Books - Sept. 14 - Oct 23

Sadie Shapiro's Knitting Book - Robert Kimmel Smith, 1973 - last of the knitting books. Little old lady wants to publish book of knitting projects and becomes national celebrity in the process.

The Monk Downstairs - Tim Farrington, 2002 - Rebecca Martin, a single mother with an apartment to rent, finds her life beginning to change when her new tenant turns out to be a monk newly departed from twenty years in a monastery. Humorous characters and gentle romance.

Away - Amy Bloom, 2007 - LLB selection. Saga of Lillian Leyb who escapes the destruction of her family in Russian pogrom, comes to New York and then begins quest across the country to track down young daughter she had believed lost. Disappointed with ending, but good discussion. & Audiobook

Whitethorn Woods - Maeve Binchy, 2008 - A new highway threaten to bypass the town of Rossmore and cut through Whitethorn Woods destroying St. Ann's Well. Almost a collection of short stories. Brief chapters giving insight into various inhabitants of Rossmore, clues from one chapter in later ones, eventually coming to conclusion. Dissatisfied with disjointedness but like the Ireland locale.

Out Stealing Horses - Per Petterson, 2003 - LLB selection. Trond Sander, man nearing 70 in self-imposed exile at the eastern edge of Norway reminisces about a transformative summer in 1948  when his friend suggests they go out and steal horses and Trond discovers secrets about his father's wartime activities. Liked it more after our discussion. Reminded me of a male version of Astrid and Veronika.

Play Dirty - Sandra Brown, 2007 - A disgraced Cowboys quarterback who having served prison time for gambling and throwing games is trying to start anew. Avoiding any connection with the gamblers of his old life, his only job offer is to father the child of a disabled airline CEO. Steamy, engrossing, fun to read.

Audiobook - The Cure for Modern Life - Lisa Tucker, 2008 - Blend of the issues of bioethics of pharmaceuticals, corporate greed and homelessness. 

Audiobook - Cross My Heart - Carly Phillips, 2006 - To claim her rightful inheritance as the Dumont heir, Lacey Kincaid, (born Lillian Dumont) needs all the help her childhood sweetheart, Tyler can give her. Suspense and romance, but kind of clumsy.

Audiobook - Dead Lines - Greg Bear, 2004 - A brand-new channel is discovered for data transmission allows almost infinite volumes of data to be transmitted instantaneously, but strange things are happening to the users of this bandwidth, and the most likely explanation is this is the pathway the dead use to get from this life to the next. I had listened to this book before and didn't realize it until I started it. I like Scott Brick and I couldn't remember the ending, so I listened again. Pretty weird, but well written.

Books - Aug 31 - Sep 13

The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread - Don Robertson, 1965 - novel based on factual incident of 1944 gas explosion in Cleveland through the eyes of nine year old boy. History is interesting and boy's perspective is funny and touching.

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell, 2006 - Kappa Book Club. Young adult woman suddenly has to deal with great-aunt who nobody knew existed and is being released from a mental institution after over sixty years. Written from viewpoints of Esme, her sister Kitty and Iris, the granddaughter. Well-written and fascinating. Well received by group.

Audiobook - The Dante Club - Matthew Pearl, 2003 - An actual group of 19th-century Bostonians gathered to translate Dante's Inferno (including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, James Russell Lowell) find themselves on the trail of a serial killer who tortures his victims in ways that seem to be taken straight out of the pages of the Inferno. Dense book, easier to listen to than read, but interesting mystery and historical fiction.

Audiobook - The Knitting Circle - Ann Hood, 2007 - woman joins a knitting circle in Providence, Rhode Island as a way to fill the empty hours following the death of her only child. Each woman in the circle teaches her a new knitting technique and as they do, reveals to her their own personal stories of loss, love, and hope. Seemed unbelievable that each woman in group had so much trauma in her life, but satisfying overall.

Audiobook - Remember Me? - Sophie Kinsella, 2008 - a young woman wakes up in the hospital with amnesia for the last three years of her life and no memory for how she transformed herself from a down-on-her-luck underling with a loser boyfriend to a chic, powerful executive with a gorgeous husband. Predictable but entertaining.

Connections-distant mother in San Miquel de Allende, Mexico-What the Dead Know, The Knitting Circle

Books - Aug 3-30

A Good Yarn - Debbie Macomber, 2005 - book 2 in the trilogy, knitting socks - want to try the two circular needle technique and self-patterning yarn.

The Wedding Officer - Anthony Capella, 2007 - a British officer in Naples during WWII is charged with discouraging the marrying of Italian women and British soldiers, until he himself falls in love with his chef. True story of Vesuvius eruption during war. Buffalo mozzarella comes from water buffalo milk. Light romance and descriptions of Italian food.

Metzger's Dog - Thomas Perry, 1983 - soldier of fortune steals cocaine from college research facility and also takes some CIA classified documents. A standoff between his ragtag band and the US government ensues. Funny and clever.

