New Book

Friends, it is high time that we pick a new book.

Howl's Moving Castle

So what did everyone think?
What did you feel about the characters, especially Sophie and Howl?
And...how did you feel about the book versus the film adaptation?
What else comes to mind?
Discuss.

I know it's been awhile since we finished the beloved "Twilight" series.  However, I saw something amazing and wonderful while in Walgreens and thought perhaps I should buy one.  After all, some of you will be here in June, then we could bring it when we come for the family reunion in July.

Product Description

From the Manufacturer
Enter the world of Twilight the game! The more you know about Twilight, the greater your chance of winning. Answer questions about Twilight, and about your friends to earn Scene cards and move forward around the board. If you are the first to travel the entire board and collect all 8 Scene cards....you win! 

Product Description
When You Live Forever, What Do You Live For? 

Enter the mysterious world of Edward and Bella, where the more you know about the movie, the better your chances of winning! Answer questions about Twilight to earn scene cards and advance around the board. The first player to complete the trip and collect all 8 scene cards is the winner! 

Includes game board, 57 scene cards, 2 dice, 8 Cullen family crest playing pieces with stands, and scorepad. For 2 to 8 players, ages 8 & up.

Next Book

We have a growing list of possible books. It looks like we have plenty of ideas for the future!

I have heard a few votes for Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynn Jones to be our next read. Is this okay with everyone? If there are no naysayers, let's get started!

As for our last book, we still need to have a little discussion about The Kitchen God's Wife. I think we need to plan a night where we get on speakerphone all together, or use Skype. Is there a night that's good for everyone? Maybe Friday?

Karen

Rock Bottom Remainders

I did a little research on Amy Tan.  A few highlights:

As you might already have guessed, the story told in "The Kitchen God's Wife" is largely based on her mother's experiences.  Daisy was forced to leave three daughters behind when she left China.  She escaped on the last boat to leave Shanghai before the Communist takeover.  

Amy's father was also a Chinese immigrant.  John Tan was an electrical engineer and Baptist minister.  He and Amy's oldest brother died of brain tumors, less than a year apart, when Amy was about 15.  Daisy took her remaining children to Switzerland where Amy graduated from high school before the family returned to San Francisco. 

Amy and Daisy went to China in 1987.  They were able to find at least one of the daughters Daisy had left behind.  It was during this trip that Amy became immersed in her Chinese heritage.  Stories brought back from that journey are the basis of many of her stories.  

You can go to the following website for more information:

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/tan0pro-1

Amy Tan's own website is also an interesting place to go for a visit:

http://www.amytan.net/

Amy Tan is part of a rock band made up of writers called "The Rock Bottom Remainders."  You were probably aware of this.  Other  members include Matt Groening, Dave Barry, Mitch Albom, and Stephen King.  

Something interesting that I didn't know:  Amy Tan suffers from the effects of Lyme Disease.  She recounts this experience on her website.  It's worth reading!

We must have our official book club meeting soon!

Future Reading List

This is where we will keep the list of books for consideration as future reading for the book club! If you have any suggestions we will add them to the list and try to keep it as up to date as possible. Remember, these are just possible suggestions and not necessarily what we have to read next so suggest whatever crazy thing you want!

The list:

-Neil Gaiman-
Stardust
Coraline

-William Golding-
Lord of the Flies

-Diana Wynne Jones-
Howl's Moving Castle

-Boris Pasternak-
Doctor Zhivago


This is it so far. Give me suggestions, folks!

For Your Consideration - some possible questions to ponder while reading "The Kitchen God's Wife"

I like the questions Jana found to help us find greater depth in "Twilight."  Here are some possible considerations for "The Kitchen God's Wife" that I found online.

Reading Guide for this book:

What is Helen’s role in the novel?

What is the significance in Winnie having given Pearl a box in which to keep her secrets, for Pearl’s tenth birthday?

How are the female characters in the novel different from the male characters?

Suggested Essay Topics

Discuss the significance of cleaning and sweeping in the novel. What does it mean that Winnie comes home to clean her house after Helen tells her she must release her secrets?

Discuss the novel as a feminist text? Is Winnie Louie a feminist? Is Amy Tan?

