WHEN: March 16, 2008 at 2:00 PM MST. WHERE: Gold Star Chat Room WHAT: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
You can borrow the book from your local library, order it from Amazon or Chapters, buy it in most bookstores or borrow it from a friend who might have a copy to loan! Please read this book, then join us in chat for discussion!
"This story has definitely stayed in my thoughts. Makes you really appreciate the basic material things we tend to take for granted - plenty of good food, warm and reasonably stable homes, warm showers...should be read by everyone." ~ Sherry V. Brenda
Has everyone purchased or borrowed their book for this month? I'm re-reading it right now...it is just as spell-binding the second time around!
"My life is not just about the past. That is the main focus right now and it’s odd as a journalist to focus on myself. I think every journalist should go through this, where the tables are turned and suddenly it’s them under close scrutiny. It’s exhilarating and I’m sure I’ll also be glad when it dies down a bit." ~ Jeannette Walls Brenda
My copy is sitting in the to be read pile (I'm currently being held hostage by both Eclipse and Peony in Love...and let me just add Peony is fantabulous!).
I'm looking forward to another great chat. Brenda, thank you so much for all of your hard work and enthusiasm!
Well, this is embarassing because I'm not sure what it says about my declining memory: I started reading the book last night and half way down the first page I realised that I had read it before! Can't have been that long ago either.
Still, enjoying it 2nd time around !
Posts: 872 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 20 September 2006
I finished it last night and I have to say it was good hair raising read. Talk about your disfunctional family. Mine are saints by comparison.
I have a suggestion. Can we start a seperate thread for the books that we read, such as Let's Not Go To The Dogs Tonight so that if we have other thoughts and insights after the discussion we can add them to an ongoing thread?
I find that I'm still thinking about our books after we discuss them and although a live chat is a lot of fun the time constraint doesn't allow us to cover everything.
Also it would allow those who couldn't be with us for the actual discussion to add their ideas. Perhaps a good thing for those in other time zones that are too far apart for them to be present for the live chat.
The particular transcript thread seems like it would be a good place for ongoing discussion of any book that's been read in the club. Brenda intends to posts transcripts after every chat.
Posts: 13884 | Location: The Beautiful San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 06 August 2001
Ginger, Do you mean that each book transcript should be open for further input and discussion? I think that's possible to do. Let me know if this is what you'd like to see. Have you read the transcript I edited? I tried really hard to make sure it flowed along and made sense...is it better? Or, are there still strange sections that are hard to follow?
"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." ~ P.J. O'Rourke Brenda
I'm not sure what I'm thinking now. My original thought was to just start a thread without the transcript with the title of the book.
The transcript is valuable but my thought was to, I guess, have a 2nd place with a different format for a book club discussion for people in other time zones and also to be able to add to the original discussion if we had other insights.
But you all are probably right the transcript post works just as well. It was much easier to read this time around.
Concentric Reading Circle Book Club meets today, Sunday March 16th at 2:00 P.M. in the Gold Star Chat Room! Be there or be square!
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is our book this month...have you finished reading it, yet?
Sad to say, I've been unable to reach Ms. Walls..I first tracked down an agent who no longer represents her. Then, I was put in contact with a speaker's rep who asked me to e-mail her and she'd forward it to Ms. Walls. Still no answer.
After repeated attempts trying to contact Jeannette, I have to admit abject failure! Mea culpa, book club members.
So, this month's book club discussion will have to stand on its own merits...meet me in chat at 2:00 P.M. and we'll have a great conversation about this truly amazing book. Here's the world clock link...hopefully, it will help you figure out what time 2:00 P.M. MST is in your area!
See you in chat!
"What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms." ~ Book Browse Brenda
I bought the book, and started reading it, but this past month has been incredibly busy for me, and even today, I won't be available at our meeting time Have a great chat, and I plan to finish the book soon.
It's 1:48 P.M. MST and I'm heading into the Gold Star chat room. If no one has time to stop by today, I'll re-schedule the book chat for another time... hope you enjoyed The Glass Castle!
"My life is not just about the past." ~ Jeannette Walls Brenda
Great discussion today for The Glass Castle! I'll post the transcript as soon as I get it edited. Thanks so much for all of your comments and opinions, everyone...
My apologies for the Killer Link. I am so embarrassed. Here it is...hopefully it is safer this time! fficial%26sa%3DN" TARGET=_blank>Jeannette Walls - Keppler Speakers See, the thing is the link is soooo long that it won't fit into the given space to post it as a link! So, when you open this link, you need to scroll down and click on Jeannette Walls to find the bit that I entertained you so well with today!
Because we've read 2 very difficult-to-read books in a row, we decided to break with tradition and not take on the scheduled book for next month, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Too many sad and hard-to-read books together! We also decided to skip The Lovely Bones as well, because any book about the ghost of a murdered child doesn't seem like a light-hearted and happy-go-lucky story to us.
So, our next book club selection for the month of April is Wicked by Gregory Maguire. I love the look of this book. Sounds like a great choice!
So, buy a copy, borrow it form a friend or your local library, then read it and join us in Slowtrav Concentric REading Circle Book chat on Sunday, April 21st April at 2:00 MST in the Gold Star Chat Room! Let's try defying gravity!
"Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at Oz the same way again. Wicked is about a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens, Munchkinlanders seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man becomes a victim of domestic violence. And then there is the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West, a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil." ~ Gregory Maguire Brenda
Nancy, Not to worry, I should have posted more notice than I did, so my fault also. We'd love to hear what you thought, so if you have time, please post here! The transcript will be up later in the week.
"The test of literature is, I suppose, whether we ourselves live more intensely for the reading of it." ~ Elizabeth Drew Brenda
I just checked its availability at our library - lots of copies, lots of reservations! Popular - maybe a choice for some more reading groups. Out with the purse.
I'm still laughing about 'The Link that Ate the Chatroom Page' !
Posts: 872 | Location: London, UK | Registered: 20 September 2006
So I got Wicked and I'm about 1/4 of the way through it, and I have to tell you guys, it's about Bad Parents and parenting.
I am not liking it that much, I'm sorry to say.
If it's supposed to be satire, I'm not gettting it, I don't like any of the characters and I'm too dim to understand the symbolism. I find his style choppy and his attempts to blend fantasy with reality awkward and not very believable.
Sorry for suggesting it. Hopefully it will get better.
Aiyai, Ginger! I thought we'd picked a happy book! I'm looking for a copy at the airport when I leave for Savannah this weekend, so I'll let you know how I like it.
I'm about to post the transcript from last weeks book chat, killer link and all, so watch for it!
A good line from the Broadway play, 'Wicked'... Elphaba: Stay here with me...I'm gonna miss you. Oz won't be the same without you! ...long pause as they both try to stop crying. Elphaba: You know what? Let's go to the Emerald city! Glinda: (through her tears) Lets's go shopping! Brenda
Slow Travel Talk 
