Ravenous Readers

For our next act ...

2007-04-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

Chicas --

Ola!
I apologize for dropping out of 'Life of Pi' in the middle. I started a new job (for which I get to review books, ironically!) and am just getting my feet under me again.

If anyone would like to get going again -- maybe shooting for a mid-May discussion date? -- I'd be happy to start the discussion.

Nominations? Suggestions? Comments?

And While I'm On the Topic...

2007-02-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

I've been reading another blog where somebody asked if Life of Pi was a book she should bother with, and most of the commenters have been people who Loved This Book. They're talking about how anyone with deep spiritual personal growth will love it too, and that there are secret messages at the end. Did I just TOTALLY miss something? What the heck was this book about anyway? Help!

Quick Question about Life of Pi

2007-02-09T13:19:00.000-08:00

At the end when they come to take Pi's statement, he gives two versions of the story when they don't believe the first one. Do you think there's any possibility that the second one was the truth and he made up all that other stuff about Richard Parker and the cannibal island? Would it change the way you felt about the book if that were the case?

Gotta Love Reader's Guides

2007-01-14T18:14:00.000-08:00

Howdy, kids! The end of the week got away from me and despite the fact that I've had questions in a text file on my computer for almost a week, I didn't get around to posting until just now. A couple questions are below. As always, feel free to post your own questions or e-mail me (normanfam at gmail dot com) and I'll post it for you, with appropriate credit, of course.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts. I really liked this book, though somewhat less upon the second reading, but I know that Jenni was disappointed, to say the least. Such differing opinions should make for good conversation, at least!

A Pool. And Math.

2007-01-14T18:13:00.001-08:00

Pi's full name, Piscine Molitor Patel, was inspired by a Parisian swimming pool that "the gods would have delighted to swim in." The shortened form refers to the ratio of a circle's circumference divided by its diameter. Explore the significance of Pi's unusual name.

Religion by Pi

2007-01-14T18:12:00.001-08:00

In chapter 23, Pi sparks a lively debate when all three of his spiritual advisors try to claim him. At the heart of this confrontation is Pi's insistence that he cannot accept an exclusively Hindu, Christian, or Muslim faith; he can only be content with all three. What is Pi seeking that can solely be attained by this apparent contradiction?

Moved

2007-01-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

For all of you who are listed as contributors, I have switched to the "new" blogger. If you haven't already switched, you will need to do so to be able to post questions. Easy and quick, so don't be afraid. I've been putting it off for a while because I was scared, so some of you regular bloggers with your own sites might have already done this...

Leave a comment or e-mail me if you have questions.

Life of Pi - discuss next week?

2007-01-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

Shall we plan to start discussing "Life of Pi" at the end of next week? Does that give those of you who haven't read it yet enough time?

Snubbed!

2006-12-03T18:30:00.000-08:00

Ow! I guess no one wants to discuss anything right now -- based on the overwhelming response to my last post. What's going on with everyone, fellow booklovers? Do we want to wait to 2007 to chat? I'm good with whatever.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

Best wishes to everyone for a happy Thanksgiving tomorrow -- or whenever you're celebrating! Whatever's on tap for you this year, I hope it involves lots of whipped cream.

If anyone wants to start discussing either Life of Pi or As Nature Made Him at the beginning of December (say Monday, Dec. 4), I'm happy to kick off the discussion. What's the consensus on our next book? And do you all want to chat in December, or wait until after the holidays?

What's Next?

2006-11-09T12:20:00.000-08:00

I couldn't remember our timeline to be finished with Down Came the Rain. What's on the agenda next? I actually already have a copy of Life of Pi, and would have to go out and find that other one, so there's my vote, based on selfish and lazy motives. :)

Looking ahead

2006-10-31T10:50:00.000-08:00

Throughout the book, Shields is achingly honest about the apathy and sometimes dislike she felt for her daughter while struggling with PPD. As she found a good medication and underwent therapy, she talks about how that changes and how her love for her daughter became everything she ever hoped and more. But, if you were Rowan, Brooke's daughter, how do you think it would affect your relationship to read this book as an adult? At what age do you think a child can understand a mom's ambivalence, if ever? It's PC to say Rowan will be proud of her mom for being honest and helping other women -- and she probably will be -- but do you think that will be totally true, or will she be hurt in some ways as well?

The darkest secrets

2006-10-31T09:26:00.000-08:00

Re: Page 71
"The wall morphed into a video game, and in it her little body smacked the surface and slid down onto the floor."
Wow. Was anyone expecting this kind of openness? How did this passage make everyone feel? Were you horrified? Empathetic? Do we all have these moments of unbidden images of hurting someone that our superego squelches? If the narrator had been an unwed, poor mother, not a celebrity, would that change your opinion of this passage in the book?

Speaking of celebs ...

2006-10-31T09:23:00.000-08:00

OK, I'll post a book-related question in a sec. But I did want to build on Christy's question about celebrities and babies and ask what everyone thought of this big trend toward celebrity adoptions. Did Angelina Jolie start the hippest trend ever? Is this good for the kids getting adopted? Why do you think being a mom has become so cool in Hollywood lately? (And, go ahead, tell us what you think about Madonna's adoption too ...)

Here's a couple to get us started

2006-10-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

Below are a couple questions to get the discussion rolling for Down Came the Rain by Brooke Shields. Please feel free to post your own discussion questions at any time...

Oh, and even if you haven't read, please read the questions. These first two are more of "reading the book made me wonder this and I want to know what you think" rather than straight discussion of the book itself. Your comments are welcome weather you have read or not.

September 11 and kids

2006-10-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

Brooke and her husband, Chris Henchy, were planning to start trying for a family with the help of fertility specialists in early 2002. The attacks in NYC on Sept. 11, 2001 just seemed to solidify their decision to have a family.

