Wow! Hard to believe the last time I updated our blog was in July. Here's a quick catch-up blog in advance of the NoVA Lit Chicks October meeting tomorrow night.
1. The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (July 2012)
Of course this was my pick....and I failed to keep up with the blog to go with it. Overall, I think the group enjoyed the book. This was a quick read that I enjoyed, and I think Oprah summed it up best:
“Spare and stunning. . . . By using the collective ‘we’ to
convey a constantly shifting, strongly held group identity within which
distinct individuals occasionally emerge and recede, Otsuka has created a
tableau as intricate as the pen strokes her humble immigrant girls
learned to use in letters to loved ones they’d never see again.” —O, The Oprah Magazine
2. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (August 2012)
Lauren chose this book, and it's odd that we would have two westerns in one year (see: True Grit in March 2012), but the general consensus on this book was positive. Rina (possibly Lorene?) made the interesting point in asking if our opinion of the characters would change if we considered them as older men (instead of younger men).
3. Also at the August meeting we welcomed two new members, Lorene and Kim! Looking forward to Lorene's first book pick in this upcoming quarter.
4. Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay (September 2012)
Dustina's book choice was revised at the August meeting since her original pick wasn't available at the library. Russian Winter won the re-vote. We seemed to struggle with getting through this long novel and the back and forth between reality, Russia, and memories. Most members did finish the book and enjoyed the plot twists at the end.
5. More new members! We welcomed Rina's friend Jen to the NVLC at the September meeting!
Tomorrow night we'll hold our October meeting where we'll discuss this month's book, A Crime in the Neighborhood, and choose our picks for November, December, and January.
My NVLC new-quarter-resolution is to update the blog more :)
