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!!!

NVLC Fall Catch-Up Blog

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 :)

"Rooftops of Tehran" by Mahbod Seraji

June's book was Sara's pick and she chose Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji.  The overall consensus about this book was that it left us wanting more....and there are rumors of a sequel in the works.  So, if Mr. Seraji happens to read this...please give us an update!

As for the book review, Rina actually wrote a review on GoodReads.com that I'm just going to steal:

"I loved this book! I don't normally like the "peek into this culture you don't really know" kind of stories, so I was hesitant at first. However, it was so much more than that. It had everything I could ask for - humor (I actually laughed out loud a couple times), action, heartache, love, depth, honest characters, and, yes, a peek into a culture I didn't really know.

The way it was written was also perfect for me. As this was a book club selection, there is always the challenge of catching my interest when I start reading that isn't there for a book I naturally pick up. From the first page, the writing and story brought me in. The back-and-forth through different points in time were woven together so well it was not at all confusing. The writing was simple and easy to follow without being simplistic. The writing flowed so smoothly it felt poetic in a lot of places.

It also gave me a lot to think about. About governance and what kinds of things our governments are really up to at home and abroad. About friendship and if I would be willing to take the kinds of risks they did for one another. About love, religion, and so much more...

My ONLY gripe about this book is that I am dying to know what happens next. I think the story completed its arc and ended where it should have ended. I know some people like to leave things to the imagination, but I need to read it. I need to know where these perfectly developed, honestly portrayed characters go next. The reading guide in the back of my copy said Mahbod Seraji was going to get around to writing a sequel. I cannot express how strongly I hope that is true."

Thank you, Rina!! Sara hosted this month's book at her home, and her lentil tacos were such a hit everyone wanted the recipe :-)  Plus, Carrie joined us for the first time since the birth of her son, Xavier...welcome back Carrie!

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer.  For July, we will read and discuss the Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka and pick our books for August, September, and October.  Stay tuned!

"Summer at Tiffany: A Memoir" by Marjorie Hart

My name is Emily, and I am a member of NoVa Lit Chicks and guest blogging for Debra for our May book meeting (very tardily, I might add – sorry).  For May, we read my selection “Summer at Tiffany: A Memoir” by Marjorie Hart.  This book has been on my to-read list for a year or so.  I really enjoy books about strong female friendships as well was women striking out on their own so  I was really attracted to the premise of two female friends spending the summer of ‘45 in New York City where they become the first women to work on the sales floor of Tiffany’s (yes, that Tiffany’s).  

To be honest,  I had somehow managed to overlook the whole “A Memoir” part of the title – so while expecting a fully fleshed out novel turned out to be more like air-brushed nostalgia.  The author mentioned several times in author notes and an interview with her editor that she was inspired to record her story in book form for her children and grandchildren to enjoy  - and this came through in the writing.  You could almost hear the author say, “And I remember the time…” each time she embarked on a new story.  While that doesn’t necessarily make it the most exciting book, it does lend the book a kind of familiar/comforting feeling – as if your own grandmother was telling you her story. 

While I think most book members enjoyed this easy read, many had trouble fully engaging with the narrator in the book.   Several members ended up expressing “wanting to know the full story” because it was clear that we were only getting the pretty half of the story.  Many of us also wanted to know more about why the author made some of the decisions she made.   For example, for almost two thirds of the book, the author worries about how she is going to tell her parents and friends that she is transferring schools and then suddenly in less than half a page she decides that she’s going to stay where she’s enrolled and that’s the last we hear about her school choice.  As readers, we were left asking ourselves what just happened there. 

The parts that most people liked were the ones that detailed actual historical events – like the soldiers returning to New York after the end of war in Europe, the V-J Day announcement in Times Square, and the day when a plane crashed into the Empire State Building.   The author did a very good job of both describing her thoughts and feelings surrounding those events as well what was going on in the environment around her.  In a way, these events were more relatable to us than her descriptions of the every day occurances.

I would say based on our discussion, most members felt neutral about this book.  We could appreciate the book, but we kind of wanted more from it.

In June we will be reading the Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji, and Sara will lead the discussion at her home in Chantilly.

