Happy Holidays!

Twas the night before Christmas and all the creatures are busy reading their January selection! 

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

The Inventions of Hugo Cabret

Dear H&H,

Our next book selection is The Inventions of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.  This book is an award winner, racking up the coveted 2008 Caldecott, 2007 National Book Award and the Quill Award.  This book is groundbreaking in the children’s book world as it is a picture book with over 500 pages.  The story unfolds using a blend of pictures and words and is truly a visual spectacle. 

You must check out Brian Selznick Website after you read the book as it will help you gain further knowledge of the development of the book. 

Some discussion questions can be found here and here.

To get you excited about the book here are some illustrations:

Looking forward to seeing you all in 2012.

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

November Meeting Notes

Dear Hardcovers and Hangovers,

Our last meeting of 2011 was an enjoyable one.  Ellen treated us to pizza and salad, simple and delicious.  We sipped on yummy raspberry mojito punch and had “to die for” chocolate cake…OH MY! 

We so missed Allison, Amy and Marrie and look forward to seeing then at upcoming holiday events! 

Ellen’s selection, I Don’t Know How She Does It, received mixed reviews.  Overall, it provided some chuckles along with some food for thought. 

Here are some of the comments from the night:

Karin wanted to smack the mother-in-law.

Susan felt bad for Kate’s dad, being so brilliant but socially inept.  However, he was a jerk and didn’t like how Kate hide the fact she gave him money from her husband.

Karin noted that Kate was always so stressed out that it made her stressed for Kate and then stressed herself out worrying about all the things she had to do!

Susan commented on how stupid it was that the nanny kept threatening to leave so Kate paid her off with $$ and trips. Although noted there is a real feeling of desperation when you are dependent on someone to take care of your kids and worriment of what happens if they don’t show up or leave etc. 

Sara felt the book was over the top at times. She felt Kate was burdened by her children, although loved them, she may not have shown it enough.  Sara noted Kate’s involvement with the co-workers (the one who didn’t want kids and the one who ended up pregnant). 

Ellen agreed that things were very exaggerated…the kids screaming, the excessive number of business trips on really short notice, making out with the client etc. 

Sara did enjoy reading about meeting the demands between work and home. 

Ellen loved the Kate’s run in with the father in law in the hallway wearing her new negligee. 

Karin noted the relationship with the guy developing via email.  And we all agreed we like the email correspondences Kate had. 

Ellen liked the ‘to do/remember’ lists at the end of the chapters.

Personally I found the book to be sad and somewhat depressing; it was all too real that it lost its humor.  I found Kate to be annoying at times, couldn’t wait for Mondays to arrive fast enough.  Her heroic efforts for her children (making mince meat pies in the middle of the night) were to impress other moms and not necessarily for her children.  I really disliked Kate’s relationship with her doormat husband (what took him so long to leave).  I did at times enjoy the British wit, humor and stream of consciousness. 

We all mentioned the comparison of  Bridget Jones Diary and the Nanny Diary. 

“The times you don’t make it are the ones children remember, not the times you do.” ~Pearson

For the New Year we will be starting at my house with the 2008 Caldecott winner, The Inventions of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick.  Definitely a different pick, this ‘children’s literature’ is part picture book part novel. 

Wishing you all a happy holiday season and look forward to reuniting in 2012. 

Best,

Jenn

Favorite Book of 2011

Wow, our second year as a book club is nearing an end.  This year we added a new member, Amy, who has added great insights into our meetings.  We changed our name to Hardcovers and Hangovers thanks to Marrie.  And of course we are styling with our new totes by Charli.  We ate many great meals and drank lots of fabulous wine.  Oh, and we read many great books!  Thanks to all our members for their wonderful book selections and opening their homes up each month.  Here's to wonderful friends, fine wine and fantastic literature. 

So what was your favorite book of the year?  Take some time to go to our poll and vote. 

Looking forward to sharing the results next month.
Jenn

I Don't Know How She Does It

Dearest Hardcover and Hangover Readers,

Ellen has chosen a fast paced and entertaining read by British author Allison Pearson.  Get ready to delve into the life of working mother Kate Reddy in I Don’t Know How She Does It.  A question we ask ourselves on a daily basis! 

You can find the discussion questions from the Random House site here.  Ellen didn’t know she was on the cutting edge with yet another one of our picks being made into a movie.  Although not getting the best reviews here is the trailer. 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts next month, until then happy reading everyone! 

Best,
Jenn

October Meeting Notes

Dear Hardcovers and Hangovers,

On what proved to be more of a wintry evening (yes, we drove home in snow!) than a mild fall one we were welcomed into Amy’s warm and inviting home to enjoy a bowl of chili and delectable pumpkin bread.  Amy pulled out all the stops with an awesome festive fall ice cream and cookie dessert..yum, yum, yum! We missed Sara, Karin and Susan and look forward to seeing them next month.  Also, for those of you who missed our meeting be on the lookout for Amy’s awesome cheese dip recipe, you’ll love it! 

