The Book Group Scoop

With varying participants and crazy schedules, getting book group on the calendar can be quite the task. We want everyone to be able to come, every single meeting, with ample time to get the book read. And we also wouldn't mind seeing pigs fly, and perhaps winning the lottery? (not that we gamble...) Alas, I'm pretty sure the latter of those options is most likely these days, especially with a foggy SF summer- and the subsequent vacations we become desperate for- looming ahead. Sunshine on the beach is a respectable excuse-just as long as you read while you bask!

Since there will never be a perfect place or time, we are going to plan something regular and adjust if absolutely needed. Here is the plan:

1st Tuesday of every month, 7:30 p.m.


We also need to pick books, of course. Here is a fun system that everyone can be involved in:

- Each meeting a couple of volunteers will be responsible for bringing at least 3 book ideas to the group.

-I will post the ideas on the blog and take a poll. After a day or so of votes, we'll declare a winner and announce the book in the regular announcements, and on the blog, of course. We will try to schedule out 2 or 3 groups at a time.

-At the subsequent meetings, the person who provided the book idea guides the discussion with some questions/thoughts about their suggestion.

-At the following group, the person who last led the discussion brings a treat!

A simple rotation like this would have at least 3 different people bringing "something" to each group: book choices, discussion questions, and treats! Let's get ready to rumble....!
Anyone can comment on the blog of course, but if you are interesting in posting--be it about a great book option, maybe you have a spare copy of the current book, etc. just let me (Martha) know and I can add you to the author list!

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Meeting Tuesday, June 2nd 7:30 p.m

"Oskar Schell is not your average nine-year-old. A budding inventor, he spends his time imagining wonderful creations. He also collects random photographs for his scrapbook and sends letters to scientists. When his father dies in the World Trade Center collapse, Oskar shifts his boundless energy to a quest for answers. He finds a key hidden in his father's things that doesn't fit any lock in their New York City apartment; its container is labeled "Black." Using flawless kid logic, Oskar sets out to speak to everyone in New York City with the last name of Black. As in Everything Is Illuminated (Houghton, 2002), Foer takes a dark subject and works in offbeat humor with puns and wordplay. But Extremely Loud pushes further with the inclusion of photographs, illustrations, and mild experiments in typography. The humor works as a deceptive, glitzy cover for a fairly serious tale about loss and recovery. For balance, Foer includes the subplot of Oskar's grandfather, who survived the World War II bombing of Dresden. Although this story is not quite as evocative as Oskar's, it does carry forward and connect firmly to the rest of the novel. The two stories finally intersect in a powerful conclusion that will make even the most jaded hearts fall."