Sunday, February 07, 2021

FEBRUARY READING GROUP UPDATE


 Though my reading groups are still meeting on Zoom, I did not feel like finding another Zoom image for this post. The books and the discussions are the thing, after all. Only three meetings this month as The Tinies are still on hold due to the illness of one member. 

My best news of the month so far is that my husband and I have received the first dose of the Corona Virus vaccine. Many of my reading group members, since we are predominately over 65, have also received first doses. It takes persistence and paying attention to get appointments and I wish it could all be rolling out faster, but the wave has begun!

All the books for my groups are new to me and I am looking forward to each one. Have you read any of these books?

One Book At A Time:

I have enjoyed the previous books I have read by Julia Alvarez. This is her first adult novel in 15 years and it features a retired woman and sounds just as entrancing.

Bookie Babes:

I am always interested in anything more I can learn about Harper Lee, so while I have felt a little overbalanced with non fiction lately, I will willingly read this.

Carol's Group:

Tokarczuk is another author I have enjoyed. This one has been called a "deeply satisfying thriller cum fairy tale." It is set in the author's native Poland, a land with uncounted bones beneath the soil. Just today I will finish James Michener's Poland, read so that I know more of the history of the country.






28 comments:

  1. I'd like to read all three of these, so will look forward to your thoughts. My book group from NY is not meeting online, the library group here in FL is suspended, and I'm not quite ready to form a new in person group here... even if we meet outdoors. I am enjoying various online book events, so that seems to be filling the void.

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    1. I am sorry to hear of such a desolation of your reading groups. It is good you are finding those online book events. As you know, my reviews will come eventually.

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  2. I'm impressed by your number of book clubs. I read Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, because I was on the shadow panel of the Man Booker International in 2019. I liked it: https://wordsandpeace.com/2019/04/11/book-review-drive-your-plow-over-the-bones-of-the-dead/
    Congrats for your first shot, my husband did too. Being younger, I'll have to wait

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    1. I will go and check out your review. Re vaccine: for once I am content with being so old!

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    2. When I read that review I saw that I had read it before and commented on it. Also realized that you are one of the people who made me decide for sure to read the book. Now, finally I will!

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  3. Looks like you have some good variety for February. I have the Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead one waiting to be read. Hope you enjoy these.

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    1. My reading groups are keeping me pretty happy these days.

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  4. Michener can be addicting. i haven't read this, but i feel the pull...

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    1. His books are so long, I might never get through them if he weren't addicting. I finished the book tonight. What a tale!

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  5. I never read anything by Julia Alvarez, maybe I should. But I have read Olga Tokarczuk, of course. Never read a Michener, though, maybe I should try "Poland". Oh, if only the day had more hours ...

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    1. Julia Alvarez is Dominican-American, a wonderful storyteller with a big heart. Michener, as I am sure you know, is good for history you can learn through fiction, big and sweeping, but yes, a large time commitment. If only...

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    2. I have heard a lot about Michener and I love books by Edward Rutherfurd who also writes really, really chunky books about the history of countries, so I'm sure I would love him. I will definitely have to tackle one of his books one day.

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    3. My favorite for a long time was Hawaii, read twice, until I read The Source last year. But really they are all good.

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  6. I have really come to dislike Zoom meetings with a passion and I avoid them like the plague unless they are absolutely necessary.

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    1. Zoom has been a blessing and a curse during the pandemic. I only have three or four a month with my groups and I am glad we could remain as cohesive groups but I long to see my reading friends face to face.

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  7. I read and loved the Alvarez and Tokarczuk books. I haven't read or heard of the other one. Many years ago, I read several of Michener's weighty tomes. I particularly remember Hawaii, The Source, and Chesapeake. He could tell an entertaining (and comprehensive!) tale about his subjects.

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  8. Furious Hours sounds really good. I didn't even know about this book.

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    1. I know, right? I did not either. That's the wonder of reading groups.

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  9. Hello! I think it's great that you continue to do this zoom meetings to talk about books. We are social distancing but it doesn't mean that we can't socialize. I don't know any of the books you are talking about in this post but they all sound very interesting. I'm glad you received your first vaccine shot. Take care :)

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    1. Thank you for your thoughts, Victoria!

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  10. So glad to hear you & your husband got the vaccine, that's fantastic! My parents also got the first shot and will have the 2nd one in early March. Hooray that California's rollout continues at a steady pace now. I started the Afterlife book but then it was due at the library! I will get to it another time. Furious Hours I think will be interesting. Enjoy your groups.

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    1. Susan, so glad to know your parents got their first shot too! I finished Afterlife yesterday. Good, so good.

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  11. I have Furious Hours in my 'TBR' as well since May or June last year. Hopefully, I'll read it this year!!

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  12. So glad to hear that both you and your husband have received the first doses of the vaccine. One more and you can breathe a huge sigh of relief, though you could probably do that now as well. I do wish the rollouts were happening faster but more than that, I wish it wasn't feeling like a race. I think you describe it perfectly when you say "it takes persistence and paying attention". Once it is open to the general public, it's going to be crazy!

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    1. I do feel relief already. I also agree we have still got some crazy to go through.

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  13. I am glad you have received the first dose of the vaccine. After great effort, my husband and I have, too.

    I liked Afterlife very much. I heard the author speak (Zoom) and that contributed to my enjoyment of the book.

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    1. Good on the vaccines for you too! Afterlife was even better than I expected.
      Thanks for visiting my blog today.

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