Did Sept. 11 affect how you felt about bringing children into your life? Did it affect how you feel about other people having children (deciding not to at all because of the horrors of the world, having more children than originally planned because of how the attacks made them feel, etc.)?

Well, duh.

2006-10-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

The very first line of the book:

"After all of the time I've spent in the public eye, you might think that finding out I was going to have a miscarriage moments before stepping onstage wouldn't shake me up, but it did..."

What are we? Monsters? So unfeeling and out of touch with reality that just because she is a celebrity we think that this wouldn't be hard for her? I don't know why we would be reading this book - unless you had to for some book club or something - unless you were prepared to feel at least some empathy for Brooke Shields.

Do you think that in terms of having a family, do we expect more or less from celebrities? Do we expect the extra money that we perceive that they have to allow them to "purchase" a better or easier child-rearing experience than "normal" people can have?

Crap. Is it October already?

2006-10-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I know we were supposed to have started talking about Down Came the Rain by Brooke Shields, um, yeah two days ago, but I haven't gotten my butt in gear and written discussion questions and frankly, I don't know what happened to September. It was here. Now it's gone and all the stores have Christmas decor up.

So here's the deal: The lovely Jenni has suggested to me that we ask the contributors (that's you!*) to post just one question for the current reading selection. It can be a "this was interesting to me; what do you think?", a "this was my interpretation of this, how about you?" or a "what the hell was this all about?" ANYTHING.

That said, here's my question for you: Wanna play?

Because, really, I think that is what this should be about. It should be fun in that intellectual way that you enjoyed your literature classes in college, but without the professor telling you that you are wrong or the worry of grades.

So I was thinking that maybe we could start discussing Down Came the Rain next Monday (October 9) and I'll start us off with a question or two and maybe the rest of you, as you have time, can post a question sometime before November 6. Sound okay to you all?

*For those of you reading along and are not official "contributors" (you know who you are), if you want to email me with a question to post, I will be happy to. Or email me and I can invite you to be a contributor. Whatever works for you.

Welcome, Katie and let's read.

2006-09-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Please join me in welcoming Katie to the Ravenous Readers. She's a high school science teacher and God-mom and, as you can see from her comments about Middlesex, she will be an asset to our group!

Pegs asked if we should start reading Down Came the Rain and I say YES! Read and we'll talk about it at the beginning of October. In the meantime, if you have any more thoughts or questions about Middlesex, please keep the comments coming!

If you need to use this blog to participate, I'll let you.

2006-08-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

There is this really great project to honor the victims of September 11. Basically, for each of the 2,996 victims of the attack on the World Trade Center five years ago, one blogger will post a tribute. What a nice way to mark that day; to celebrate the lives - and not rehash the murders - of all these people. Please consider participating. I believe that there are several of you who don't have blogs. If you would like to participate and don't have a blog of your own, please feel free to use the Ravenous Readers as your forum.

Thanks!

M-Sex Ten For Unto Us A Child is Born

2006-08-13T20:27:00.000-07:00

What did you think of the significance of both Sourmelina and Desdemona conceiving Milton and Tessie on the same night? (Particularly on a night after they had watched a graphic play based on a legendary Greek myth?) Is this central to the story, or just an "in-joke" to underline how interconnected the family ties are? Do you think, as Zizmo claimed to, that Sourmelina and Lefty may have had an intrigue?

M-Sex Nine A Rose By Any Other Name

2006-08-13T20:20:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about the subtext behind everyone's names -- both given at birth and by the narrator.
Consider: Calliope, our narrator, is also the muse of Greek poetry. The home the family moved into was on Middlesex Boulevard. Lefty refers to a characteristic some cultures take to be evil. Desdemona is the wife of Othello (who was driven to violence in part by his love for her) in Shakespeare's tragedy of the same name. Even the folks whose names we don't know -- The Object (because she was one) and Chapter Eleven (so-called because he ran the family business into bankruptcy) -- are sly commentaries. Were there other examples of this? Are there other meanings to be found in these names?

M-Sex Eight Strong Enough For A Man ...

2006-08-13T20:19:00.000-07:00

Cal states that, other than his attraction to The Object, he wasn't uncomfortable living as a female. Do you believe him? Were his actions concurrent with this assertion? What do you think would have happened if he never read the doctor's report?

M-Sex Seven I'll get you yet, masked marauder!

2006-08-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

In your opinion, is there a villian in "Middlesex"? Who? Why?

M-Sex Six Sympathy for the Devil (and Everyone Else)

2006-08-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

It could be argued that almost everyone in "Middlesex" is a victim of some sort. Who did you have the most sympathy for? Why? Is there any character for whom you have no sympathy? Why?

Great work Jenni and housekeeping

2006-08-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

Firstly, a big THANKS to Jenni for posting our questions. I look forward to seeing what everyone has to say about the books. I assume (a dangerous word, I know) that we can expect more questions in the future from our illustrious moderator. What? You didn't realize that the discussion was going on already? Well, you can get a collection of links to all of the questions about Middlesex that have been posted so far at Readux. So go and tell us what you think. We want to hear it; it doesn't matter if you are a contributor, someone who has been reading along or just someone who stumbled on this site by accident and happens to have read the book.

Also, you may have noticed that the voting for the order of future reading selections has been removed. Or, perhaps you haven't. If you didn't notice that discussions had started, probably this didn't fly in your face as a big change. No matter. The reading selections for your future enjoyment are as listed on the right sidebar of this page. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks for joining in the fun and no matter what you have to say - agree, disagree, reiterate what other people have already said - we want to hear what you have to say about Middlesex!

M-Sex Five Careful What You Wish For

2006-08-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

This is particularly aimed at you parents in the crowd. What did everyone think of Milton and Tessie's attempts to have a daughter? Can you trump fate? Do you think, for discussion sake, that we're meant to feel things might have been different if they hadn't tried to control the process? If you've been in a similar situation and are comfortable dishing, tell us: did you try to manipulate your child's sex? Did you feel superstitious about it? Why does Eugenides tell us this about Cal's conception?

