Meeting # 4 Water For Elephants

Four meetings! I am so proud! Our numbers have been growing a bit,and I know we have all really been enjoying the meetings! We gave ourselves a bit more time to read this time, and as holiday scheduling can be rough and busy, it was much needed. This months selection is Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen. The meeting will be held at my home so that we can have a potluck brunch and watch the movie to compare to the novel. Sweatpants & pillows encouraged! Bring a brunch dish to share! Sunday, December 4th, 10:30 A.M.

Book Questions for our descussion are listed below! See you there! WARNING: Spoiler alert, if you havent finished the book, go read!! then come back :)


1:Water for Elephants moves between a story about a circus and a story about an old man in a nursing home. How do the chapters about the older Jacob enrich the story about Jacob’s adventure with the circus? How would the novel be different if Gruen had only written about the younger Jacob, keeping the story linear and never describing Jacob’s life as an old man?

2:Did the chapters about the nursing home change how you think about older people? In what ways are the doctors and nurses condescending? How is Rosemary different? How do you treat older people?

3: In chapter two, the twenty-three year old Jacob starts his story by telling us he is a virgin. From the cooch tent to the erections the older Jacob gets when being bathed, sexuality is woven into the whole story. Why do you think Gruen added these details? What role does sexuality play in Water for Elephants?

4: When you first read the Prologue, who did you think murdered the man? Were you surprised by who the actual murderer was?

5: The book begins with a quote from Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss: “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant…An elephant’s faithful—one hundred percent!” What is the role of faithfulness and loyalty in Water for Elephants? How do different characters define loyalty? (Jacob, Walter, Uncle Al).

6: Why does Jacob get so mad about Mr. McGuinity lying about carrying water for elephants? Do you see and similarities of temperament between the young Jacob and the old Jacob?

7: In what ways is Water for Elephants a survival story? A love story? An adventure?

8: Water for Elephants has a happy ending for Jacob, but not for many other characters. Discuss Walter and Camel’s fates. How does tragedy fit into the story?

9: There is an “us and them” mentality in the circus between performers and workers. How does Jacob bridge these two classes of people? Why does each group hate another group? Does the circus merely mirror society in an exaggerated way?

10: Are you satisfied with the end?

11: In the Author’s Note, Gruen writes that many of the details in the story are factual or come from circus workers’ anecdotes. These true stories include the hippo pickled in formaldehyde, the deceased fat lady being paraded through town and an elephant who repeatedly pulled out her stake and stole lemonade. Gruen did extensive research before writing Water for Elephants. Was her story believable?







**please note, our next meeting will be Sunday, January 8th, 2012!! please mark the day off in your planners!

Book Club Meeting #3 & The Cottage in La Jolla

We all agreed, this October's book selection, The Pact, was our favorite read thus far in the club. We discussed the extremely interesting storyline and also the different points of view each character in the book represented. We addressed this book using a question list-listed for your review below!


Book club discussion questions for The Pact
1.How do you feel the extended family environment created by the Hartes and the Golds affected their children? Did it contribute to Emily's suicide?
2.Is there such a thing as being too close to another non-blood relative family?
3.How do you feel Chris handled his guilt? Can he justify helping Emily commit suicide?
4.How did the marital relationships of the Golds and the Hartes contribute to Gus's and Michael's temptations?
5.Is Emily correct in believing she had no other alternatives to suicide? Explain.
6.Is Melanie justified in her feelings and actions toward the Hartes following Emily's death? What might justify her behavior?
7.On page 35 is the following statement: "Chris and Emily had grown up with love, with wealth, and with each other. What more could they have needed?" Comment.
8.In what ways does jail change Chris? In what ways does he benefit from the experience, and in what ways does it hurt him?
9.Where do you see these characters in five years?
10.Is the punishment meted out to Chris just? In your opinion, is Chris guilty of murder?
11.What is the significance of the "blank"piece of paper that Chris finds in the tin can at the end of the book?

One of our main members, Donna, couldn't make it but posted the following comments on our facebook wall. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150384572761630.351611.608371629&type=3#!/groups/282804055079614/

"I loved the book, and even though I'm biased because I'm a fan of the author, I'm always impressed by her insightfulness into family situations and character's thoughts. Her thorough research definitely shined through on this book, with the medical aspects, courtroom, detectives, lawyers, etc. It really makes a difference and adds to the credibility of the plot and characters.
I could relate to Emily's issue with how ashamed and embarrassed she felt about what happened when she was a kid not being able to tell even Chris so I got really into this book. I loved all the twists and turns in the story and drama of course haha. It's so sad how people feel they have no other way out besides ending their life and the author painted those dark thoughts really well I thought"

We all thoroughly enjoyed the authors writing style and perspective. Our most successful meeting to date! and a special welcome and thanks for attending to Rachelle & Julie! What great additions to the group!!

Onto the FOOD.




The Cottage in La Jolla was a delight, worth the wait, and there IS a wait, but adorable with excellent service once we were seated. Pictures below! Menu items include Stuffed French Toast and delish hot chocolate!

