Reminder that book club is tonight, at 6:00 at Panera (Airport Square, near the mall). As Elizabeth, mentioned finishing the book is never a requirment for coming! So please come, regardless if you finished the book or not.
Also, I wanted to reminder everyone to come with a book suggestion for our Spring 2010 book club. And bring your calendars, so we can maybe pick a date in advance.
Looking forward to seeing everyone tonight!!
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tuesday
Book club is scheduled for Tuesday, Novemeber 17th.
How does 6:00 sound? Does that give people time to get home if they need to (ie me...I need to take grace home and then head back out) or its not too late, if people stay at work?
And let's have a casual dinner...I like the idea of Panera again. Its central to everyone and has a big-ish selection of food for people (and its not too expensive).
Does that sound good for everyone? Any big objections, please email and I will update!
Now I just have to read the book!!!
Thanks!
How does 6:00 sound? Does that give people time to get home if they need to (ie me...I need to take grace home and then head back out) or its not too late, if people stay at work?
And let's have a casual dinner...I like the idea of Panera again. Its central to everyone and has a big-ish selection of food for people (and its not too expensive).
Does that sound good for everyone? Any big objections, please email and I will update!
Now I just have to read the book!!!
Thanks!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
A Tie?
OK, so both polls ended in ties...I will be the tie-breakers...
I am removing my vote for the book, so the winner is
Old Man and the Sea.
And because the 11th is next Wednesday (only 5 days away), the date of book club is Tuesday, November 17th.
I hope both are OK for most everyone. As I said before, lets not cancel and reschedule, or we aren't ever going to have book club.
Now, we just need to pick a place...any suggestions?
I am removing my vote for the book, so the winner is
Old Man and the Sea.
And because the 11th is next Wednesday (only 5 days away), the date of book club is Tuesday, November 17th.
I hope both are OK for most everyone. As I said before, lets not cancel and reschedule, or we aren't ever going to have book club.
Now, we just need to pick a place...any suggestions?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Its a Go
So, its seems like there is interest in book club before the end of the year, and picking a new, shorter book is good. So, I am adding TWO polls on the side...
1. Pick a date - I added a bunch of dates in mid-November. Both during the week and on the weekend. Please select any and all days you are available.
2. Pick a book - So that we actually have time to get and then read our books, I put two of the books in the poll. I know not everyone gave suggestions and input, but in the interest of time, I'm just going with the books I found and the suggestion that was given.
For both polls, majority will win. Its a given that not everyone will be available. The reality is if we continue to try and find a date where EVERYONE is available, book club will just continue to be pushed off, later and later and the likelihood we actually have one is slim. So, let's just go with whatever date the MOST people are available.
1. Pick a date - I added a bunch of dates in mid-November. Both during the week and on the weekend. Please select any and all days you are available.
2. Pick a book - So that we actually have time to get and then read our books, I put two of the books in the poll. I know not everyone gave suggestions and input, but in the interest of time, I'm just going with the books I found and the suggestion that was given.
For both polls, majority will win. Its a given that not everyone will be available. The reality is if we continue to try and find a date where EVERYONE is available, book club will just continue to be pushed off, later and later and the likelihood we actually have one is slim. So, let's just go with whatever date the MOST people are available.
Monday, October 26, 2009
2009 final book
Sorry for not doing this sooner....but, there appears to still be interest in having a book club. And if people are interested, we could plan one final get together before the end of the year.
Here are my thoughts...If we pick a new, somewhat short book, we could meet in right before Thanksgiving (Sat Nov 21 or Sun Nov 22) . If that weekend doesn't work, we could always pick a weeknight evening, which might be more flexible, especially if we pick the date in advance.
Books with less than 200 pages
http://lazyreaders.com/pages/?length=126-200
Here are two books I found quickly:
Night 128 pages
Animal Farm - 140 pages
Any other suggestions? How is the date? Do we actually what to do this before the end of the year?
Here are my thoughts...If we pick a new, somewhat short book, we could meet in right before Thanksgiving (Sat Nov 21 or Sun Nov 22) . If that weekend doesn't work, we could always pick a weeknight evening, which might be more flexible, especially if we pick the date in advance.
Books with less than 200 pages
http://lazyreaders.com/pages/?length=126-200
Here are two books I found quickly:
Night 128 pages
Animal Farm - 140 pages
Any other suggestions? How is the date? Do we actually what to do this before the end of the year?
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Just checking in to see if anyone is still interested in having our book club. I don't know if we are all too busy with work and our lives. Or if the little escape of our book club is a good thing. Either way, we should decide who is still interested (if anyone).
If there is interest, we should make plans for a gathering for later this fall.
Thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment. Vote in the poll over to the right. Or feel free to email me directly and I will take you off the distribution list.
If there is interest, we should make plans for a gathering for later this fall.
Thoughts? Feel free to leave a comment. Vote in the poll over to the right. Or feel free to email me directly and I will take you off the distribution list.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Waiting until Fall
Our book club that was scheduled for this upcoming Sunday, May 17th is canceled. We will try to pick and agree on a date after our busy summers.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Our Next Book & Date
Thanks again to Jen for taking the lead and organizing the last book club. We had a great time and spirited discussion of Eat, Pray, Love. At that meeting, we picked our next book and the date of our next gathering.