M-Sex Four Sins of the Father

2006-08-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

"Middlesex" has multiple protaganists. Not just Cal, but his parents and grandparents are all central figures. Do you think their stories are central to the book's success? How would it have been different if you had only known about Cal's life, without knowing about his grandparents? Why do you think Eugenides told a saga of generations, instead of one individual's story?

M-Sex Three Trustworthy?

2006-08-03T18:33:00.000-07:00

Is Cal/Calliope a reliable narrator? There are a number of passages in which he says openly, "I don't know if this is what happened, but it's how I imagine it." (His grandparents' story, his own conception, the bootleg scene on p 110.) Given that he is honest about what he doesn't know, does that make you believe him more or less? As a reader, did you believe his account of his life? Of the way he felt as a girl? Do you believe he really didn't know?

M-Sex Two Cal .. what?

2006-08-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

Do you think that knowing from the beginning of the book that Callie would eventually be Cal influenced your view of Callie? How would the story have been different if the reader assumed, as Callie did, that she was really a girl? Why do you think Eugenides chose to tell the story in Cal's voice at the beginning?

(Thanks to MamaC for this line of questioning!)

M-Sex One Whatcha Think?

2006-08-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

Let the discussion begin!

The plot of "Middlesex" involves a number of hot-button political issues, as seen through the experiences of one family: incest, pre-marital sex, perceived homosexuality, etc. etc. As a reader, how did you feel as you read this book? Interested? Offended? Sympathetic? Shocked? Plain-old weirded out? Which plot line affected you the most, and why?

Are you ready to rumble?

2006-07-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hey chicas,

Where are we on reading 'Middlesex'? I'm prepared to start posting discussion questions this week, but I need to know if everyone's ready to discuss the work as a whole, or if we should break it out into sections until everyone's done. Check in and let me know where you are, and we'll get started!

A new poll

2006-07-27T19:16:00.000-07:00

And I promise this is the last one for a while! As you know, we are currently reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Discussions, led by Jenni, should be starting in early August, so read! Read like the wind!

Our next selection is Down Came the Rain by Brooke Shields. If you are interested in moderating the discussion, please let me know.

After that, we have two more selections to chose from: The Boy Who Was Raised As a Girl by John Colapinto and Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Go vote for the one that you would like to read after Shields' book. (As requested by Jenni, I have removed Bowling Alone from the list of options. I don't want to read a textbook-like selection any more than you people do!)

So vote! :)

Good News!

2006-06-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

Did you see that our own Kelli has some good news? Go congratulate her!

"Middlesex" it is

2006-06-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

You voted and our next reading selection will be "Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides. After that, we will be reading "Down Came the Rain" by Brooke Shields. Leave me a comment and let me know what a reasonable timetable for reading the next selection is for you. Please keep in mind that Jenni seems to think this is a pretty quick read so perhaps we should start discussing this the third week in July? Anyone - RR contributors only, please - wanna lead the discussion? I will be happy to do it if no one else volunteers.

There is a new poll about future selections. Go vote in it!

And if you are a visitor, please leave comments if you have read a book that we are discussing! Or feel free to read along with us and comment. It's fun! And educational!

We have a tie. Again.

2006-06-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

We have a tie in the voting for the next book. The front-runners right now are:

"Middlesex" by Jeffrey Eugenides
"Down Came the Rain" by Brooke Shields

So, I'm putting up a new poll so that we can determine what order we will read them in. Please vote by Saturday night.

Then I will put up a quick poll to see if we want to read the other books on this list ("The Boy Who Was Raised As a Girl" by John Colapinto, "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, and "Bowling Alone" by Robert D. Putnam, Lewis M. Feldstein, With Don Cohen) as well, as was suggested previously. Depending on how that turns out, we'll have another poll about the order. And then I will quit harassing you to vote. I promise. But today is NOT that day. Go vote for a book!

Exercise your rights!

2006-06-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

There is a new poll over there on the right side of the page. Lots of interesting books to choose from for our next reading selection. Why don't you go vote for one? Vote until next Monday and sometime next week I will post another poll to pick the the book after that. Then you can get super-saver shipping if you order the book online...

It's time to pick a book (or two)

2006-06-05T20:29:00.000-07:00

So we haven't really talked about what we are reading next or when we are gonna do it. So. Let's do that.

When I brought this up a while back, Jenni made the following suggestions:

Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. Jenni said "e I need to read this, and I guess I'm going to have to do it. One told me, "It's the best book about a schizophrenic transexual I've ever read." (I'm not making this up. She really said that.)"

The Boy Who Was Raised As a Girl by John Colapinto. Jenni said "I ead it some years ago and it has haunted me ever since. It's fascinating. And it does bring up a lot of hot-button issues that might be club-worthy too."

I have a couple suggestions of my own:

Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression by Brooke Shields. Another non-fiction option since I know at least one of you isn't a big fiction reader. Plus, I wanna see what got Tom Cruise's panties in a wad.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel. I have read this. It is amazing and I would love to hear your views on it.

Got any other good ideas? Leave a comment. I'll put up a poll with all of the suggestions next week so we can pick the next book.

Also, since we still seem to be talking about DIWC, shall we have it be our July read and August discuss book? I know that people are busy all the time but particularly in the summer. Let us know what you think...

Jack the Ripper v. Holmes

2006-06-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

So Jack the Ripper - who had his killing spree in the late 1800's - is largely considered the world's first serial killer, right? But Holmes killed far more people - I believe Jack had just five victims while Holmes had at least 20 and more likely a couple hundred - and is far less famous. Is this because the murders were done in private and only discovered long after the fact whereas Jack's were public and immediate? Would either have these killers been thought to be less evil if they had committed just one murder rather than several?

What else could get this kind of attention?

2006-06-04T20:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm finally getting a couple questions posted as well...