Book Club Meeting "The Pact"

Hi Ladies! We will be meeting at THE COTTAGE in La Jolla for our meeting this month, Sunday the 16th, at 10:00 am!

http://www.cottagelajolla.com/

Brunch Location

Hi Ladies, our next B&B Club meeting will be Tomorrow! Sunday, September 11th at 11:00

we will meet at http://urbansolace.net/

See you there!

New Book Assignment

Hello Ladies! Book Number TWO is: John Dollar, by Marianne Wiggins



Charlotte Lewes, a young Briton newly widowed by the Great War, departs for colonial Burma in 1917 to escape the ruins of her life. As a schoolteacher in Rangoon she is rejuvenated by the sensuous Oriental climate, and meets John Dollar, a sailor who becomes her passionate love and whose ill-fated destiny inextricably binds her to him.On a festive seafaring expedition, the tightly knit British community confronts disaster in the shape of an earthquake and ensuing tidal wave. Swept overboard, Charlotte, John Dollar, and eight young girls who are Charlotte''s pupils awake on a remote island beach. As they struggle to stay alive, their dependence on John overwhelms him, and an atmosphere of menace and doom builds, culminating in shocking and riveting scenes of both death and survival.

Its been called the female "Lord of the Flies." A study into human nature when it is put under the most dire and desperate circumstances.

"One of eight young girls stranded alone on the island with paralyzed John Dollar, she--the only Indian--and the rest “learned to do things . . . they’d never done before, things that marked them out as creatures, beings in the wild.” Indeed, how well they learn to be creatures in the wild will determine how long they survive. Without becoming predator or prey." E-notes.com


The meeting will be Sunday, September 11th at a brunch location TBA. Post any ideas on where to meet! This gives you a little over 5 weeks to get through the book and hopefully enough advanced notice to pencil the date into your calenders! Happy reading! Feel free to post any interesting points or excerpts along the way!

Wisknladdle La Jolla: Meeting number one

And then there were three....

We booked and then re-booked a date in hopes that more members could participate but alas! We were few! We made up for it with a great conversations concerning our first read: Why Men Love Bitches. The title put us off at first, but it has a bit of a cult following,we had heard good feedback from a few friends so we thought, why not! A good book to start off with. The three of us brought very different perspectives to the table, one of us currently single, one of us in a two year domestic partnership, and one of us in a 10 year dating relationship. We touched on our favorite AND not so favorite portions of this how-to-not-be-a-doormat manual. We really got into how we each are applying certain parts of what we learned or believed to be true from this book into our real lives. We all agreed that despite a lot of general content, we each had something we could take away from this selection!







On to the food: Pictures attached! We loved this location in La Jolla, its pretty adorable. Self serve gratis coffee, daily breakfast items that rotate-we got ourselves a cup and ordered the flatbread. Gruyere cheese, bacon,cilantro and peppery spice, and zucchini. This was so full of flavor, Wisknladdle really does savory very well. Our server was polite and attentive, letting us take our time and keeping our waters full. The drink menu here is something of a fantasy. Strawberry Juleps, Honey Mimosas, ( we had some with passionfruit juice!) Moving onto breakfast we ordered Chilaquiles (farm fresh eggs, chipotle chicken, red onions & cilantro) Ricotta Pancakes (Meyer lemon curd & Crows Pass blueberries & blackberries) and the not your average Biscuit & Gravy (shishito and cheddar biscuit, chorizo gravy, fried green tomatoes & an egg)

We also got into a small discussion about the book club itself! analyzing why people may or may not be interested, our content, future selections, ect. It was also suggested that we have a standing date each month in order for people to better plan. Like every third Sunday for example. We also talked about miking it up, like meeting at someones house one week, then a restaurant the next. Details and the next book selection to follow. Be prepared for the next read to be more topically diverse with a heavier, more intellectual and complex title. We are going to mix it up each month to broaden our horizons. We were surprised at how much we all got out of WMLB, so we encourage you to dive right in and take a chance even if you're not sure of your interest level. Thanks for coming ladies! Cheers and Happy Reading!

Book 1: Why Men Love Bitches: From Doormat to Dreamgirl - A Woman's Guide to Holding Her Own in a Relationship

Lets do this ladies! Get the book and start reading! Aim to finish by June 27th when we will meet for our first brunch! Currently taking suggestions on brunch options, I'm thinking hillcrest or something in Del Mar? Check out yelp.com and other San Diego websites for reviews and prices and post your ideas here. I will make reservations near the event date. We will have a small questionnaire to get the ball rolling, but come prepared with your comments!

Listed below are a few tips since we are new to the book club scene!

1: Read the book - This may seem obvious, but it is the most important step, so it is worth stating. It is a good idea to plan on finishing the book a little earlier than you might otherwise so that you have time to think about it and prepare before your book club meets.

2: While your reading, try to think of a good group question for the brunch. When writing book club discussion questions, avoid questions that are too general, like "What did you think of the book?" Also avoid questions that have yes or no answers. You want to ask questions that are open ended and help people talk about themes and how the book relates to deeper issues.

3:Don't feel obligated to get through all the questions that are on the questionnaire. Lets leave it open and relaxing. The best questions sometimes lead to intense conversations. That's a good thing! The questions are there as a guide. While you will want to get through at least three or four questions, it will probably be rare that you finish them all!