The book is: Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah.
Book club will be Sunday, May 17th, 2:00 at Montgomeryville Panera.
Please come to the next book club with your calendar/date book (as we will try to pick the date of the next one) and your book suggestion. Also, let's decide if meeting at Panera is something we want to continue or if she should go back to the "orginal" format.
Also, if you have not attended the last few bookclubs, we may be removed from the distribution list. If you still want to attend, but just haven't been able to attend the last few, please let me know and I will keep you on the list.
The book is: Firefly Lane, by Kristin Hannah.
Book club will be Sunday, May 17th, 2:00 at Montgomeryville Panera.
Please come to the next book club with your calendar/date book (as we will try to pick the date of the next one) and your book suggestion. Also, let's decide if meeting at Panera is something we want to continue or if she should go back to the "orginal" format.
Also, if you have not attended the last few bookclubs, we may be removed from the distribution list. If you still want to attend, but just haven't been able to attend the last few, please let me know and I will keep you on the list.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Reminder! Book Club this Sunday!
Hey there-just a quick reminder about our book club on Sunday, 2pm at Panera in Montgomeryville.
In reference to question 11 in the last post, I've been trying to come up with my "word", but I've also been trying to figure out what "word" describes Philly...NO idea...
In reference to question 11 in the last post, I've been trying to come up with my "word", but I've also been trying to figure out what "word" describes Philly...NO idea...
Monday, February 9, 2009
And the results are in...
Our next Book Club will be:
Sun, 01 MAR at 2pm, Panera in Montgomeryville
Interview with the author: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/eat_pray_love.html
Discussion Questions:
1. Gilbert writes that “the appreciation of pleasure can be the anchor of humanity,” making the argument that America is “an entertainment-seeking nation, not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one.” Is this a fair assessment?
2. After imagining a petition to God for divorce, an exhausted Gilbert answers her phone to news that her husband has finally signed. During a moment of quietude before a Roman fountain, she opens her Louise Glück collection to a verse about a fountain, one reminiscent of the Balinese medicine man’s drawing. After struggling to master a 182-verse daily prayer, she succeeds by focusing on her nephew, who suddenly is free from nightmares. Do these incidents of fortuitous timing signal fate? Cosmic unity? Coincidence?
3. Gilbert hashes out internal debates in a notebook, a place where she can argue with her inner demons and remind herself about the constancy of self-love. When an inner monologue becomes a literal conversation between a divided self, is this a sign of last resort or of self-reliance?
4. When Gilbert finally returns to Bali and seeks out the medicine man who foretold her return to study with him, he doesn’t recognize her. Despite her despair, she persists in her attempts to spark his memory, eventually succeeding. How much of the success of Gilbert’s journey do you attribute to persistence?
5. Prayer and meditation are both things that can be learned and, importantly, improved. In India, Gilbert learns a stoic, ascetic meditation technique. In Bali, she learns an approach based on smiling. Do you think the two can be synergistic? Or is Ketut Liyer right when he describes them as “same-same”?
6. Gender roles come up repeatedly in Eat, Pray, Love, be it macho Italian men eating cream puffs after a home team’s soccer loss, or a young Indian’s disdain for the marriage she will be expected to embark upon at age eighteen, or the Balinese healer’s sly approach to male impotence in a society where women are assumed responsible for their childlessness. How relevant is Gilbert’s gender?
7. In what ways is spiritual success similar to other forms of success? How is it different? Can they be so fundamentally different that they’re not comparable?
8. Do you think people are more open to new experiences when they travel? And why?
9. Abstinence in Italy seems extreme, but necessary, for a woman who has repeatedly moved from one man’s arms to another’s. After all, it’s only after Gilbert has found herself that she can share herself fully in love. What does this say about her earlier relationships?
10. Gilbert mentions her ease at making friends, regardless of where she is. At one point at the ashram, she realizes that she is too sociable and decides to embark on a period of silence, to become the Quiet Girl in the Back of the Temple. It is just after making this decision that she is assigned the role of ashram key hostess. What does this say about honing one’s nature rather than trying to escape it? Do you think perceived faults can be transformed into strengths rather than merely repressed?
11. Sitting in an outdoor café in Rome, Gilbert’s friend declares that every city --- and every person --- has a word. Rome’s is “sex,” the Vatican’s “power”; Gilbert declares New York’s to be “achieve,” but only later stumbles upon her own word, antevasin, Sanskrit for “one who lives at the border.” What is your word? Is it possible to choose a word that retains its truth for a lifetime?
Sun, 01 MAR at 2pm, Panera in Montgomeryville
Interview with the author: http://us.penguingroup.com/static/rguides/us/eat_pray_love.html
Discussion Questions:
1. Gilbert writes that “the appreciation of pleasure can be the anchor of humanity,” making the argument that America is “an entertainment-seeking nation, not necessarily a pleasure-seeking one.” Is this a fair assessment?