I remember reading in the book somewhere - forgive me, it was a passage I didn't mark but kept coming back to me - that shortly after the fair opened people were going to the fair, but not in the numbers that were expected. It was a disappointment to the organizers, but they took heart that things would pick up once all of the exhibits were open because they had heard good buzz among the people who were going. People started to think that once the fair was completely open, that it would be worth it - nay, necessary - to spend the time and money to make the trip to the fair. This was in a time when vacation travel was even more a luxury than it is now.

Is there any event that you can think of that would garner this kind of attention today? Or has leisure travel become something that is so commonplace that even very well-attended events are no longer viewed this way?

Random Thought

2006-06-04T08:47:00.000-07:00

I was talking to folks about DIWC last night, and something came up that I wanted to mention to you guys that had read it. If these incidents -- both the fair AND Holmes' spree -- were to happen in a different period of time, how would they be different? If Holmes' was 'working' today, would he be more or less successful? Is he different from modern serial killers in any way that you noticed? Ditto on the fair thing: Do you think today's World Fair committees have the same issues? What do planners of today's fairs have to do to dazzle folks?

The Final Discussion

2006-05-29T04:47:00.000-07:00

Oops! It's almost the end of the month, and I've been a very bad discussion leader. I totally never got around to posting the final questions for the group. I was going to do that today, but then a thought occured to me. "Wait a minute," I thought, "this book club is for all of us. So, instead of posting guiding questions, why not end our discussion of Devil in the White City with an open-ended question. This way, everyone can talk about whatever their hearts desire." So, here it is ... What were your opinions of the book?

And, so we begin our discussion ...

2006-05-15T05:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Ravenous Readers discussion of Devil in the White City! As mentioned in the previous post, this week we discuss the first portion of the book, pages 1 – 127. (If you are able, please answer the questions below no later than May 20; after that date, we begin our discussion of the second portion of the book.) This first series of questions examines your early impressions of the book and centers on two foundational elements: the book’s most powerful figures (Burham & Holmes) and the Chicago World's Fair of 1893.

Question #1: Time to Fess Up ...

2006-05-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

Most book club votes are not unanimous. Some people want to read the book. Others only read the book because they have to ... the majority voted for it, but they weren't part of the majority. Okay, so, tell the truth—did you actually want to read this book? If so, what was the appeal? If not, please let us know why.

Question #2: Why a Book about the World’s Fair???

2006-05-15T05:30:00.000-07:00

What are your early impressions of the book’s setting— World's Fair of 1893? The book’s author, Erik Larson, goes to great lengths to explain why the World’s Fair was so important during that time. He mentions how well Paris performed at the previous expedition, and he describes the battled that ensued in America’s bid for the fair. (Washington wanted it because it was the seat of the country’s government; New York wanted it because it already had everything else.) Many important events happened in 1893. Do you think the World’s Fair setting added or detracted from the storyline? Is there a different historical event that would have captured this plot equally as well?

Question #3: Who are These Guys?

2006-05-15T05:27:00.000-07:00

Architect Daniel Burnham and serial killer Henry H. Holmes are the book’s two most powerful characters. After reading the opening chapters of the book, what are/were your first impressions of these two men?

Discussion: Devil in The White City

2006-05-12T21:59:00.000-07:00

It's time! As planned, our discussion of Devil in The White City begins today. Well, kind of ... Actually, I've decided to divide the discussion in three parts.

Let's discuss the first portion of the book, pages 1 - 127, from May 14 - 20. On Sunday, May 14, Mother's Day, I'll post the first discussion primer. We'll have the entire week to discuss it.

Accordingly, we will discuss the second portion of the book (pages 128 - 157) from May 21 - 27 and the third portion (pages 158 - 390 as well as overall impressions) from the 28th until the end of the month. Why would divide the book as such? Weeeelllll ... I have a sneaky suspicion that not everyone has finished the book; I don't want to let any plot spoilers slip out. ;) Enjoy the additonal days of reading and let's gather round again on Sunday. Have a great weekend!!

Welcome, Kelli!

2006-05-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

So I have been meaning to do this for days, so please forgive my lateness!

We have a new member of the RR and her name is Kelli. She's gonna look familiar to you because she is a frequent poster of comments here and since she has been such a good participant, I thought it was only fair to make her and official contributor. You know, since the perks are so great. ;) Kelli chases after seven, count 'em, seven toddlers - including her own gorgeous daughter - in her own child care center and still finds time to post on her own blog where she runs weekly movie trivia (which is, incidentally, brutally hard but so fun). Awesome.

Welcome, Kelli!

Only One day left

2006-04-30T21:14:00.000-07:00

Only one day left until we start discussions... I'm behind! I'd better get to reading instead of blogging...

My Kind of Town, A City of Good and Evil

2006-04-07T21:13:00.000-07:00

“Loving Chicago,” said legendary American writer Nelson Algren, “is like loving a woman with a broken nose.” I was born in Chicago; it’s my hometown and I can attest that it’s a really special place. And, like Algren says, it's not an easy city to love. Perhaps it's the odd mixture of good (Oprah, skyscrapers, sports teams, jazz, etc.) and evil (bad weather, political corruption, poverty, segregation, gangsters and, of course, crime) that permeates the place.

I volunteered to do the discussion primer for The Devil in the White City because, I’m excited about the opportunity to share my city —even though it’s through a book — with you. Approximately 400 pages long, if you haven’t started reading yet, you only have to read about 15 pages per day to finish the book on time. Ready ... set ...

Happy Reading!

With the help of MamaChristy (pretty please!!), sometime during the week of May 1 – 6, I hope to prepare and post a discussion primer so that we can discuss the book together as a group via this blog. In the meantime, as usual, anyone can post anything at anytime.

Let's read and decide...

2006-04-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Hello again, Ravenous Readers! Thanks to everyone who participated in the conversations about "The Jane Austen Book Club" and please feel free to continue to comment on questions as long as you like*.

