew exactly how he was feeling at the moment. In fact, I found I yelled the same things to God desperate for any hope. And of course my other favorite part was when Mack sees Missy underneath the waterfall. I couldn't stop crying, just imagining what a beautiful experience that would be if I could see my mother again, and know she was ok... just the thought of seeing her again tugs at my heart strings.

Although I haven't quite finished the book yet (I should be done by the end of this next week) the message that this book brings is beautiful. The author is able to break the barriers of the views we have on God. The last thing I picture when I think of God is a black women. But I could understand where they were coming from. I hope others around the world are able to pick up this simple book and when done have more of an appreciation for God.

As far as Brandon's book choice goes... I won't lie, I am worried. :)

Pressures on! Make it a good one babe!

Draggin' Me To The Shack

It was with some reluctance that I began reading The Shack, especially as it quickly became clear that it was a big, fat, christian sunday-school lesson. I'm not sure what I was expecting, something like a more spiritually uplifting No Country For Old Men is what I had in my head from the descriptions I was told. But never mind that. I do strive to take things as they are, free of my twisted expectations, and I am determined to stick with the book club choices. After all, the primary benefit of this game, as I see it, is that it can persuade me to read a different set of books. It's good to get dragged out of my box.

My box, if you will, does not usually include books of a very religious nature. I have too many bad memories of my 18 year guilt complex. But that is why I ultimately found The Shack to be refreshingly thought-provoking.

My pride rebelled against it at first. After all, it takes some serious gall for this man to write a book about God. "What does he know?" I asked myself. And then I would get peeved by its brazen declarations of its own goodness, and the inevitability that it would change my life, and if I don't like it then it wasn't meant for me.

"I'll be the judge of that." (That's right. I talked back to this book a lot.)

In spite of my own inner belief that I know more about God than anyone else, I had to admire the fact that this guy had the guts to cut through all the bullcrap and write a book about God. He didn't hide behind symbolism, or write a veiled allegory about a grandfather whom we could choose to interpret as God. He simply wrote God directly into it. That takes some balls. So after some initial kicking and screaming I just decided to go with it. Take it on its own level. And I found myself actually enjoying it, and thinking a lot about it.

I really respect that this book was able to take a deeper look at what "christianity" should be about but without making me feel like a terrible person. It has always seemed to me that a lot of religion is based on the idea that I am a terrible person. If everyone followed the example that this book sets than the world would truly be a beautiful place. My favorite part of all is when Mack asks Jesus what it means to be a good christian, and Jesus responds saying, "Who said anything about being a christian? I'm not a christian." I don't like the way religion is often used as an excuse for people to put themselves above others. The parts of this book that touched me the most were the parts about freeing yourself from hierarchies, and expectations, and worldly judgement so that you can be open to the mutual love, and relationships that we as humans were made for.

So in short: this boook didn't really change my life. But I did like it a lot. It forced me to think about a lot of things that, quite frankly, I don't like to think about. And that's not a bad thing at all. So I appreciate it. Thanks Karalee for picking it for this club.

Just thought I'd post this and get people talking about it. And, on another note, I will be posting next month's book choice in the next few days. So brace yourselves. I'm definitely going to throw down with something totally different. Just returning the favor. ;)

Warning!

I will talk about the end of The Hunger Games in this post so don't read it if you haven't finished yet.

First of all, I'm really excited about The Shack. I started reading it last night, and this will be a quick simple read for all of us. Way to go KaraLee! How did you get such great taste in books?

As far as the hunger games go I really like Katniss. One of my favorite things about her is that she is very sharp and smart, even though she doesn't really know that. She learns to survive in her own day to day life with her mother and sister without batting an eye lash. So of course when she steps up to the plate and takes her sisters place in the hunger games I know she will give everyone a run for their money.

I also like how everything is set up. How the districts don't interact with each other, but for whatever reason they will all listen to the capitol. The entire thing puts me in a weird and strange world I can't really understand.

Peeta is by far my favorite character though. I'm not sure what there is about him, I think he is very wise and knows what he is doing most of the time. The strong and silent type if you will. I'm always a sucker for those. I'm not so impressed about the ending though. I really thought only one could win, and I felt as though it was a little bit of a cop out on the authors end to let both Peeta and Katniss win. And with the capitol being mad at them? Where is that going to go?