"The Weird Sisters" by Eleanor Brown

Wow, what a great meeting!  The NoVA Lit Chicks met for our regular monthly book discussion with a packed agenda:

• Carrie hosted, so we all trekked across the river to travel up to Maryland.  Thankfully, everyone made it :)  
• The author of "The Weird Sisters," Eleanor Brown called in to our meeting, and she was a riot!
• Book picks for May, June, and July were presented, and...
• We had a "Baby Book Shower" for Carrie! 

First things first, we carpooled up to Maryland to visit Carrie, who hosted for the first time at her home.  It was a long and perilous journey, involving the Beltway and a bridge crossing.  Luckily, everyone made it without issue. Actually, I think everyone was surprised how easy it was getting there.  Not me though, as a native Montgomery County-er, it was a walk down Montgomery Mall memory lane.  Food court, anyone?

This month's book pick was "The Weird Sisters," by Eleanor Brown.  Eleanor reached out to us via Twitter, and she was more than happy to call in for a part of our meeting.  We happily accepted and began discussing the book in advance of her call.

For the most part, the group consensus was positive for the book.  Some said that it had a familiar theme, consistent with many books about siblings.  Siblings continue to live our their stereotypical roles within the family, despite all being successful, independent grown adults.  The book had several unusual features....the use of first person plural throughout the book, the scattering of Shakespeare quotes, and the odd fact that the Mother was never given a name.

On the phone with Ms. Brown, she told us that she modeled the book after her own family, and her experiences growing up as the youngest of three sisters.  She was very engaging on the call, and it was a pleasure to have her join us!  She shared her reasons for the use of first person plural, her naming conventions, and the Shakespeare reasoning....and made for a very enjoyable author call-in!

Up next....time to vote!

This month, we initiated our new Book Choice plan, where hostesses for May, June, and July (Emily, Sara, and Debra) submit 3-4 books to the group, and we then vote for a month's book based on their choices.  This new quarterly voting option was implemented to give the entire club a little more say in the monthly book picks, without the hostess losing her opportunity to choose her own books!

Frankly, this was a great idea.  Voting is "open" until Friday, and then this quarter's picks will be announced!  This was a really fun way for members to share what books they want to read, and give everyone some new "to-reads" even if that book isn't chosen for the month.  Can't wait to see the results! 

Lastly, to welcome our newest little bookworm into the world, the Lit Chicks had a "Baby Book Shower" for Carrie, who is expecting her little boy in May. 

This was a jam-packed meeting!  Looking forward to next month...stay tuned for the May book pick!  Happy reading!

Book World Twitter Roundup

Admittedly, the NoVA Lit Chicks are new to Twitter (you can find us at @NovaLitChicks!). Over the past two weeks, we've followed and tweeted and replied and retweeted to much success.  I think the most shocking thing is the sheer amount of book-related information out there in the Twittersphere.  However, if keeping up with the Book World on Twitter isn't your speed....here's a quick recap of Stuff We Found Interesting.  (And by "we" I mean, "me.")

Local Meet-the-Author Events

1. Meet author Sandra Beasley, author of a memoir, Don't Kill the Birthday Girl. March 20, 7:00 p.m. Burke Centre Library. (@FairfaxLibrary)
2. An evening with author Tom Perrotta March 22, 7:30pm at George Mason University's Center for the Arts, sponsored by the Fairfax County Library. Meet Tom Perrotta, bestselling author of Election, Little Children, Joe College, The Leftovers, and others. Cosponsored by Fall for the Book. Books available for sale and signing. (@FairfaxLibrary)
3. Chris Cillizza, Washington Post blogger and MSNBC political contributor, discusses the news and issues surrounding this year's elections. March 28, 7:00pm. Cosponsored by the Friends of the Pohick Regional Library. (@FairfaxLibrary)
4. Arlington Reads 2012 featured fiction author Jennifer Egan will speak on April 26, 7 p.m. at Arlington Central Library Auditorium, discussing her 2011 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, A Visit from the Goon Squad. (@ArlingtonVaLib)

Used Book Sales

1. Looking for a cost-effective way to keep up your habit?  The Fairfax County Library has ongoing Used Book Sales at various branches throughout the year!  All branches also take book donations year round. (@FairfaxLibrary)
2. Arlington County Library has two "mammoth" used book sales a year...the Spring Book sale is April 12-15!  (@ArlingtonVaLib)

