Saturday, October 3, 2009

New Book



Ok after much blood sweat and tears....and a few sex issues....I found our next book....thank goodness!!!! The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. This is a 560 page turner....get your book this weekend and find a comfy spot and get started :) Nov 11.... Dont forget about our OTHER reading material (wink)

Information:
  • Hardcover: 560 pages
  • ISBN-10: 1416550542
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416550549
  • Check for Paper back before you buy Hard Cover, unless your like me and like to hold a solid book, and it looks nice in your library.

Here is a readers review:

The Forgotten Garden, the follow-up to The House at Riverton, is a muti-layered novel with complicated characters and a highly intriguing storyline. The story jumps back and forth in time, but rarely is the reader confused as to what's going on. As I mentioned here, this novel won't be out in the US until April 2009, but of course that didn't stop me from running over to Amazon Uk to purchase a copy of The Forgotten Garden! Let me just say that I wasn't disappointed.

The book opens in1913, when a young girl with no name is found on a quayside in Australia. She doesn't remember anything about herself, and all she carries with her is a white suitcase containing, among other personal items, a book of fairytales penned by a woman the girl calls the Authoress.

In 1975, the girl, now a woman called Nell, goes back to England, where she attempts to find answers to questions about her identity. Her travels lead her to Blackhurst Manor, delving deep into the Mountrachet family's secrets and purchasing a cottage on the Blackhurst property. But before she can solve the mystery of her past, Nell's flaky daughter Lesley shows up, dumping her granddaughter Cassandra on her doorstep--permanently.

In 2005, after Nell's death, Cassandra inherits the cottage and tries to answer the questions her grandmother raised. The stories of these two women are complemented by that of Eliza Makepeace, who grew up in the slums of London around the turn of the nineteenth century, and her cousin, the genteel Rose Mountrachet.

This is clearly a novel written by a woman, for women, about women; the male characters take a backseat to the female ones, sometimes becoming unlikeable. In fact, Linus Mountrachet is downright creepy, and Nathaniel West is a bit of a cad. The novel is punctuated here and there with some of Eliza's short stories, which provide wonderful little interludes, kind of like AS Byatt'sPossession, in a way. Possession, mixed with a little bit of The Secret Garden. We're even introduced to Frances Hodgeson Burnett, suggesting that she might have received inspiration forThe Secret Garden from Eliza and Rose's garden.

What I loved about this atmospheric, fairytale-like novel was that Morton tells the story of these different, but connected, women, but she doesn't give everything up right away. I tried to guess at the mystery many times, but ultimately my guesses were never correct. The characters are well developed, and although it takes a little while to get into the story, this is an excellent novel, filled with old houses and hidden gardens with secrets and surprises. It's also a novel about foreshadowing; even Cassandra's name suggests someone who can foretell the future. Aside from some too-fortuitous chances (for example, Eliza is rescued from poverty at the exact moment that she's about to be sent off to the workhouse), I found it really, really difficult to put this novel down, and only finished it reluctantly.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Last Night!

What an amazing group of ladies we are. I think we can say that we had a blast last night.
Kathryn Stockett did not let us down, in fact she really set the bar high for the next Author. We fell in love with all thecharacter's. We will miss them.
What a treat it will be to read her next book. She's so refreshing, she keeps us on our toes,
we want more, please. :)

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tonights Questions


DO NOT ANSWER: Information Only for Tonight. I will have print outs :)
1. Who was your favorite character? Why?
2. What do you think motivated Hilly? On the one hand she is terribly cruel to Aibileen and her own help, as well as to Skeeter once she realizes that she can't control her. Yet she's a wonderful mother. Do you think that one can be a good mother but, at the same time, a deeply flawed person?
3. Like Hilly, Skeeter's mother is a prime example of someone deeply flawed yet somewhat sympathetic. She seems to care for Skeeter--and she also seems to have very real feelings for Constantine. Yet the ultimatum she gives to Constantine is untenable; and most of her interaction with Skeeter is critical. Do you think Skeeter's mother is a sympathetic or unsympathetic character? Why?
4. How much of a person's character would you say is shaped by the times in which they live?
5. Did it bother you that Skeeter is willing to overlook so many of Stuart's faults so that she can get married, and that it's not until he literally gets up and walks away that the engagement falls apart?
6. Do you believe that Minny was justified in her distrust of white people?
7. Do you think that had Aibileen stayed working for Miss Elizabeth, that Mae Mobley would have grown up to be racist like her mother? Do you think racism is inherent, or taught?
8. From the perspective of a twenty-first century reader, the hairshellac system that Skeeter undergoes seems ludicrous. Yet women still alter their looks in rather peculiar ways as the definition of "beauty" changes with the times. Looking back on your past, what's the most ridiculous beauty regimen you ever underwent?
9. The author manages to paint Aibileen with a quiet grace and an aura of wisdom about her. How do you think she does this?
10. Do you think there are still vestiges of racism in relationships where people of color work for people who are white? Have you heard stories of parents who put away their valuable jewelry before their nanny comes? Paradoxically, they trust the person to look after their child but not their diamond rings?
11. What did you think about Minny's pie for Miss Hilly? Would you have gone as far as Minny did for revenge?

Tonight

Hey girls! So excited for our FIRST Book Club Meeting tonight at my House. Here is my address:
326 Brook Forest Trail Sugar Land TX 77478
281-871-8957

See you tonight!!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Start READING!!!!

On your mark get set gooooo! Start reading girls! Borders has the book in stock......so go get it tonight. Sept 30th will come really fast, dont be the only girlie with nothing to talk about.... :)

Wine & Cheese Please!

Everyone please bring a bottle of wine....(rules regarding wine).....NO ONE BUY WINE OVER $$9.99 or be prepared to do the chicken dance while we sing to you. :)

I'll have lite refreashment for us to enjoy.

Love you all,

Jennifer B.
Head Book Worm (i just made that up) hehe

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

DATE & TIME

Sept 30th will be our first Girls Night in Book and Wine club Meeting, make sure to bring the book that has been chosen by the members. Our first Book is "The Help", at our first meeting we will discuss what types of books us pretty girls are interested in reading. This will be a fun night! Again set your date books, iphone, crackberry to this Date and Time: Sept 30th 7:00pm @ my house. I will email address.

Friday, August 7, 2009

First Club Meeting

Hello Ladies, I need to know the day and time that would best suite every ones schedule. Please keep in mind we will keep club meetings to 90 minutes long.

Also, it looks like we have a winner, we will be reading " The Help" this should be a fun interesting first book for all of us to read.

I will speak to you all soon,

J~