It was agreed that Deliverance Dane was a fast, fun and enjoyable book.  People enjoyed the back story of Deliverance, the missing book and the history of the Salem Witch Trials.  Ellen pointed out that with all the hysteria there was some truths to it all.  A lengthy discussion took place about the witch’s teat.  Many thinking that it pertained to the Southern Region (Marrie!).  However, after a quick Google search it proved to be any number of physical abnormalities.  Here is some more information:  “The marks of a witch has often been confused with the Devil’s mark and throughout history mistakenly used interchangeably. While both were indicative marks of a witch’s supposed allegiance with the devil, their physical characteristics are quite different. The witch’s mark is generally described as a natural physical abnormality, most commonly in the form of an extra breast (polymastia) or extra nipple (polythelia), the latter being more common in men rather than in women and a phenomenon that occurs regularly in a small percentage of the population. On the other hand, the Devil’s mark (stigmata diaboli) sometimes called a Devil’s seal (sigillum diaboli) was commonly a scar, birthmark or other blemish on the skin. During the witch hysteria of the 17th century such people as Matthew Hopkins the infamous Witch Finder General, plus others before and after him in their efforts to persecute witches, used the ignorance and fear of the general public to turn such natural phenomena to their own advantage. It soon became the case that any natural physical malformation, a wart, mole, spot, fleshy skin protuberance or discoloration of the skin would be taken as mark of a witch, and most particularly if it secreted liquid or blood. God forbid if you were found with a bleeding tumour, piles, ulcers or seeping boils. In the early sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, particularly in England, it was presumed that any such protuberances or teats were used by a witch to suckle imps and familiars, ‘the agents of the devil’, and when found on a person it was taken as a sure sign and condemnation of witchcraft. Similarly, it was thought that the devil sealed his compact with witches by leaving them some mark of identification on the body, hidden in some secret place. Therefore, anyone found with unusual scaring, birthmarks or even tattoos were equally suspect and condemned. As a result, many innocent people were tried, found guilty of witchcraft and executed. (http://www.controverscial.com/Marks%20of%20a%20Witch.htm)” Well that clears up that discussion! 

It was agreed that everyone knew the Professor Manny Chilton was evil from the start; even his name suggests a chilly outcome. Arlo was enduring to all us dog lovers.  As Amy pointed out he was omniscient and Connie certainly needed him.  Allison noted the strong mother daughter theme weaved throughout this book; Connie and Grace, Grace and Sophia, Deliverance and Mercy, Mercy and Prudence.  Although we did question why Connie seemed ignorant to her witchy past (was she living under a rock growing up?).  Connie definitely pushed her mother’s eccentric behaviors away and really had no desire to understand her.  What is nice about this book is the strong women characters and how roles have changed from the 17^th century to the 20^th century. Charli did point out the freaky accidents the male characters had in the book.  Which lead to a brief discussion of Sam and his role. 

What I didn’t like about this book was Connie’s character and how it made the story feel so contrived.   With Connie being portrayed at a graduate student one would think she’d posses some smarts.  However, because of Connie’s frequent revelations (the phonetic spelling, native speech, the colonial association with her own name…) the author was forcing the development of the story rather than letting the story unfold. 

We appropriately ended the evening discussing Deliverance’s Book and how Connie could have thrown it in the fire.  We all felt that she was throwing away history despite it being on microfiche at Radcliff.  Ellen mentioned that it was a scrapbook and how could she part with it.  However, Amy pointed out that Connie felt she no longer needed the book as she possessed the talents as did her mother and the book was no longer necessary. 

So a big thanks to Amy for a great book selection and a fantastic evening.  Up next we travel across the Atlantic to enjoy some British humor with Ellen’s selection, I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson. 

See you all next month.

Jenn

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Dear Hardcovers and Hangovers,

Load up your new tote bag and get ready to discuss The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane.  Appropriately chosen for the upcoming season! 

Here is a website dedicated solely to the book. 

An interesting link to some discussion questions can be found here. 

Katherine Howe’s website, in which you’ll find more discussion questions. 

There are numerous websites on the Salem Witch Trials. 

Here National Geographic does a nice job should you wish to do further exploration. 

And of course a link to the Salem Witch Museum is needed. 

So looking forward to discussing this witchy and mysterious book with you all next month. 

Happy Reading,

Jenn

September Meeting Notes

Dear Hardcovers and Hangovers,

What a lovely evening we shared, although we missed Sara and Allison.  We dined on Frito casserole dip (yummy) and a Mexican casserole, corn bread and salad.  It was fantastic Karin, thank you! 

Surprisingly we started talking about the book before dinner, yes, before!!!  Austin provided some keen insights into author, Andre Dubus, as he had the opportunity to meet this “handsome” man.  Marrie recalled Dubus’ bartending days.  Sorry but Marrie and her friend were not a fan and liked the old bartender better.  There were a few that didn’t finish the book and one who didn’t even start (who will remain nameless).  The fact that this book was raw and bordered on depressing had a lot to do with those who struggled to finish the book.  The violence, the drugs, the unaware and absent adults were things that troubled many of us. 

We had a good time recalling Newburyport before the days of revitalization.  Many people new to this area fail to realize how depressed Newburyport was.  Those have ties to Newburyport enjoyed reading about Lime Street, the Jackman School and other notable landmarks. 

Dubus did jump around in his story telling.  Often times he’d tell a story that reminded him of some other story and so on.  It was mentioned that characters were introduced and then often forgot and a vague mention later on. 

Although not a huge favorite it was an interesting memoir. 

Up next is The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane at Amy’s. 