How did Winnie’s mother disappear? Did she commit suicide? Did she simply abandon her marriage? Did she fall ill and die? Does the reader ever have an answer to this question and is the answer to this question important?

Discuss the differences and similarities between Helen’s children and Winnie’s children. What are their shared experiences? What separates them?

Discuss the role that Phil, Cleo, and Tessa play in the novel.

Book for May (for real this time): The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan

The Kitchen God's Wife
by Amy Tan

This book was suggested by Mom and I think it would be a great choice for our May book!

So let's all get a copy and start reading! I'm guessing we won't need a whole month to read it, but for sure have it done by the end of May. We can adjust how often we read a new book depending on how fast everyone is reading :)

Have fun!

Our Book for May?

(from Amazon):

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! (Paperback)
by Jane Austen (Author), Seth Grahame-Smith (Author)

Product Description
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a zombie in possession of brains must be in want of more brains." So begins Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, an expanded edition of the beloved Jane Austen novel featuring all-new scenes of bone-crunching zombie mayhem. As our story opens, a mysterious plague has fallen upon the quiet English village of Meryton—and the dead are returning to life! Feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet is determined to wipe out the zombie menace, but she's soon distracted by the arrival of the haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy. What ensues is a delightful comedy of manners with plenty of civilized sparring between the two young lovers—and even more violent sparring on the blood-soaked battlefield as Elizabeth wages war against hordes of flesh-eating undead. Can she vanquish the spawn of Satan? And overcome the social prejudices of the class-conscious landed gentry? Complete with romance, heartbreak, swordfights, cannibalism, and thousands of rotting corpses, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you'd actually want to read.

(okay, so we're not REALLY going to read this, but it did make me laugh extremely hard to read the description. Jane Austen must be doing a rotisserie underground about now...)

Twilight Related

You all might get a kick out of these. Rose pointed me in the direction of Tonner Dolls and they have Twilight ones! For $125.99 each Edward or Bella could be yours...in Doll form!

I'm sure I will see these on your Christmas lists this year!

Twilight Discussion Questions

1. What is the significance of the title: Twilight?

2. Can you identify with Bella's thoughts and actions throughout the book? Why or why not?

3. Edward is ferociously attracted to Bella by her smell. That may make his love unconditional (because she can't change the smell of her blood), but does it make it less admirable since it's not based on character?

4. Is Rosalie's dislike of Bella justified? Why or why not?

5. Do you think Carlisle did the right thing changing Edward into a vampire, or was it selfish? Does Edward show any signs of resentment toward Carlisle for what he did? Explain.

6. Would it appeal to you to live forever? Why or why not?

7. Do you think Billy's unsolicited warnings to Bella are entirely well-intentioned, or might there be something sinister going on?

8. Edward really is unlike any human guy – even his breath is intoxicating! What do you make of the criticism that Twilight gives young female readers unrealistic expectations of men?

9. The author makes clear that vampires have to be very attractive to their prey, but do you think Edward is too perfect? Why or why not?

Twilight Film Greatness

Here are some important clips from the film you may like to see. The first is from the movie itself, and the second is my neighbor's little sister doing her rendition.

Book for May

Okay, so it's probably time to be thinking of our next book club book (for May). It's difficult to leave Twilight behind and move on with our lives, but I think it's for the best :)

I'm looking for ideas to vote on for books. Or, if you want, we could take turns choosing a book each month. Comment and let me know what you think.

One idea that I remember hearing was books by Amy Tan. Any other suggestions?

Book(s) for February-April: Twilight Series

We launched our book club in February with Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.

Although we were all skeptical, I think it's safe to say that we all found ourselves entranced by these books. Mom, Larissa and Jana all finished the series quickly. Karen and Dave are a little behind, but they both had fun with the first book.

If any of you haven't seen the movie yet, I HIGHLY reccomend that you watch this lovely oscar-worthy gem ;)

So...any thoughts/feelings/comments about Twilight?

The Johnson Family Book Club

Welcome to the book club blog! This is a fun place to keep track of what we're reading for our book club and also to have discussions about the books. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions for the blog, let me know!