Upcoming Books and Spring Extracurriculars

NVLC chooses books on a quarterly basis.  We are excited to announce our books for May, June, and July!  Stay tuned to the blog to see if these choices were loved or hated.

1. May 2013: The Secrets of Mary Bowser (Lois Leveen)
2. June 2013: Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness (Susannah Callahan)
3. July 2013: The Beekeeper's Apprentice (Laurie R. King)

Readers who run, or runners who read?  Very excited to congratulate FOUR of the 12 NoVA Lit Chicks in their participation in a spring 5K this past March!  Way to go Emily, Lauren, Stephanie and Debra!  An excellent time was had by all and we are looking forward to more races in the future.

Looking for something fun to do next weekend (unless the Cherry Blossoms finally bloom!!), then check out this new feature from the DC Public Library:

WASHINGTON - Have you ever visited the iconic "Exorcist" steps in Georgetown, where a Jesuit priest fell to his death in the 1973 movie? If you couldn't remember exactly how the scene played out or never read the book, a new website will help add some context to your visit. 

The nation's capital is popping out of the pages of fiction and onto a map with DC by the Book which launched Tuesday.

Using Google map technology, viewers can click on map points shaped as books and see what book, author and passage reference an area in D.C. Each pinpoint on the map features the book passage and a link to the DC Public Library catalog where a member can reserve the book. 

Tony Ross, 41, a librarian at the DC Public Library, spearheaded the project. "We can all read a history of Washington, D.C., and learn about the city and learn about how it's changed, but it's a completely different thing to be in a story…and to come across a little hidden part of the city or a hidden piece of the city's history," Ross says. (Excerpt from http://www.wtop.com/1232/3264232/DC-by-the-Book-takes-readers-to-novel-locations)

NVLC Spring Blog Cleaning

Happy 2013 NVLC Friends and Fans!  Our year is already off to a great start.  Here's a recap of our book discussions this year so far.

1. Let's Pretend this Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (January 2013)

Carrie chose this memoir by the "Bloggess" and most of the women found it hilarious.  Frankly, I couldn't stand it, but some members liked it so much they are new converts to Ms. Lawson's blog.

I was crying from laughing! - Lorene

Hilarious. Without a doubt the funniest book I have read in years, if not ever. A few of her episodes (Beyonce, the chicken shiv, turkeys, OD-ing on Ex-Lax, etc) had me laughing until I wept. I can only hope that her often referenced "second book" will actually become a reality soon. Until then, her blog will suffice.

I highly recommend to anyone looking for an easy, light read with lots of laughs. If you are easily offended by swearing or sexual innuendo, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!!!! I will say that stuff usually bothers me, but it came off more as her style of writing and less as crass. Either way, consider yourself warned.  - Stephanie

2. Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult (February 2013)

Jeanette's first time hosting and leading the discussion and she did an excellent job!  This book was about a murder mystery in Pennsylvania Amish country.  The interplay between a Philadelphia attorney and the local Amish was entertaining and the group gave it average reviews.

"Picoult now explores the complex choices of the heart for a young Amish woman -- the compelling journey of discovery for an urban lawyer who befriends and protects her."  (Goodreads.com)


      3. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (March 2013)

Kim's first time leading the discussion and she too did an excellent job!  Rina hosted at her house.  The group definitely enjoyed this short, yet powerful, book.  I read it about a year ago and loved it then.  "A spare and haunting, wise and beautiful novel about the endurance of the human spirit and the subtle ways individuals reclaim their humanity in a city ravaged by war." (Goodreads.com)

Kim picked this book based her personal and professional attachment to this area of the world, and her perspective from having lived in the Balkans made for an even better discussion.


A compelling read. Prior to reading this, I didn't know a lot about the Siege of Sarajevo. Although this is fiction, I felt it had a lot of elements of realism--not just in the descriptions of the activities, but also the complex character studies and the human emotions and insecurities of the characters. It was a quick read, and I was sucked right in. Enjoyed this book. - Dustina

       4.  The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng (April 2013)

This month was my pick, and I tried to choose a book that had excellent reviews on Goodreads and Amazon....and one I'd never heard of.  This was a long, dense, but beautifully written story with lots of complexity and character depth.  Not everyone made it through the whole book, but it seemed that those who read the whole book did find it enjoyable.  If nothing else, it made me look up Penang in Wikipedia to find out where it was :-)

"The Gift of Rain spans decades as it takes readers from the final days of the Chinese emperors to the dying era of the British Empire, and through the mystical temples, bustling cities,and forbidding rain forests of Malaya."  (Goodreads.com)


Looking forward to our next quarter of books!

2012 End of Year Wrap-up

Never you mind the date of this post, gentle reader!  My New Year's resolution will be to update the blog more consistently with our meetings.  It's only April, so, may as well get started...

NVLC ended 2012 with a bang!  What a great year.  With new members and new democratic book choice process, we love Book Club!

1.  A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne (October 2012)

Rina's pick was an quick mystery, possibly more interesting for our group since it was set in the DC suburbs in the 1970s.  Overall, the group gave the book an "average" rating but it did have a solid story line and kept everyone's attention.

I found this to be a very quick read. Maybe part of the fascination was that the story takes place in the DC area. The story was a bit drawn out, and I was disappointed that the boy's killer wasn't caught in the end. This was an innocence lost type of story in a simpler time. Quick read, but not a terrific amount of substance.  -Dustina

2.  A Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (November 2012)

This is an older story (1986), chosen by Lorene, about an alternate U.S.A of the future (now Gilead), with classes of citizens and a raging war going on.  Fertility is an issue due to toxins released during the war, and therefore women who are still fertile are called "Handmaids" and used strictly for procreation.  Women are controlled by their Commandants and are forbidden to read, keep their old names, or generally have any freedoms.

I hadn't read this book before (though some women had in high school or college).  I thought it was certainly an enlightening, thought-provoking read.  Though the timing was unplanned, since this book was discussed right after Election Day our discussion took an usually (though friendly!) political turn.  If nothing else, it was interesting to discuss the possible parallels between this alternate universe and today.

I always find these bleak future novels to be quite insightful, yet depressing. Are they warnings of what could be if we travel down certain paths, or are they totally off-base? Something I always find myself pondering with these reads.

Margaret Atwood creates a frightening/sad future for women in our country. A reminder to me of the importance of women's issues and protecting them for the future of our daughters.

This was a better than average read--but I didn't love it. Partially because of the bleak subject matter and story.  -Dustina

Sara hosted the meeting at her home and Lorene did an excellent job leading her first discussion!

3.  The Peachkeeper by Sarah Addison Allen (December 2012)

NVLC ended the year with our December tradition of hosting book club in a local restaurant.  This year, Emily picked Kawata Japanese Restaurant in Fairfax.

This book was not the biggest hit with the group, most seemed to find it a bit "hokey."  Generally, a quick southern-lit read.

This was an enjoyable read, but nothing more. It has such potential but is just very superficial. I wish there had been more to it - more character development, more about the town, more mystery that did not cross into the semi-sci-fi. It was fine and I enjoy Sarah Addison Allen's style, but I was left wanting more with this one.  -Stephanie

What a great 2012!  Looking forward to 2013!!!