Happy Holidays!

May all the joys of the holiday season, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, come to you, and a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.

In the meanwhile, take time to relax and read. Don't forget to join us January 15, at 5:30, in the Children's Program Room for a discussion of Suite Francaise led by Stuart. Bring a friend along.

Favorite Book Read in 2008 by Brenda

My pick is Pat Conroy’s “Prince of Tides.” I’d seen the film many times, and it’s on my top 10 list, but just had never gotten around to the book. Fortunately, our book club read it recently. Conroy is quite a wordsmith. Some passages are so beautifully poetic they illicit tears. The book is filled with stories of hope, failure, anguish, injustice, and again hope, and tells how a family that has endured much pain and hurt (so that they inflict it upon each other) can maintain love and respect for that same family and help heal the scars of darker times. The book has so many more stories than does the film, for obvious reasons (or the film would be 8 hours long!). There is always comic relief amidst the heavy themes of life among the Wingo family. If you’ve not taken the time to read the book, it’s never too late. It reads like it was written yesterday, and will give you a feeling of pride and appreciation for life in the Lowcountry. There is a new place in my heart for Pat Conroy.
~ Brendagael
Brendagael Beasley~Forrest, MA, MSLS

Schedule Change

Please note that we are now reading Tombee for February 19 and Savannah Grey for March 19. As noted at left, Grace Cordial, our library system's Historical Resources Librarian for the Beaufort District Collection will present Tombee and give us historical (insider) information about the Chaplin family and the book.
March 19, we will have the author of Savannah Grey, Jim Jordan, as our guest speaker! He will, no doubt, answer questions for us.
If you missed the discussion of Prince of Tides, I'm sorry to tell you that you missed a number of insights into the book from those present. We had an interesting time delving into the family dynamics of the Wingos and trying to figure out if the three Wingo children could have avoided the psychological damage that became evident later in life. (Probably not.)
We read some reviews of the book written at the time of publication: one favorable and one a scathing denunciation of the plot and of Pat Conroy's writing style. We agreed with the favorable review!
The group could have spent 2 sessions on this book, but that is not to be. December 18 will be our dinner out to socialize. In January, Stuart will lead us in a discussion of Suite Francaise.
Please join us!

The Prince of Tides

While you are reading our selection for November 20, Pat Conroy's Prince of Tides, please consider this question:

What are the social issues that the author deals with in this book?

See you at 5:30 on Thursday, November 20!

Book Discussion: A Thousand Splendid Suns

During the business portion of our meeting we expanded our reading list through May. The choices appear on the left. The December 18 meeting will be dinner out. At the November meeting we will discuss whether to have a "Secret Santa" drawing for December, have a used book exchange, or discuss our favorite books from our personal reading.

We had a lively discussion of our chosen book led by Miki. We learned the history of the burka, which was originally created to protect both men and women from the heat and dust prevalent in the Middle East. Only later did it become a tool to keep women hidden in public. We were also given copies of the beautiful poem, Kabul by Saib-e-Tabrizi from which the book's title comes. Miki also brought before and after pictures of the Buddha statues in Bamyan, Afghanistan that were totally destroyed by the Taliban. The statues were formerly the tallest in the world.

Meeting This Thursday Evening

Don't forget our book discussion this Thursday at 5:30 on A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. In addition, please bring ideas on books we can read Feb. through May.
Do you want to do something special for December? We don't have a book discussion scheduled, but could go out to dinner, or bring Christmas goodies to the library. How about a used book swap? I'm about ready to "weed" my own collection and I never throw anything away!
See you Thursday.

