November 30, 2006 The Glass Castle by Jeannette WallsLocation: Carmyn's Apartment at 6:00 pm
The Food:
Soup season at book club is my favorite.
Marci brought a corn chowder that was perfect for a chilly November evening. We drank Newcastle beer brought by Larry and a bottle of red and a bottle of white compliments of Kristine. Carmyn provided artichoke dip* and a veggie tray, and Pam brought two kinds of delicious bread. Judy's banana cream pie and cookies (the cookies were a particular favorite for me: chocolate hazelnut creme de piroline) offered a sweet ending.
The Book:
This memoir, recommended by Pam, was a hit for everyone.
The Glass Castle is a no-holds barred tale of a nomadic, deprived childhood told with the hypnotic wonderment of a child who always wants to believe that Daddy will be a hero in the end and that Momma really does know best. You are enrapt reading about Walls and her siblings rifling through trash cans at school looking for food, doing the skedaddle in the middle of the night, or waiting for Dad to come home after another bender. It's a riveting story and a testament to Walls' indomitable desire to rise above a life that could have easily turned her into just another tragic headline.... Walls tells the story from the point of view of herself as a child, recalling the events as she saw them at each respective age. Scavenger hunts in the desert and late-night escapes from the family's latest town are treated as adventures.
excerpt of a review by Denise Hazlick
MSNBC
One word repeatedly rose to the surface in our book discussion: resiliency. This story is one that demonstrates how resilient the children were in the Walls family. At times the parents seemed so amazing... creative, innovative, strong, intelligent, nonconformist, unflappable. Yet, they were also horrible... alcoholic father, excitement addict mother who'd hoard chocolate bars while her kids nearly starved, an unwillingness to work, stealing from the kids' hard earned cash, deplorable living conditions. Walls story raises questions about homelessness and family life, about dependency and responsibility, about education (the homeschooled and the unschooled), and about how far the ties to family should reach. I think we'd all agree this was a good read and one worth recommending.
Read an interview with the author here.
Soup season at book club is my favorite.
Marci brought a corn chowder that was perfect for a chilly November evening. We drank Newcastle beer brought by Larry and a bottle of red and a bottle of white compliments of Kristine. Carmyn provided artichoke dip* and a veggie tray, and Pam brought two kinds of delicious bread. Judy's banana cream pie and cookies (the cookies were a particular favorite for me: chocolate hazelnut creme de piroline) offered a sweet ending.
The Book:
This memoir, recommended by Pam, was a hit for everyone.
The Glass Castle is a no-holds barred tale of a nomadic, deprived childhood told with the hypnotic wonderment of a child who always wants to believe that Daddy will be a hero in the end and that Momma really does know best. You are enrapt reading about Walls and her siblings rifling through trash cans at school looking for food, doing the skedaddle in the middle of the night, or waiting for Dad to come home after another bender. It's a riveting story and a testament to Walls' indomitable desire to rise above a life that could have easily turned her into just another tragic headline.... Walls tells the story from the point of view of herself as a child, recalling the events as she saw them at each respective age. Scavenger hunts in the desert and late-night escapes from the family's latest town are treated as adventures.
excerpt of a review by Denise Hazlick
MSNBC
One word repeatedly rose to the surface in our book discussion: resiliency. This story is one that demonstrates how resilient the children were in the Walls family. At times the parents seemed so amazing... creative, innovative, strong, intelligent, nonconformist, unflappable. Yet, they were also horrible... alcoholic father, excitement addict mother who'd hoard chocolate bars while her kids nearly starved, an unwillingness to work, stealing from the kids' hard earned cash, deplorable living conditions. Walls story raises questions about homelessness and family life, about dependency and responsibility, about education (the homeschooled and the unschooled), and about how far the ties to family should reach. I think we'd all agree this was a good read and one worth recommending.
Read an interview with the author here.
The Book Exchange:
We drew names and then pitched our book picks .... here's how it shaped up.
Kristine will read
Tomcat in Love by Tim O'Brien as recommended by Larry
Larry will read
Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Lardvick as recommended by Pam
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman as recommended by Judy
Pam will read
The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland as recommended by Marci
Marci will read
Picture Bride by Yoshiko Uchida as recommended by Judy
The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter as recommended by Judy
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (borrowed from Carmyn, referred to in The Glass Castle)
Carmyn will read
Wit by Margaret Edson as recommended by Kristine
The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs as recommended by Kristine
The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez as recommended by Pam
Judy will read
The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich as recommended by Larry
*The Artichoke Dip Recipe*
Combine:
One can of drained and food processed artichokes (not the marinated kind)
One cup of sour cream
One cup of mayo (I used the Canola Mayo kind)
One cup of parmesan cheese
One 8 oz block of Philadelphia cream cheese
Two-Three swish swishes of Tabasco sauce
Two-Three swish swishes of Worcestershire sauce
It helps to grease the baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Enjoy!
We drew names and then pitched our book picks .... here's how it shaped up.
Kristine will read
Tomcat in Love by Tim O'Brien as recommended by Larry
Larry will read
Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Lardvick as recommended by Pam
Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman as recommended by Judy
Pam will read
The Passion of Artemisia by Susan Vreeland as recommended by Marci
Marci will read
Picture Bride by Yoshiko Uchida as recommended by Judy
The Feast of Love by Charles Baxter as recommended by Judy
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith (borrowed from Carmyn, referred to in The Glass Castle)
Carmyn will read
Wit by Margaret Edson as recommended by Kristine
The Know-It-All by A.J. Jacobs as recommended by Kristine
The Dirty Girls Social Club by Alisa Valdez-Rodriguez as recommended by Pam
Judy will read
The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich as recommended by Larry
*The Artichoke Dip Recipe*
Combine:
One can of drained and food processed artichokes (not the marinated kind)
One cup of sour cream
One cup of mayo (I used the Canola Mayo kind)
One cup of parmesan cheese
One 8 oz block of Philadelphia cream cheese
Two-Three swish swishes of Tabasco sauce
Two-Three swish swishes of Worcestershire sauce
It helps to grease the baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Enjoy!
