Book Lovers Club
Comments
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I decided early in life, like 5, that I didn't want kids. I guess it was seeing how many single mothers in my neighborhood were truing to deal with it. And I always wondered if my mom even knew that she didn't have to, as her generations women were expected to. i liked other people's kids just fine, kids are great and funny, but I was just selfish enough to not want them, but ashamed to admit it. I wanted my freedom! To do art. It's funny though, when I think about dying, who gets the stuff? If i had a kid, they could have it all, now I must make more of an effort to see that friends, other family members get certain things. a bit of a job.
I think I may read it.
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Dear book lovers...I have some special good news to share. Today, I was told by the volunteer literacy organization that I am a part of, that they will be honoring me. I'm speechless that I was selected!
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Congratulations!!0 -
Congratulations
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Wow! Congratulations! (Although I am not at all surprised; I can't imagine a better honoree
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MORE DETAILS VR!!! oh and congratulations!!!
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VR - what a wonderful honor for a deserving lady. Yes, more details please.
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Several weeks ago, I received an invitation to the recognition award dinner. I placed the date on my calendar, but had yet to RSVP. Today, I received a call asking me to attend to receive the volunteer tutor award. What I was told was that whenever they receive my update emails, their collective response is, "Wow!"
It never occurred to me that my emails were so well received! The only thing that I had previously known was that one of my students was permitted to change tutors several times. Usually, students can have only two opportunities to change tutors. However, the facilitators adored this woman and ultimately matched her with me. I enjoyed getting to work with her. As some of you recall, I have an insatiable appetite for architecture. Serendipitously, she had been an architect back home in Cuba!
My students inspire me with their motivation and desire! Many have endured hard lives and yet, they remain hopeful and enthusiastic. All of their lives' stories resonate with me. My grandparents were immigrants and I was painfully aware, at a young age, how difficult it was for them to intergrate with little English skills. I dutifully helped my grandmother learn to read and write. That experience moved me as an adult. I promised myself that once my children were grown that I would honor my grandmother's memory and become a literacy volunteer.
Today, I shared the good news with Voraciousreader II, AKA, my 90 year old mother. I told her that her mother was probably looking down towards me and smiling! Life is good.
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Jumping in here for the first time. I used to be a voracious reader too but in the last few years (even before chemo) I seem to have developed ADD...if a book doesn't hook me by the first chapter, I toss it. So I am looking forward to trying out some of these recommendations.
I did read a book recently that I really liked, it was a quick and easy read (which I seem to need now) and very thought provoking for me: "What Alice Forgot" . It's about a lady who lost her memory after suffering a concussion. She woke up thinking she was ten years younger, still in the honeymoon stage of her marriage, and pregnant with her first child. In reality, she was in the process of going through a bitter divorce with her husband, and had three children. She couldn't imagine what could've happened in the past ten years that destroyed her marriage as she still felt very much in love with her husband. Not only did she have no memory of those years, but she woke up acting and feeling like her younger, less bitter self. Very thought provoking.... how different would we be if we could erase the last ten years of stress in our lives that has molded us into the people we are now ????!!!
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Deb! Welcome! I hope you will one day recover your former voraciousness! When you mentioned the book, something rang a bell! The movie version of the book is in development.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/devil-wears-...
Interestingly, I seem to recall that there were previous, similiar books and films made on that most provocative topic. Here's one of my favorite film thrillers!
http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Tom-Berenger/dp/B0...
Shattered is also one of my older son's favorite films. Years ago, while at college, while surfing TV channels around midnight, the film was showing. He made all his frat brothers sit there, until even later into the night, to watch it!
That said, I can think of a few years in my life that I wish I could forget....
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Hi Voracious....wouldn't we all love to have a memory lapse now and again!!
Interesting that there will be a movie, but I usually find I enjoy the book more.
I saw "Gone Girl", never read the book, and figured out the "twist" 10 minutes into the movie. Others who have read the book said that it was a lot more nuanced. (My mother weaned me on Agatha Chrstie and I have loved a good mystery ever since)
I haven't seen the movie "Shattered" ... looks very interesting.
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Deblc -
liane moriarty, the author of What Alice Forgot has been mentioned on this thread before - do check out her other books. I had missed What Alice Forgot so I am glad you brought it up.
VR-
you write so well. I bet you could weave your emails about your literacy students in with your commentary on books, authors, your mom etc into a fascinating book.
