Answer the following questions in a comment, and you'll be entered in a contest to win a copy of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. The drawing will take place Friday morning (this Friday), so enter by Thursday night.
Question: Who is the character you most identify with in A Christmas Carol, whether it be in one of the many movie versions or in the book? Why?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Date Change for December Book Club
We will meet for our December book club on Thursday, December 10th, at 8:30 p.m. at the Hillside Village clubhouse. Please bring your own mug, as we'll be doing steamers, hot chocolate, and cider again! Hailey will lead us in a discussion of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I have two copies in circulation and another at home if anyone wants one. Stay tuned for a contest! I'm thinking free books would be good this time.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
December Book Club
Tonight's book club discussion on Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" was fantastic! Thanks, Katie L. for all your hard work and preparation. You quotes were great discussion prompts. Thanks to everyone who came and participated and brought yummies to share!
Next month's (December's) reading will be Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." We will discuss it December 16th at 8:30 at the Hillside Clubhouse. Bring your own mugs again, as well as any goodies you'd like to share. Hailey will be leading our discussion. Stay tuned for details on an upcoming contest! Yes, I like contests. Mostly, I like to give away prizes. And I like to figure out tricky ways to get people to come to book club!
Next month's (December's) reading will be Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." We will discuss it December 16th at 8:30 at the Hillside Clubhouse. Bring your own mugs again, as well as any goodies you'd like to share. Hailey will be leading our discussion. Stay tuned for details on an upcoming contest! Yes, I like contests. Mostly, I like to give away prizes. And I like to figure out tricky ways to get people to come to book club!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
November Book Club Date Change
Book club will be held on Wednesday, November 18th, at 8:30 p.m. at the Hillside Village Clubhouse. Katie Langston will be directing our discussion of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest," a HILARIOUS play! We will also be enjoying some yummy hot drinks, so BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug). We will be giving away some prizes throughout the evening, so be sure to come! And bring friends!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Wilde Winner
Congrats to Hilary, the winner of our Wilde Contest! She gets a ticket to see Jim Carrey's adaptation of "A Christmas Carol." Cool! Thanks for participating, everyone, and remember to come to book club on the 19th!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Lowering the Stakes for Our Wilde Contest
I haven't received any emails from anyone regarding the Wilde Contest, so I'm lowering the stakes a bit. If you commit to reading "The Importance of Being Earnest" (full text available at multiple online locations such as here) and email me a statement to the effect, I'll put your name in a drawing for a ticket to "A Christmas Carol" (new Jim Carrey movie adaptation). If you can get friends to commit, email me their names. For every friend who commits, I'll put your name in the drawing again. In other words, the more commitments you get, the more your name goes in the drawing. If someone asks you for a commitment and you've already given one to someone else, please don't give it again (unless it was just your own commitment to me). Please send me your emails by TOMORROW, MIDNIGHT!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Wilde Contest!
I love contests, and I love books. So, here's a contest that involves a book and a movie, too! How cool is that?!
DETAILS:
You have until November 5th (that's right--four days) to commit to reading our November book club book, which is actually Oscar Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," AND get three other people to commit to reading it and attending our November book club, which will be held on the 19th (note that this is a Thursday). The catch is, once your three friends commit to reading the play, they can't commit to anyone else to do it. In other words, if I ask my dear ward member friend to read the play and she commits to it, then she can't also commit to you. Her commitment is MINE. If you commit to reading the play and get three friends to commit too, then your name will be put in a drawing for a ticket to see the new Jim Carrey movie adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," which comes to the Pullman theater (Village Cinemas) THIS WEEKEND (the 6th, to be exact). We're reading A CHRISTMAS CAROL for our December book club, so watching the show will be good preparation.
WHAT TO DO:
*Commit to reading "The Importance of Being Earnest" and to attending book club on November 19th.
*Talk to three friends FAST and get them to commit (it's short, by the way) to reading the play and coming to book club, too.
*Email Kim by 11:59 p.m. on November 5th so she can put your name in a drawing (I'll probably wait to draw in the morning, if that's okay with ya'll.).
*Actually keep your commitments! If you don't...then you have to repeat your commitment for the month of December (including getting three friends to read our book and come to book club).
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?:
To encourage reading! And discussion! It's really so much fun. I hope you'll join us and participate in this contest. Good luck!