Your reading assignment, should you choose to accept it is:

"The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America" by Erik Larson

Remember, we read in April and discuss beginning May 1 (or there-abouts). Would anyone else like to do the discussion primer? I'll be happy to do it again if no one volunteers. If someone does volunteer, don't worry, I promise to contribute questions (you don't have to come up with a ton on your own if you don't want to). Volunteer through a comment or e-mail.

Now is also the time to make suggestions about the June/July reading selection. Please leave a comment with your nomination and I will post a poll to determine the next selection (or two, if we like) once we have some contenders...

Thanks for all the fun, ladies!

*Sorry that I haven't made more comments myself in response to your thoughtful words. I plan to do so still, but in the midst of moving preparations I've been a little distracted...

This is why 50% of marriages end in divorce.

2006-03-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

“Prudie decided that she would rather teach French at the high school than marry for money. It was a decision quickly made, but she could always revisit it.” (Page 159) Does anyone else get the feeling that Prudie isn’t 100% into this marriage? Is this a commentary on how people treat marriage these days?

Go? Are you kidding?

2006-03-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

“Of course, she didn’t actually want to go.” (Page 102) What do you think of Prudie not wanting to go to Paris? Is it understandable or absurd?

Too similar or not similar enough?

2006-03-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

“The Austen bashing was getting out of hand.” (page 51) Is this the problem with having a book club all about one author that nearly everyone loves? Are you unable to criticize the selection without offending someone when people are truly fanatical about an author? Do you have to have something in common with people to have an enjoyable book club? How similar is too similar? How different is too different?

Spoiled Christmas

2006-03-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

“Sylvia was daily deserted; Allegra had merely had her Christmases spoiled.” (page 48) Do you think this is a fair interpretation of the feelings of an adult child when parents become divorced?

This deserves it's own post... "A Secret Life" Readux

2006-03-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

ET had such an interesting question in a comment about A Secret Life that I thought it should be it's own post so that it didn't get lost:

"Do any of you have a secret life that no one knows about -- if so... would you be willing to share 1 sentence about it? Or if you think that one of the members of the JABC has a secret life - mention 1 sentence about that.."

Are you ready for more?

2006-03-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

Be sure to read over the comments to the discussion questions - especially those that Kim (a la PinkLady) just posted - and make additional comments if you would like to do so.

Are you ready for more questions? Do you have questions you would like to pose to the group? If you'd like to see some additional questions, please let me know in the comments. I have several more. If you would like to ask a question or have a thought that you would like the entire group to comment on, please do it in a new post. (If you need assistance, please let me know!)

If you're done with this book, that's fine as well - leave a comment!

I am ALIVE!

2006-03-10T07:04:00.000-08:00

Ladies,

I just want everyone to know that I am biting at the bit to participate. I told MamaC on Monday or Tuesday that I was going to be posting that evening ... and have been without a computer ever since! I hope (everybody cross something!) that I will have a computer up and running by tonight - at the latest tomorrow. I'm sending this from work (not supposed to, but oh well) so please know that I can't wait to be more involved!!! Happy Friday!

Ravenous Readers Part Deux Readux

2006-03-06T10:52:00.000-08:00

I knew that some logistical issues would come up with this blog and they have. I think if you are just getting to the site to read the discussion primer and questions, it might be a little difficult to figure out where to start without reading posts in the "wrong" order. To solve this I have created another blog called Ravenous Readers Part Deux at Read~~ingItRight~~ux.blogspot.com. Links to the primer and questions are there and will hopefully make it easier to read the conversations about the book. Plus it will make it easier to tell which posts refer to which book in the future.

Oh, and I really don't like the name "Ravenous Readers Part Deux." Anyone have any other suggestions?

UPDATE: Looks like we're gonna go with "Ravenous Readers Redux" and I'm changing the links...

Four discussion questions

2006-03-01T20:16:00.000-08:00

I've posted four discussion questions for The Jane Austen Book Club. Please respond to these questions in the comments for that post. If you have other questions or thoughts you'd like to share with the group, please put them in a separate post - we don't want your brilliant thoughts or burning inquiries to get lost!

Eye Would Die 4 U

2006-03-01T20:15:00.000-08:00

“Jane Austen wrote six great romances, and no one died for love in any of them.” (Page 108) Does this make them more realistic, less exciting, or both? Does dying for love in novels always have to be taken literally or can we interpret it figuratively? Isn’t that the fun part of novels? That they can be novel because those things don’t happen in real life (much like Grigg’s love of science fiction)?

Oh, really? I hadn't noticed...

2006-03-01T20:14:00.000-08:00

“What if you had a happy ending and didn’t notice? Sylvia made a mental note. Don’t miss the happy ending.” (Page 243) This was interesting. Are we too busy waiting for “happily ever after” to actually live it? Should we try to live our happy ending rather than look for it? Would this ensure a happy ending or just lead to a life of delusion?

A Secret Life

2006-03-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

“There was something appealing of thinking of a character with a secret life that her author knew nothing about. Slipping off while the author’s back was turned, to find love in her own way. Showing up just in time to deliver the next bit of dialogue with an innocent face.” (Page 171) Did anyone else find this enchanting? It really made me think of the novel Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

Novel or commentary?

2006-03-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

Was this a novel or more of a commentary on how the same book can affect each person differently? Is the author really trying to tell a story or is she merely pointing out that our experiences color how we read a book? If so, is it important to read some books more than once because we will get something different out of them when we have had different experiences?

Yay for K-Pax!

2006-03-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

And, in the spirit of celebrating manners and small joys, may I brag on our member Kristie? Her very first photography exhibition opens today in Clifton Forge, Va. Not only is she funny (and darling), she's talented too. Like Grigg. (Well, kind of.) Kudos to you, cuz.

