Talk About a Good Book: Martian

Showing posts with label Martian. Show all posts

Lilac Girls - January 2017

At our December 12th meeting, we had a variety of treats brought by members, and we chatted about our favorites from 2016. Most member really enjoyed the books chosen to read this past year especially: The Martian by Andy Weir, Dead Wake by Erik Larson, and the Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani. Several other books were read by members outside the group and enjoyed including Rosemary: the Hidden Kennedy daughter by Kate Larson, The Wonder by Emma Donaghue, and Just One Damned Thing After Another (Chronicles of St. Mary's) by Jodi Taylor.

Our next meeting will be in the new year! We'll meeting on January 30th at 3pm in the Turner Room to discuss Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. Copies of the book in print, large print, and audio are available at the LME Library desk. The discussion sheet is available for pickup in the library or can be viewed online. The group is open to all adults.

Summary of Lilac Girls: An arresting, powerful debut novel inspired by the life of debutante turned unlikely WWII hero Caroline Ferriday. Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish Catholic teenager, is nervously anticipating the changes that are sure to come since Germany has declared war on Poland. As tensions rise abroad - and in her personal life - Caroline's interest in aiding the war effort grows and she eventually comes to hear about the dire situation at the Ravensbruck all-female concentration camp. Through Ravensbruck the two women's lives will converge in unprecedented ways and a novel of redemption and hope emerges that is breathtaking in scope and depth. From New York to Paris, and Furstenberg to Lublin, Martha Hall Kelly captures the powerful pull of human compassion, strong enough to stretch across continents and capable of triumphing over the grim evils of war.

June 27 - Some Luck

At our May 23rd book group, we discussed The Martian by Andy Weir. Everyone enjoyed the plausibility of the story even though some of the technical aspects were not always understood. It was very readable and members would recommend it to other readers. This was one of our favorite quotes:

Every human being has a basic instinct to help each other out. It might not seem that way sometimes, but it's true. If a hiker gets lost in the mountains, people will coordinate a search. If a train crashes, people will line up to give blood. If an earthquake levels a city, people all over the world will send emergency supplies. This is so fundamentally human that it's found in every culture without exception.

Our refreshments focused on (what else): potatoes! We had Orange Delight Potato Cake (from the book The Popular Potato Best Recipes by Valwyn McMonigal) and Potato Chip Cookies.

Our next meeting is Monday, June 27th at 3pm in the Turner Room. We will be reading Some Luck by Jane Smiley. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk and discussion guides can be picked up or are available online. Summary: "An epic novel that spans thirty years in the lives of a farm family in Iowa, telling a parallel story of the changes taking place in America from 1920 through the early 1950s."

May 2016 - The Martian

At our meeting on April 25th, we discussed the book Dead Wake by Erik Larson. The group really liked the way the author presented the story with details about the history surrounding the sinking of the Lusitania. Overall, the group rated it very highly and would recommend it to others. Our refreshments included Triple Chocolate Cheesecake and fresh fruit.

Our next book group will be on Monday, May 23rd at 3pm in the Turner Room. PLEASE NOTE: this is a week earlier than usual due to the Memorial Day holiday. We will be discussing The Martian by Any Weir. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk and the discussion guide is available for pickup or can be obtained online. Regular print, large print, ebook, eaudio, and audio book formats are available.

Summary: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive -- and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old 'human error' are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills -- and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit -- he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

December 15--Coffee Chat

We had our Coffee Chat yesterday and many of our regular members attended. Some of our favorites from the 2014 book selections included:

Drop Dead Healthy	Jacobs, A.J.
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald	Fowler, Therese Anne
Home Front	Hannah, Kristin
Good Dream	VanLiere, Donna
Wild	Strayed, Cheryl
Where We Belong	Giffin, Emily

Some of the books we didn't read for book group but were recommended by members included:

The Book Thief	Zusak, Markus
Century Trilogy	Follett, Ken
Fever Tree	McVeigh, Jennifer
Lei Crime series (on order @ LME Library)	Neal, Toby
The Martian	Weir, Andy

Our next book group meeting will be January 26, 2015 at 3pm in the Turner Room. All are welcome! We will be discussing The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.

Summary: When his most prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, is stolen, bookstore owner A. J. Fikry begins isolating himself from his friends, family and associates before receiving a mysterious package that compels him to remake his life. Books are available at the LME Library desk. Discussion sheets can be picked up from the library or are avialable online.