DETAILS:
You have until November 5th (that's right--four days) to commit to reading our November book club book, which is actually Oscar Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest," AND get three other people to commit to reading it and attending our November book club, which will be held on the 19th (note that this is a Thursday). The catch is, once your three friends commit to reading the play, they can't commit to anyone else to do it. In other words, if I ask my dear ward member friend to read the play and she commits to it, then she can't also commit to you. Her commitment is MINE. If you commit to reading the play and get three friends to commit too, then your name will be put in a drawing for a ticket to see the new Jim Carrey movie adaptation of "A Christmas Carol," which comes to the Pullman theater (Village Cinemas) THIS WEEKEND (the 6th, to be exact). We're reading A CHRISTMAS CAROL for our December book club, so watching the show will be good preparation.
WHAT TO DO:
*Commit to reading "The Importance of Being Earnest" and to attending book club on November 19th.
*Talk to three friends FAST and get them to commit (it's short, by the way) to reading the play and coming to book club, too.
*Email Kim by 11:59 p.m. on November 5th so she can put your name in a drawing (I'll probably wait to draw in the morning, if that's okay with ya'll.).
*Actually keep your commitments! If you don't...then you have to repeat your commitment for the month of December (including getting three friends to read our book and come to book club).
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?:
To encourage reading! And discussion! It's really so much fun. I hope you'll join us and participate in this contest. Good luck!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
THE Bookish Woman
Congratulations to Hailey, the winner of our Face of Bookish Women contest! Her super cute picture of herself, her baby, her book, and her food won many of our hearts. She won a Bookish Women tote bag and a copy of Kate Umansky's SOLOMON SNOW AND THE SILVER SPOON (a fabulous middle-grade novel). Katie and Hilary took second and third places in our contest and also won tote bags. All three of these gals will look sooooooooo stylin' when they go to the library, don't you think?
One side of bag (I need to figure out how to flip images!):
Other side of bag:
April did a great job of leading our discussion on Elie Wiesel's NIGHT and Livia Bitton-Jackson's I HAVE LIVED A THOUSAND YEARS, two non-fiction Holocaust accounts. Thanks, April! And thank you, everyone who came. The company, conversation, and autumn drinks were all very good.
In other news, Katie L. is going to lead our discussion of Oscar Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest." Mark your calendars for November 19th from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. Note that this is a Thursday! Location will be announced a little closer to the date.
As always, even if you don't get the chance to read our book club books, there is so much that can be learned from out get-togethers. Plus, we have a lot of fun. So please come!
FYI: I've included the notes from our book club discussion of PETER PAN on the post with the September date.
One side of bag (I need to figure out how to flip images!):
Other side of bag:
April did a great job of leading our discussion on Elie Wiesel's NIGHT and Livia Bitton-Jackson's I HAVE LIVED A THOUSAND YEARS, two non-fiction Holocaust accounts. Thanks, April! And thank you, everyone who came. The company, conversation, and autumn drinks were all very good.
In other news, Katie L. is going to lead our discussion of Oscar Wilde's play, "The Importance of Being Earnest." Mark your calendars for November 19th from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. Note that this is a Thursday! Location will be announced a little closer to the date.
As always, even if you don't get the chance to read our book club books, there is so much that can be learned from out get-togethers. Plus, we have a lot of fun. So please come!
FYI: I've included the notes from our book club discussion of PETER PAN on the post with the September date.
Monday, October 26, 2009
New Location for Book Club
Book Club will be held in the back room at Sisters Brew (218 S. Main Street) this Wednesday, the 28th, from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Sisters Brew is a nice coffeehouse serving plenty of hot drinks, not just coffee. I love their caramel steamers. They also serve cider, hot cocoa, herbal tea--even sandwiches.
We will be discussing Elie Wiesel's NIGHT and Livia Bitton-Jackson's I HAVE LIVED A THOUSAND YEARS. Even if you haven't read the books, the discussion promises to be very enlightening. Please join us!
We will be discussing Elie Wiesel's NIGHT and Livia Bitton-Jackson's I HAVE LIVED A THOUSAND YEARS. Even if you haven't read the books, the discussion promises to be very enlightening. Please join us!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Great Minds Think Alike
Katie L. just sent me her picture, and because I think it's so cute, I've decided to add it to this post (though it won't be a contender in our contest). Also, I'm adding a photo from my author website, which, you'll notice, is in a similar style. Katie and I get along just too well! Loves to you, Katie-girl!
Voting Time!
Only three people sent me their pictures, so we have our "Face of Bookish Women" contest winners! All three gals get a tote bag for their library books. However, we need to decide on the first prize winner of the contest. She alone will have her mug on our blog. You have until October 28th, at 12:00 AM, to vote. Our winner will be "crowned" at book club that night.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Everybody Likes Free Stuff...Right?
