Shrinking Violet’s July Book Group Meeting
At the last meeting, the coordinators and attendees decided to change the scheduling of the book club meetings. Instead of reading one book every six weeks (with two meetings), we have decided that every third Sunday of every month we will read a new book. That way, everyone can plan their weekends accordingly and be prepared to discuss the book in its entirety.
July’s book is:
Bastard Out of Carolina
by Dorothy Allison
“Greenville County, South Carolina, a wild, lush place, is home to the Boatwright family – rough-hewn men who drink hard and shoot up each other’s trucks, and indomitable women who marry young and age all too quickly. At the heart of this astonishing novel is Ruth Anne Boatwright, known simply as Bone, a South Carolina bastard with an annotated birth certificate to tell the tale. Observing everything with the mercilessly keen eye of a child, Bone finds herself caught in a family triangle that will test the loyalty of her mother, Anney. Her stepfather, Daddy Glen, calls Bone ‘cold as hell, mean as a snake, and twice as twisty, yet Anney needs Glen. At first gentle with Bone, Daddy Glen becomes steadily colder and more furious-until their final, harrowing encounter, from which there can be no turning back.”
Meeting Date: Sunday, July 19, 2009
Time: 1-3 pm
Location: Monique’s House
Please email one of us for address, directions or more details:
Becky – beckyhuss [at] gmail [dot] com
Hilary – hilwhitt [at] hotmail [dot] com
Monique – moneeeq [at] gmail [dot] com
Also, we will be sure to keep everyone posted about the next 3 books, and vote at each meeting for the 4th book. As of now, here is the lineup…
August 16:
Miss Harper Can Do It
Jane Berentson (cousin of SVS local celebrity Kaylee Cole)
September 20:
Jewel of Medina
Sherry Jones
October 18:
Prisoner of Tehran
Marina Nemat
I’m going to jump in on Bastard – I’ve heard really good things…
Then I’m excited to read the “in the family” books – hooray! If is weren’t for the book group I don’t know when I’d make the time, so thanks for the motivation!
I did not enjoy reading this (Bastard out of Carolina) depressing book at all. Sure it was well written, but I feel completely unprepared to address all of the murky horrible angry feelings that it dredges up. Next time you ladies choose a dark book I think I will sit it out. I’d rather take a foray into non-fiction than read such downer novels on my weekends.
Lucky for you, Mariah, the next read is a really fun, cute, witty book. So, I promise we will have a little break from the downers!