The Jane Austen Book Club - Discussion Primer

2006-02-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first discussion of the Ravenous Readers Online Book Club. It seems fitting that we would begin with a book about a book club*. So, I assume that you all have read the book. I will be giving away the ending, so:

WARNING: If you haven’t read/finished The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler – and you want to do so without knowing the ending – do not read any further!

(This has been a public service announcement to all of you on the internets who might accidentally come across this page before you read the book. It has been brought to you by the goodness in my heart. On with the discussion!)

So, let me sum this puppy up. Our cast of characters:

Jocelyn – Founder of the club. Childhood friend of Sylvia. Single. Matchmaker.
Bernadette – Crazy old lady.
Sylvia – Separated from husband (Daniel, who was originally Jocelyn’s boyfriend). Mother of Allegra.
Allegra – Lesbian. Single but pining for her crummy girlfriend. Club’s “Devil’s Advocate.”
Prudie – A young-married. Occasionally question’s her decision to marry her husband.
Grigg – Token Male. Only new-comer to Austen.

I intentionally left out that Jocelyn is a dog breeder. In the beginning I thought it would be important to the story, but I don’t think it was.

Jocelyn (isn’t that a great name?) forms the club as support for Sylvia whose husband has left her. Grigg is invited into the club because Jocelyn sees him for Sylvia. This might have even been the reason to form the club, as it would have been impossible for Jocelyn to convince Sylvia to go on a date with Grigg. I digress; this is merely my speculation.

Well, the club is formed and, well, nothing much really happens. We get a chance to learn about the characters - though just as a character gets really interesting the author moves on to someone else - and appreciate that each “has a private Austen” that colors their interpretation of the book that the group is reading. This seemed, to me, very much an exercise in character development. I felt an understanding for each character, but other than Sylvia getting back together with Daniel and Jocelyn and Grigg hooking up, not much happened. Yes, Prudie’s mother died, but that didn’t add much to the story other than making Prudie absent for a time. Allegra got back together with Corrine at the very end, but you can tell that’s not going to work out (and honestly, I wouldn’t want it to).

So, that’s it in a nutshell. I know it kind of sounds like I hated this book. I didn’t hate it; I just didn’t love it like I thought I might. Is this perhaps because I’ve not read Austen? I didn’t feel a real kinship with the characters that I really think you are supposed to if you are an Austen fan. It also doesn’t make me want to run out and read Austen.

One observation that I would like to make before getting into the actual discussion of the book: it seems that after reading the synopsis of Austen’s books that each of the main character’s in the JABC corresponds with a beloved Austen character. Austen lovers: did you find this to be true (If this was an obtuse observation, please excuse my lack of knowledge!)? My list of corresponding characters went like this:

Jocelyn = Emma
Grigg = Knightly
Allegra = Marianne
Sylvia = Elinor
Daniel = was he John, Edward, or a combination?
Prudie = Fanny
Bernadette = Catherine (perhaps?)

Also, the whole Jocelyn/Daniel/Sylvia/Tony swap seems reminiscent of the love issues in Mansfield Park. I’m sure I missed lots of other references. Please feel free to point them out.

One other thing: Who the hell was narrating this book? I really have no idea as it doesn’t seem to be any of the characters, but much of the novel was written in first person so I was a little – okay, a lot - confused.

Please share some initial comments about the book before I post any questions!

* There is a great book about a book club called Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons by Lorna Landvik that is totally worth a read.

Is anyone getting excited?

2006-02-21T19:28:00.000-08:00

You should be! This is gonna be fun!

I finished the book over the weekend and did the first draft of the discussion primer today. "First draft" implies that it's going to be polished and intelligent. I'm more working towards coherent. I think I can pull that off.

So my plan is that I'm going to post the primer and the first discussion question in one post. Then a day or so later, I'll post another couple questions (or three - I wrote lots of questions but I will try not to hog all the question posts) each in their own post. Then comments can be made for each question and hopefully that will allow us to follow a somewhat logical discussion for each question. I will then open up the floor for everyone to be able to jump in and post their own questions/thoughts in posts to be commented on frequently by the rest of us.

Sound like a plan?

Someone has a birthday...

2006-02-20T18:49:00.000-08:00

Happy Happy Joy Joy to our own lovely RustyJoy. She's just lucky that I'm not including how many candles are on that cake (not that I'm one to talk as I'm the older one...)!

Brought to you by the letter “X”

2006-02-16T14:13:00.000-08:00

ET – this one’s for you. My work week has been viciously busy, so wham! – I got 2 minutes of quiet this afternoon and found myself chomping at the bit to do something. At which point the dictionary in my bookcase caught my eye. We flirted from across the room for a few minutes while I pondered disturbing the cat who had taken residence in my lap (Fat Cat does NOT like to be disturbed; I have the scars to prove it). Well, my leg was falling asleep anyway (hey, she's 18 pounds), so I finally braved the wrath of the claws and flipped through the entire 7 (yes, SEVEN) pages of the dictionary that contain our old friends X, Y and Z.

First of all in the “X” section, there about 20 words to choose from. And that includes “x-mas”, “x-axis” and “x-chromosome”. Is it just me, or does that seem like cheating?

Second – after this discovery I’d like to trade in my XYZ encyclopedia for something different. If I’m going to be stuck on a deserted island with a 7 page book I am going to get bored fast.

Anyway, I’ve picked out my favorite (lack of options here): Xerophilous. Actually, I really just like the way it’s pronounced. Zir-rof-o-lus. Kind of sounds like “metropolis.” It means: Flourishing in or able to withstand a dry hot environment.

So I DON’T have a black thumb…I just don’t buy xerophilous plants.

Hmm, I have the sudden urge to watch Sesame Street.

How’s the reading coming?

From Jenni

2006-02-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

"Help! How do you post an original thought, not a comment? My cluelessness is showing, I know, but would welcome insight."

Honey, I have been meaning to get some directions together for those of you unfamiliar with Blogger... I'll get after it... Soon...