Looking forward to seeing you all then. 
Jenn

Hardcovers and Hangovers Book Bag

It's official now, Hardcovers and Hangovers has their very own book bags!!  Thanks to Charli and her creative expertise we have beautiful totes to carry our reading material in.  Great Job Charli!!!!!

Team Jolie

We wish Allison and all the walkers of Team Jolie great success as they walk to find a cure for Juvenile Diabetes and to celebrate the memory of Erika.  Good Luck Team Jolie! 

Townie: A Memoir

Dear Hardcovers and Hangovers,

Our next literary adventure, selected by Karin, is Townie:  A Memoir by Andre Dubus.

Andre Dubus has received 5 stars from many reviewers for his latest work, Townie:  A Memoir.  Locals here in Massachusetts have curiously taken to reading his recollections of growing up in mill towns, notably Haverhill.  Dubus doesn’t hold back from the realities of his childhood; divorce, poverty, violence which all play a key role within this literary piece.  To learn more about Dubus check out his Website.  In order to prepare for our meeting the Reading Guide can he found here. 

Hope you all enjoy the remaining days of summer.

See you in the Fall.

Jenn

August Meeting Notes

Dear Hardcovers and Hangovers,

A multitude of thanks goes to Susan for hosting a lovely summer evening poolside.  We dined on delectable chicken, pilaf, asparagus and bread…fantastic!  Thanks to Allison we were treated to cake in celebration of Charli’s birthday…yummy!  We missed Ellen, but know she is enjoying time with children and grandchildren. 

It was agreed that Susan’s book choice was a good one.  Of course superlatives to describe Those Who Save Us don’t seem appropriate given its subject matter. 

We jumped around discussing many aspects of the book. 

Was Anna lucky or unlucky?  Did she love Obersturfuhrer?  Some thought so…but was it more of Stockholm Syndrome where the victim thinks s/he love their capturer. Certainly Anna benefited from Obsersturfuhrer’s attention in terms of gifts and food, but bottom line the man was a disturbed, abusive, murderer and rapist.  And why, oh, why does she not tell Trudy (or Jack) about the past? Yes, Anna’s spirit was broken and obviously never felt she could forgive herself.  She repeatedly demanded that “the past is dead, and better it remain so”. Yes, women of that time remained silent and took their secrets to the grave.  However, I just don’t get how a mother who obviously lives with so much shame could allow her daughter to carry her own shame (regarding her belief that she was the daughter of a Nazi). 

Anna and Trudy’s relationship was a source of discomfort and anger for some.  Marrie really struggled with Trudy putting Anna in the nursing home and selling the family house and finding nothing of emotional value (other than the photo) to take with her. 

Amy felt that the relationship died between the two the day Jack passed.  We did feel so sad for Anna when no one came the funeral.  This of course came as no surprise given that the community failed to embrace Anna as one of their own.  Karin mentioned the time the Jack took Anna and Trudy to church and no one eat Anna’s strudel. Amy wanted to reach in and take a bit. 

Trudy and Rainer’s relationship was an interesting one of love and hate.  Their initial meeting was one of such loathing it was a surprise that they developed an intimate relationship.  So what drew them together and what broke them apart?  Both Trudy and Rainer share shame, however, for Rainer his guilt so deep he would never allow himself happiness; always believing he was responsible for the death of another (brother).  For Trudy, once she learned her father was not a Nazi, she now could move on and become happy.  For Rainer (and Anna too) survivors guilt was preventing them from any type of happiness. 

Marrie had to really lash out at Max and his inability to use protection.  Use a condom for cry in out loud!  I realize that the book was written from the German point of view and the story was not Max’s, but I felt his character got lost. 

This book was full of title/theme connections; Max and Anna, Anna and Max, Matilde and Anna, Anna and Trudie, Obersturfuherer and Anna, Jack and Anna, Jack and Trudie, Rainer and Trudy, Trudy and Rainer….“Come to love those who save us or rather who shame us.”

Next up we move to Karin’s house to discuss the memoir of Andre Dubus, Townie.  Looking forward to seeing you all next month. 

Until then, happy reading.

Jenn

Those Who Save Us

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

Up next on our reading list is Susan’s pick, Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum.  From Blum’s Website this excerpt:  “For fifty years, Anna Schlemmer has refused to talk about her life in Germany during World War II. Anna's daughter Trudy was only four when she and Anna were liberated from Nazi Weimar by an American soldier and went with him to Minnesota, so Trudy can't remember much....but she has one piece of evidence from the past: a family portrait showing Trudy, Anna, and a Nazi officer, the Obersturmfuhrer of Buchenwald.  Driven by the guilt of her heritage, Trudy, now a professor of German history, begins investigating the past and finally unearths the dramatic and heartbreaking truth of her mother's life.  Combining a story of passionate but doomed love, a vivid evocation of life during the war, and a poignant mother-daughter drama, New York Times bestseller Those Who Save Us is a profound exploration of what we endure to survive and the legacy of shame.”

Contained within Jenna Blum’s Website you’ll find the back story along with the Readers Guide.

Looking forward to discussing this historical fiction piece with you all. 

