Saturday, October 21, 2023

 

 

 

 

 


 TYC Book Club Season 2024

         The upcoming reading season promises to be a very good one.  There are some wonderful books finding their way to our list.We strive to include a variety of books, some suggested by members while others have been recommended in book reviews. We strive for a variety of genres and for books that will prompt discussion.

     We look forward to any TYC member attending book club.  In addition to sharing interesting books, book club has become a place for us to connect with each other, hear a variety of ideas and come to know one another better.  Some books we love, some we do not, but we always have discussions that make us think and share ideas.

    Even though there are some very regular members,  we very much look forward to seeing both long time members and new members.

Happy Reading,

Linda Maddigan and Denise David


Meeting Dates:

January 28th    Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

March 10th      The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

May 19th        Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls

June 30th        Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

July 21st         Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Aug 18th       The Women by Kristin Hannah

Sept               The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria                                              Christopher Murray

Oct                 TBA


Meeting #1  Jan 28 at Claudia Lewis' house from 12:00-2:00 p.m.

    Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese.

The Covenant of Water (Oprah's Book Club) - by Abraham Verghese (Hardcover), 1 of 2 

 Several book club members have commented that they could not put this book down. It is long, 735 pages, but we thought January might be the perfect time to read this book. The book has become a word-of-mouth best seller. It is an epic story, an inter-generational story of family, faith, and the power of water. Happy reading!

 

 

Meeting #2   March 10th  The Violin Conspiracy by                                                         Brendan Slocumb 


This book is a mystery, but it is so much more. It is a riveting page-turner about a Black classical musician's desperate quest to recover his lost violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.

"Utterly original and downright gripping, The Violin Conspiracy is more than a mystery--it's an unflinching peek into the heart and soul of a gifted Black violinist striving to pursue his passion in the face of adversity. Brendan Slocumb's debut is an essential lesson in artistry, prejudice, and persistence."
--Zakiya Dalila Harris, New York Times bestselling author of The Other Black Girl


Meeting #3 May 19th   Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls



 

 

Hang the Moon is a compelling story set in the Roaring 1920's in rural Virginia. Sallie Kincaid is the central character in a story of family, of secrets, of bootleggers and a feisty female character. The book is fiction, but you may remember Jeanette Walls from her amazing memoir The Glass Castle. 

 

Meeting #4  June 30th at TYC 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

 

Review: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano



The book has been recommended by several book club members, but be warned that it is a very emotional book, a tender tearjerker.  It is a story of the relationship of four sisters in an emotionally torn family.  


Meeting #5 July 21, 2024   at TYC Clubhouse at 12:0-1:00

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

This book is unusual. It is the story of a friendship between an octopus and an older woman who works the night shift at the aquarium cleaning up. It is a book about accepting friendship wherever you find it and it is about be willing to change.

 

Meeting #6  August 18th, 2024 at TYC Clubhouse from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

The Women by Kristin Hannah

The Women - by  Kristin Hannah (Hardcover), 1 of 2 

In this historical fiction novel, Hannah follows the life of a young nurse who goes to Vietnam and the aftermath of her return home. The book is a page-turning read. It captures the complicated time period of the Vietnam War as well as celebrates the power of friendship among women.


Meeting # 7   September 22nd, 2024 at TYC Clubhouse from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.


The First Ladies by Marie Benedict

The First Ladies - by  Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray (Hardcover), 1 of 6 

 Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray have teamed up again (last time it was for The Personal Librarian) to tell the story of the friendship between Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist, Mary McLeod Bethune.