2. After imagining a petition to God for divorce, an exhausted Gilbert answers her phone to news that her husband has finally signed. During a moment of quietude before a Roman fountain, she opens her Louise Glück collection to a verse about a fountain, one reminiscent of the Balinese medicine man’s drawing. After struggling to master a 182-verse daily prayer, she succeeds by focusing on her nephew, who suddenly is free from nightmares. Do these incidents of fortuitous timing signal fate? Cosmic unity? Coincidence?
3. Gilbert hashes out internal debates in a notebook, a place where she can argue with her inner demons and remind herself about the constancy of self-love. When an inner monologue becomes a literal conversation between a divided self, is this a sign of last resort or of self-reliance?
4. When Gilbert finally returns to Bali and seeks out the medicine man who foretold her return to study with him, he doesn’t recognize her. Despite her despair, she persists in her attempts to spark his memory, eventually succeeding. How much of the success of Gilbert’s journey do you attribute to persistence?
5. Prayer and meditation are both things that can be learned and, importantly, improved. In India, Gilbert learns a stoic, ascetic meditation technique. In Bali, she learns an approach based on smiling. Do you think the two can be synergistic? Or is Ketut Liyer right when he describes them as “same-same”?
6. Gender roles come up repeatedly in Eat, Pray, Love, be it macho Italian men eating cream puffs after a home team’s soccer loss, or a young Indian’s disdain for the marriage she will be expected to embark upon at age eighteen, or the Balinese healer’s sly approach to male impotence in a society where women are assumed responsible for their childlessness. How relevant is Gilbert’s gender?
7. In what ways is spiritual success similar to other forms of success? How is it different? Can they be so fundamentally different that they’re not comparable?
8. Do you think people are more open to new experiences when they travel? And why?
9. Abstinence in Italy seems extreme, but necessary, for a woman who has repeatedly moved from one man’s arms to another’s. After all, it’s only after Gilbert has found herself that she can share herself fully in love. What does this say about her earlier relationships?
10. Gilbert mentions her ease at making friends, regardless of where she is. At one point at the ashram, she realizes that she is too sociable and decides to embark on a period of silence, to become the Quiet Girl in the Back of the Temple. It is just after making this decision that she is assigned the role of ashram key hostess. What does this say about honing one’s nature rather than trying to escape it? Do you think perceived faults can be transformed into strengths rather than merely repressed?
11. Sitting in an outdoor café in Rome, Gilbert’s friend declares that every city --- and every person --- has a word. Rome’s is “sex,” the Vatican’s “power”; Gilbert declares New York’s to be “achieve,” but only later stumbles upon her own word, antevasin, Sanskrit for “one who lives at the border.” What is your word? Is it possible to choose a word that retains its truth for a lifetime?
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
New exciting options for our blog!
Danielle gave me permission for the blog layout, so now I am able to post polls as well.
Please vote on the latest poll that was just posted today. Note that you can choose more than one date.
ALSO, Blogger automatically emails a notification for a new post on the blog to 10 email addresses. This is not enough to cover the whole group, but it's a start. I was thinking of adding a filter to one of my email addresses so that we can incorporate everyone.
Please let us know who else needs to be added to the distribution list...
Please vote on the latest poll that was just posted today. Note that you can choose more than one date.
ALSO, Blogger automatically emails a notification for a new post on the blog to 10 email addresses. This is not enough to cover the whole group, but it's a start. I was thinking of adding a filter to one of my email addresses so that we can incorporate everyone.
Please let us know who else needs to be added to the distribution list...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
BOOK CLUB
Here are the possibilities for book club:
SAT 21 FEB
SUN 22FEB
SAT 28FEB
SUN 01MAR
LOCATION: Panera in Montgomeryville, 2pm
SAT 21 FEB
SUN 22FEB
SAT 28FEB
SUN 01MAR
LOCATION: Panera in Montgomeryville, 2pm
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Select-a-date
I haven't heard back from anyone about a date preference, so let's the polling begin. Please vote on the side poll with what dates you are available. If you are available all 4 dates, you can select all 4. That way, we can hopefully pick the date that works best for most people. If those dates are too soon, we can push it into Feb, but I'm guessing it would most likely be late Feb (after Valentine's Day weekend).
We also need to decide on a location. If there are any volunteers we can do meet at someone's house. Or we can meet over dinner or even just coffee. Feel free to leave a comment with your preference or thoughts about location.
We also need to decide on a location. If there are any volunteers we can do meet at someone's house. Or we can meet over dinner or even just coffee. Feel free to leave a comment with your preference or thoughts about location.
Monday, January 5, 2009
2009 - Book #1
This is so very long overdue...but its about time for our next book club!!! For those who missed our previous book club...from the summer I think (too long ago, for sure), our book that was selected was "Eat Pray Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert. I hope most everyone has know this was our next book and have read it or gotten a good jump start on it during the holidays.
Date:
What about one of the last weekends in January?
January 24 or 25?
January 31 or Febuary 1?
Let me know your general thoughts about this timing (figured it was enough time if someone hasn't even started it yet)...and then I can make a poll if that is helpful!
Where:
Shannon hosted the last book club, and I was the time before. How about someplace not so far in Bucks County this time...I know it is a hike for some people.
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