As far as keeping up, I use Bloglines to let me know what is new. Plus it lets you keep up with an inordinate amount of blogs pretty easily (I know I'm a junky! So! You will be too! Mark my words! If you need recomendation about which blogs to read, I have TONS I can recommend...).

I BOUGHT IT!!!! :-)

2006-01-30T22:44:00.000-08:00

I am such a ridiculous procrastinator. I simply cannot function without deadlines.

We are supposed to buy/read the book in January and discuss it in February, right? Well, given that today is officially the absolute last day in January, I went to the nearest Barnes and Noble (actually, I think it was a Borders), and I bought the book. Yay!!!

Goal #1: Buy Book. Mission accomplished. Goal #2: Read Book. Okay, now, here's where that little "deadline" thing comes in. Ladies, help! I can't remember if we've already selected a date to cyberdiscuss the book. Have we? If we have, what is it? If we haven't, how about the weekend of either Feb. 10th or 17th?

This is why I started this!

2006-01-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

Have you read Kim's response to our "getting to know you" questions? Did you see that Kristie posted her responses to the same questions in a comment on that post?

You people are a freakin' riot and this - the getting to know you, the funny comments, the feeling that this is like a school project but without all the crappy group work or boring homework - is the reason that I started the Ravenous Readers. Thanks again to all of you for joining!

Kim's answers

2006-01-26T08:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, I am going to start out by apologizing for taking so long to start commenting. Not done on purpose, just my life has been more hectic than usual lately and I could never seem to find the time to sit down and focus on it. So, let me start by saying I am very excited to have joined this group and I thank Christy for getting me involved in book clubs and for inviting me to this one. She always seems to help me broaden my horizons and for that I am eternally grateful. Now for a stab at these questions:

I joined the Ravenous Readers because...
Honestly because Christy asked me to, I have never really looked at, or done anything with, blogs before so I took a leap of faith and decided to see what this was all about.

If I had to choose three books to take with me if I was stranded on an island they would be...
I'm going to cheat here and say the Dark Tower Series by Stephen King because I want to reread it. I feel like there were a lot of things that I didn't pick up on during the first reading and would like to revisit them. Second, I'm going to need a book about surviving on an island, something that will tell me what I can eat and how to fix stuff. Finally, the Bible. I've read it once a long time ago, but it's always in the back of my head that I should reread it now that I am older - see where my views have changed and being stranded just seems like a good opportunity for that.

One thing few people know about me is...
I hate to be boring here, but I just don't think I have that many secrets. People who are my friends (and some who are not) pretty much know all my business. I don't really keep secrets about myself, mainly because I'm bad at it (which is also why I don't lie). I can keep other people's secrets, but I always find a reason to tell my own.

2006-01-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

Has anyone started reading yet? I did, but I've been reading late at night and can't remember what I read - I'm flying to Chicago this weekend for a business trip - any suggestions for a Texas gal how to pack warm with out packing a HUGE suitcase? I'm taking the book to read on the flights. I'm one of those people who has to get to the airport EARLY early and then sit and wait for a few hours.....

Editing a comment

2006-01-18T21:41:00.000-08:00

How do you edit a comment? I just realized I had some spelling mistakes in mine... ouch!

Stolie's comments - an answer

2006-01-18T07:31:00.000-08:00

Stolie posted some questions in the comments section that I think I need to bring to everyone's attention.

Stolie said...

1) Has anyone already volunteered to be the moderator? (Perhaps, ideally, the moderator should be someone who voted for the book right?)

Jenni volunteered to do it if I don't want to, but I'm very happy to moderate, especially the first time around. While I didn't vote for the book, I'm very much looking forward to reading it. On a side note, I just finished The Kite Runner and I'm rather glad that it didn't get chosen. It has some graphic and disturbing parts (I honestly almost put it down and stopped reading it at one point), some really riveting parts, and some totally predictable parts. I wouldn't tell you not to read it, but I don't know that I would gushingly recommend it either.

2) What is the drop dead date by which we should have the entire book read and/or be ready for discussion? I'm a procrastinator; for me, no deadline for task = task won't happen.

Good question. My original idea was that we would read one month, discuss the next. In this scenario, the "drop dead" date would be the last day of February and we would begin discussing in the beginning of March. Anyone have anything to say about that? I'm totally open, but I chose this time frame so that if people are in traditional books clubs, have ultra busy work schedules/lives, or otherwise have little time to devote to the online book club can still participate in this while getting everything else done.

3) This blog / book club is for all of us, right? So, why isn't everyone commenting? ;-) My motives are selfish ... I think I am the only one who doesn't know everyone else, so it would be nice to see comments / discussions on the blog so that we can all get to know each other a bit more before we have to comment on the book. So, to start a tiny bit of discussion, how about a question? Has everyone already bought the book? If not, when are you going to get it? :)

I would LOVE it if everyone would comment! Even if we aren't talking about a book yet! Stolie, you are not alone in not knowing everyone. Even I don't know everyone personally! Kristie is a friend/relative of Jenni and until Jenni said that she would be a good addition, I didn't know a thing about her. Everyone is now listed in the "Contributors" area and I would encourage each of you to visit everyone's profiles. If they have additional blogs (Stolie, Elaine and I all do) take a gander and get to know them that way.

Also, I have bought the book. I had a gift card to Borders (thanks to my Discover Card cash-back bonus award) and we - me and my baby boy - needed to get out for a while. Another reason to have a long lead time on reading books and choosing them early was that if you want to order books online (my husband swears by buy.com for books) then you can choose the slow-boat shipping that's cheap or free and save a little that way. Oh, and has anyone noticed that the book comes with two different covers? On is red and the other blue. I chose red so that it would be easier to find in my disaster of an apartment...

In summary, comment! Tell us about yourself. Here, I'll even get you started:

I joined the Ravenous Readers because...
If I had to choose three books to take with me if I was stranded on an island they would be...
One thing few people know about me is...