I hear the second book is about Peeta and Katniss going back to district 12 but living with the wrath of the capitol. I'm also sure there is going to be some type of love triangle going on with Gale, Katniss and Peeta. Do you think Gale was in love with Katniss before she left? She didn't seem to think of him in that way.

And did anyone else get all teary eyed when Rue died? Her death was the hardest for me. Especially because of how young she is. I hope in the next book they talk more about the capitol and why they are why they are. I don't understand their reasoning very much for having the hunger games. Except to remind everyone how much power they have.

What did y'all think?

September is Almost Here!

Howdy friends!

As I'm sure you've all noticed, September is almost here. I'm sure this leaves you all wondering what, oh what, will be the book this month? The anticipation is nerve racking! I can see you all now getting sweaty palms just waiting to know which book you get to devour this month. I have to admit I have heard several others mention how difficult it is to pick a book when its their turn. I also felt the same difficulty. However, after talking with an amazing friend of mine she mentioned this book. She has also not read it, but wanted to. So in her honor I have decided to choose the book that she wished to read. Well, the wait is over! Our book this month is....drum roll please.....

I personally have never read this book, but have heard wonderful reviews. You can read more about it at www.theshackbook.com if you so desire. I think it will be a quick read, but have heard that it will give us some interesting topics to discuss afterwards, so bring on September!

I'm finished

Surprise surprise. I finished the book last night and y'all better get your butts into gear and finish this book as well. It's worth your time and keeps your attention throughout the book (well at least for me it did anyway).

I am excited to start talking about it. I know there is the second book coming out soon and I want to read that one as well. Although, I'm not sure what the second book could possibly be about. I hear through the grape vine that the second one is better then the first (this comes from people who have a pr- release copy of the book).

Every time I read teen books I'm always impressed.

Where is everyone else with the book?

Oh my!

Shawn. You never sease to amaze me.

I am in love with this book already! I started it only a few days ago and as of right now I'm around chapter six. I'm already in love with the story, the main character and am excited to figure out how this all turns out! I hope to be finished by the end of next week.

Where is everyone else with this book? I can honestly say if you are not reading this right now, you are missing out. Apparently the sequal is coming out soon, cant wait for that!

Truth?

I was going to post this as a comment but thought I might have more to say than would be good for a comment form.

I think it is interesting that this has been brought up, because it seems like an inevitable part of reading memoir these days. I have some questions to ask the group...


Here is a quote from an interview on the book with Vanity Fair:
"During an interview with Vanity Fair last March, Burroughs stood by the veracity of the book, just as he stood by the right of every individual in a free society to tell his story. "This is my story," he said. "It's not my mother's story and it's not the family's story, and they may remember things differently and they may choose to not remember certain things, but I will never forget what happened to me, ever, and I have the scars from it and I wanted to rip those scars off of me."

He claims that this story is his. Is there an ownership that comes from memories? If so, doesn't that ownership give way to a writer to tweak the memories? Or must it be 100% as it was?

How much weight rests upon how factually true a memoir is or is not?


Why is it okay for a fiction writer to have true events in something that is titled fiction?

Running with Scissors: Now What?

Hey, everyone!

I finished the book. Anyone else? Am I the only one?

I hope not. I cranked through it this weekend since it was a quick (albeit disturbing) read.

Was I the only one that kept asking if this was REALLY a true story? I kept shaking my head and wondering how in the world people could actually live like that, and how this doctor could keep his practice for so long.

And how in the world could Augusten turn out like anything resembling normal?

New Book For August

After much contemplation and going back and forth, mulling over what our fearless leader, the beautiful Rachel mentioned about picking books when we were in charge, I decided that she spoke with a great amount of insight when she mentioned that she will pick a book that she has read for her choice next time-----rather than one that she hadn't read either. I agree with her on one hand and then feel like I am cheating myself on the other.


BUT......

I have, nevertheless, decided on choosing a book that I read about a month ago (yes, I was reading it right before I read The Gargoyle) and it has continued to haunt my thoughts, every once in a while-----still. It was powerful and moving and kept you wanting more!