References

1. Got a question?  Ask a Librarian! (@librarycongress)

To-Read List

1. Too late for the Lit Chicks "Young Adult" theme, but wish this was around when I was a kid: Bad Girls Of History, How Wicked Were They?  NPR reviews The Thinking Girl's Treasury of Dastardly Dames, a book collection aimed at children ages 9 to 13. The collection is edited and published by Shirin Yim Bridges.(@nprbooks)

Fun and Games

1. Hungry?  Try a Hunger Games Recipe! (@HuffPostBooks)
2. Not hungry?  @HuffPostBooks tried out the "The Drunk Diet"...which, according to the article is really more like "Drink all you want, so long as you eat egg whites and run marathons."
3. "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish." Take this quiz to see if you can identify famous authors by their styles. (@bookbench)
4. Where does DC rank? "Is your city hungry for the Hunger Games? Check out the top 20 U.S. cities reading the trilogy." (@amazonbooks) 
5. Listen to Christopher Walken read "Where the Wild Things Are."  Awesome. (@electriclit)

"They tell me you are a man with true grit."

You give out very little sugar with your pronouncements.  --Mr. LeBoeuf, to Mattie.

Last night, the NoVA Lit Chicks met for "Movie Night," in lieu of a regular book discussion.  We are resetting the calendar back to the first Tuesday of the month, so now we are back on track for April's discussion of The Weird Sisters, by Eleanor Brown.

Debra's book, True Grit, by Charles Portis, was recently remade as Coen Brothers movie and we decided to watch the new release as a group.  As the last book selection of our "Young Adult" theme, I chose this book for discussion because (a) it has a 14 year old girl as the hero and (b) I watched the old John Wayne movie with my grandfather as a kid.

Reading this book as an adult, and then watching the movie with my Lit Chick girlfriends, proved how timeless it is.  The dialogue was sharp and biting, all the more entertaining when we realized that nineteenth century western roughnecks have a better command of the King's English than we do. We joked that contractions must not have been invented in the nineteenth century.  Mattie's character never ceased to amaze, her negotiations and tenacity with Colonel Stonehill and Rooster Cogburn made you wonder who was the real adult.  Though Rooster Cogburn was the tough, whiskey drinking U.S. Marshal, based on Mattie's sharp tongue, adventerous spirit and dogged determination, I think we all agreed that she was the one with the "true grit."

Since this meeting was only two weeks past our March meeting, we opted to keep things simple and just ordered in pizza.  Thank you Sara for hosting, the food, wine, discussion and company was excellent as always!  See everyone at Carrie's in April!

Local NoVA Literary Events and Resources

Are you new to Northern Virginia?  Or just looking for somewhere to meet up with your follow NoVA book lovers?  Here are some local book-related resources:

Libraries
City of Alexandria, VA
Arlington County, VA
Fairfax County, VA

Our local libraries host events all year round, including used book sales, lectures, Meet-the-Author, and community events. 

Events
Fall for the Book (George Mason University, Fairfax, VA)
U.S. Library of Congress (events year round, Washington, DC)
Virginia Festival of the Book (Charlottesville, VA)
Washington Antiquarian Book Fair (Arlington, VA) 

Community Groups
FirstBook: Northern Virginia
Literary Council of Northern Virginia
Virginia Writer's Club (Northern Virginia chapter)

You can also check out the Washington Post's "Going Out Guide" and click on Book Events.  They keep an updated list of author book signings, readings, and lectures in the DC area.  Happy reading!

Welcome to our Northern Virginia Book Club!

Welcome to NoVA Lit Chicks on the web!

We are a women's book club in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC.  We have members in Arlington, Alexandra, and Fairfax Counties (and Montgomery County, MD).  The group has been meeting monthly for the past seven years, always welcoming new members as space becomes available.

We meet the first Tuesday of the month, with each member serving as hostess once a year.  The hostess chooses her book, leads the discussion, and provides a no-pressure entree for the group.  Everyone else is welcome to bring sides, snacks, drinks, or dessert...but we also understand that sometimes it's all you can do just to make it to the meeting!

If you are new to the DC area, or want to make some new book-loving friends, please contact us to see if the Chicks have any availability.  You can also find us on Goodreads.com under "NoVA Lit Chicks." We'd love to meet you!