Discussion Questions for A Thousand Splendid Suns

From readinggroupguides.com

1. The phrase “a thousand splendid suns,” from the poem by Saib-e-Tabrizi, is quoted twice in the novel – once as Laila’s family prepares to leave Kabul, and again when she decides to return there from Pakistan. It is also echoed in one of the final lines: “Miriam is in Laila’s own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.” Discuss the thematic significance of this phrase.2. Mariam’s mother tells her: “Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have.” Discuss how this sentiment informs Mariam’s life and how it relates to the larger themes of the novel.3. By the time Laila is rescued from the rubble of her home by Rasheed and Mariam, Mariam’s marriage has become a miserable existence of neglect and abuse. Yet when she realizes that Rasheed intends to marry Laila, she reacts with outrage. Given that Laila’s presence actually tempers Rasheed’s abuse, why is Mariam so hostile toward her?4. Laila’s friendship with Mariam begins when she defends Mariam from a beating by Rasheed. Why does Laila take this action, despite the contempt Mariam has consistently shown her?5. Growing up, Laila feels that her mother’s love is reserved for her two brothers. “People,” she decides, “shouldn’t be allowed to have new children if they’d already given away all their love to their old ones.” How does this sentiment inform Laila’s reaction to becoming pregnant with Rasheed’s child? What lessons from her childhood does Laila apply in raising her own children?6. At several points in the story, Mariam and Laila pass themselves off as mother and daughter. What is the symbolic importance of this subterfuge? In what ways is Mariam’s and Laila’s relationship with each other informed by their relationships with their own mothers?7. One of the Taliban judges at Mariam’s trial tells her, “God has made us different, you women and us men. Our brains are different. You are not able to think like we can. Western doctors and their science have proven this.” What is the irony in this statement? How is irony employed throughout the novel?8. Laila’s father tells her, “You’re a very, very bright girl. Truly you are. You can be anything that you want.” Discuss Laila’s relationship with her father. What aspects of his character does she inherit? In what ways is she different?9. Mariam refuses to see visitors while she is imprisoned, and she calls no witnesses at her trial. Why does she make these decisions?10. The driver who takes Babi, Laila, and Tariq to the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley describes the crumbling fortress of Shahr-e-Zohak as “the story of our country, one invader after another… we’re like those walls up there. Battered, and nothing pretty to look at, but still standing.” Discuss the metaphorical import of this passage as it relates to Miriam and Laila. In what ways does their story reflect the larger story of Afghanistan’s troubled history?11. Among other things, the Taliban forbid “writing books, watching films, and painting pictures.” Yet despite this edict, the film Titanic becomes a sensation on the black market. Why would people risk the Taliban’s violent reprisals for a taste of popcorn entertainment? What do the Taliban’s restrictions on such material say about the power of artistic expression and the threat it poses to repressive political regimes?12. While the first three parts of the novel are written in the past tense, the final part is written in present tense. What do you think was the author’s intent in making this shift? How does it change the effect of this final section?

Great Lion of God

Now is the time to start on this remarkable book. It is a L-O-N-G one, taking Saul/Paul from birth to the last time he left his home.

Unfortunately, the library system owns only one copy, currently in use. I'd suggest one of the online discount companies for this if you can't find one to borrow from someone who regularly comes to book club.

Our next meeting is September 18 at 5:30 in the Children's Program Room.

PS 9-8-08

David is returning the library's copy of Great Lion of God today. You would have 11 days to read it including today. I have an ILL copy that I have finished. It is, however, due to be returned on the 15th.

Questions for Sisters of Cain

I could not find specific questions for Sister of Cain, our August 21 selections, so here are some general ones. I did make a few of them specific. Please, please feel free to come with your own!

What did you find surprising about the facts introduced in this book?

How has reading this book changed your opinion of a certain person or topic such as Civil War espionage, of Allan Pinkerton, or of another historical topic?

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he or she achieve this?

The author is writing on a debatable issue, at least during the 19th century, that of women as Civil War era Department of the Treasury spies, and women as nurses. Does he or she give proper consideration to all sides the debate? Does she seem to have a bias?

How has the book increased your interest in the Civil War, feminism in US history, or the history of spies in America?

July Meeting Last Night

I just have impressions of last evening's talk with our author, Brian Copeland, because frankly I was too interested in what the man was saying to stop and take many notes! He did begin by telling us that the book came out of his one-man show, a project that is "the longest running solo show in San Francisco history." He told us that, when he began to want to write a show, he consulted Carl Reiner. Reiner told him to "find the piece of ground that you alone stand on and write from there." Copeland's piece of ground was his experience as a black child growing up in a white suburb. He has since discovered that his experiences were shared by others living in different towns during the same time in our country's history. Brian has also, through the experience of the show, been able to talk to his siblings about what they endured trying to live near some people who did not want them in the neighborhood.
Brian Copeland, an articulate and entertaining speaker, talked to us and answered questions for 45 minutes by phone from his home in California. Afterward, the group stayed to discuss what we had heard and read. I know I always say after a meeting that it was the best we ever had: I'm saying it again. This was the best Beaufort Book Club yet! Thanks, Tally, for being our moderator.
If you would like to know more about the show, the book, and the author, go to:
http://www.briancopeland.com/.
The library will have a copy of the book as soon as my donated copy is processed. I hope you will read it or purchase your own. I'm told that the Beaufort Book Store will order one for you. It is also available on Amazon.
Next month we will meet on August 21 to discuss Sisters of Cain by Mariam Monfredo. Don't miss it!

