Reminder - Book Bites Upcoming Meeting

Don't forget - Friday, September 24th, is the first Book Bites meeting. We are meeting in the auditorium from 4-5 pm. We will be having some fabulous cookies and coffee - so stop by to discuss Water for Elephants!

Introduction to The Camel Bookmobile - October's Selection

When Fiona Sweeney tells her family she wants to do something that matters, they do not expect her to go to Africa to help start a traveling library. But that is where Fiona chooses to make her mark: in the arid bush of northeastern Kenya, among tiny, far-flung communities, nearly unknown and lacking roads and schools, where people live daily with drought, hunger, and disease.

In The Camel Bookmobile, Fi travels to settlements where people have never held a book in their hands. Though her motives are good, Fi doesn't understand the people she seeks to help. Encumbered by her Western values, she finds herself in the midst of several struggles within the community of Mididima. There the bookmobile's presence sparks a feud between those who favor modernization and those who fear the loss of the traditional way of life in the African bush.

The Camel Bookmobile is a powerful saga that challenges our fears of the unknown. It follows an American librarian who travels to Africa to give meaning to her life, and ultimately loses a piece of her heart. In the end, this compelling novel shows how one life can change many, in spite of dangerous and seemingly immutable obstacles.

So as soon as we finish Water for Elephants - let's jump in to this one!!

October and November's Selections

The monthly selections for Book Bites have been updated for October and November. Following the general likes of the members thus far, I have changed these books to more contemporary classics instead of the older ones that had been chosen originally. If you started Their Eyes Were Watching God by Hurston already, I apologize, it is a great book, so - enjoy! Otherwise, Monday I'll be posting an introduction to The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton so we can get the first set of chapters to read between September 25th and October 1st.

Please feel free to recommend or request a particular book for the book club to read - suggestions are always welcome!

So Much to Talk About - Where Do I Begin?

So much happened in Chapter 13 - Chapter 18, I don't even know where to start.

Sometimes the nursing home scenes are so sad! I feel so bad for the old Jacob – and that is how it is for so many people, treated like they are no longer individuals and like they are children.

And Camel – poor Camel!! I had never heard of Jake Leg before . . . but I looked it up and it is just as described in the book. Jacob and Walter are so good to him!

How about August? He is crazier and meaner than I ever thought he was! Christopher Waltz is going to do an amazing job with this role in the movie version. He was the perfect pick - he can place a "nice" mean guy so well!

This is a great link for info on the movie version of Water for Elephants:
http://waterforelephantsfilm.com/

MMMM . . . Makes Me Hungry!

Sara Gruen really uses some incredibly colorful descriptions for everything from the various people and places in the circus (like that cooch tent) to the food! Whenever she starts describing Jacob heading into the meal tent, to eat with Marlena and August, the food sounds sooo good. Now, sometimes I am starting to feel like the author spends a little too much time with descriptions and needs to focus more on the story. It almost feels like she is stalling at points and I have to fight the urge to skim a little. Any thoughts on this?