Saturday, October 8, 2022


 

 

 


 


 TYC Book Club   2023 Reading Season

Meeting Dates

JAN 14,  MAR 12,  MAY 21, JUNE 25, JULY 23, AUG 20,  

SEPT16 (Note date change to Saturday: Bill's Game)

OCTOBER 15th at Claudia Lewis' home 

 Linda and I will be posting titles for this year's books in the  next
couple of months. We choose a variety of books based on suggestions from members as well as book reviews and other recommendations. We are looking forward to another year of reading, thinking, talking, and having fun with a wonderful group of people. Our book discussion adds another layer of connection to the TYC community; everyone is always welcome to attend. Happy reading!
Linda and Denise

Meeting #1 

In October the Book Club met.  We decided to schedule another meeting in January on Saturday, January 14th (with a bad weather back- up date of January 21). 

Hardcover Lady Clementine Book

 

We will read Lady Clementine by Marie Benedict.  We will meet at Claudia Lewis's house at 12:00 until 2:00. 

The book is an historical fiction account of the life of Clementine Churchill, the wife of the most famous prime minister in British history. It is a page turning story of a remarkable woman married to a most remarkable man.  As usual, everyone is welcome. As time gets closer, please let Claudia know if you will be attending.   


Meeting #2  March 12th, 2023 at Claudia's home from 12:00-2:00. Please call Claudia to let her know if you will be attending. 

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Geraldine Brooks - Horse | WAMCb

 Horse published in 2022 is a work of fiction inspired by true events. Pulitzer prize winner, Geraldine Brooks, uses the history of a famous nineteenth racehorse to explore the legacy of slavery. It is a classic horse story, a boy forms a bond with a horse, but it is so much more than that! Happy reading. We look forward to a lively discussion. 

 Portrait of Lexington | Smithsonian American Art Museum

 Famous Portrait of Lexington painted by Thomas Scott in the 1850's.

 This is a link Geraldine Brooks' very interesting website. You might want to take a look at it before our meeting!

Website with Further Information

Painting by Edward Troye, American equestrian artist. Title of the painting is Richard Singleton with Viley's Harry, Charles and Lew.Richard Singleton is the name of the horse and Harry Lewis, called only Harry in the title is supposedly Jarrett's father in the book.

Meeting #3  May 21 Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

meeting at 12:00 - 1:00 in the TYC clubhouse.

 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 

Good Reads describes this book as: Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

The book is about women's lives and careers in the late 50's and early 60's.  It follows the story of Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist who is forced to become a television chef when she finds herself a young, single mother. We will have some fun with this one!

Apple TV has created a series based on the book starring Brie Larson. It promises to be quite good. 


Meeting # 4       June 25, 2023  at TYC   12:00-1:00

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Ricardson 

 The Book Woman's Daughter - By Kim Michele Richardson : Target

    You may have read an earlier book also based on the Pack Horse Librarian Project called the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. This book is a follow up, but it stands on its own, and was highly recommended by a several of book club members, who called it a page-turner. 

Description of book from Amazon: In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned, Troublesome Creek pack horse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.

 

Meeting #5   July 23  at TYC  12:00-1:00 pm

You Are Not Forgotten by Evelyn Grubb and Carol Jose

 

Description of the book from Amazon:

 You Are Not Forgotten is a story of courage, honor, and personal growth told by the woman who lived it. Evelyn Fowler Grubb was an American heroine and an eyewitness to the history recorded in this book. She was the wife of U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Wilmer Newlin Grubb who was shot down over North Vietnam in 1966 and photographed alive and well at his capture. Throughout the course of the war, Evelyn and thousands of other wives and family members were unable to get information or contact their loved ones. The U.S. government was unable to get reliable information and was hesitant to release unconfirmed data. The North Vietnamese government refused to provide information, and completely ignored the Geneva Conventions. This book traces the heart-rending journey of these families through the life of Evelyn Grubb and her family. 

 Kim Race mentioned that the documentary that Van mentioned is called Fruits of Peace.


Meeting #6  Aug 20 at TYC 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Foster by Claire Keegan

Foster: by the Booker-shortlisted author of Small Things Like These by [Claire Keegan]

 We do not usually select novellas as our choices, but this short book is beautifully written, not flowery, not over the top. Even though it is short, it has the emotional impact of a long novel. You will easily finish this book in a day or two, but don't rush through it. It is understated and perceptive,  just the kind of book to read on your porch on a summer afternoon.