Happy Reading,

Jennifer

July Meeting Notes

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

Thank you to Sara for hosting a fantastic evening.  We enjoyed sandwiches from Panera and Sara’s world class salad (recipe to be posted soon) along with some chocolate brownie, pudding creation for dessert…oh, so good.  We missed our fellow Mainers, Allison and Amy, and look forward to their visit next month. 

To Kill a Mockingbird proves to be a wonderful book club choice.  Great pick Sara!!!  For some of us it was our first time reading TKAM and for others it was like slipping on an old pair of shoes.  As Susan’s son said, Atticus’ is the man!  We loved Atticus’ character...double meaning here as he really had character.  As Marrie pointed out he never disappointed, although not infallible but pure.  He did have two major misgivings, that being he didn’t see Tom’s imminent death nor take Bob Ewell’s threats seriously.  His misgivings just made him stronger.  We loved his parenting style and the way he handled things with Jem and Scout.  Charli loved how his stood up to Aunt Alexandra and defended Calpurnia’s importance to the family.  We did question what happened to the mother, as Lee never really gives an explanation for her death. 

Scout is a credible narrator despite her young years given her intellect, upbringing, and overall spirit.  She certainly is a product of her father, who nurtured her mind (now you tell your daddy to stop teaching you how to read!!), gave her a conscience and encouraged her individuality. 

Scout and Jem were both exposed to ‘evil’ at an early age, directly impacting them in different ways.  The trial was a strain on both, but for Jem it was a particular eye opener into the cruel, unfair and unjust ways blacks were treated.  He took the verdict as a personal assault.  “I peeked at Jem:  his hands were white from gripping the balcony rail, and his shoulders jerked as if each “guilty” was a separate stab between them.” 

There are so many great characters in TKAM.  One that came up a couple of times last night was Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, the racist neighbor who gave constant harassment to the children as they walked by her front porch.  We chuckled as Marrie recalled being dropped off to ‘visit’ the old folks, a duty Jem had to do as punishment for his anger getting the best of him.  Atticus admired Mrs. Dubose’s courage as she battled her morphine addiction, but it took Jem (and Scout) a while to see the ‘good’ in Mrs. Dubose. 

Of course, much of our time focused on Boo Radley.  There was some debate on whether Boo was abused or mentally disabled (or both).  Evidence does suggest that Boo’s father was a mean man as he did lock Boo away because of trouble he got into as a child (the other trouble makers were sent to reform school, but this would have been too embarrassing for the family).  Religion played a role in the Radley home and was used to explain many oddities.  On the other hand, was Boo being protected from society by his family because he was mentally disabled?  At that time people with disabilities were often put in mental institutions.  Perhaps the Radley family sheltered Boo from the cruelties of being mentally disabled.  Boo is undoubtedly a symbol for those who are innocent (mockingbird) and needing protecting from ‘evil’.  This leads to the ending of the book…where we once again debated the ambiguity of who killed Bob Ewell.  Some thought Jem had done it and the story was concocted to protect the child.  Others felt Boo had done it.  Sheriff Tate knows that Boo, like Tom, will be misunderstood by the town and likely be convicted in a trial.  To protect Boo the story of Bob Ewell falling on his own knife is given.  At the end Scout likens the ‘sin’ of naming Boo as Bob Ewell’s killer to shooting a mockingbird.  

Lastly we discussed how TKAM has two central storylines (the children’s fascination with Boo and the trial of Tom) and the question of whether Lee successfully incorporated the two.  It appears the two storylines run parallel and intersects at the end, but Marrie did point out that the ignorance of the unknowing was a constant theme throughout the book.   

I look forward to seeing you all next month at Susan’s to discuss Those Who Save Us. 

Best,

Jenn

To Kill a Mockingbird

Dear Books 'n' Wine Club,

Last year (2010) marked the fiftieth anniversary of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It has won the Pulitzer Prize, has been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than thirty million copies worldwide, and has been made into an enormously popular movie.  And so Sara has chosen this timeless classic for our book next month.  Google To Kill a Mockingbird will result in over 5 million hits, so to narrow it down here are the discussion questions and a nice link on Harper Lee. 

Looking forward to seeing you all at Sara's next month.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

June Meeting Notes

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

On a lovely June evening in the pastoral setting of New Hampshire we were treated to a lovely meal by Marrie.  We dined on crusty bread with ham, orzo salad, green salad, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers and homemade pickle beets.  As mentioned in Kalish’s book Marrie made sugar pie…yummy!!!!  Marrie promises to post these delicious recipes soon!  Thank you Marrie for a lovely evening!  We missed Karin and hope she has a great visit with her family. 