That is the kind of book that I want to recommend that we read for August. Especially since it is still officially summer, and this book is an easy read----one that will pass the time and would be perfect for a day in the park or on the beach....(if you are lucky enough to have one near----like me----heh, heh)


So.....that said.......my choice for August is:



It is written for teens, but the writing is splendid and I think that you will not be able to put it down!

The story-----"In a not-too-distant future, the United States of America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives. Collins's characters are completely realistic and sympathetic as they form alliances and friendships in the face of overwhelming odds; the plot is tense, dramatic, and engrossing. This book will definitely resonate with the generation raised on reality shows like "Survivor" and "American Gladiator". Book one of a planned trilogy." Quoted by the School Library Journey.

Hopefully, not too many of you have read it. It has been very popular of late, and I found it recommended on my GoodReads website, and was intrigued. The next installment comes out in Sept., I believe, so I am looking forward to more----in fact, the day that I finished reading this one, I WANTED to keep going and was so frustrated that I had to wait!


Well, happy reading......and I hope that you will agree. (I may just read it again...)

The New Book, So Far

I figured someone might as well get around to saying something about the new book (Running With Scissors) we are all reading. We are all reading it right? I know I am. It's going along pretty easily. It's light, and funny, and easy-going even though the subject matter can be a little morbid. But then every now and then it gets really gross. I don't mean to be a prude here, and I don't want to ruin it for you with description, but I wonder: Do we really need all the intricate details of what it feels like to be raped? I'm not sure that I do. I'm pretty sure it could have gone like this:

Chapter 8 (or whatever chapter)

I was raped.

Chapter 9...

I would have felt pretty bad already. That would have sufficed. I'm almost done with this book now. And I intend to finish it. But I really hope it's going somewhere. I wonder why there are so many books these days about how horrible people's lives are? Does nobody have a good life any more? Or is it just that nobody wants to buy books like that. I can't really say that I haven't enjoyed this one myself. Maybe we all do love watching the train wreck.

Just a thought.

Alright! Alright!

Shawn is super dramatic... thus the reason for my post. (Love you Shawn)

Sorry for the silence with my break going on I haven't had time to post. Everyone is asking what we do once the book and month is over. I say, lets post about it of course! And everyone can leave comments about anything they want to say as well as post their own thoughts. I will go first...

I didn't like it.

Go figure!

Sorry guys, I picked a very special book for our first month. Maybe my idea of reading a book for the first time the same as everyone else wasn't the best idea. Next time I'm going to pick a book I've already read and loved, so I can justify why I picked it when all of you tell me how much you hate it :).

At first I really liked the book. the main character was who I loved the most. His dry humor about this awful situation he was in made me wanting to go back for more. Marianne Engel is a strange characters and I loved reading her tragic romance stories although I always felt unsatisfied at the end of each.

I think with Marianne killing herself in the end was not my cup of tea. I can understand the concept of this book though. I think the entire book is about Marianne convincing our main man of her views on love. Each story is about a romance that cannot end the way everyone would like it too. In a way she seemed to be preparing the reader and him for what she was going to do in the end. I don't agree with her views. It's silly she died for no real reason. I feel like other then what I just said, everything else was never tied in. which is too bad.

So there you go. That's how I feel.

What do y'all think? Let's start posting!

P.S. - I am getting my copy of our July's book and start reading asap. I will post once I have something interesting to say about that one.

Need Some Clarification

Ok, kids.

Now we have finished the first book----well, like two weeks ago.

So----what happens next? So do we all leave our review or do we just comment?

I am trying to get the new one from the library, but have had WAY TOO much on my plate. Will we be able to finish the new one by the end of July or is it going to be rough to do this during the summer time?

I know, should be perfect----reading at the beach and all----but who the heck has time for that----with trips and family visiting, theatre for me and gigs on the weekends....

Let me know your thoughts.

Let me know SOMETHING!
(Did I mention that I was dramatic?)

A quick thought..

Why do all of Marianne's stories end so tragicly? Sometimes she brings me down. I hope the ending of this book isnt tragic as well.