The story is set in rural Ireland in the 1980's. It is told from the point of view of a young girl who  is sent away to distant relatives to ease life for her mother, who is expecting yet another child. The book has a small plot, but we think there may still be much for us to discuss.

Claire Keegan is a well-respected Irish writer, one well worth reading.

 

Meeting #7 (Note Date Change to Saturday, September 16th)

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingslover

 Demon Copperhead

 This book is receiving a great deal of attention so we thought it might be a good one for our book club to read and discuss. Kingsolver is a very well-known and well-respected writer.  The  book addresses poverty and the opioid epidemic in a poor county in Virginia so it not a light book, but the main character, a teenage boy, experiences the themes of Charles Dickens' classic novel, David Copperfield. (It is not necessary to re-read David Copperfield to appreciate the book, but the book definitely is a nod to David Copperfield.) The book does what books can do so well--allow us to understand lives that may not be like our own.

     Many readers enjoy the character of Demon Copperhead. He is both naive and experienced. The question we may ask is how does a young boy who has as much bad luck as you can imagine, survive?

 

Meeting #8  Oct 15th at Claudia Lewis' house 

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict 

 

We promise this is the last Marie Benedict book we will read, but the group has found her historical fiction interesting. So we are going to go with once more--this one examines a mystery around Agatha Christie, herself. Fans of Agatha Christie may find this especially interesting.

Tuesday, December 7, 2021



 

 TYC Book Club 2022 Season

      We are looking forward to a new year and a new season of reading. The last few years during the pandemic have not been easy at TYC, but we have continued to meet, and many of us have found the book club to be a place of connection during these difficult pandemic years. 

       Our first book selection of the new season for our March meeting is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Claudia Lewis has volunteered to host our March meeting at her home on Sunday, March 20th from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome, but please contact Claudia ahead of time to let her know you are planning to attend.

Hope to see you at the meeting. 

Denise David and Linda Maddigan

 

 Meeting #1   March 20th from 12:00 until 2:00 p.m.

 

 Times-News 

 Pachinko by Min Jin Lee is a book that covers four generations of a family. We think you will find it to be an engaging book to read.

   It is the story of four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family who struggle to find a home in Japan. The story is absorbing as it moves through "love, loss, determination, luck, and perseverance." The book is a National Book Award Finalist. It is described as a page-turner even though it is 400 pages in length. It has been described as an "exquisite, haunting, epic." We think you will enjoy this book.

The New Yorker recently had an article about Min Jin Lee. This excerpt may help us think more fully about why she wrote Pachinko.

Amid a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, Lee has also taken on a new role, becoming a kind of spokesperson for Asian Americans. “It’s a very strange thing because I would rather not say anything. I would rather not draw attention to myself,” she says. “But, because I’m trained in history, I realized how important it is to be visible for Asian Americans in this country.” It’s a reminder of the first line of “Pachinko,” which reads, “History has failed us, but no matter.”

 

Note: Sandy and Kim mentioned that  Pachinko is now a movie that can be streamed through Apple+ TV


Meeting #2   Meeting Rescheduled to  May 22 at 12:00 to 1:00 at TYC.  


The Paper Bracelet by Rachael English


The Paper Bracelet is a novel by Rachel English, an Irish journalist, who writes this fictional account based on her interviews with women who had lived through a shameful legacy of the treatment of pregnant women in 1970’s Ireland. Pregnant women were sent to a home for unwed mothers where they were to repent their sin, deliver their babies, and ultimately sign away their children. 

 

The book is described as an engrossing page-turner that you will not be able to put down, or when you do, it might be to compose yourself from reading this poignant story. 