Little Heathens by Mildred Kalish was the book of the night.  It was agreed that no matter where you’re from, Midwest, the South or from the North, readers could resonate with Millie’s stories as they conjured up memories from their own past.  Many of us remember our grandmothers and mothers having a button box/jar/tin and some of us still maintain that tradition today.  The chapter on home remedies got a few chuckles.  We discussed the recipes laden with lots of lard and butter, but back then people worked hard and exercise took place in many ways, from play to household chores to the back breaking work of running a farm.  We recalled grandparents who stored bacon fat on the stove top.  Millie’s family was fortunate; although she grew up during the great depression they had farm land and were not without food.  Not to undermine Millie’s family struggles through the great depression they were better off than most in terms of food and education.  Sara enjoyed learning more about Millie as a young woman and her experiences in the Coast Guard.  Certainly Millie carried her resourcefulness and independence into her adulthood.  At times for me the book was self indulgent and I never connected with Millie or her family.  What I did connect with were the nuggets within her stories that brought memories of my own family history forward.  Around the table last night we all made those text to self connections, where we shared stories of our past.  We even had some show and tell moments:  Allison brought in a medical book dating back from the 1800’s; Amy brought in some wall paper beads remembering making them with her grandmother; Susan brought in the fire bellows from the family camp and a beautiful old wooden bowl belonging to a former neighbor; Marrie shared her families’ piano and the egg collecting basket from the farm; and I shared my grandmother’s home economics book and my great grandfather’s Franklin Reader and school bell.  At one point in the evening we got into discussing chicken farms as many of us have had experiences with family or friends who raise chickens and sell eggs (Susan is going to give it a try, buying the eggs from a friend not raising chickens!). 

Ellen recommended a book entitled The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald.  Here is a quick summary “When Betty MacDonald married a marine and moved to a small chicken farm on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, she was largely unprepared for the rigors of life in the wild. With no running water, no electricity, a house in need of constant repair, and days that ran from four in the morning to nine at night, the MacDonalds had barely a moment to put their feet up and relax. And then came the children. Yet through every trial and pitfall—through chaos and catastrophe—this indomitable family somehow, mercifully, never lost its sense of humor.” In looking up the summary for the book I came across the fact that The Egg and I was also made into a comedy/romance film in 1947 starring Claudette Colbert, Fred MacMurray and Marjorie Main.  Ellen you’ll have to check it out and give us a movie report next month! 

Overall it was a pleasant evening sharing our own stories thanks to Marrie (and Millie too).  Up next month is Sara’s pick, To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Until then I wish you all happy summer solstice.

Best,

Jenn

Looking Ahead to Townie...

Ladies:  Looks like we're going to have another movie night based on one of our upcoming reads! 

NewburyportNews.com, Newburyport, MA
June 18, 2011

Movie based on book 'Townie' planned

By Mike LaBella
Staff writer
—

HAVERHILL — Newbury's own best-selling author Andre Dubus III said he has signed a contract to have his memoir "Townie'' about growing up in Haverhill and Newburyport made into a movie.

Dubus said he will write the screen play and expects to have much say over which actors play him and other people featured in the book, which recounts his teenage and young adult life in Haverhill in the 1970s.

He also said he wants much of the movie to be filmed in Haverhill, as well as Newburyport, where his family lived when he was a young child before moving to Haverhill.

Dubus told The Eagle-Tribune, sister paper of The Daily News, yesterday that two brothers who are actors and producers on the West Coast now have a one-year option on the movie rights because of the agreement he signed on Thursday.

"I really like how they talk about the book and that they want me to do the screenplay," Dubus said. "And the money is right. Sometimes you get the ... passion (from would-be producers), but they can't come up with any money."

He declined to say how much he was paid for the movie rights or identify the brothers, saying they plan their own announcement.

Dubus said he wants the movie to be true to his story and wants filming to take place locally. He also wants locals to be involved.

"I would insist that as many Haverhill people as possible serve as extras, especially some of the people in my book - my friends, and even some of my enemies who want to be in it," Dubus said.

Newburyport and primarily Haverhill serve as the prime backdrops to Dubus' memoir of growing up in the 1970s, a time when formerly bustling factory buildings in towns along the Merrimack River had been abandoned and downtowns struggled to survive and find a new identity in the wake of urban renewal of the 1960s. His family life wasn't an easy one, with a mom who struggled to feed him and his three siblings after she and their father divorced. The book also details an urge that drew him to a dark side — how he became a street fighter to protect family members and other people, and then broke out of that lifestyle to become a writer.

"Townie'' was released in February and was on the New York Times best-seller list for six weeks, rising as high as number four. Dubus spent five weeks touring 35 cities promoting "Townie,'' and since the release of the book he's made 70 promotional appearances. He said that at each event he meets someone who tells him his story resonated with their life.

"So many people identify with the childhood I had," Dubus said. "It could be a blue-collar town in Idaho, or New Jersey or Florida. A lot of people are identifying with the kind of scrappy, single-parent, low-income childhood I had. There are many people in this country who have had similar childhoods and grew up as stronger and more resilient persons.''

Dubus said it's far too early to tell which actor might play him in a movie based on his book, "Townie," or who might play friends and members of his family. But when it's time to choose the actors, he will be intimately involved to make sure they are the right people.

"There are a few actors I can see playing my father, but it's too early," Dubus said. "I'm still trying to get my head around writing this screen play."

His father, Andre Dubus, was a longtime professor at the former Bradford College in Haverhill. The elder Dubus was also a master fiction writer. He died in 1999 at age 62 of an apparent heart attack.

This will be the second of the younger Dubus' books to be made into a movie. His novel "House of Sand and Fog" was turned into an Academy Award nominated film. His novel "The Garden of Last Days" is under contract with actor Gerard Butler's production company, and his first novel, "Bluesman" has been in movie development for years.

Dubus said his film agent helped him narrow down the list of people who were interested in turning "Townie'' into a movie.

The men they chose have a year to put together the financing they will need to begin production, he said. But before that happens, they plan to visit the area soon to see the places Dubus describes in the book.