Okay, so I know I was pretty strict sounding when I said that I needed your Bookish Pictures by October 21st at 8 p.m. Well...I'll give you until Saturday, midnight. :) Thank you to everyone who sent me photos already! They are SO CUTE. I can't wait to put them up on the blog!
And speaking of contests and free stuff, my friend, the children's book librarian at the Moscow Public Library, just announced a contest on her uber-cool blog. The winner gets a free spooky book! Check it out: Words World and Wings
And speaking of contests and free stuff, my friend, the children's book librarian at the Moscow Public Library, just announced a contest on her uber-cool blog. The winner gets a free spooky book! Check it out: Words World and Wings
Great List of Classics
We've cast our votes for the plays and novels we'll be reading in Book Club, but I will keep this list of classic novels on the website in case anyone wants to refer to it for additional reading.
PLAYS:
The Crucible, Arthur Miller - 1953 - American author - New World Salem Witch Trial setting (1692)
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde - 1895 - British author - British setting of about the same time period
Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw - 1913 - British author - British setting of about the same time period; basically the story of "My Fair Lady"
Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare - 1597 - British author - Italian setting (though Shakespeare always feels overtly British to me); you've seen the movie, but have you read the play?
BOOKS:
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain – 1884 – American author – U.S. (pre-abolishment of slavery) southern setting
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll – 1865 – British author – Fantasy setting; not the story you thought you knew from the Disney movie
Anne of Green Gables, L.M Montgomery – 1908 – Canadian author – Canadian setting of about the same time period
Arabian Nights – Scholars suggest this collection of stories came together around 800 A.D.; if we read these stories, I suggest everyone getting the same translation—maybe the Barnes and Noble classic (2007) version, just because it’s readily accessible
The Call of the Wild, Jack London - 1903 - American author - Yukon gold rush late 1800s setting
Emma, Jane Austen – 1815 – British author – British setting of about the same time period
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley – 1818 – British author – European and Arctic settings; this book is not the story you thought you knew
Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck – 1939 – American author – U.S. Depression Era setting
Heidi, Johanna Spyri – 1880 – Swiss author – Swiss and German setting of about the same time period
Ivanhoe, Walter Scott – 1819 – British (Scottish) author – 12th century English setting; historical fiction (with many make-believe characters)
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte – 1847 – British author – British setting of about the same time period
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, from “The Chronicles of Narnia,” C.S. Lewis – 1950 - British author – British WWII and fantasy world setting
Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder – 1935 – American author – U.S. late 1800s Midwestern setting based on the author's life
My Antonia, Willa Cather – 1918 – American author – U.S. Midwestern pioneer setting
Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi – 1883 – Italian author – Italian fantasy setting (talking animals, talking puppet)
Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter – 1913 – American author – U.S. (Vermont) setting of about the same time period
Ponder Heart, Eudora Welty – 1954 – American author – U.S. southern setting of about the same time period
Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier – 1938 – British author – British setting of about the same time period; some consider this novel to be very similar to Jane Eyre
Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe – 1719 – British author – takes place in the latter half of the 1600s on a tropical island near Venezuela; this novel is considered by some to be the first novel in English
Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett – 1909 – Author is British by birth, but wrote the story after immigrating to the U.S. – Indian and British setting of about the same time period
Silas Marner, George Eliot – 1861 – British author – British setting (fictional location)
Swiss Family Robinson, Johann Rudolf Wyss – 1812 – tropical island (East Indies) setting
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe – 1958 – African author – African setting
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee – 1960 – U.S. deep south Depression Era setting
The Three Musketeers, Alexander Dumas – 1844 – French author – French 1600s setting
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson – 1883 – British (Scottish) author – British, maritime, and tropical mid-1700s setting
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith – 1943 – American author – U.S. (Brooklyn) pre-WWI setting
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe – 1853 – American author – U.S. (pre-abolishment of slavery) southern setting
Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne – 1926 - British author – British fantasy setting (talking animals); witty, charming writing—much cleverer than Disney adaptations; if we choose this book, we ought to read others in the series, as they are so short
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum – 1900 – American author – U.S. (Kansas—1889) and fantasy setting
PLAYS:
The Crucible, Arthur Miller - 1953 - American author - New World Salem Witch Trial setting (1692)
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde - 1895 - British author - British setting of about the same time period
Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw - 1913 - British author - British setting of about the same time period; basically the story of "My Fair Lady"
Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare - 1597 - British author - Italian setting (though Shakespeare always feels overtly British to me); you've seen the movie, but have you read the play?