Has anyone finished yet?

Have No Fear...the "PIC" is on the scene

Hello friends! Or soon to be friends! Please allow me to introduce myself. Commonly referred to as the PIC on Rachel's blog, I have to admit I haven't really committed any crimes....other then the occasional speeding and the one incident of stealing gas...a girls got to do what a girls got to do to survive right ;) I sincerely apologize for not introducing myself earlier. I am a student, and was in school. Unless you were a text book, my best friend, or my boyfriend I probably didn't know you existed for the last couple of months. But now I am free for a bit and ready to read like crazy! I have to admit that I was not able to obtain a copy of this months book, but I have already secured next months book and am so excited to read it! Ever since the Black Stallion captured my heart in second grade I have had a love of reading. Although I must admit I am a little picky when it comes to the books I read. If they can't capture me then I often have a difficult time getting through them. Anyways, back to me :) I am a pieces, I love life, love to read, love motorcycling, love being outdoors, and I love my family and friends! I may be stoned for admitting this on this blog, but if it came down to it I would rather be outside hiking in the mountains then reading a book; however, I am so glad for Rachel's brilliant idea to create this book club! I am excited to stretch my typical genres to new and distant areas. And I also look forward to getting to know all of you better :)

Allow myself to introduce...myself...

Hi, everyone!

I'm Karen and I found my way here thanks to Shawn's invitation.

I have absolutely loved books since I was tiny. My mom insists that I started reading books when I was three. By the time I got to kindergarten (where I spent 6 weeks before being whisked away to 1st grade) I was into chapter books.

I am so excited to be here and to be part of this group! I started a reading group with some friends while I was living up in Utah. Three years later they are still going strong, even though I've moved back to California and have yet to find friends or neighbors that are as fascinated by stories as I am.

Thanks for letting me join you! I look forward to getting to know you all. And if you want to get to know me, you're welcome to stop by my blog and visit any time.

And July's selection is...Running With Scissors!

-- by Augusten Burroughs.

I'm kind of new at this book club thing, but this is a book I've been wanting to read for a while now. If anyone is opposed to reading it, let me know and I will take any recommendations.



There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe

Review courtesy of Amazon.com

Drum Roll Please

I am so excited to see everyone getting into the Gargoyle. It wasn't what I expected, but I am loving this book so far. I'm about half way through [I'm a slacker... I know] so I have a lot of reading to do in the next week.

One week people - and then it's July! So I thought we could get a line up for the next nine months on when it is your turn to pick a book. I put everyones name in a bucket and had my co-workers pick out names. Here is what we got....

[In case you can't read this and my crappy hand writing here it is written down]

July - Fe

August - Shawn

September - KaraLee

October - Jill

November - Brandon

December - Brittni

January - Karen

Febuary - Alaina

March - Alyssa

There you have it people. Start thinking about which book you would like everyone to read. Let me just say it is a lot harder then I thought it would have been. I look forward to reading new books though.

Have a great weekend y'all!

June reading so far....

So, yesterday I picked up my copy of The Gargoyle at the Orem Library. I had put it on hold about a week or so ago because the library's only copy was checked out (did any of you have it?)

First impressions: The book has a really interesting cover. I really like it. Even though we were taught not to judge a book by it's cover, I do, so sue me.

The hardback cover is a plus. Not always required, but I do love hardback books.

I'm only about one chapter in but so far I really enjoy Mr. Davidson's writing style. His descriptions are so good and everything just seems to flow. I can't wait to continue reading it.

The Reading Fool

Hey there.

I'm Shawn.

I used to get my books taken away for punishment, as a child. When I didn't get the things done that I was supposed to do.....because I was reading.

I lived most of my junior high and high school days walking around in a fog, as I was always "in" my books. Yeah, I'm a book nerd like that.

Reading is......well.....you could say.......my addiction......my obsession......my drug of choice......my escape from the world.....my first love.

And you know that list of the books that we are supposed to read-----well, I've read like 64 of them, so that tells a lot about my obsession with all kinds of books.

I never stop reading----and if I am sitting in a waiting room at the doctors and there is a sign on the wall-----I will read it over and over......because I HAVE to.