Meeting #3   June 12th from 12:00 to 1:00 at TYC 

 

Cover image for The School for Good Mothers 

School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan is a novel about a future time where parents (mostly women) are sent to government-run reform school after they have been reported for being bad mothers. It is a fast, compelling read that reminds us of Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale, a future dystopian world.  We will have some provocative discussion about this book. 

This book was suggested by Jenna Bush Hager of the Today Show Book Club who says: "This book is every mother’s worst nightmare written in exquisitely beautiful prose...It offers a sharp social commentary about parenthood and the vulnerability of mother."


Meeting #4   July 17th from 12:00-1:00 at TYC 

 This Tender Land by William Krueger

 

 

This Tender Land, which was recommended enthusiastically by a book club member, is the unforgettable story of four orphans who travel the Mississippi River on a life-changing odyssey during the Great Depression.

Reviewer, Joe Hartlaub, comments about the book:  "A reading of This Tender Land flows like the Mississippi River, which runs through the novel in a quiet backdrop. Although it takes place in a bygone era, the themes are contemporary, as occurs with the best of historical fiction, of which this book should certainly be included. You will not be disappointed with the story and will read it effortlessly from start to finish in a single sitting."
 
We are not suggesting that you will read this in one sitting, but we think you will enjoy this book. 😀
 

Meeting #5   August 21st  from 12:00-1:00 at TYC  

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

 DEI Book Club —The Personal Librarian — By Marie Benedict & Victoria  Christopher Murray | MyLO

 This is the story of J.P. Morgan's personal librarian, a woman who rose to prominence in the early 1900's, but as if that is not remarkable enough she was actually an African-American woman who passed as white. The book explores her life and contributions as well as the personal cost of "passing" in a society of Jim Crow, hangings, and incredible racial bias.  

Reviewer Pamela O'Sullivan of the Library Journal writes of this book, "... excellent ... This fictional account of Greene’s life feels authentic; the authors bring to life not only Belle but all those around her. An excellent piece of historical fiction that many readers will find hard to put down."

Author Marie Benedict explains in her author's note that she has had a long time interest in Belle da Costa Greene, but she did not feel comfortable writing the story until she came to work with an African American author, who could help her truly bring out the racism Bella endured. So it came to be that she and Victoria Christopher Murray worked together on this book, the story of an African American woman who helped J.P. Morgan build his massive art and manuscript collection. However, no one knew she was Black. 

 

Meeting #6  Sept. 18th from 12:00 to 1:00 at TYC 

Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin 

Cover image for The Music of Bees 

 The Music of Bees may remind you of Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine, an earlier book club choice. It is the story of three unlikely people who find connection and friendship working on a bee farm. 

The author, Eileen Garvin, is herself a beekeeper  who lives in Hood River, Oregon, where she sets her story.We learn a lot about bees and about friendship, as well as about the power of compassion and the courage to start over.

 

Meeting #7  Oct. 2nd from 12:00 to 2:00 at Claudia Lewis' home.

The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict 

 Claudia Lewis has graciously agreed to host our October meeting at her home. Please call Claudia or Linda or Denise for directions.

We thought we would finish out the reading season with another book by Marie Benedict, who so often tells the little known stories of women. This book focuses on the life of film star of yesteryear, Hedy Lamarr.

When she lived in Germany, she was known as Hedwig Kiesler, and she attended many dinner parties with high level Nazis, who thought of her as a beautiful airhead, not realizing she was a brilliant woman who would use her knowledge for important scientific breakthroughs. Quite a remarkable story.  

If you are interested in delving deeper you may want to read other books that explore the subject in greater depth:  

Hedy's Folly: The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World by Richard Rhodes

The Life of Hedy Lamarr by Stephen Shearer

Ecstacy and Me, My Life As a Woman Hedy Lamarr's autobiography

 

 





 

 

 

 

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

       TYC Book Club 2021

       We usually gather outside on the clubhouse patio on Sundays once a month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Our discussions are lively and congenial. We invite you to join us.

