June 2012 Meeting 'The Life of Pi' and pelvic floor exercises...

Well I loved it, Kerry seemed to enjoy it and everyone else's reaction was a tad luke warm...
Most struggled to believe the narrative.

Apologies: Colleen, Meg, Leslie, Kerry, Ann-Marie

Irene:     5/10: Not for the practically minded.

Hannah: 6/10: At times found it a bit slow.

Kaye:     5/10: A fanciful tale.

Debbie:  6/10: The more enjoyable the faster I read it.

Kerry:    7/10: Via text...a wonderful story masterfully spun, made me wonder how I could believe such an adventure, Pi was such an interestinf and adventurous character that questioned everything and adopted the things that resonated with him.

Ann-Marie: 4/10: Via text... a difficult read, not engaging at all.

Tahnee:   8/10: Unbelievably believable. 

Trilby: Didn't read.

Next months book is 'We need to talk about Kevin' - Lionel Shriver @ Trilby's house

Followed by              'The Little Stranger' - Sarah Waters @ Hannah's house

Followed by              'The Secret Scripture' - Sebastian Barry @ Debbies house

Followed by Meg and Irenes choices........

June Meeting - Questions regarding The Life of Pi

Hello my Renegade Readers. Please see below some questions for discussion on Tuesday night. Look forward to seing you all then.

1.       An important component of books is the ability of the author to induce 'suspension of disbelief' in the reader. Yann Martel wondered how far in could push the reader....

Did you find the story believable, when did it become all too much for you? The floating islands, the meeting of the other blind man, or at the very beginning "I turned around, stepped over the zebra and threw myself overboard"!

 

2.       Do you think you could've eaten raw fish and drank fresh turtle blood? Why did Pi save Richard Parker in the first place, then feed and assist him instead of enticing him over board or letting him starve?

3.       Pi opines that Zoo's (good ones) are more like guarded neighbourhoods then jails and don't deserve the bad press they receive. Agree/Disagree.

      4.       Which version of Pi's experience do you believe?
 

5.       Just to see if everyone picks the same colour as me... If Hinduism is associated with orange and Islam with green, what color would you make Christianity, based on the novel?

 

6.       What do you think of Pi's assertion that we are all "in limbo, without religion, until some figure introduces us to our God"?

 

7.       How is the novel related to religion or religious belief, in one brief sentence.

The little coffee shop of Kabul

Our book for the month of May, The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, provided some interesting topics of conversation.  Each member was asked who there favorite character was.  Halajan was selected by 3 members, her feisty and strong character was cited as the reason for their choice. Other members liked Isabel, Ahmet, Jasmina and Candace.  We all felt that Candace was quite naive, given the situation with Wakel and also at the embassy with the boy with the package.
It was also agreed that every character in the book held a secret that they managed to cover up in some manner, Jasmina's pregnancy, Halajan and Rashif's love, Isabel's rape, Candace's background etc.  Although the men in the book were felt to be secondary to the main characters, they still had fairly strong storylines of forbidden love.  However, it was felt that the change to Ahmet's character accepting his mothers love for Rashif and then his own for Jasmina, was not true to what a devout Muslim would do. 

Rankings
Debbie  5- Not enough cups of coffee for my liking
Anne Marie 6 - Afghani cultural buffet
Hannah 5 - Easy enjoyable read, but, didn't explore the friendships enough
Kerry 5 - Good holiday read, bit soapy
Meg  5 - Pleasant fluffy read squandered its potential
Irene 5 - Drawing on real life situations made the happy ending a melancholic comparison
Leslie 7 - Makes her feel sorry for women in other countries
Colleen 5 - Floated alon on even level, average
Kaye 7 - Captivating story about women in a hostile environment

Little coffee shop of Kabul

Hi all
Hope you have enjoyed reading the little coffee shop of Kabul. Here are some questions for discussion on Tuesday evening I have selected them from the reading group questions at the back of the book.   See you on Tuesday.
Kaye

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

2. A working title for this novel was The Seventh Dove.  What does Halajan's story about the doves mean, and why does it have such a strong effect on Sunny?

