Meatless : more than 200 of the very best recipes from the kitchens of Martha Stewart Living
Beautifully photographed, of course--it's Martha, after all!-- and with a variety of levels of difficulty in the recipes, including quite a few quick and easies.
Days with Daisy by Nancy Hohmann
I read this book prior to Animal Communicator Nancy Hohmann's recent appearance here at HVL; I'm not sure I would have chosen to read it otherwise, but I'm very glad I did. Daisy, a dog diagnosed with bone cancer, decides that she has something to say to the world at large, and delivers her message via Hohmann. Sweet, funny, and touching, Daisy's musings on how animals and people could coexist more effectively certainly give one food for thought.
Teach Your Children Well : Parenting for Authentic Success by Madeline Levine
The lessons learned from Levine's years of experience as a therapist are substantiated by the results of recent research in this guide to creating mental and emotional well-being. This easy-to-read book helps parents of children from toddlers to teens.
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
How does one become an adult when the future of life on earth is extremely uncertain? In this lovely coming-of-age novel, the grave consequences caused by the inexplicable slowing of Earth's rotation lend an air of urgency to Julia's adolescence, but do not prevent her from experiencing many of the joys shared by teenagers for generations.
Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
Renowned architect Bernadette Fox has gone missing after a series of confrontations with her wildly competitive suburban neighbors and acquaintances; her daughter tries to piece together the events leading up to her disappearance through emails, letters, memos, and magazine stories. A hilarious look at keeping up with the Joneses, Seattle-style.
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
This absorbing story travels back and forth between present-day Hollywood and Italy, 1962, when a young American actress, diagnosed with cancer while filming Cleopatra, seeks refuge on the Italian coast. Complete with Liz and Dick!
Wonder by R.J. Palacio (Youth)
I loved, loved, loved this story encompassing Auggie Pullman's journey from a homeschooled, sheltered boy born with a severe facial deformity to one living a rich, full life, accepted by his peers. Sweet but not cloying, Auggie is an incredible character, and the other narrators (Auggie's friends, his sister, and her friends) not only lend perspective to the year's events, they truly enrich the story.
Arcadia by Lauren Groff
Follows Bit, the child of hippies living on a commune in upstate New York in the 1970s, through his unusual childhood and adolescence and into adulthood. A fascinating and detailed look at a failed social experiment, its aftermath, and the lasting effects on its children.
The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison (Young Adult)
Obsessive-compulsive Penelope (Lo) witnesses a murder after being in the wrong place at the wrong time; her disorder compels her to keep digging into the background of the murdered girl, despite a general reluctance on the part of law enforcement and increasingly disturbing signs that someone wants this story buried. Suspenseful and an eye-opening look at OCD.
The Witness by Nora Roberts
This is me keeping one of my resolutions--to read titles in the romance genre! 16-year-old Elizabeth flouts her mother's strictures and goes clubbing, with disastrous results that put her on the run until she meets good-hearted sheriff Brooks. I kept thinking I should like this more than I did, but some essential ingredient seemed to be missing that would have elevated it to one of those books you just can't put down.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Saturday, March 9, 2013
March Book Club Meeting Notes
This month's book, The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, is a young adult title; you know what that means--drama! The heroine of this book, 16-year-old Hazel, has stage IV cancer, so from the start the reader knows it's not likely to end well. Nevertheless, everyone greatly enjoyed the book.
Our host Carole started us off by mentioning that the title of the book, derived from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, has actually been tweaked to reflect the misfortune of the protagonists. (The original quote is "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves...") Hazel meets Gus and Isaac at a support group for teens with cancer, where the dynamic shifts as members die and new kids are diagnosed. Carole explained that the author, John Green, spent time as a pediatric hospital chaplain. There followed a short discussion about how the story is sad, but not maudlin, and of how matter-of-fact the kids are in dealing with their misfortune, and even allow themselves some gallows humor from time to time, as in the blunt discussions of "cancer perks"--i.e. "make a wish" experiences--and the teasing Hazel gives Isaac about the girlfriend who deserted him.