I'll comment with answers if you do! :)

Welcome, Kristie

2006-01-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

Please join me in welcoming our final contributor. We have a great group and I know we are gonna have a good time with this.

Kristie's a twentysomething senior account exec for a public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. She is an ardent lover of animals (especially her puppy), movies, and photography. By her own admission, she's addicted to her electric blanket and her hubby. She also has a 90-minute commute *each way*, so she is, in self defense if nothing else, a voracious reader. She's sharp, funny and really kind. A good person.

Many thanks to Jenni for submitting the bio!

Fine. I'll stop.

2006-01-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

I hereby solemnly swear to stop trying to force "The Kite Runner" down your throats. Even though one of you hasn't voted for the Apr/May book selection, the votes are overwhelmingly in favor of "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson so I'm taking the poll down and conceding the race for the next book selection. So if you are headed to Half-Price Books for "The Jane Austen Book Club," look for "The Devil in the White City" as well.

Happy reading!

We have a winner!

2006-01-08T18:03:00.000-08:00

Alrighty, then. I checked the poll and with six votes in, it appears that we have successfully chosen our first reading selection for the Ravenous Readers. Drumroll please....

"The Jane Austen Book Club" by Karen Joy Fowler

Thanks to Jenni for the selection. It looks great and I can't wait to read it. Would anyone like to be the moderator/discussion leader for this book? No pressure on anyone to volunteer - I'm happy to do it but didn't want to dictate.

I've posted a new poll to select the next book so that we can all be looking for the club reading selections. I was pretty excited about all three books, so I hope that none of you mind that I just put the two non-winning books in the poll. Vote when you have a chance and leave a comment if you would like to be the leader for this selection.

Welcome, Kim

2006-01-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Please welcome Kim! She is the last of the original eight that I invited to be a contributor and I'm thrilled to report that she will be joining us. Kim is a professional marketing guru in the banking industry. As a marketer, she's not only one smart girl, she's creative as well.

Kim voted in the poll already, so that means someone hasn't voted yet. Tuesday I'll post a run-off poll - per Stolie's suggestion - if no one else votes...

Go vote!

2006-01-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

There's a poll now just below the "Contributors" section on the sidebar. A couple books have been suggested and I thought it would be better for us to chose the next book as a group rather than me dictating it to you all... So, go vote! And don't forget to read about Stolie.

Welcome, Stolie

2006-01-05T12:34:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to introduce Stolie to the ranks of our contributors here at Ravenous Readers.

This plucky and gutsy gal moved to New York City just a few months ago from the similarly metropolitan Chicago. She's single and has the most interesting perspective on life as such in the Big Apple. Of all of you, she is the only one that I have never met face-to-face, but that just makes me all that much happier that she has agreed to join our little club. I'm sure that you will find her has funny and interesting as I do.

Welcome, RustyJoy and Jenni

2006-01-02T17:44:00.000-08:00

I'm quite pleased to announce that two more contributors have joined our elite ranks. I didn't invite that many people so it is too elite!

RustyJoy is a 20-something gal living in Cincinnati. She's recently engaged and in restaurant management. I have known no one in the world - other than family - longer than I have known this girl. She's brilliant and I look forward to seeing her insights.

Jenni is our nomad. Her husband's job requires that they move frequently (as often as every few months!) so she will be one of our most worldly and well-traveled contributors. She is one of the most talented writers I have ever had the pleasure to meet and has excellent taste in reading materials.

Welcome to you both!

So here's the deal:

2006-01-02T14:00:00.000-08:00

1) We will read one book every other month. We'll read in February and discuss in March, read in April and discuss in May, etc.. This should hopefully allow all of us with busy schedules and many books on our reading lists time to read not only the club selection, but other books as well.

2) Book selections will be made ahead of time. I would like this to be done with some type of anonymous poll or something (anyone got any ideas about where/how to do this for free online?) but that will have to wait for a bit as I haven't researched how to do this yet - other suggestions about book selection process are welcome. The Feb/Mar book and Apr/May book will be decided upon shortly and when we start discussing in March, we'll determine the Jun/Jul book. This should allow us the opportunity to find the books and read at our leisure.

3) Alternate contributors will be selected to lead each book discussion. So that one person isn't always stuck leading the conversation and so that we get a fresh perspective on the books, each book will have a designated leader. This person will start the discussion of the book - give a brief synopsis, make some comments, pose some questions - and invite the other people to join in the discussion.

Sound good? Anybody have questions? Comments? Concerns? Please comment or email me.

Welcome, ET.

2006-01-02T13:36:00.000-08:00

Please join me in welcoming ET - the first person to accept my invitation to be a contributor here on Ravenous Readers. She is a professional in the fundraising industry and joins us from Dallas, Texas. I'm pleased that she will be joining us as I know that ET will provide us with an interesting insight and perspective on our reading selections.

I hope that she is just the first of several smart women (though men would be welcome, I just haven't invited any) to join our online book club. Like I said, I hope we will all find this to be enjoyable and intellectually stimulating.

I know there are a bunch of unanswered questions about this...

2006-01-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

Someone asked me to outline responsibilities of being a contributor. I'm thinking about it and will post something here with that information in the next day or so. I welcome suggestions in the meantime... BTW, I plan for this to be FUN and not arduous.

Birth of a book club

2006-01-01T18:21:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Ravenous Readers online book club!

I don't know that this is really a new idea - an online book club - but I hadn't heard of it before and thought it sounded like fun. This is still a fledgling idea and I haven't invited other contributors yet, but I think this is going to be a great way to get the interesting conversation about books that I crave, but haven't had in a while at the book club that I was a part of in my home town.

Anybody wanna play? You can be anywhere in the world. You just have to 1) read and write in English, 2) have access to a bookstore or well-stocked public library and 3) be opinionated about the books you read. Email me if this sounds like you.