Meeting Location

July 2008 until November 2008 we have been offered the Children's Programming Room for our regular 3rd Thursday of the month meetings. This is a concession on the part of the Youth Services Librarian since she has strict guidelines to follow from the SC State Libray for the use of that space. She knows we like to eat, and that this is the only space left at the moment where we can have food and drink. Thank you, Maria Benac and staff.
You can reach the room from between the stacks on the left side of the room in the aisle to the right of the "Large Print Materials" sign.

July 17 Meeting-Not a Genuine Black Man

1. Do you think that a majority of the black population has been affected by various acts of prejudice against them?2. How can we identify racism within ourselves, even if we think we aren't racist (maybe we are)?3. How can people help change and eliminate prejudice?

4. How are black gangs or gangs of any color the result of racism?

5. What was the turning point in the book where Brian felt “genuinely” black? What inner feelings brought him to that point?6. Imagine what it would be like to have a lifetime of pain heaped upon you because of the color of your skin. How would it feel to you? How would you adapt to it?7. Do you think Brian's mother, Carolyn, was right in trying to bring up her family in a white enclave despite the costs to her family in suffering racism?8. How does Brian's family's situation in the 1970s compare with that of the Middle Eastern or Hispanic emigration experience of today?9. How does Brian's family's move into a white enclave in the 1970s compare/contrast with the contemporary issue of gentrification?10. Brian has been accused of being an “Oreo cookie” (white on the inside). Is there any validity to analogies such as “Oreo,” “banana” or “coconut” or are they simply pejoratives? Is it an expected adaptation to living in a “white” neighborhood? Does “keeping it real” foster racism against whites?11. When was a time in your life when you were “the only one”? What did it feel like? How did you react to the situation?12. There are several success stories in the book. Name them.

13. The book felt like an iconic identity crisis, embodying in one man's story the pain of the black race. It is easier to digest because it is couched as a human story. How can the book be used to eliminate the racism it describes?

The author’s Web site:
http://www.briancopeland.com/

News About Our Book Selections

Brenda sent along this link about the Hadron Collider. We read about it in Angels and Demons.
http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2008/05/23

Another piece of exciting news: Brian Copeland, author of our July selection, Not a Genuine Black Man: My Life as an Outsider has graciously offered to join our discussion by speaker phone. We will meet in the Children's Programming Room, so I am asking our library's Systems Specialist to set up the phone. (It goes through the computer system somehow and is totally beyond me.) Anyway, I just emailed Mr. Copeland to accept his offer. This should be fun! Bring your friends along.

My apologies for not posting questions for discussion on our June selection, Deception Point by Dan Brown. I haven't found any yet. If any of you find some, could you pass along the link?

Book Club Meeting Location

The Beaufort Branch upstairs lobby where we have been meeting will only be available for our next meeting on June 19. After that date, the lobby will be a staging area for construction of the new Beaufort District (Historical) Collection. Our July 17 meeting will move to the Children's Programming Room on the first floor. Maria, Youth Services Manager, has graciously offered the room to an adult group because she knows we like to eat, and can't do that in other areas of the library!

To enter the Programming room, go to the adult shelves in the aisle to the right of the "Large Print" sign. You will see the door ahead of you marked "Meeting Room". We can't enter the room through the Children's area, so if you are confused, just ask at Circulation and they will direct you.

Our June selection is Deception Point by Dan Brown. Stuart is our presenter.

We do not have a presenter for our July selection, My Life as an Outsider by Brian Copeland. Would anyone like to volunteer?

Discussion Questions-Answers from Our group and Links to More Sherman Alexie Info.

The following was contributed by Brenda who led the discussion complete with a YouTube interview with Alexie, Mapquest maps of the location of the reservation, and a film clip from another Alexie novel.