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Getting into Greg Iles The Bone Tree
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Hi Deblc: That book sounds really interesting,, I'm going to check it out. And it would be interesting if we could erase the last 10 years of stress!0 -
Glennie .. It really made me think about how life really hardens you, and how much better it is to let go of some things with the important people in our lives. Wouldn't life be a lot easier if we could treat people as if we just met them, with no memory of any baggage...instead of holding on to bad memories/bad feelings that destroy our peace of mind and our relationships. Hope you like the book!
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VR, CONGRATS!! I haven't been on in a while. I'm glad my timing allowed to read about your news!! Enjoy it!
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VR, congrats!
My number finally came up for The Girl on the Train. GREAT read, worth the wait.
Now back to Elizabeth Warren's A Fighting Chance, which I am enjoying very much.
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VR, well done-congratulations! You are so deserving of this honor.
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Thanks everyone!!! 💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞
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VR, late to the table, but congratulations! What a worthy endeavor, and you are obviously so good at it and so appreciated!
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Just got done with Daniel James Brown's The Boys In The Boat- Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
A tremendous read! I knew nothing about crew, boat racing or anything like that.....and that was interesting to learn about. But it was the human interest story and the triumph of the human spirit that captured me. I ended up the book with tears rolling down my face. Fantastic!0 -
Ruth! Fantastic! Wow! Going to have to fit that book somewhere onto my endless list!
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I like forensic murders and anything from the "tartan noir" genre (Ian Rankin writes gritty cop stories about Edinburgh's criminal underbelly). I am currently reading anything by Val McDermid.
Bought a couple of Janet Evanovich - who has me laughing a lot. Can't wait to read more of her feisty characters.
Iris Johannsen and dark Scandinavian crime by Jo Nesbo.
For lighter reading,Jacqueline Winspear.
I read a lot and thank goodness for EBay and my local used book store!
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BTW! DH polished off Baldacci's latest, Memory Man, in just under 2 days.
Welcome NCDi!
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Love British/Canadian/Scandnavian crime/mystery novels. Googled "best British crime" novels. Just finished excellent "House at Sea's End" and now into "Nine Tailors." Have read all the Wallender, Jo Nesbo, Eliizabeth George and Gamache books...Some of those on my current list are oldies.
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just finished Dr. Mutter's Marvels by Cristin O'Keefe Aptowicz -- I liked it because it fleshed out some of the medical history covered in The Emperor of All Maladies - the period 1830-1880 or so in the US through the biography of Dr. Thomas Dent Mutter who attended medical school in Philadelphia, studied in Paris and ended up as the head of surgery at the Jefferson Medical College where his skill, humanism and forward thinking made a huge impact on the evolution of surgical practice and education. He promoted cleanliness, anesthesia and pre- and post- operative care. Fascinating man and book.
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Jelson! Visiting The Mutter Museum is on my bucket list! From time to time Mutter shows up in some of the books that I read. Presently, I'm enjoying the TV series, The Knick. It covers similar topics that you describe. Also, Mallard's, Destiny of the Republic, concerning President Garfield's assassination by Gateau, emphasizes the lack of the belief in the value of antiseptics. Furthermore, Gateau's brain is preserved at the Mutter Museum. It is strange that a man who devoted himself to medicine would be remembered for a museum of oddities! I'm wondering how today's forward thinking physicians will be remembered in the future!
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Mutter had wanted to write a surgical text as his lasting contribution - in addition to his collection, but he was sickly all his life and especially in the last few years - he died at 47right before the civil war. He collected exhibits, wax models, oddities, anatomy illustrations etc all his professional life.His last year was consumed with arranging for their disposition - donated to the medical society - with money for a fire proof building, a curator and regular lectures. He saw his collection as a valuable teaching tool for medical students, doctors and the public. Many of the items were rescued (bought) from private exhibitions - like in a jar in a tavern. He wanted to provide the body parts with a home in which they would be respected. In his teaching and his practice he was always empathetic and treated his patients with the utmost respect and compassion. He really made a mark in his time - not only has a creator but also as as an early adopter of others' innovations, some of his plastic surgery procedures are still used, and referred to by his name. But so much about him was good character, great supportive and entertaining teaching about not only surgical procedure, but what it means to be a physician. He treated those he wouldn't permit his students to refer to as "monsters" - often women and children who had suffered disfiguring chest and facial burns from cooking fires - initially without anesthesia!!!
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so how do i join? I join
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Abigail48 - I am pleased to inform you that your application has been accepted, after an extensive and rigorous vetting process, you are considered a member of the book club. Now what are you reading now? what have you read that you think others might enjoy?
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