BOOKS:
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain – 1884 – American author – U.S. (pre-abolishment of slavery) southern setting
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Caroll – 1865 – British author – Fantasy setting; not the story you thought you knew from the Disney movie
Anne of Green Gables, L.M Montgomery – 1908 – Canadian author – Canadian setting of about the same time period
Arabian Nights – Scholars suggest this collection of stories came together around 800 A.D.; if we read these stories, I suggest everyone getting the same translation—maybe the Barnes and Noble classic (2007) version, just because it’s readily accessible
The Call of the Wild, Jack London - 1903 - American author - Yukon gold rush late 1800s setting
Emma, Jane Austen – 1815 – British author – British setting of about the same time period
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley – 1818 – British author – European and Arctic settings; this book is not the story you thought you knew
Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck – 1939 – American author – U.S. Depression Era setting
Heidi, Johanna Spyri – 1880 – Swiss author – Swiss and German setting of about the same time period
Ivanhoe, Walter Scott – 1819 – British (Scottish) author – 12th century English setting; historical fiction (with many make-believe characters)
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte – 1847 – British author – British setting of about the same time period
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, from “The Chronicles of Narnia,” C.S. Lewis – 1950 - British author – British WWII and fantasy world setting
Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder – 1935 – American author – U.S. late 1800s Midwestern setting based on the author's life
My Antonia, Willa Cather – 1918 – American author – U.S. Midwestern pioneer setting
Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi – 1883 – Italian author – Italian fantasy setting (talking animals, talking puppet)
Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter – 1913 – American author – U.S. (Vermont) setting of about the same time period
Ponder Heart, Eudora Welty – 1954 – American author – U.S. southern setting of about the same time period
Rebecca, Daphne Du Maurier – 1938 – British author – British setting of about the same time period; some consider this novel to be very similar to Jane Eyre
Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe – 1719 – British author – takes place in the latter half of the 1600s on a tropical island near Venezuela; this novel is considered by some to be the first novel in English
Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett – 1909 – Author is British by birth, but wrote the story after immigrating to the U.S. – Indian and British setting of about the same time period
Silas Marner, George Eliot – 1861 – British author – British setting (fictional location)
Swiss Family Robinson, Johann Rudolf Wyss – 1812 – tropical island (East Indies) setting
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe – 1958 – African author – African setting
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee – 1960 – U.S. deep south Depression Era setting
The Three Musketeers, Alexander Dumas – 1844 – French author – French 1600s setting
Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson – 1883 – British (Scottish) author – British, maritime, and tropical mid-1700s setting
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Betty Smith – 1943 – American author – U.S. (Brooklyn) pre-WWI setting
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe – 1853 – American author – U.S. (pre-abolishment of slavery) southern setting
Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne – 1926 - British author – British fantasy setting (talking animals); witty, charming writing—much cleverer than Disney adaptations; if we choose this book, we ought to read others in the series, as they are so short
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum – 1900 – American author – U.S. (Kansas—1889) and fantasy setting
Friday, October 16, 2009
Great Deals on Great Books
One of our lovely Bookish Women bought all four of our novels for Book Club for $15 at TJ's Books, here in town. That's another great benefit of choosing classics--they're so readily available and often very inexpensive, as opposed to new and trendy books, which can cost so much more and are sometimes harder to find. Anywho, TJ's is a fun bookstore, if you haven't been in there, as is Bookpeople of Moscow (downtown). Hastings also carries new and used books and sometimes they're used books are at a steal of a price. Occasionally you can find some used books at the thrift stores in town, but I've found that usually they're bodice-rippers and not classics....
Does anyone know of any other stores in town (or nearby--Pullman, Troy, etc.) that carry the books we'll be reading? If so, post in the comments, PLEASE!
Does anyone know of any other stores in town (or nearby--Pullman, Troy, etc.) that carry the books we'll be reading? If so, post in the comments, PLEASE!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Votes Are In!!!
Thank you, everyone who voted! I tallied the votes tonight, and the results are as follows:
Play:
The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde
Novels:
Arabian Nights
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Silas Marner, by George Eliot
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
Please view our calendar (on the left side of this blog page) to see which month we'll read which book. Thanks again, and we'll see you all on October 28th for Book Club! Hillside Village Clubhouse, 8:30 p.m.
Play:
The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde
Novels:
Arabian Nights
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley
Silas Marner, by George Eliot
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe
Please view our calendar (on the left side of this blog page) to see which month we'll read which book. Thanks again, and we'll see you all on October 28th for Book Club! Hillside Village Clubhouse, 8:30 p.m.
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