The King is dead 1958-2009

The King of Pop is dead; long live his music. I did not attend his concert in Jamaica but I remember when this took place.

Dr. Jerri Nielsen is dead

On July 20, 2007 we met to discuss Icebound. The writer, Dr. Jerri Nielsen, is dead. We just mentioned her book at our meeting on Friday as one of the "must reads".

July 17 Book Club Selection

Shadow of the Wind by Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafon is our July pick. Link here for discussion questions.

We have to put off Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet till August when we hope most people can get it to buy or borrow through Interlibrary loan.

Shadow is a long book, over 400 pages. One amazon reviewer says it is a mystery, a fairy tale, and several love stories all in one and suggests that the book should be read slowly and carefully. Hmmm.

What to read for the rest of 2009?

I read a book some time ago called Breadfruit, by Celestine Vaite. The setting was Tahiti and the story was about a woman named Matarena, mother of three, who was determined to marry the father of her children. The tales were unusual, funny, and very interesting - great insight into the culture of the French Polynesian island.

Apparently Breadfruit is a sequel to Frangipani, the book I am now reading. Frangipani is mainly about Matarena's relationship with her only daughter. Again, there are unusual stories about Matarena's family that are quite funny. You can read each book on its own; you don't have to read them in sequence.

I personally feel that Breadfruit has the better stories. The third book about Matarena and her family is called Tiare.

So, if I am to make a list of books that I'd like to read for the rest of the year, I will have to include Tiare, and also Devil's Banker by Christoper Reich, and Northern Thunder by Andy Harp.

Okebookclub Selections 2009

We have actually been meeting in Waycross since 2002. Yeah! Here is what we have read and discussed in 2009 so far:


January 16
Secret Life of Bees by Sue Kidd Monk

February 20
Dewey the Small town Library Cat by Vicki Myron

March 20
The Keepsake by Terri Gerritsen

April 17
March by Geraldine Brooks

May 15
Straight by Dick Francis

June 19
Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I am still hoping to get this book on our schedule:

July
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

Global Citizens

Here is one visionary mother preparing her children to be global citizens by giving them a global education so they can fit in the new global economy. See article about Maya Frost's book, Global Student, in USA Today.