NoVA Lit Chicks new website

The NoVA Lit Chicks have recently been reviewing our website.  We really like having a blog, but there are some other things we want to do with our website - like make it easier for people to contact us and actually own our own domain.  We are going to keep this site while we set the new site up so that it appears in google searches.  But if you want to check out our new site, please check us out at: 

www.novalitchicks.com

November Book Pick

October marked the end of our Lit Chick quarter which meant that we got to pick books again.  Member Alison is hosting our meeting in November and she nominated the following 3 books for voting:

• "Glitter and Glue" by Kelly Corrigan
• "A House in the Sky: A Memoir" by Amanda Lindhout
• "An Ordinary Grace" by William Kent Krueger

The club voted to read the book "Glitter and Glue"

"Glitter and  Glue" is author Kelly Corrigan's third book.  Her first book "The Middle Place" was all about her father and her second book "Lift" is about life with her children.  Corrigan has said this third book is her chance to give her mother her due.

While I haven't started the book yet, I think this will be an interesting read.  Look for a summary of our discussion of this book after we meet in November.


Book summary from Amazon.com

From the author of The Middle Place comes a new memoir that examines the bond—sometimes nourishing, sometimes exasperating, occasionally divine—between mothers and daughters.
 
When Kelly Corrigan was in high school, her mother neatly summarized the family dynamic as “Your father’s the glitter but I’m the glue.” This meant nothing to Kelly, who left childhood sure that her mom—with her inviolable commandments and proud stoicism—would be nothing more than background chatter for the rest of Kelly’s life, which she was carefully orienting toward adventure. After college, armed with a backpack, her personal mission statement, and a wad of traveler’s checks, she took off for Australia to see things and do things and Become Interesting.
 
But it didn’t turn out the way she pictured it. In a matter of months, her savings shot, she had a choice: get a job or go home. That’s how Kelly met John Tanner, a newly widowed father of two looking for a live-in nanny. They chatted for an hour, discussed timing and pay, and a week later, Kelly moved in. And there, in that house in a suburb north of Sydney, 10,000 miles from the house where she was raised, her mother’s voice was suddenly everywhere, nudging and advising, cautioning and directing, escorting her through a terrain as foreign as any she had ever trekked. Every day she spent with the Tanner kids was a day spent reconsidering her relationship with her mother, turning it over in her hands like a shell, straining to hear whatever messages might be trapped in its spiral.
 
This is a book about the difference between travel and life experience, stepping out and stepping up, fathers and mothers. But mostly it’s about who you admire and why, and how that changes over time.

This Week's Books On Film

In case you want to see a movie this weekend (10/17/14-10/19/14), the following movies are out in theaters are based on books.

Opening Today

• "The Best of Me" - based on novel by Nicholas Sparks

• "Watchers of the Sky" - based on non-fiction book "A Problem From Hell" by Samantha Power

Already Open

• "Gone Girl" - based on novel by Gillian Flynn  
• We actually read this book a couple years ago.  Overall I think the club was mixed on our reaction to the book.  Some people liked the super dark places it went, some people didn't.  I have seen the movie and have to say that they did an awesome job adapting the book.  It came out much like I imagined it in my head while reading.

• "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" - based on children's book by Judith Viorst

• "The Maze Runner"  -  based on YA dystopian novel  by James Dashner

• "Hector and the Search for Happiness" - based on French novel by Francois Lelord
• I have not read the book, but I did see the movie.  It has a fantastic cast (Simon Pegg, Rosamund Pike, Toni Collete, Christopher Plummer, Jean Reno) and the around the world sceneary was breathtaking.  It's a film about one man's search for what makes people happy.  It was nice to see Simon Pegg do something more dramatic. 

• "This is Where I Leave You" - based on novel by Jonathan Tropper

• "A Walk Among Tombstones" - based on first book in Matthew Scudder mystery series by Lawrence Block

• "Two Faces of January" - based on novel by Patricia Highsmith

• "Kill the Messenger"  - based on biography "Kill the Messenger: How the CIA's Crack-Cocaine Controversy Destroyed Journalist Gary Webb" by Nick Schou

• "Addicted" - based on romance novel by Zane

Since our last post...

Hey All,

It's been a while since we have had a new post, but the Lit Chicks are still here reading.  I'm Emily and I am a new contributor to the NoVA Lit Chicks Blog (but a long-time member of the club).  We are going to try to be better about keeping our website and our twitter feed up to date.  We have also created a NoVA Lit Chick Tumblr where we have all kinds of fun posts about books.

So here is a rundown of what we have since our last update, which was a while ago.  I'm including a brief summary of the books as well as a summary of our club's reactions.

• "The Secrets of Mary Bowser" by Lois Leveen - Inspired by the true story of a freed black woman from the Richmond, VA area who goes back to being a slave so she can spy on the President of the Confederacy Jefferson Davis.  Most of us found it entertaining by light on historical accuracy

• "Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness" by Susannah Cahalan - Memior of a promising up-an-coming journalist who finds her world turned upside down by a mysterious illness.  Calahan did a really great job of balancing the narrative between the emotional impact of her disease as and explaining the science behind it.  

• "The Beekeeper's Apprentice" by Laurie R. King - The first book in a mystery series about Mary Russell, who as a young girl meets a retired Sherlock Holmes.  He trains her and later they become partners in mystery solving (sorry John Watson - although he does appear too).  The mystery lovers of the club really loved it.

• "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Rigg - Jacob goes searching for the orphanage for extremely gifted children that his late grandfather told him tales about, but he's not the only one looking for it.  While the pictures scattered throughout the book are a little creepy, the story wasn't.  It's a well written YA fantasy thriller and several members are looking forward to the follow-up books.