Knitting under the Influence - Claire LaZebnik, 2006 - three young single women from LA bond over drinks and knitting and discover that the men in their lives they spar with are really their true loves. Predictable but still fun.

Audiobook - Back on Blossom Street - Debbie Macomber, 2007 - book 3 in the trilogy, prayer shawls. Discovered a companion knitting book with the patterns.

Audiobook - What I Call Life - Jill Wolfson, 2005 - young adolescent in foster home learns to knit with "the knitting lady" and bonds with a group of girls who help heal each other.

Audiobook - What the Dead Know - Laura Lippman, 2007 - A driver who flees a car accident breathes new life into the 30-year-old mystery disappearance of the young Bethany sisters at a shopping mall when she tells the police she's one of the missing girls. Moves between past and present to present the last day for both sisters from a variety of perspectives. Intricate and unpredictable.

Connections-WWII battle at Anzio: The Wedding Officer, What the Dead Know. Setting in Los Angeles: Metzger's Dog, Knitting under the Influence.

Books - July 18 - Aug 2

Rapture in Death - J.D. Robb, 1996 - 4th in the series, Eve investigates a series of unexpected suicides related to virtual reality goggles and subliminal suggestions.

The Shop on Blossom Street - Debbie Macomber, 2004 - a young cancer survivor opens a yarn shop in Seattle and the three disparate women that enroll in her first knitting class bond into friends and support. Pleasant and easy to read. Enjoy the knitting references.

Audiobook - People of the Book - Geraldine Brooks, 2008 - Fascinating story of a book conservationist who uncovers tiny clues to the history of her ancient Jewish prayer book as she preserves it.  The story jumps back to explain the origins of each fiber or stain as the author rewinds the history of the book. Very well written and intricate story.

Audiobook - The Friday Night Knitting Club - Kate Jacobs, 2007 - another story about a knitting store and the knitters that gather there. Set in New York City, owner is a single mother who reconnects with the father of her child. Surprised by the ending, not really satisfied by it.

Connections-daughter abandoned by unknown father: Special Relationship, Weekend in Paris, People of the Book

suicide theme: The Pact, Rapture in Death

cancer: The Friday Night Knitting Club, The Shop on Blossom Street

Books - July 11-17

The Stolen Child - Keith Donohue, 2006 - read for Virago. Parallel stories of a changeling and the boy he sends to the fairies (hobgoblins) when he takes his place. Well written and thought provoking. I made many notes on the last 50 pages, but unfortunately forgot to bring them and the book. Inspired by the WB Yeats poem of the same name and I brought recordings of the poem set to music by the Waterboys and Loreena McKennitt.

Weekend in Paris - Robyn Sisman, 2003 - Small-town girl is excited when her London boss invites her to accompany him to Paris for a business trip, but quits when she finds out what his plans for the weekend are. She goes to Paris anyway and has adventures. Main character is a little too silly and book is not as good overall as Summer in the City.

Audiobook - The Associate - Philip Margolin, 2001 - good, but not outstanding, legal thriller. Young attorney is accused of making a mistake that could loose the firm's drug company client a multi-million dollar case. He sets out to clear his name and uncovers a plot of murders and illegal planting of evidence. Enjoyed the Portland, OR setting and the narration of Scott Brick.

Books - June 26 - July 10

Glory in Death - J.D. Robb, 1995 - book  2, Eve Dallas investigates the murder of prosecuting attorney Cicely Towers and other prominent women.

Immortal in Death - J.D. Robb, 1996 - book 3, Eve Dallas plans her wedding and tries to solve the murders all linked to a designer recreational drug with extraterrestrial ingredients.

Special Relationship - Robyn Sisman, 1995 - English girl has a brief, intense relationship with an American Rhodes scholar with political aspirations. 20 years later her son becomes convinced that a Presidential candidate is his father. Obviously inspired by Clinton who attended Oxford at the same time as the author. Not that deep, but entertaining. 

Audiobook - The Pact : a love story - Jodi Picoult, 1998 - the murder trial of a 17 yo boy after a suicide pact with his girlfriend goes awry. Sad story since death occurs at beginning and can't be changed. Picoult writes some pretty unsympathetic mother characters. Had some issues with the underlying psychology, but still an interesting, well-written story with legal and psychological issues to explore.

Books - June 19-25

Bidding for Love - Katie Fforde, 2005 - Young single English girl unexpectantly inherits a majority share in the family antiques business. Typical light English contemporary romance story. Have read almost all of her other books and enjoy them all.

Just Friends - Robyn Sisman, 2000 - British. free-spirited Manhattan art dealer and her travails in love and friendship. See above comment except author is American and currently living in England.

Audiobook - Bridge of Sighs - Richard Russo, 2007 - another story from the author of Empire Falls. A family saga set in a small town in upstate New York. Complicated relationships between a man, his best friend and his girlfriend/wife and a pattern that repeats over generations.