1a. What was your overall reaction to the book? Even if this is not your genre of choice, did you find the story fun to read? Would you recommend it?
I loved this comment by a reviewer of the book: Alexie doesn't sugarcoat problems on the reservation, and the alcohol and poverty and racism is pretty grinding, both to Junior and to the reader, even though the novel doesn't set up shop in angstville and live there.1b. What are some themes in the book?
1. Readers of all ages can benefit from the novel’s message: our past need not define us. It is never too late to change your destiny.
2. Forgiveness. Like when his father is absent once again at Christmas. Like when Rowdy gives him a concussion. Like the end of Smoke Signals when Victor scatters his absentee father's ashes in the river and gives a wailing cry. 3. His absolute disgust of alcohol. The scene in Smoke Signals where the kid is throwing beer bottles at his dad's truck left over from the party the night before.

2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian shows a different side of American Indian life than do many other books. Did you learn anything new about Indians from it?I failed to realize how pervasive death is in the rez. I know there is rampant trouble with drugs and alcohol and crime, but the notion of attending 42 funerals by the age of 14 was foreign to me. Most of the deaths being alcohol-related. I *may* have been to 30 funerals in my lifetime.
This was Alexie's first attempt at a young adult novel. He says, "My first draft was twice as long as what you see in the book now. My editor cut it up—HARD—and at first I just cursed at her and wouldn’t do it. If you’ve read “Flight,” that whole book is actually me working out my frustration at having to write a young adult novel. But in the end I realized my editor was right all along. So I made the cuts and got all the credit. Funny how that works out.”

3 & 4. Junior/Arnold says “I felt like two different people inside of one body.” Let's discuss his inner conflicts brought about by the experiences of going to school off the rez. Even before Arnold leaves the rez Arnold misses his best friend, Rowdy, after he starts his new school. But Rowdy doesn’t seem to want to join him there. How do Arnold’s and Rowdy’s views of the reservation – and their own lives – differ? What do you think Alexie is trying to show you through those differences?Junior has an undying search for identity and tries to figure out where he belongs. He says, "It was like being Indian was my job, but it was only a part- time job. And it didn't pay well at all."He is stuck between two worlds that don't mesh. Rowdy sees Junior's defection as the ultimate sell-out. Junior/Arnold is coping with tragedy and despair in his home life AND has to reach beyond himself in his new school environment. HE has to prove himself. It's unfair; they should try to make him feel welcome. But life doesn't operate that way for the most part. It's the new kid, the new employee in a job that has to prove themselves while also adjusting to a new environment. ARNOLD has to make the extra effort to fit in– by going out for basketball, dating a popular white girl and befriending a fellow bookworm – while coping with tragedy at home. And if some Indians continue to see him as a traitor for leaving the reservation, Arnold eventually learns that the world has many kinds of tribes and that more than a few of them have a place for him; like the tribes of bookworms, basketball players & writers.
His quest for higher learning is quite literally a search for hope. A search for a way to break this mousewheel of despair he's caught in. Junior writes in his diary:
It sucks to be poor, and it sucks to feel that you somehow deserve to be poor. You start believing that you’re poor because you’re stupid and ugly. And then you start believing that you’re stupid and ugly because you’re Indian. And because you’re Indian you start believing you’re destined to be poor. It’s an ugly circle and there’s nothing you can do about it.
A quote from one of his stories: "Indians can reside in the city, but they can never live there."

5. Let's discuss the warrior archetype/persona/mentality on the reservation. In real life Alexie's fight record is 5 wins, 115 losses and one when he was 12 years old when a 20-yr old guy said he would beat him up unless Sherman wanted to beat himself up. With fists. There is a deep-seeded anger that is still pervasive among our indigenous people. Remember the scene where the rich guy from Montana comes to return the dress? (I think we all figured out that was Ted Turner). "Not another white guy coming to the rez who loves Indians. Who collects Indian art." He said somewhere that in every Indian's heart of hearts is the spirit of Crazy Horse, rising up to face the white nation head on.

6. What did you think of Ellen Forney’s pictures for The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian? What is their purpose in the book? Do they provide a mirror for the text, reflecting back only what you read on the page? Or do they expand it? How?See www.ellenforney.com. Briefly show all of her sites above & end at her Bio... scroll down & you will see a photograph or her.The illustrations are humorous and do not overpower the book; they don't appear too frequently and provide a nice complement to the text. Alexie and Forney balance the use of text and images excellently, sometimes carrying dialogue from the prose into a cartoon and then back to the prose. The comics help us to see the world through Junior’s eyes. I love how most of them appear on crinkled pieces of paper, taped onto the pages, a charming effect. They look like rule paper and even paper bags--whatever he could find to write on.