That's how I roll.

The Burn Ward

Hey all,

It's about halfway through June, so I thought I would ask how everyone's reading is going. How are you enjoying it? Any thoughts so far?

15 Minute Reading Sessions: Down and Out At the Columbus Library

"At the top of the mountain we are all Snow Leopards." - - - Hunter S. Thomson

I do not have the internet anywhere in my house. I find I have no time to make the kind of money that it would cost me, especially since it is only a five minute walk from my place of residence to the public library. So when I need to connect with the outside world I just take a walk over here and sign up for some free internet time, courtesy of Salt Lake County. Of course there is usually a waiting list of 15 minutes or so before I can squeeze myself in between the children playing games like "Duck Hunt", or even "Bush Shoot Out". I'm not making that one up, my friends. Some child right next to me is on a computer right now, stalking through the White House in first person perspective, as Condoleeza Rice, shooting at God knows what. These are dark times. But never mind, I'm not here to talk about the state of children's computer games.

While I am waiting for a computer to become available I have developed this habit of reading a book, something that is rarely done in libraries these days. So, for the past six months, or so, I have been reading Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child In the Final Days of the American Century, by my good, old friend Hunter S. Thomson. I read it in 15 minute segments. After six months of this I am on page 134. It will be a while before I finish that book. But I have found that this is the perfect way to read one of those books that you just never seem to get around to. You read a few pages here and there, then simply put a bookmark on your page and come back in a few days. That book will still be there, just waiting for someone to pick it up and read more of those terrible words.

Hunter's books work particularly well in these conditions. It allows his craziness to burn slowly into your soul, and then, before you know what has happened to you, you find yourself yelling things like, "God's mercy on you swine!" at innocent police officers on the side of the road. Or you go to work and end up saying terrible things to your boss like, "You people voted for Hubert Humphrey, and you killed Jesus!" You will start calling people "Dirty animals", and threatening to put them out of their terrible misery for crimes against decency, and freedom. I don't really have time to explain all this madness, or how it has helped me to see things the way they really are.

It is a terrible condition, and I recommend you stay far away from the sort of swill that I'm talking about. It will do you absolutely no good to see things in this way. Nevertheless, I do it all the time. Do as I say, not as I do, and all that stuff. Because after all, I am crazy.

- Mahalo

Sissa

Hi everyone! I'm Sissa and I'm super excited to be in the club! I am a self proclaimed book addict. But lately I feel like I am stuck in the teen section. My biggest source of recommendations comes from the best sellers display between the youth and teen section at Barnes and Noble. My latest adventure.....The Percy Jackson series. Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the books, but I feel like I need something the stimulates me intelectually, something that I actually have to sit and ponder after I'm done.

A few weeks ago there was a list sent around on Facebook of books the BBC said pretty much if you hadn't read, you really aren't a reader. Out of the 101 books on there I had only read about 10. And out of those ten, at least half were books I was forced to read in school. So, now I have a goal to read at least one book from that list every month. However. I will not read the Quoran, is that okay?

And I don't think I'll give up the occasionally book from the teen section just yet.

A little me

Hi all. I'm Brittni. I am excited about this save a brain game.

Uh... what can i tell you about me. I am living it up in Cedar City, trust me its pretty exciting. I graduated about a year ago from SUU in Creative Writing with a minor in Sociology. Some of my favorite things are: Deathcab for Cutie, The Decemberists, Breakfast at Tiffany's, HIgh Fidelity, my rainbow shoes, gummy stars... and my awesome friends, because really I have awesome friends. I hate it when people don't rinse out their toothpaste in the sink.

I think we will call that good for now, as to avoid this looking similar to a personal add.

Well hello there...

Hi. I'm Jill and I'm an alcoholic. But besides that I love reading. So here I am!!!

I'm not really sure what else I should be including, so if you really wanna know more about me you can look at my blog.

(insert cool intro title)

Hey guys! Nice to "meet" you. I figured that, now that someone besides Rachel has taken the initiative to introduce themselves, I'd go ahead and say hello. My name is Alaina and I love to read...and to write. Therefore, this is a genius idea; a perfect combination!