3. 'Every character in the novel is hiding something' Do you agree with this statement?  Discuss each character's secrets and subterfuges.

4. Five women are at the heart of this novel. But what do you think of the representation of men?

5. What was the most shocking thing you learnt about life for women in Afghanistan?

Hi all.  Humble apologies from me. I have misplaced my notes from last book club meeting and know I put them somewhere safe. I will post as soon as I have found them. 
In the meantime we should all be reading 'The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul" written by Deborah Rodriguez. This book was Kay's choice and the next meeting will be at her house.  For those that wish to read the next book. It is "The Life of Pi" by Yan Martel chosen by Tahnee.
Sorry again.  Leslie

Hi guys just wondering if Tahnee has had a chance to think of a book for June, so i can get ordering ugh... Sorry Tahnee know you are away hope you are having a great time with the family, look forward to seeing you when you get back.

QUESTIONS FOR

When you read of Jasper's discovery in the clearing, who did you think did it.Why do you think Charlie agreed to become an accomplice.Do you think the novel accurately captures the experience of adolescenc.Would you choose spider hat or penis fingers.

FROM LESLIE

Caleb's Crossing

Mar 6, 2012 02:40 PM

Caleb's Crossing Tuesday 6 March 2012 at Colleen's place.

It seems the book was enjoyed by all, a little slow to get into, some a bit slower than others. (Leslie)

IRENE 7
Too tired for a pithy comment, the author took to much artistic licence

HANNAH 7
Want to read more about Native Americans

TRILBY-ROUX 6
Well crafted, facts got in way of story

MEG 1
A weak welcome to new member Meg who can't seem to grasp the concept of book club is to read the bloody book

LESLIE 6
Hard life. Leslie now loves her washing machine, dryer, cooker, micro wave etc.

DEBBIE 7...5
Got carried away with language. Loved the language.

KAYE 7
Slow to start but pleasantly surprised at (oops can't read my own writing so have no idea what Kaye is surprised at.)

TAHNEE 6
Worth persevering with . Liked the use of language. Want to call next baby Solace.

Ann Marie 8
Energizing, excellent read.

MARIMBA 8
Went to sleep but points for sending in her review.
Her skill as a writer was magical, the depth of her themes astounded. I was moved to tears more than once.

COLLEEN 7
Impressed with the writing style and the amount of research taken to produce the story.

Thanks everyone for comming.

Next month book is Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey at 16 Wattle Valley Road Mt Evelyn.

Caleb's Crossing

Sorry forgot to add Bookclub is at my place (Colleen) Chandler Road Seville. M285 D5 use your Melways not a GPS. Chandler Road is off Victoria Road, we are the last gate on the right, Dewhurst/Kelly on gate, long driveway you will eventually get there. Ring me on 0411 799 558 if lost and I will talk you though.

Caleb's Crossing

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

Do you think the author did enough research for her story? Did it show in her writings?

Did you feel the author kept her narrative in time with the era? Did you struggle with the language?

After reading this book do you feel that not much has changed with the downtrodden in our society feeling the predjucices against them in 1665 and 2012

review for "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"

We Welcome Anne-Maree and Marimba to our group and look forward to your contribution. Congratulations Irene and Stewart and thank-you for bringing Aruna for us all to love and cuddle.

It was generally agreed the book was an interesting read. The complex relationship between Father and Son/s was thought to be normal for the time period where children where seen and not heard. The romantic side of this novel caused emotional responses as these relationships remained unresolved by the author. The issues created by the war were repressive and destructive.

Colleen.............7.....Enjoyable and believable

Trilby-Roux....6......Interesting....detached

Anne-Maree....7......Cried

Kaye..................7......Captivating

Marimba..........7......Swept me away....cried at the train station......

Hannah............6.......Enjoyed ending

Tahnee.............6.......Melancholic/ Entertaining

Irene.................8......(Thought to be still very Hormonal) Didn't want the story to end. Left me wanting more.

