Between Friends Book Club

Once every year the book club goes to the movies.  This year we picked June and “Sex and the City.”  The movie was too unrealistic and hyper-exaggerated for these unsettled times.   Although we laughed out loud at some of the antics, we didn’t feel for the characters as we once might have.  Sex and the City is going the way of Dynasty and Dallas – it was fun while it lasted, but it’s over. 

Because it is a book club, I did talk about a book I read at dinner after the movie.  The book is “StrenghtsFinder 2.0.”   Gallup has prepared an online assessment to uncover your natural talents.  To take the assessment you have to buy the book, which gives you some background along with an access code to take the test.  I read the book and took the assessment. 

One of the ladies asked me how does that help you in any way, she doesn’t care for self-help  books. ( I’m  not a huge fan either, but every so often I thoroughly enjoy one. )

 I told her I wasn’t sure how this information helps me because I had just taken the assessment and hadn’t processed the information yet.   Of course, at 3:00 am the question came crashing into my hazy mind as I lay there trying to get back to sleep.

Through the fog in my mind the question started to roll around.  Slowly my conscious mind put the content into some recognizable form for me to comprehend.   So, my answer to my friend is this:

I have gone through most of my life believing I have no particular talent at all.  I make friends easily, and I have the gift of gab, but how could either one of these be a talent?  I went back to college in my forties to get a degree in journalism.  I like talking to people, I’m very interested in their stories,  and I thought journalism  would be a good choice for me,  but not because of a particular talent. 

The assessment has 34 talents and you are assessed with your top 5 talents.  My talents were assessed as 1) empathy;  2) adaptability; 3) winning others over; 4) communications; and 5) positivity.   I would have never guessed in a million years that any of these were talents (except communications).  I was so happy to see communications on the talent list because it reaffirmed my choice at college.  And that is why I believe it is important to know what you are naturally talented in, so you can build those talents into strengths in the business world.

Because my “talents” are not found on an SAT or college curriculum, I would have never known that they were worth developing  for the business world, not just my social life.  So, for me the assessment was valuable and informative, and I will seek to develop these talents in the future. 

And that’s what book club is all about – questioning, open communication between different viewpoints, listening and comprehending with an open mind, and of course, camaraderie and lots and lots of laughter. 

April’s book club was all abuzz. We had teenagers trying out for high school cheerleading teams and moms coming and going. An excitement filled the air, along with a little trepidation, which went well with the book, Colum McCann’s “Let the Great World Spin.” I loved the book, but book club was split on it. I really think it’s a great book for book clubs. The book left me with a sense of hope, and that was important at the time.

Patty and Denise sharing a smile for the camera.

Terry going to pick up her daughter.

February’s book club was held at my house on Friday, February 12, 2010.  We discussed all our favorite books.  My favorite book is Trinity by Leon Uris.  Teri’s favorite book is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaed Hosseini.  Dawn loves all the Harlan Coben books and James Patterson.  Judi ‘s favorite book is Embraced by the Light by Betty J. Eadie, and The Reader by  Bernhard Schlink.  Patty loves Nelson DeMille’s books, Harlan Coben and the Harry Potter series.  Michelle doesn’t really have a favorite, but is thoroughly enjoying the Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer.  Denise loved Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.

Only about half of the book club was present at February’s meeting, so I will incorporate their favorites over time. 

March’s book is Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.  This was an Amazon top pick for 2009. 

Our pictures didn’t come out very good this month, except for the ladies who didn’t want their pictures taken.

Well, here we are in the beginning of a new decade and the book club is still intact.  We lossed a few people and gained a few others – but we held on to friendship and books.

We read “wintergirls,” by Laurie Halse Anderson to begin the new decade.  It’s a disturbingly real and powerful book about teenagers with eating disorders and their desire to just disappear.  I have posted under Pages a review of the book.

We had dinner and a wonderful discussion of the book at a Japanese restaurant.

Our annual holiday party was at my house this year. We opted for a home party instead of a restaurant to enable easier conversations with everyone and it was a very pleasant evening.

I can’t say I’m unhappy that 2009 is ending.  It wasn’t a particularly happy year for my family and some of my friends.  But – we made it through!  We have changed and grown and are learning patience.

I look forward to the new decade (even though I will become a senior citizen in it) because the last decade was difficult (as Time Magazine put it “The Decade from Hell”).  Goodbye!

Our next meeting is January 22, 2010, and we are reading the book “wintergirls,” by Laurie Halse Anderson.  (The title is in lower caps.)  A new member suggested this book (it was assigned reading for a class her daughter is taking).  She read it and thought it would be great for discussion.

I look forward to our next meeting and wishing the year a goodnight.

Peace and love everyone!

I have been so remiss with not updating my blog.  My Bad!  Our book club has had a very busy year and it has been difficult at best to keep everyone reading and coming to our monthly meetings.

In November we read three short stories.  The first one was “86th Street and the Summer of Love,” by Colin C. Conway.  This story is raw, disturbing and totally absorbing.  What’s great about short stories is they place you at a very specific period of time and allow you to feel that moment vividly. 

The second story was “The Wicker Husband,” by Ursula Wills-Jones.  A good read about jealously and coveting your neighbors’/friends’/families’ lives.  I have put both of these short stories under pages to the right if you want to read them.  I pulled them from www.eastoftheweb.com. 

The third was an article about like attracting like to uplift the mood of the first story. 

We had dinner at a new pub/restaurant – and talked and laughed-out-loud for a few hours – wonderful.

Fran hosted book club this month. Our book was “The Monster of Florence,” by Douglas Preston with Mario Spezi. The book is a non-fiction account of a series of murders in the Florence area and the incredible bungling of the investigation by the Italian authorities.  (See book review under Pages). Preston writes a series with Lincoln Child that I loved. Their protaganist is Agent Pentagast. Love this series and can’t wait for the next book.
 

Not everyone had their picture taken at book club,  but Fran’s dog Angel was ready and willing to pose for the camera!

Two pictures from the Races with ladies from book club and my pesky daughter.

It must be our smallest group this year, but we had fun and even a little dessert.

Two of us went to the beat of South Beach for a 50th Birthday celebration.

Oh yeah, the book for August was “When you Lie About Your Age the Terrorists Win,” by Carol Leifer, which was not a favorite at all (see book club review under author). 

September’s book is “Pillars of the Earth,” by Ken Follett.  Can’t wait.