Miles to Go

Fiction Selection for September

2008-09-27T16:00:00.003-04:00

Our fiction selection for the month of September is a book I heard reviewed on NPR last week, and I decided I'd like to read it (although I haven't read Bryce's book yet!): it is The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by the late Stieg Larsson.

Our Non-fiction Selection for September

2008-09-27T15:48:00.002-04:00

Our non-fiction selection for September is actually a book I own, but haven't finished yet (because I am waaaaay behind on my reading and writing, and I hold John McCain, Barack Obama and the year 2008 directly responsible). It is My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams. One brief sampling, from Abigail to John in September of 1777:

I immagine before this reaches you some very important Event must take place betwen the two Armies. Affairs on all Sides seem to be workd up to a crissis. How is putting his whole force in action and seems determined to drive or be driven.
I feel in a most painfull situration between hope and fear. There must be fighting, and very Bloody Battle too I apprehend. O! how my Heart Recoils at the Idea. Why is Man calld Humane when he delights so much in Blood slaughter and devastation; even those who are stiled civilizd Nations think this little spot worth contending for, even to Blood.

Our Poetry Selection for September

2008-09-27T15:43:00.003-04:00

Our poetry selection for the month of September is The Trouble with Poetry: And Other Poems by Billy Collins.

This cover reminds me of Stephen Colbert and his "BEARS!" Threatdown, but ...

Finally for August!

2008-08-26T13:46:00.001-04:00

Our fiction selection for August is the Bryce Courtenay book that I had to take a mulligan on because it wasn't out yet!
The Persimmon Tree, pictured below under the "OOPS!" post.

Happy reading!

Non-Fiction Selection for August

2008-08-26T13:37:00.005-04:00

Our non-fiction selection for August is The Dark Side by Jane Mayer.

Poetry Selection for August

2008-08-26T13:35:00.001-04:00

Our poetry selection for the month of August will be a "free" choice. Read some poetry and come right back here and tell us what you thought of it.

Oh, and you're welcome for giving you the month of July off.

Non-fiction Selection for June

2008-06-29T13:17:00.002-04:00

I hesitate to do this since this is an "Oprah Book Selection," but, as usual, I'm cheating a bit. This book is one I'm already reading. Our non-fiction selection for the month of June is Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth.

Fiction Selection for June - OOPS. Make that August?

2008-06-29T13:05:00.004-04:00

Our fiction selection for the month of June is Bryce Courtenay's The Persimmon Tree. Courtenay's The Power of One was absolutely one of the best books I have ever read, so I am hoping his latest novel lives up to my expectations. And, the selection was made, in part, by my law of "happy coincidences." I happened to be on Courtenay Street this past week, so ... it was meant to be.

UPDATE: So much for the law of happy coincidences! The book isn't set to come out until August, 2008. Therefore, this one will be bumped until August rolls around. So, the new Selection for June will be

The Broker, by John Grisham. Okay. Call it a beach book?

Poetry Selection for June

2008-06-29T12:51:00.004-04:00

Our poetry selection for the month of June is by Stanley Kunitz, Passing Through: The Later Poems, New and Selected. It is one of my favorites ... this week. Poetry is like my favorite color - that changes from day to day. My daughter often asks me, "What's your favorite color today, Mama?" Anyway, Kunitz has rotated into my "favorite" many times.

Our Non-fiction Selection for May

2008-05-27T10:47:00.002-04:00

The non-fiction selection for May is Mary Tillman's new book about her son, Pat, entitled Boots on the Ground by Dusk: My Tribute to Pat Tillman. You can read a recent interview with Mary Tillman about her family's ordeal in trying to get the straight story about her son's death from the Army here.

Our Fiction Selection for May

2008-05-27T10:41:00.002-04:00

Our fiction selection for May is George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. I think it's a good time to revisit this classic, don't you?

Poetry Selection for May

2008-05-27T10:33:00.003-04:00

Our poetry selection for May is Mary Oliver's Red Bird.

I haven't read it yet, but it has gotten some good reviews and I do love Mary Oliver's work.

Non-fiction Selection for April

2008-04-25T20:08:00.002-04:00

Our non-fiction book this month is American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips. I plan on starting it once I finish this month's fiction selection. I have already read Pastan's lovely book of poetry and would love to cyber-discuss it with anyone interested.

Fiction Selection for April

2008-04-25T20:02:00.002-04:00

This month's fiction selection is Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth. I read it 20 years ago and am re-reading it now, having finished his World Without End.

Poetry Selection for April

2008-04-25T19:55:00.004-04:00

This month's poetry selection is The Last Uncle, by Linda Pastan.

Non-Fiction Selection for March

2008-03-25T16:37:00.004-04:00

Our non-fiction selection, unlike the other two selections for the month, is a book I have not yet read (but have started). It was recommended to me by someone whose opinion I trust and I find that I am already fascinated, repulsed and intrigued by this work even though I am only 20+ pages into it.

The book is Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins.

Here is a piece from Democracy Now about the book and its author.

Fiction Selection for March

2008-03-25T16:28:00.005-04:00

Our work of fiction for this month is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

Here is a New York Times review of this beautiful book.

Poetry Selection for March

2008-03-25T16:10:00.005-04:00

Jane Kenyon's Otherwise will have the honor of being our first poetry selection. You can read a few lines about the work here.

Just a reminder to the many of you who may have forgotten how to read poetry (just as I once did, when I started reading law books), read to the punctuation, not the end of the line (unless that's where the punctuation occurs!). Line breaks are simply the poem breathing ... or the poet breathing ... or the poet engaging in some Tom Foolery or other ... or the poem doing something it wants to do in spite of the poet's stranglehold. Or a myriad of other possibilities. Anyway, read to the punctuation.

Welcome

2008-03-25T15:45:00.003-04:00

Welcome to this online book club. You are encouraged to actively participate by posting your point of view here about the books we read. Each book will have its own post, which is where you can post your comment about the work. If you are reading something you like and want to share, feel free to post that in a comment as well.

Three books will be set on the 25th of each month. You, therefore, have about a month to read the book of your choice and join the online discussion about it here. There will always be one book of poetry, one work of fiction and one non-fiction piece from which to choose. You're welcome to read and comment on all three.

Take the opportunity to stretch yourself. If you don't normally read poetry, please let me try to change your mind. Likewise, I intend to choose things that I think will be a personal challenge for me because they will definitely be out of my comfort zone.

Unlike Our Evil Twin, there are no political parties here. Just readers.