January 2024 Meeting at Karen S’s with Mary, Liz, Shelley M, Rose, Karen C, and Yours Truly
A Last Chapter from 2023 – Here are the books NOT selected at the December Party as this month’s pick:
- The Liars’ Club by Mary Karr
- Mother Land by Leah Franqui
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
- Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
- The Calculating Stars by Mary Kowal
- The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
- Everybody’s Fool by Richard Russo
- The Maid by Nita Prose
- Everyone in this room will someday be dead by Emily Austin
- A Post Card from Italy by Alex Brown
Chit Chat – Bits & bobs of family, travel, retired spouses (or not). A few dog stories and some Memory Lane for longer-than-Bootleg friends.
Biggest news – Karen S’s Andrew is engaged! Lovely surprise event at Washington Monument with the tallest-of-the-tall nearby friends & family ducking down to keep the surprise intact.
Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig was selected by random pick of titles we each submitted at our holiday party.
- All liked it and finished it (this month or in years past)
- All agreed the first third needed to be ~100 pages shorter, esp. the part at The Kate’s house. Did Doig not get to edit as this was his last book in the year he died? Or did he intentionally not hold back or leave out anything?
- So many fun characters with distinct details! Realistic with humor, but almost never to the point of parody. The Kate was the closest to the latter, perhaps intentionally.
- Love the premise and plot-knitter of the autograph book.
- We agree The Kate stole Donal’s $30.
- All of Herman’s skills, faces, nicknames, and life stages were fun in both their reveals and how they merged/overlapped in service to the plot.
- The nicknames! The curses (which none of us listened to too hard)
- Great job showing the gritty truths of the various settings without ‘talking down’ or pandering to the era and priorities of the time. Seems quite autobiographical.
- Some suspension of disbelief required throughout – all those red heads, some of their near misses, the ubiquitous wanted posters. Given the tiny glimmer of mythical journey this conveyed, none of us minded too much.
- Disney ending is almost ironic. Herman safely hidden away with new purpose. Snag/Red Chief/etc. gets to be with him. AND grandma comes to the ‘rescue’ as a good cook for Rags. Even Hank gets a ride and serves 45 days in the town with Letty for a happily-ever-after.
- We didn’t discuss the title, but it is satisfying that the ‘town’ is called Wisdom.
Next up: Karen S picked Lisa See’s The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane. Katie will host the February meeting.
enjoytheread 