I don't really know what else to say. I am so not good at introducing myself. I hate interviews for that very reason. "What would you say is your biggest weakness?" What, do you really think I'm going to go into my personal life with you just because I'm desperate for a job? Screw you! "I'd say it's that I'm too much of a perfectionist." Haha, bull shit! I mean, I am, but that's not my biggest weakness. Maybe one of these days I'll shock them and say something like, "Getting high. That's my biggest weakness....you don't do drug tests, do you?" I'd love to see someone's face after something like that!

Okay, so that was a bit random. My apologies. Anyway, you'll get to know me better as this thing progresses, so I'll just leave it at this, shall I? Hope to hear from the rest of you soon!

Greetings From the Token Male

My name is Brandon Wilde. For some reasons book clubs seem to be monopolized by women, but I intend to straighten out this imbalance as best I can. So here I am. I figure I should introduce myself a little bit. I'm not very interesting. I work. I sleep. I try to figure out how to make money from photography. That's all I got going on in my life as an individual person. I'm also Rachel's boyfriend. So there you go. It all makes sense if you look at it from the right angle.

I like to read, but I don't do it as much as I would like to. It's hard to find the time sometimes. I used to be a total bookworm, but now I usually just pick a book and spend months finishing it. Nevertheless, I will try to keep up with this club. It should keep me going anyway. Since I am just rambling, I will tell you my favorite all time books, and we shall leave it at that.

1. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2. The Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain
3. 1984 by George Orwell
4. Hell's Angel's by Hunter S. Thomson
5. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
6. Taltos by Anne Rice
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
8. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
9. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
10. Dracula by Bram Stoker
11. Contact by Carl Sagan (I just barely read this, and it blew my mind)

Book for June - The Gargoyle

Alright - so I figured I'd take the first task in picking out a book for the month of June. It's right around the corner people so get on it!

I picked The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

Here is an overview of the book:

An extraordinary debut novel of love that survives the fires of hell and transcends the boundaries of time.

On a burn ward, a man lies between living and dying, so disfigured that no one from his past life would even recognize him. His only comfort comes from imagining various inventive ways to end his misery. Then a woman named Marianne Engel walks into his hospital room, a wild-haired, schizophrenic sculptress on the lam from the psych ward upstairs, who insists that she knows him – that she has known him, in fact, for seven hundred years. She remembers vividly when they met, in another hospital ward at a convent in medieval Germany, when she was a nun and he was a wounded mercenary left to die. If he has forgotten this, he is not to worry: she will prove it to him.

And so Marianne Engel begins to tell him their story, carving away his disbelief and slowly drawing him into the orbit and power of a word he'd never uttered: love.

This book has always been in the back of my mind. And yes, you will come to find I am a sucker for a good romance. Hopefully this one lives up to all the hype. People have recommended it to me for a while, but I never got around to doing it. No time better then the present right? So come on people - we only have a month to read this bad boy. 

Also - lets get to know each other a little better... (yeah, I feel like its the first day of third grade too, but get over it.)

My name is Rachel and I am a force to be wrecken with ... ah ha! I am 21 living in Utah with my amazing dog Reggie. I read a lot, a lot - thus the reason for this club. I'm going to school to be a vet tech one day.

What else is interesting about me? Ah hell, who really cares. Just know I'm awesome.

When you get a chance write a post about yourself on here so we can learn a little about you.

** Make sure to give me your e-mail address associated with your blogger account in a comment, or you can e-mail it to me at vishousrachel@hotmail.com - I want to make sure you're an Author**

Ok... that is all. 

Let the madness begin!

Welcome!

Glad you could make it. I wanted to create some type of book club online with some great people. I am always reading a lot of the same type of books and am hoping someone else can show me an amazing book or two (or three, or four...)

So here is what I am thinking. Each person in the book club is assigned a month. A week before that month starts they write a new post letting us know which book they have chosen for us to read.

All of us read it within that month and discuss it along the way. Create a new post for any topic you want to start, or thoughts, ideas, how much you love it, how much you hate it - whatever your little heart desires. 

So leave a comment with the e-mail address you use for your blogger account. I will add you as an Author so you are able to post and let the good times roll!