Leslie...............8.......possibly hormonal as well!!..really really enjoyable..well written...and she cried.......

Kerry................7.......Loved the complex relationships, the history and an insight into the injustices forced on alien citizens during ww2.

Deb...................6.5.....Frustrated by Henry/Sheldon relationship. Distant didn't connect.

March Bookclub is at Colleen's the book is" Caleb's Crossing"

April Bookclub is at Leslie's and the book is "Jasper Jones" by Craig Silvey

Kerry

questions for february's book club

Happy New Year to you all...some questions to ponder for discussion

- Why do u think the story was told in flashbacks. What perceptive can an older Henry give and do u think it would be accurate

- Father-son relationships are a crucial theme in the novel. How is Henry's relationship with his Father and Son different. What accounts for the difference?

-Why does Henry's father insist on only English from Henry when he intends to send him back to China for study.

-If u were Henry would u be able to forgive your father.? Does he deserve forgiveness?

-Henry's mother comes from a culture in which wives are subservient to their husbands. Given this background , do you think she could of done more to help Henry in his struggles against his father? Is her a loyalty to her husband a betrayal of her son.

-bullying is a big part of the theme in the book..Henry's bullied by his father,schoolmates, society in general. How do you think this shaped his character . Do you think society has changed much in regards to bullying.

-Do you think Henry was right to stay with Ethel even after he found out about his fathers deceit. Should he have searched for Kieko.

-Do you think Ethel knew what was happening to Henry's letters?

-Why do u think Kieko didn't make an effort to find Henry once released from the camp?

-Internment of foreigners happened all over the world during WW2 what are ur views on this and do you think it is a practice that could happen today?

Happy reading see u all at my place

224 Schoolhouse Road Woori Yallock

on the first Tuesday in Feb.....

hey reading buddies just wondering if someone can post the name of the next two books because i know i wrote them in a safe place i just can't remember where that safe place is ugh....

Australian Women Writers 2012 challenge

Hello,

Don't want to force anyone into picking certain books but I was wondering if people would be interested in doing this for book club?

http://www.australianwomenwriters.com/p/australian-women-writers-book-challenge_25.html

Let me know

Trilby

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Burrows

This book was generally liked. At first some of us had our reservations. On the back of some copies the author of "Eat, Pray, Love" stated she enjoy this book, which would discourage some readers. Some of us found an epistolary novel (thanks Tahnee) meaning a novel created out of letters, a bit of a challenge at first. For some however found this method of creating a story, enjoyable and an easy was to explore the different characters.

The subject of letters themselves was an interesting topic, as the use of letter writing has changed due to technology. Though it was discussed that writing an email can sometimes be similar to the writing that you post.

The characters Juliet and Elizabeth, were liked because of their independence and heroic behaviour during a time when men were considered "the boss". The risks they both took were different, Elizabeth's actions lead her to her death. Juliet's ultimately lead her to Dawsey

As for the rest of the Guernsey society, it was found they were sometimes too eccentric and quirky. Some of us thought Dawsey was about fifty until Juliet described him. Despite the historical quality of the book, some of us didn't know where the story was leading.

Debbie: 7 Enjoyable read. Inspired to get letters out to read.

Lesley: 5 Interesting but couldn't get into it. Can't fall into a book of letters.

Tahnee: 6 Enjoyed it, love new word "epistolary".

Trilby: 5 Enjoyable, pleasant, interesting.

Kaye: 6 A lovely read. At the start found the letters annoying.

Colleen: 5 Liked format, half way through the book couldn't understand characters, a bit fluffy.

Kerry: 4 Enchanting tale, a bit boring, a bit disjointed.

Hannah: 6 Letters annoying at first, an easy read.

Book club a Kerry's in February; "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jaimie Ford.

At Colleen's in March; "Caleb's Crossing", by Geraldine Brooks.

Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year. Congratulations Irene! (you still could have come to book club though he he just kidding)

Hannah

Hi there, sorry I didn't post this earlier. See you this evening.

