Book Discussion, Oct 2nd - 6pm - Montrose Library - ELLEN FOSTER by Kaye Gibbons
A Aman
Hope everyone escaped the hurricane unscathed. I was reminded
(several times) of our discussion of THE ROAD as my household was
without power for 6 days.
We will discuss ELLEN FOSTER by Kaye Gibbons next Thursday October 2nd
at 6pm in the downstairs conference room at the Houston Freed-Montrose
Library. The book was selected by the Houston Public Library for the
Books On The Bayou annual event
(http://www.houstonlibrary.org/booksonthebayou/). I will be leading
the discussion. It is a fairly short book of only 126 pages and is
available at any Houston Public library so you still have time to
prepare for our discussion if you haven't procured the book yet.
Also, I received this info below about a Theatre Event organized by
the Houston Great Books Council and thought some of you might be
interested if you are not already aware:
The Houston Great Books Council invites Bookies and friends of
Bookies to meet at the October 5, 2:30 pm performance of Shakespeare's
"Shylock: The Jew of Venice", by Houston's new theater group, the
Classical Theatre Company. Tickets are $15. If you buy tickets on line
there is a service charge of $1.90. To purchase tickets on line, go to
the web site, www.classicaltheatre.org, or call 713-963-9665. The
performance will be at the Midtown Art Center, 3414 LaBranch, Houston.
See the web site for directions. They do not have group seating as the
theater is too small, so we ought to be able to find each other. Those
people who would like to meet ahead of time and share a meal should
meet at the Epicure Bakery on West Gray, a few doors east of the
Landmark River Oaks Theater, at 12:15 that day. We can put some tables
together and eat together. If you are planning on attending, please
e-mail Helen Cohen at hc...@earthlink.net so we can have a rough count
of how many people to watch out for at Epicure and at the theater.
<end of email notice>
Hope to see you next week.
Take care,
--Alice
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/Montrose
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/blog/
http://groups.google.com/group/MontroseGreatBooks
http://www.houstongreatbooks.net/groups/Montrose.html
http://www.houstonbookclubs.org/GreatBooksGuide.htm
UPCOMING SELECTIONS
=========================
-- Oct 2, 2008 ELLEN FOSTER by Kaye Gibbons (126 pages)
Selected by the Houston Public Library
Set in the rural South in the 1970s, the story of 11-year-old Ellen's
fight for survival and search for a home. Since 2002 Houston Public
Library has hosted an annual community-wide project to foster a
culture of reading by encouraging people to come together to discuss a
selected book. Go to http://www.houstonlibrary.org/booksonthebayou/
for more info.
-- Nov 6, 2008 CATCH 22 by Joseph Heller (publ 1961) 464 pages
The novel, set during the later stages of World War II from 1943
onwards, is frequently cited as one of the great literary works of the
Twentieth century.
Classic novel of wartime madness. Story is a general critique of
bureaucratic operation and reasoning, among other things. Joseph
Heller's brilliance lies in his ability to exaggerate an issue, idea
or element of society so perfectly that we see it for just how foolish
it is.
--Wendy will lead discussion
Note: At end of November discussion, group will consider election of a
play from available Houston theatre schedules - (classic preferred,
excluding musicals for now) --hopefully one performed somewhere in
Houston in March. Play to be discussed at our March 6th meeting so
play needs to be one where text is available.
-- Dec 4, 2008 TROPIC OF CANCER by Henry Miller (publ 1934)
The Modern Library named it the 50th greatest book of the 20th century.
Only a historic court ruling that changed American censorship
standards permitted its publication. Famed mixture of memoir and
fiction, which chronicles with unapologetic gusto the life and sexual
adventures of a young expatriate writer, his friends, and the
characters they meet in Paris in the 1930s.
--Susan will lead discussion
Note: At end of discussion, group will vote on new titles for upcoming
reading list..
-- Jan 1, 2009 No discussion this month because of holiday. This
should give you more time for extra long book to be discussed in
February.
-- Feb 5, 2009 MIDDLESEX by Jeffrey Eugenides (publ 2002) 544 pages
2003 Pulitzer Prize winner, 2007 Oprah Book Club selection
The narrator and protagonist, an intersexed person has
5-alpha-reductase deficiency. The bulk of the novel is devoted to
telling his coming-of-age story growing up in Detroit, Michigan in the
late 20th century. ...story is intertwined with elements of a family
saga, meditations on the era's zeitgeist and bits of contemporary
history. Possible discussion questions at
http://www.bookbrowse.com/reading_guides/detail/index.cfm?book_number...
-- Marcella will lead discussion