Below are this year's book choices as well as the meeting dates.

Hope to see you soon,

Linda Maddigan and Denise David

Meeting #1   March 21, 2021

 The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett


Our first selection is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. 
 
It follows the lives of twin girls, both light-skinned Black girls, who run away from home at age sixteen and live very different lives. The story does not move in a linear fashion since it is told through the recollections of various characters.
 
An NPR review describes this book as a"... a multi-generational family saga that tackles prickly issues of racial identity and bigotry and conveys the corrosive effects of secrets and dissembling. It's also a great read that will transport you out of your current circumstances, whatever they are."
  
 

Meeting #2   May 16, 2021 at TYC Clubhouse (hopefully)

Our second selection is The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.

Image result for Image of the Four Winds

Four Winds is Kristin Hannah's most recent book, taking us to the Dust Bowl of the 1930's, a touching story of a harsh time period. Perhaps some of you remember reading The Grapes of Wrath in high school. This book has the same poignancy, but it is a woman's story, a woman, who along with other characters, faces great struggles. 

The Book Club enjoyed two earlier books by Kristin Hannah, The Nightingale and The Great Alone. We think this one might lead to equally good discussions.

Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing has this to say about Four Winds: "Through one woman’s survival during the harsh and haunting Dust Bowl, master storyteller, Kristin Hannah, reminds us that the human heart and our Earth are as tough, yet as fragile, as a change in the wind."

This video gives a quick overview of Dust Bowl Policies: 

 Video on Dust Bowl Policies

 Below is a picture of the daughter who is in the picture in Dorothea Lange's very famous photograph taken in 1936.  Migrant Mother Photograph

This is the story of what happened to the woman in the photograph

Florence Thompson the real migrant mother

 

McIntosh says the photo helped motivate her to "make sure I never lived like that again."

Meeting #3    June 13 at TYC Clubhouse

Our third choice is Hidden Life of Trees: What They feel, How They Communicate by Peter Wohlleben 


 The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate--Discoveries from a Secret World

We try to have a variety of books on our list each year, and this one a bit unusual, but we think you will find it intriguing.

It is a science/ecology book, and it is sure to lead to some interesting discussion. The book is beautifully written by an author who has a deep love of forests. He shares his own observations as well as some scientific research. He makes us care about trees, notice them, and think very differently about them. Do they work together? Do they communicate?  We will have some fun discussing all of this.

Meeting # 4  July 18

Our July choice is Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

Amazon.com: Hamnet (9780525657606): O'Farrell, Maggie: Books 

 This novel has been described as  "a portrait of a marriage, a shattering evocation of a family ravaged by grief and loss, and a hypnotic recreation of a story that inspired one of the greatest literary masterpieces of all time. Hamnet is mesmerizing and seductive, an impossible to put down novel from a gifted writer."

(And yes, the masterpiece being referred to is Hamlet.)

The NY Times named it as one of the best books of 2020. 

 

Meeting # 5  August 15

Our August choice is The Guest Book by Sarah Blake

 The Guest Book - Blake, Sarah

August is the time for some summertime reading, and that means stories that we can get lost in.  The book follows three generations of the Milton family. The novel has been described as family saga and American epic. Curl up and get ready for a page-turning read.

Sarah Blake Interview

 Meeting # 6  September 12 

Our September choice is Radium Girls by Kate Moore

The-Radium-Girls-The-Dark-Story-of-America-039-s-Shining-Women

A novel based on the  incredible true story of the young women who were conisdered "lucky" to be working with the new wonder drug radium, until they suddenly became very ill. These women worked in the factories where they painted the numbers on the faces of watch dials. They fought an uphill battle against the dangers of the new wonder drug, radium.


Meeting # 7  October 3rd

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

 The Midnight Library - By Matt Haig (hardcover) : Target

 Good Reads describes The Midnight Library as "an enchanting new novel. Nora Seed finds herself faced... with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place."