7. What’s the purpose of the humor in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian? Why does Alexie use it when Arnold is clearly angry about a lot of things?Sherman Alexie epitomizes the notion of laughing in order to keep from crying. He uses humor to illustrate the sadness, hopelessness, and sheer poverty of the people in Junior's world on the rez. There is one line that reads, “When it comes to death, we know that laughter and tears are pretty much the same thing.”Remember that scene when Junior is laughing when his father comes to pick him up from school after his sister's death? I guess he was just sure his dad would stop at a bar on the way and get drunk and he'd forget him or get into an accident. To this day Alexie is an insomniac, which he claims stems from all the nights he stayed awake until his father got home. And while it was painful for him when his father died, he admits there is also a certain relief of not having to wait up for him any longer. [play audio clip]
Mortality. (handouts) In a clip from his 2nd film The Business of Fancydancing, there is a scene when the family is all home for the night; the parents passed out drunk and "snoring like drums." And one of the kids says, "We were all alive; and that was enough."
Alexie's siblings are surprised when people find him funny. "I was always the depressed guy in the basement," he says. "But I've borrowed their sense of humor and made it darker and more deadly - a weapon of self-defense. Being funny you win hearts quicker; people laughing are more apt to listen."8. Do you agree with Alexie that in order to make his point he had to use language that some people find offensive?
Some thought some of the talk of masturbation could have been left out, and others say this is a real life issue for 14-year old boys and someone reading it may feel more normal about it. Another pointed out that YA readers are becoming exposed much more explicit themes in literature and in everyday life than they were a generation ago.

9. Arnold’s math teacher at Wellpinit High School, Mr. P, tells him that the teachers at the school used to beat the Indians with a stick: “That’s how we were taught to teach you. We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child.” What did he mean?
We didn't get to this one.

10. With so many scholarships available to them, why have American Indians given up on life and turned to drugs & alcohol? Why do they not take pride in their yards and houses and try to keep litter off the streets?It's like everyone has given up on life. This pervasive, defeatist attitude.
In another YouTube interview, Alexie says with conviction, "We seem to have forgotten that reservations were created as death camps; we were supposed to go there, disappear, and/or die."


11. How different is the American Indian experience for women than men?

Brigette Hernandez Elteto says it's not much different for women; being raised on the rez is like being raised in a foreign country. A third world country. Brigette: "We have nothing left but each other and our culture. Sherman Alexie is a quandary to the Indian people because he has broken away from the oral tradition. That is what they know best."

Look for more from Alexie in the coming months. He is currently working on a book with his wife and kids for readers grade 2-6 based on two characters named Thunder and Lightening, which they develop from Indian mythology. He's also working on another YA novel called A Radioactive Love Song about an ipod. Also an adult murder-mystery. AND he's got about 3,000 pages of notes on a family memoir.

Alexie on Casinos: They are creating a class society on the rez that has never existed before. In the past it's been all third world low class all the time. Now you're starting to see some upper and middle class distinctions. All without the advantages of a democracy--no control.

In the book Flight, there is no sense of hope at all, like you find in Absolutely True Diary, even though both are about teenagers of the same age. Flight is also more violent, so it is marketed as an adult novel.

In his short story "the approximate size of my favorite tumor" Alexie concludes the 2 things Indians are good at are frybread and helping people die.

LINKS:

Map of the Reservations:

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=Wellpinit,+WA,+USA&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&resnum=1&ct=title

USCD YouTube interview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWolPAoDk3g

National Book Award Acceptance Speech:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6AbxJxDoI8


ShermanAlexie.com (reverts to fallsapart.com)

http://www.fallsapart.com/

His Illustrator:
http://www.ellenforney.com

April Meeting

With just four members attending, Beaufort Book Club engaged in one of the most wide-ranging discussions we've had. Dan Brown's Angels and Demons was the launching point for our discussion, and Stuart did a remarkable job of bringing us back on topic after digressions. We did some comparison of Angels with The Da Vinci Code such as the vivid descriptions of Rome compared to the detailed descriptions of sites in Paris. We did the same with information about the Illuminati and the Knights Templar. We decided that Brown is a first-rate researcher and detail man. No wonder some readers think his books are nonfiction! The longest part of the discussion centered on the faith vs science question and whether the two are really mutually exclusive.
You really had to be there to get the full effect! Try to be there on May 15 when Brenda leads our discussion of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. The titles we chose for the rest of the year appear in the sidebar. Please consider presenting one of your favorites.

