Book #3

Book #3...Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri. 

Jhumpa Lahiri is the author of a collection of short stories entitled Interpreter of Maladies (1999), for which she won a pulitzer prize, as well as the novel The Namesake (2003), which was made into a movie by Mira Nair in 2006. I have to admit that I have yet to see the film...

This book, like her first, is a collection of stories. It is available for purchase at Amazon as well as at your local library.

I chose this book because I have read her other two and I loved them both. Reading her writing is like taking a warm bath. There is comfort to be found in her descriptions of the details and subtleties of everyday life.

-signe

Intro & Book #1

Hi there,

About me: I'm Diane, and my husband Brad & I live on Oahu, via Seattle. I have had the pleasure of knowing Sonya one year. I have too many hobbies. I'm not complaining; I like them all a LOT. One day, I might let go of most and get really good at one or two. I should eat less too, but I don't see that happening anytime soon either. I'm really happy to be a part of this group.

Book #1: I give it a 6 out of 10, and I'm glad to have read it, though overall it left me wanting. I would sigh and/or smile at an interestingly touching turn-of-phrase, and then I would loll along through the rest of the story, only mildly interested. I think it would be interesting for her to write short autobiographical stories. I believe she did experience some of what she writes about, but something was lost in translation. It was as if she can describe beautifully the weird visions, experiences and impulses, but they became isolated circumstance once she put them onto her characters.

I agree with a lot of what Sonya has said about July's sexuality. It felt to me as if she brought up sex to try to add impact, while at heart I think she is fearful. I don't know how some writers are so great at expressing the weirdness of sex, but July really isn't. I've tried a couple of smutty books, a la Syndey Sheldon, Judith Krantz. I couldn't stomach the one Sheldon (shudder), but if you want some GREAT smut, pick up "Scruples" by Krantz at the library. It's so awful, and SO good.

I was OFTEN delighted by her vignettes (teaching swimming classes in bowls of water in her apartment, enjoying a leisurely porch sit with a seizure victim on her shoulder), but the emotional content never quite got to me the way I kept wishing it would.

Happy to hear your thoughts. Affectionately, Diane

Book #2

Ladies,

To be perfectly honest...I still have about fifty pages left in our first book. But perhaps this speaks to the book slightly. I went in with high hopes and I have to say it hasn't really clicked for me. While I appreciate her style, I'm not feeling any emotional connection to the material. I'll have more thoughts later...

But for now...Book #2

I Love You, Beth Cooper by Larry Doyle


Here is a link to where to buy it on borders.com: Buy "I Love You, Beth Cooper"

I've been really curious about this book...and I'm hoping this helps me get through a Nick Hornby drought...we'll see.

discussion #1 - no one belongs here more than you

I‘ve never done this whole book-club discussion thing, and even though I vaguely remember English class, it’s been a while. I'm just going to get this ball rolling, and probably add another post soon, when I'm not crazed at work (i.e. this weekend).

Feel free to respond to my initial reactions/thoughts, and if you want to pose your own specific questions, adulations, or rants, go for it.

At first, I really loved the book. Her voice is entirely unique and quirky.
But then at some point, I began to liken the experience of reading her book to eating a big bag of cookies in one sitting. It was too much of a good thing. Her insights and quaint descriptions, and wackyness kept me reading, but also got on my nerves.

What were other people's overall opinions?

I also was a little disturbed by the amount of sexual absurdity in the book. It wasn’t the sex, that’s fine. It was that the “sex scenes” were so surreal. It felt a little like she was trying too hard to be subversive and sexual, and instead of actually being that, all the sex-related stuff seemed trite and forced. It made me think that in her real life she’s a big prude. Whether or not that’s even remotely true, that’s how it came across to me. Like a form of overcompensation.

I'm curious as to whether you felt that the stories function well as a collection? (I'm on the fence about this)

Below is a music video she did with Blonde Redhead. She's an indy princess.

Introductions

Here we are (most of us, for those not here, feel free to send me your intros...if for some reason, you did, and I carelessly left you out, let me know):

Edith, Los Angeles, CA --

I've been in L.A. For less than a year. I graduated from Reed College with Sonya in 2004. I always have about 6 books going, but I rarely finish one. This book club, I hope, will force me to finish what I start.

Sandy --

I'm Sandy. I like things that are blue and shiny.

signe.

these days i live in hawaii most of the time and los angeles the rest of the time. i adore sonya and i'm so happy to be a part of this book club. 'there is a crack, a crack in everything...that's how the light gets in'

Josie:

My name's Josie, I'm 25, and I live in Minneapoliz, MN, where I am an afternoon show producer at the ABC affiliate. While the other kids spent their summers playing soccer, I more often then not spent mine holed up in my room with my nose in a book (Babysitters Club and Little House books among my favorites). Now as an adult my idea of the perfect vacation is lying on a beach towel with a stack of novels. I'm really excited to be a part of this book club - I was kicked out of a "real" book club for my complete inability to make the meetings, so this blog is perfect!

Tara:

What do nicknames tell us? Mine are: tee-tas, girl genius, flynn-gal, t-ters, nerdgirl and t. Infer what you will. :) I started reading at three. Sometimes I think it's like crack. I'm still trying to replicated that first high.

Ally:
Hi, I'm Ally Weinberg. Between living in Los Angeles and working in reality television, I need some literary stimulus more than ever! Here's a brief list of my favorite books: The Time Traveller's Wife, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Prep, Assassination Vacation, Love is a Mix-Tape, and Kitchen Confidential.

Sonya.

Lately, I've been having a hard time answering the question: "where are you from?" For the past year, I've split most of my time between Hawaii and L.A. I'm a chronic re-reader and re-watcher. I've been this way since Roald Dahl and Annie Hall. Also, like signe, I have a soul consuming love for all things Leonard Cohen.

Book #1

Book #1: No one belongs here more than you, by Miranda July



Here's the link to the amazon page where you can purchase the book. I hear it's also available at libraries, and of course, book stores.

This is the website for the book. It's actually one of the cooler websites for a book or product that I've come across.

This is Miranda July's website. Also worth peaking at.

Briefly, here's why I chose this book to get the club going:
1) I've wanted to read it for a while and haven't yet (I'm kinda going on the assumption that we should choose books we haven't read, but I am also open to people wanting to share really good books they've read in the past).
2)It's a collection of short stories. I've read one of the stories. It was easy to read and interesting. It's not a huge daunting book, and it seemed like a good idea to start off with something that isn't too much of a project, that we can all get through. Yay us!
3) Miranda July is polarizing. People either love her or hate her. She's known for her performance art, for her work with Harrell Fletcher doing an on-line art project called Learning to Love you more (check it out!), and for her film Me and you and everyone we know, which she stared in, wrote, and directed, and was a Sundance darling. From my experience with her and her work, July is a conversation starter. Love or hater her, we'll have something to talk (write) about.

We can start posting discussions anytime...
I'll officially post some questions and thoughts and whatnot in about 3 weeks time.

Enjoy.

-Sonya