"They'll be coming out in a few weeks, and we'll spend a few days driving through Newburyport and mostly Haverhill," Dubus said. "I strongly hope they will be shooting in Haverhill."

He said that if they can't get financing together within a year, they have an option to pay him again for another six months for more time.

"Giving the writer an option fee means I can't shop it around to anyone else," he said.

Through the magic of Hollywood, today's establishments that were once Dubus' haunts could be made to look like they did 35 years ago, he said.

On Thursday night, Dubus was guest speaker at the Greater Haverhill Chamber of Commerce's annual dinner at DiBurro's function hall. He entertained the crowd with a humorous talk about where he gets his ideas for stories and how everyone is born with a great imagination. Then he made a surprise announcement — he had just signed contracts that day to turn "Townie" into a movie.

When it comes time to promote the movie, Dubus said he will make it his job to talk about Haverhill's transformation into the city it is today — a place with a resurgent downtown where long-vacant shoe factories have become apartments and condominiums with popular restaurants and bars nearby.

"I transformed myself and in many ways the city has, too," he said.

Little Heathens

Dear Books 'n' Wine Club,

For our next book we will be travelling back in time to the 1930’s Midwest. Millie Kalish provides readers with her remembrance of her childhood back in the Great Depression era on the family farm in Iowa. Get ready for caring for animals and doing the laundry by hand. A little bit of self-help is included in this gem as readers gain insight on how to skin a rabbit and how to make the best head cheese (“start by scrubbing the head of the pig until it is pink and clean”).

This link takes you to Millie Kalish’s Website for Little Heathens. This Website is packed with good stuff. Make sure you click on the Book Club link to find discussion questions as well as Farm Recipes! You can read more about Millie and why she decided to write her story.

Looking forward to seeing you all at Marrie’s!

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

May Meeting Notes

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

A huge thank you to our new member Amy for hosting Allison’s book pick last night. Amy provided a delicious meal of grilled chicken and steak with two fantastic salads! The 7 layer salad will be posted shortly. Oh, and let’s not forget the yummy cookies from Golden Harvest in Kittery. Thank you Amy for opening your lovely home, we truly had a wonderful evening. We missed Sara and look forward to her return next month…..darn those work deadlines!!!

Now on to the book….Little Bee proved to be a good read although there were mixed feelings on the ‘got to shout it from the roof tops’. Mainly our discussion centered on the main characters of Little Bee and Sarah. It was agreed that Little Bee had such a humanistic quality that one wanted to strive to be so insightful and compassionate like her. We appreciated Little Bee’s view on the world. She was well beyond her young years, but understandable so with all that she had endured. Little Bee was resourceful; due to what I assume was survival instinct. Simple things like learning the Queen’s English helped her navigate in a foreign country. Ellen pointed out how she loved Little Bee’s almost cynical (?) look on ‘just tell them it’s a proverb from your home country and they’ll believe you’. Of course there are no wolves in Nigeria, just lots of monkeys! Karin like how Little Bee points out that scars always tell a story and because they show you are a survivor.

Much time was spent dissecting Sarah’s character. She was flawed in so many ways and her development was not as succinct as Little Bee’s. Amy pointed out that Sarah was not only linear but would change her convictions on a whim. She was easily distracted from her goals. Sarah tries to do good, as Susan noted with her love of her son and helping Little Bee, however, she seems to mess up along the way. Marrie commented on her lack of emotional connection with the character (in fact other than Bee she had little connection to any of them). Moving on to the vacation to Nigeria---as Ellen asked---who the hell would go there? So, moving on to the finger scene…. Amy really didn’t think that she had the character to do so. Karin felt it was to show up the husband and Marrie dittoed that sentiment. Marrie left us wondering if it were the husband instead of Little Bee would Sarah thought of him as “finger worthy”?

Then there is Charlie’s character, Sarah’s little boy who plays the role of Batman throughout the book. I found him the most endearing and likable character above all the others. Perhaps because I am living with a five year old that I could easily relate to his character and quirky behavior. It so irritated me though when his mom kept correcting his language. I suppose there was the connection between his language development and that of Little Bee’s.

So what about the title change? Charli pointed out that the book was originally printed in England under the title of The Other Hand. Karin said that she’d wouldn’t have been drawn to that title as Little Bee is much more intriguing.

We also spent some time discussing other books we are currently reading or had just read. Coming soon to the blog will be a ‘What are you reading now?’ corner. I am working on it. Of course we couldn’t end the evening without a quick revisit to P&P. And the quote of the evening goes to Ellen….”P&P is not an airplane book it’s an around the world book.”

Next up is Little Heathens by Mildred Kalish. We’ll be travelling to Marrie’s lovely scenic home to dine and dish on this upcoming novel.

Until next month I bide you all happy reading.
Jenn

Little Bee

Up next is Chris Cleave’s book, Little Bee. The publisher thinks this book is a “special story” and doesn’t want to tell us “what happens”, although relents we may need to know something in order to buy the book. The back jacket proceeds to share that it’s a story of two women and their lives collide one fateful day…..

Discussion questions and also a nice Q&A with the author can be found at Simon and Schuster’s Website.