Kristie wondered why Hazel purposely dressed as the character in Van Houten's book when she met him; did she intend to play upon any pity he might have for her? We all thought perhaps she did, but only to increase her chances of getting the answer to her question about the fate of the characters in Van Houten's book. One of Carole's discussion questions was why Hazel needs to know what happens after the story ends; Kristie suggested that since Hazel identified so strongly with the character in Van Houten's book, knowing how life went on for the other characters in that book would help her come to terms with her own fate and that of her family.
Dianne wondered why, as a society, we don't feel more comfortable addressing terminal illness in people we know? We spent some time on this, throwing out theories such as survivor guilt. We also briefly touched on the "cancer perks", and how it's one way to deal with this guilt; we also talked a bit about how the cancer perks might inspire envy in healthy children. Many of us remembered wanting-- as children--crutches, or a cast, or braces.
There was quite a bit of discussion about how realistic the kids were, or weren't. How would you deal with a diagnosis like this as a teenager? Betty found it hard to believe they could be so accepting of their fate, or so concerned about how their families would cope with their deaths. Were these characters too good to be true? Our group was divided, with some saying they just couldn't see it. Then we swung back around to a point that always seems to come up, about the appropriateness of the subject matter for a teen audience. Kathleen reminded everyone that books like these help teens learn how to deal with both everyday and big-time adversity, and recalled a slew of similar books she read as a teenager (Death Be Not Proud, Brian's Song, A Separate Peace). Finally, Toni brought up the question of whose parents were in better shape to handle their trial, Hazel's or Gus's; we all agreed Gus's parents were going to have a difficult time.
One thing we all agreed on--this book had us thinking about how we would handle such a diagnosis in our own lives. The book did a remarkable job in reminding us of how precious life is, and how we shouldn't waste a moment.
Our host Carole started us off by mentioning that the title of the book, derived from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, has actually been tweaked to reflect the misfortune of the protagonists. (The original quote is "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars but in ourselves...") Hazel meets Gus and Isaac at a support group for teens with cancer, where the dynamic shifts as members die and new kids are diagnosed. Carole explained that the author, John Green, spent time as a pediatric hospital chaplain. There followed a short discussion about how the story is sad, but not maudlin, and of how matter-of-fact the kids are in dealing with their misfortune, and even allow themselves some gallows humor from time to time, as in the blunt discussions of "cancer perks"--i.e. "make a wish" experiences--and the teasing Hazel gives Isaac about the girlfriend who deserted him.
Kristie wondered why Hazel purposely dressed as the character in Van Houten's book when she met him; did she intend to play upon any pity he might have for her? We all thought perhaps she did, but only to increase her chances of getting the answer to her question about the fate of the characters in Van Houten's book. One of Carole's discussion questions was why Hazel needs to know what happens after the story ends; Kristie suggested that since Hazel identified so strongly with the character in Van Houten's book, knowing how life went on for the other characters in that book would help her come to terms with her own fate and that of her family.
Dianne wondered why, as a society, we don't feel more comfortable addressing terminal illness in people we know? We spent some time on this, throwing out theories such as survivor guilt. We also briefly touched on the "cancer perks", and how it's one way to deal with this guilt; we also talked a bit about how the cancer perks might inspire envy in healthy children. Many of us remembered wanting-- as children--crutches, or a cast, or braces.
There was quite a bit of discussion about how realistic the kids were, or weren't. How would you deal with a diagnosis like this as a teenager? Betty found it hard to believe they could be so accepting of their fate, or so concerned about how their families would cope with their deaths. Were these characters too good to be true? Our group was divided, with some saying they just couldn't see it. Then we swung back around to a point that always seems to come up, about the appropriateness of the subject matter for a teen audience. Kathleen reminded everyone that books like these help teens learn how to deal with both everyday and big-time adversity, and recalled a slew of similar books she read as a teenager (Death Be Not Proud, Brian's Song, A Separate Peace). Finally, Toni brought up the question of whose parents were in better shape to handle their trial, Hazel's or Gus's; we all agreed Gus's parents were going to have a difficult time.
One thing we all agreed on--this book had us thinking about how we would handle such a diagnosis in our own lives. The book did a remarkable job in reminding us of how precious life is, and how we shouldn't waste a moment.
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