Saying Goodbye to a Club Member

Our friend Mitch writes:
"I got a job at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta and will start May 5, so therefore my book club days are over. Please tell everyone how much I have enjoyed our discussions and books."
I know we will all miss Mitch and that we wish him well in Atlanta.

Questions for Discussion from readinggroupguides.com: Angels and Demons

1. What is your view of Robert Langdon? What motivates him to find out more about the circumstances of Leonardo Vetra's death? Is it merely academic interest? Aside from his scholarly knowledge, what else in Langdon's background helps him succeed during this adventure?

2. Discuss the other characters' motivations for their actions, both the "villains" and "heroes" in the story, including Vittoria, the Hassassin, the camerlengo, Cardinal Mortati, and Maximilian Kohler.

3. Angels & Demons is filled with examples of science versus religion, a debate that has raged for centuries. Is there room in the world for both science and religion? Is one likely to render the other obsolete? Would you rather live in a world without science...or in a world without religion?

4. Were you aware of the existence of CERN prior to reading this book? What is your opinion of the work they conduct, particularly in regard to antimatter technology?

5. Discuss Vittoria's role in the story. How does her knowledge as a scientist come into play? Leonardo Vetra was both a scientist and a priest. How did he reconcile these two seemingly disparate entities? In what ways did her father's beliefs influence Vittoria's own opinions of science and religion?

6. When he first meets Maximilian Kohler, Langdon tells him he is "undecided on miracles... . I study religious symbology -- I'm an academic, not a priest" (21). Does Langdon change his view on miracles by the end of the book?

7. Had you heard of the Illuminati before reading Angels & Demons? The Illuminati is rumored by some to be active today. Do you believe this is true? What is the enduring fascination with conspiracy theories? Given what Dan Brown reveals about the history of the Illuminati, is their alleged vendetta against the Vatican justified?

8. Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca emerges as one of the most complex characters in the story. What was your opinion of the camerlengo when he is first introduced? How about by the end of the book?

9. What role do the media play in the events that unfold? How about Glick and Macri in particular? The media were not interested in covering the election of a new pope until there was tragedy involved. How much influence do the media have on what information is relayed to the public? Is it true, as Glick believes, that "viewers didn't want truth anymore; they wanted entertainment" (190)?

10. The novel takes place during a 24-hour period. How does this narrative structure heighten the suspense in the story? What red herrings does the author use to keep the reader guessing? Did you anticipate any of the events in the story?

11. What did you find to be most compelling about Angels & Demons -- the action scenes, the characters, the setting, the history, or something else entirely?

12. Discuss the novel's ending. Do you think the Vatican (and Robert and Vittoria) made the right decision to keep the events that took place secret from the public?

13. In an interview on his website (www.danbrown.com), Dan Brown said that Angels & Demons "opens some Vatican closets most people don't even know exist." Did you learn anything about the Vatican, its practices, and its history that surprised you?

14. In the same interview Dan Brown goes on to say, "The final message of the novel, though, without a doubt, is a positive one." What do you see as the ultimate message of the book?

15. Have you visited Rome? If so, do you recall seeing the Illuminati symbolism that Dan Brown describes in the book, such as at the Piazza del Popolo and the Piazza Navona? If you have not been to Rome, has reading Angels & Demons inspired you to make a visit?

16. If you've read Robert Langdon's second adventure, The Da Vinci Code, compare the two books. What similarities do the stories share? How does the character of Robert Langdon change?

March Meeting

Seven of us met on 3/20 to discuss A Conspiracy of Paper. Sandi gave us a short biography of the author, and then told us about the real people and settings included in this fictional account of stock trading in 1720s London. The author's depiction of the South Sea "bubble" during which stock was traded for the South Sea Company that really had no assets was based on an actual event. When the bubble burst, London experienced the first stock market crash. Our discussion circled several times back to the fact that the book could almost be the morning paper as the US experiences the failures of companies and a volatile stock market. One of our attendees who has considerable experience in stock trading was able to give us good background information so that we could understand Conspiracy.
Our next selection is Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. Stuart will lead our discussion on April 17 at 5:30 in the upstairs lobby of the Beaufort Branch Library. This library program is free and open to the public.