Want to learn more about this up and coming British author? Check out Cleave’s Website.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts next month.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

April Meeting Notes

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

In honor of the Royal couple and homage to Britain we dined on lovely chicken curry sandwiches, spinach salad, asparagus, and deviled egg filled phyllo cups. Of course the meal wouldn’t be complete without scones and green tea. Charli really did a fantastic job and we thank her. We missed Ellen for a second month in a row, but she promises she’ll be at the next meeting. Welcome back Allison! And we look forward to her friend Amy joining us next month.

Well the classic route didn’t go as planned. In fact, Ellen has now been redeemed, and Charli holds the crown for the least liked book :-) Sara receives the Tiara for having read the book and even liking it! Marrie lovingly dubbed it Snide and Cowardice! I think it was somewhere in chapters 1-6 that lost many of us as the women bitterly complain about Mr. Darcy…he of course was probably deserving given his constant rude behavior. So why did Sara like it? Sara liked the historical standpoint and picturing what life was like back then. Karin pointed out the Neoclassic time period of the book. I think what turned so many of us off is how P&P promotes sexist stereotypes. The book centers on the mother’s desire to marry off her daughters (she was a real pit wasn’t she). However, Sara did point out that is what it was like during that time period. Sara gave us a brief summary that goes like this: Lydia runs off and elopes with Wickham, a scandalous act; Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, who rejects him; Darcy interferes with Jane and Bingley’s relationship, preventing them from being together; Elizabeth starts to look at Darcy in a different light; Darcy apologizes for hindering Jane and Bingley’s relationship; Darcy was the one to put up the dowry for Lydia and Wickham; everyone lives happily ever after: Lydia and Wickham, Jane and Bingley, Elizabeth and Darcy...ah, don’t we feel good!

So the movie….even though Marrie and Susan had to leave before it ended, I think we all enjoyed it better than the book. It was similar to the book in many ways, however, Sara pointed out how much was cut out and had to be inferred. For example, the aunt and uncle return Jane from London. The next scene they are with Elizabeth but fail to tell us they are on vacation doing ‘house tours’. Who knew they did ‘house tours’ of the rich and famous for pleasure back then!!!

We look forward to heading to Maine next month to discuss Allison’s pick, Little Bee. Until then I bid you all happier reading.
Jenn

Pride and Prejudice

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

Get ready for the timeless classic love story of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. We will be exploring this ageless piece by comparing and contrasting it with the film version; so break out the popcorn! To get you excited to see the upcoming film check out the trailer for the Keira Knightley’s version.



In need of the reader’s guide for Pride and Prejudice click here.

Of course you’ll want to delve deeper into the life and works of Jane Austen so a trip to this Jane Austen Website is a must. Here you will find many interesting facts about Austen and her work. Did you know that the first draft of First Impressions, what we today know as Pride and Prejudice, was completed sometime in 1799?!!

I’ll end with this quote:

"Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us."   ~Jane Austen from Pride and Prejudice

Looking forward to seeing you all at Charli’s.

Happy Reading,
Jennifer

March Meeting Notes

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

On a mild March evening we gathered to discuss Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Wisely Allison decided not to cross the border on such a foggy evening and poor Ellen was under the weather (feel better!). We look forward to their return next meeting.

We dined on some Southern fare of Gumbo to set the Mississippi mood. I am not sure the book was loved, but was rather liked by many. What drew me to the book was its unique title. Learning that it was a mnemonic device to teach children how to spell Mississippi was new to me and many northerns in the room, but not for Charli and Sara who have southern ties!

For me this book was a well crafted piece of prose with wonderful imagery and sensory allusions. Marrie echoed this sentiment expressing how wonderful Franklin’s writing provided the tone and setting of the southern culture. There was fried food, cottonmouth snakes, catfish, drinking, tractors, even chickens. Charli loved how Larry moved the chicken pen around to give them fresh grass; I too loved this little detail.

Although the story centered around the two missing girls the real tension came from each of the main characters and their struggles to accept the truth about himself and make sense of events of the last 20 years and how it shaped their lives. This book was really about characters and so we spent a good deal of time discussing Silas and Larry along with the other supporting characters.

Mainly we felt for Larry. How is mother prayed to bring him a friend. As Karin pointed out it was like a role reversal with him being white, but being mistreated like a black child. A social outcast as a young boy it was fate that Larry would become the community’s scapegoat. It was heartbreaking to witness the father son relationship between Larry and Carl. Carl never believing in Larry and offering any sense of support. There was discussion on whether Larry’s mother even supported her son. She did intervene often between Larry and his father and advocated for him to be taken to the garage to work alongside his father. But it was mentioned that she too struggled to keep the family unit together.

Larry’s loneliness drove him to befriend Wallace Stringfellow. I loved this exchange between Roy French and Larry: “How would you characterize your relationship with him?” French asked.… “I thought he was my friend.” “You have strange taste in friends.” “I don’t know if you noticed,” Larry said, “but I ain’t had a lot of options.”….”You’ve been the only person inside my house since they come took Momma,” Larry said. “In a way you were the closest thing I had to a friend till Wallace came.”

Wallace and Larry did have a strange relationship. He showed good manners taught no doubt by his momma to stock beer in the fridge for his guest, but as Susan pointed out he never let him in the house. Was this a signal that Larry underneath knew he was a shady character or was it out of respect for his parent’s house? Sara asked what drove Wallace to attempt to murder Larry. The general consensus was that Wallace let Larry in on too much and feared he would be found out. The main hint was Larry’s unanswered calls to Silas that yes, Larry did suspect something.