What was your experience reading a novel composed of entirely out of letters? Are there types of information letters convey more successfully than other forms of expression? Would a novel in emails have different strengths and weaknesses?

Dawsey first writes to Juliet because books are so difficult to obtain on Guernsey in the aftermath of the war. What differences do you note between the bookselling in the 1940s and bookselling today? Do book lovers share common qualities across generations?

In what ways are Juliet and Elizabeth kindred spirits?

Numerous Guernsey residents give Juliet access to their private memories. Which voices were memorable for you? What is the effect of reading a variety of responses to a shared tragedy?

How would you characterise Juliet? Did you like her?

If you had lived in Guernsey before the occupation, do you think you would have sent your children to England without you?

What do you think of Elizabeth's relationship with Christian? Was it wrong of her to love a Nazi?

Do you think books have the power to lift people out of the circumstances? What role did books play in the lives of the Guernsey Literary Society?

Book Club For 2012

It was agreed that we should know who is deciding what book in what month so here goes.

February: Kerry
March: Coleen
April: Lesley
May: Kay
June: Tahnee
July: Trilby
August: Hannah
September: Debbie
Oct: Meg
November: Irene

Hello Again,
Firstly thanks for a great evening. Loving book club.

The general feeling towards Tamil Tigress was one of disappointment and doubtful as to the sincere description of Niromi's experiences. The word "dubous" was used on more than one occasion!!! The writing in the first person was very uninteresting and made what should have been confronting and shocking content less impactful.

And to the scores:

Debbie: 4 Really struggled to read. Couldn't connect with main character. Name use confusing
and difficult to be sure who was who.

Kerry: 5 Difficult to read,from her point of view.....'insert senior moment'.....written in first person was not engaging enough. Story was 'dubious'.

Hannah: 6 Exhausting read -makes you appreciate the freedoms here in Australia.

Trilby: 3 Not connected to cause or story.Can understand motives. Wouldn't be surprised if story is 'dubous'.

Coleen: 4 Blandly written. Whole story was self promoting.. 'Dubious' read.

Kay: 5 'Dubious' Lack of anticipation.

Lesley: Didn't Read

Tahnee: 4 Distant from story, surprisingly boring given the content.

Irene: 4 Disappointed in lack of education about Sri Lanka's polictical situation.


Next months' book is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, hosted by Hannah who can be found at 36 Railway Road Seville. See you there.

Hello All,

Hope you all had a win on Cup Day.....or at least a nice day off work.

As this is a relatively new book there weren't any book club questions on my google searches so I resorted to coming up with a few questions myself so please be gentle with me.

In an interview Niromi states that violence is no tool or means to achieve resolution. Do you believe this to be true? Is there any scenario/situation in life where violence is the only means to defend a belief or something held dear?


How much do you think she was protected by the other Tamil Tigers? Was this because of her middle class upbringing?


Is her story really one of being a fighter or a protected teenager championing a naive belief? Friends spoke of support for the cause but within her social circle it never translated into action. Why might this be?

Was Niromi brave in not hiding behind the social expectation of the caste system or fear of disappointing her family and the social impact that may have?


Can you understand why Benjamin’s murder by the Tamils was not enough to make her walk away but actually paved the way for innumerable excuses and sacrifices for the Tamil Tigers.


Was Niromi’s honorable intent in joining the Tamils justified or driven by fear?
Can the two be separated in the face of injustice/persecution?


I also came across this article which I thought was rather interesting……
http://groundviews.org/2011/08/31/forbidden-fruits-niromi-de-soyzas-tamil-tigress-noumi-kouri-and-helen-demidenko/


Hope to see you all tomorrow in sunny Reefton.

Irene

Meg is no longer a techno loser

I am sure that you will all be thrilled to know that as at 1.34pm on Thursday 6th Oct 2011 I can access and post to the blog again. I suspect that this shall last all of a week before I have issues again!!!!!

But while I am on here a little bit of info for the group. If you are interested in buying the book the book for the Dec book club go to:

www.thebookdepository.com

$9.88 including shipping!

Happy reading