• "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson - The detailed tales of the birth of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and the beginning of the serial killer H.H. Holmes.  It was a very long and descriptive book; however members who are history wonks really enjoyed it.

• "Mornings in Jenin" by Susan Abulhawa - This tale chronicles the lives of the Abulhejas, a Palestinian family who is uprooted from their ancestral homeland at the beginning of the Israel/Palestine conflict.  Abulhawa does a good job of capturing both loss and hope.

• "Serena" by Ron Rash - George Pemberton brings his new bride to the North Carolina forests to help him rule his lumber empire.  George soon finds out that Serena will let nothing stand in her way, even him.  This story was really well written, but also extremely dark and twisted. Not a good read for people who are squeemish.

• "Mirror, Mirror, Off the Wall: How I Learned to Love My Body By Not Looking At It For a Year" by Kjerstin Gruys - Years after recovering from a eating disorder, Kjerstin Gruys finds herself possibly heading down that path again as she prepares for her wedding.  This is the true story of the drastic measures she took to preserve her sanity and a look at body image and marketing issues in western culture today.  Some people loved this book, some people really hated this book.  It was one of our more heated discussions.

• "The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane" by Katherine Howe- Connie's life is coming apart. Her thesis advisor tells her that her thesis won't stand without the discovery of new first person sources, and her mom is insisting she moves out to Salem for the summer and clean up her grandmother's deserted house so they can sell it before the bank forecloses on her.  Can she get things back together?  This was a nice lighter read, with a little bit of fantasy thrown in.

• "The Homecoming of Samuel Lake" by Jenny Wingfield - After losing his congregation, Samuel Lake and his wife Willadee Moses have to move back in with her family.  Overall people liked it, but the story did get a bit dark at times.

• "The Orphan Master's Son" by Adam Johnson - This is the tale about how one man rises through the ranks to become one of North Korea's premiere assassins, all to have it threatened when he falls in love with an actress.  Some people liked it, but many of us found this book hard to read through.

• "Dancing on Broken Glass" by Ka Hancock - Mickey and Lucy are happily married, despite the roadblocks set up by their crappy DNA.  Their able to do this because of a set of rules they established to help them deal with their challenging set of problems, but one day they find these rules have been thrown out the window.  Members describe this book as being raw, sad, and emotional - one of the more tear-jerking books that we have read.

• "Norwegian Wood" by Haruki Murakami - This book details the sexual awakening of a Japanese boy who has fallen in love with his late best friend's girlfriend.  While amazon describes as a coming-of-age tale, we found it to be mostly the author's chance to talk about wanking off, A LOT.  We weren't big fans of this book.

• "Night Film" by Marisha Pessl - Scott McGrath's life was turned upside down years ago when he pursued an expose on cult horror film director Stanislas Cordova.  He finds himself revisiting  that chase after the director's daughter is found dead - supposedly by suicide.  The story is a serious mind-trip.  Members found it entertaining, although a bit long. 

• "Goldfinch" by Donna Tartt - Theo, who loses his mom in an accident, is taken in to live by a rich family in Manhattan.  As he grows up, he finds himself pulled into the underworld of art.  This was a LONG book, that many members still haven't finished (me included), but the people who did finish seemed to find some good parts of the book.  

• "The Rest of Her Life" by Laura Moriarty - On the last day of school, Leigh's daughter Kara accidentally hits and kills one of her classmates with her family's SUV.  The book details how Leigh's family deals with the repercussions of the accident and how Leigh struggles to communicate with her daughter.  Most of us felt that it was an ok book.  Well written, but it didn't present anything new.  It felt very similar to many Jodi Picoult's books.

• "Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - When asked by his father to select a endangered book that he will protect for rest of his life Daniel chooses "Shadow of the Wind" by Julian Carax,  After learning that there is a mysterious figure out in the world who has made it his mission to destroy everything ever written by Carax, Daniel sets out on a goose chase to find out all he can about Carax so he can stop this man in his tracks.  Readers who like mystical realism or historical fiction (it covers Spain during its civil war and the years after) will should like this book. Club member Stephanie called it one of the best books she's read in a long time.  
• "Palisades Park" by Alan Brennert - Eddie Stopka biggest dream is to work at Palisades Park Amusement Park.  One day he makes it a reality, shaping the lives of his future family.  This is a story about dreams- making them happen and letting them change.  You definitely get a feeling that this book is tribute to not only the amusement park, but also to a piece of time in Brennert's life.  We had read and loved Brennert's book "Molokai" (about a lepur colony in Hawaii) years ago.  While that book felt very raw and real, "Palisades Park" felt very idealized and polished.  Still, it's a great read, especially if you are looking for something more hopeful and light.

So that is what we have read during this last year.

Other club news:

• Hello's:  This year we have welcomed our new member Julia.  She's a native of the NoVA area.  She recently lead her first discussion when we read "Shadows of the Wind"
• Goodbye's: This year we lost/are losing two of our two-year members: Kim left in May and Stephanie is leaving in November.  Both ladies received great job opportunities that require them to move away from NoVA.  We're really happy that they are achieving all professional success, but I can tell you that we miss/will miss them both. 

We do currently have a membership slot open.  If you are looking for a book club, please visit our "Join the Lit Chicks" page to find out more about how to become a member.  

We're looking forward to starting this blog back up and keeping you up-to-date on what is happening in the NoVA Lit Chicks.  Later on this weekend I'll be writing about what books we have coming up. If there is anything you would like to see, please let us know in the comments.  Also remember that you can check us out on Twitter and Tumblr.

Thanks!
Emily

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!!!