Then there is Silas, the character you grew to love and then became so disappointed in. Even Charli was yelling at him not to go there as we went home with another woman! There was a line in the book that made reference to the fact that Silas had been letting himself off the hook had become a way of life. If he had manned up Larry wouldn’t have been made a pariah. It took a long time for Silas to come full circle and realize the connection ran deep between Larry and himself. How he not only hurt a friend, but a brother.

We spent some time discussing Carl and how the fight scene was difficult to bear. Larry, even years later, confessing what he always knew: “He wished you’d been the white one.” Another memorable scene was when Larry and his mother stopped on that cold and frigid day and provided coats but not a ride as Carl had done in the past. Poignantly Larry’s mother states to Alice she should have no trouble accepting the coats because she’d never minding using other people’s things.

Tom Franklin has provides his readers a well crafted novel with unforgettable characters; ones that are well developed, complex, yet flawed, realistic and honest. Franklin implies often and allows the readers to draw conclusions. Franklin has a wonderful writing style that creates such vivid images. I leave you with this last line referring to Larry seeing Silas’ mother, “She wore a cloth around her hair, breath torn from her lips like tissues snatched from a box.”

For our next book we will be going back in time with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Until then I wish you all happy reading.

Best,
Jenn

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

Tom Franklin’s Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter goes beyond a crime novel or mystery, it’s a coming of age story. The two main characters, Larry Ott and Silas Jones, were once boyhood friends, but find themselves in an unusual situation in adulthood. The rural Mississippi setting is an integral part of this story as Franklin explores race in the 1970’s south.

This clip is from Barnes and Noble: Meet the Writer. This clip is lengthy (over 10 minutes) and provides a detailed summary of the book, the sparks that spurred Franklin to write the story, the reasoning behind the title, and additional stories from his childhood.

What is the story behind the title of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter? In an interview Franklin explains: “The title comes from a pneumonic device to teach southern children how to spell Mississippi. M, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, crooked letter, crooked letter, I, humpback, humpback, I. We moved to the crooked letter (slang for Mississippi) in 2001. I just loved it and wondered why no one had used it before. It sounded like an Elmore Leonard novel to me, and that was a good thing. It also seemed, or sounded, like a crime novel. When I began to try and figure out how the title fit this story, the story of 32 Jones and Larry Ott, it occurred to me that, in some ways, the book is about how southern children are educate into racism.”

The Reader’s guide can be found here.

Looking forward to discussing this novel with you all at our next meeting.

Until then…Happy Reading,
Jenn

January 2011 - Meeting Notes

Dear Books ‘n’ Wine Club,

Last night we started the 2011 year discussing The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton. Many thanks to a tired and overworked, Ellen for being such a gracious host. We dined on fantastic take-out from Panera. Who didn’t love the barbeque chicken salad?

We missed Allison and Marrie and very much look forward to their return next meeting.

I am not sure we lived up to our New Year’s resolution and discussed the book more; however, we all had lots of wine and laughs!

For all of us we appreciate the historical aspects of this book. We appreciated the tie ins to the women’s movement of the late 60’s and were able to identify with the at-home mom vs. working mom dilemma. Social changes unfolded as the book’s characters did. The author weaved in the space program, Miss America Pageant and Vietnam War. Clayton explores the topics of sexism, class and race within the novel. However, overall for many of us the characters lacked depth and were never really developed.

We discussed the Miss American Pageant and how in the beginning when the group met to watch the pageant it totally fit the time, place, and who they were as women. As the women evolved they began to see the pageant in a different light – as they began to see themselves and each other in a different light. In fact many of the cornerstones of the book symbolically represented the evolution of each character. Even the “Miss Havisham” manor ironically was wreaked the day Ally brought Hope home from the hospital, symbolizing the end of Ally’s empty and dark suffering.

The funeral home scene garnered the collective response – creepy. So what was Linda’s point bringing the group to the funeral home and taking pictures in the casket? At first the scene appears morbid, sad and out of place. But upon closer examination Linda was trying to emphasize to the group that in the end and we’d die without ever achieving our dreams it would be because we’d been too afraid to try. I really was taken with this quote: “You’re brilliant, Brett,” Linda said. “If you can’t do this how are the rest of us suppose to have any hope?” She was talking about Brett’s writing, but she meant more than that. She meant How are the rest of us supposed to have any hope of becoming whoever it is we’re meant to be?”

So what about Kath and her desperate need to cling to her marriage with an unfaithful husband? Kath’s husband certainly angered us. However, Kath’s mindset was so typical of the time. As Susan quoted: “A divorcee.” Ally said it the way we were all thinking it, as though it were a terminal disease.” We did applaud Kath’s determination to seek employment to support herself and her children.

Despite its lack of character development The Wednesday Sisters made us appreciate the women from this time period and ultimately what they did to advance all women! We have come a long way and bottom line from our conversation was one word: CHOICE! We have the choice: to stay home, to work, to marry, to divorce…..

Ladies, follow your dreams……

Our next meeting is set for March 11th at Jenn’s to discuss Tom Franklin’s novel Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Until then stay warm.

Best,
Jenn