A Conspiracy of Paper

Our next meeting is Thursday, March 20 at 5:30 PM. We will, again, be meeting on the second floor of the Beaufort Branch Library at 311 Scott Street. Our book this month is A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss. There is still one copy on the shelf at the Hilton Head Island Branch. If you need it, just go to our online catalog, look up the book, and click on "Place Hold" on the right. The book will be sent to this branch for you to check out.

The following link leads to discussion questions that might help you begin to draw conclusions about our book:

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_C/conspiracy_of_paper1.asp#discuss

Questions: Same Sweet Girls

Brenda has sent us this link to questions that we might keep in mind for Thursday's meeting with Cassandra King. Since the author will be doing a presentation of Same Sweet Girls for us, we will not be addressing each question on this list. However, if the questions suggest something you want to ask the author, there will be a Q & A session at the end.
http://www.cassandrakingconroy.com/tssg/the_same_sweet_girls__reading_guide.htm

Same Sweet Girls Presenter

This just in: Cassandra King has agreed to attend out discussion! Tell your friends and bring them along. Our regular members are bringing snacks.

February Discussion

Sandi will be unable to lead the discussion of Same Sweet Girls in February. She will be out of town. Would anyone else like to volunteer? See Fran at the Beaufort Branch, call 470-6523, or email fhays@bcgov.net. Thanks.

Saints at the River

Our discussion, led by Brenda, began with an examination of the title to determine which characters might be the "saints." Our conclusion was that, depending on whether the reader was more sympathetic to the environmentalists trying to save the river or to the parents who wanted to dam it to retrieve the body of their child, characters on either side of the struggle could be seen as either "saints" or "sinners." For some of us, the perspective changed multiple times as we read.

The river served multiple purposes in the novel: It served as another character representing the power of nature that man has to accept on its own terms. The river also impressed us as a metaphor for the journey of life towards death.

The group then tackled the depictions of families in the novel. Maggie, the protagonist, is estranged from her father, but ends by caring for him through a fatal illness. She does begin to remember her father as a caring parent during her childhood, although their estrangement continues. Kowalski, father of the drowned child, also seemed to us to be an inadequate parent as he made no attempt to save his drowning child.

Our final conclusion was that Saints at the River is a cautionary tale about the power, and final authority of nature.

Our next meeting is February 21, 5:30 PM in the second floor lobby of the library, 311 Scott Street. Our book is Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King with discussion leader Sandi.

Saints at the River by Ron Rash

Our meeting is this Thursday evening at 5:30. We will, again, be on the second floor in the large meeting room. Brenda, who will lead our discussion, has seen some links to help us with the book.

For the book club blog:

http://www.breaktech.net/EmergingWritersForum/View_Interview.aspx?id=130

This one shows image of book and author if you want to copy them onto the blog:
http://www.picadorusa.com/product/product.aspx?isbn=0312424914

Discussion questions are found here:
http://www.picadorusa.com/rgg/files/0312424914.pdf


Thanks much!

~ Brenda

Sherman Alexie's Done It Again!
Author: Charlene Hollow Horn Bear
Well, it's finally here and it is selling like crazy! For all you Sherman Alexie fans out there we have his new book, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian". For those who haven't had the chance to read any of his material, he has an excellent way of writing about the side of Native Americans that tend to get the blind eye. Too often and sadly when people come to visit the reservation they come at a time of gathering, such as a powwow, sundance, giveaway, feed or even a death. At these times everyone is having a goodtime; friendly, social and at their best. Very seldom do the people who come to visit see the hardships that Native People often bare. Sherman Alexie writes about these blind eye matters in his stories, sometimes with humor and other times telling the harsh realities. Growing up on the reservation as a "part-time Indian", I found the book very funny and therapeutic. It brought up a lot of memories both good and bad that I haven't thought about in years! I have read every one of his books and my all-time favorite is, "Toughest Indian in the World", but this one is a close second. My co-workers humored each other by reading sections of the book to one another and laughing out loud. Talk about getting the customers attention!I would highly recommend this book to all those who would like a good laugh with a little dose of reality.Toksa,Charlene Hollow Horn Bear

Fran, I’d like to put this out for consideration for our book club. Can you order some copies for the library? Thanks!!!

~ Brenda
Brenda Gale Beasley, MA, MSLS Catalog Librarian
Beaufort County Library ~ Beaufort Branch
311 Scott Street, Beaufort, SC 29902
843.470.6529 ~ bbeasley@bcgov.net
www.beaufortcountylibrary.org