Join The Club

Tonight was the monthly book club and I have been a bit of a book fiend of late, when I’m not watching LOST and playing with puppies. This month’s choice was The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King. This was one of those books that I was in no way interested in reading, especially after I read the first few chapters, but being as it was a book club selection I had to at least try. It wasn’t so bad. Instead of being gripping, like some books are, this one was a nice way to wake up and go to sleep. After taking care of Finn and Polly and making coffee, I would indulge in 30 minutes of reading each morning (a habit I hope to continue). Each evening, when I was alone, I would crawl into bed with Misha and Lassie and read a bit more. It also is a nice break book to kill 15 minutes or so.

This book will also hold a dear place since it was the first time I could give the library the excuse of “My dog ate the book.” Polly made quick time of the cover and first few pages when I left it on the patio table one evening. On my return she was so proud of showing me what she had done. So now, $12 later, I am the owner of one destroyed, but still content-filled book. I would recommend this one to those ladies who like nice stories.

Our book for next month is How Starbucks Saved My Life by Michael Gates Gill. I just started it this morning. So far I am drawn in. I bent back the pages as I sipped my double espresso with sweet cream (homemade.) I am not a big fan of Starbucks. In fact, I will drive past an over-priced cup of coffee to find a mom-and-pop place or Dunkin Donuts. Once I was smitten with the novelty of the ordering and the term barista, but now I just want coffee. Witnessing the cult-like wonder of both camps (Chris and Bill from Portland are Starbucks freaks while Angelique and Shay from Boston would have nothing less than the double D.) I grew up with Cuban coffee and that is still my favorite. Made like espresso with heavy sweet leche – oh divine.

This is one of those non-fiction, man has everything, loses it all and gets in return a true sense of self respect and a newfound view of the world. Plus, Tom Hanks wants to star in the movie (ugh.) But with all that aside, I think it will be a good read and a quick one so I can move on to my other 14-day books.

Which starts my quest to continue reading and hopefully expanding my mind, spirit and funny bone. For my spirit, there is the always youthful Michael J. Fox and Always Looking Up. I read the first blurb of this book in a magazine one hard-won morning. I felt the world was collapsing (in my own self-centered way.) The washer had overflowed throughout the garage, the puppies were acting up, I had friends coming to town and I felt like the put-upon single mom. I read about how Michael struggled each morning just to brush his teeth, get dressed and meet the day with optimism. What the hell was I whining about? I put it on my library list right then and even suggested it for the next book club list (this one will make it since it is safe, not like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.)

I am currently listening to Denis Leary’s Why We Suck. I love it. I am on disk three and at this rate I should be done by the end of the week. I have never been much of a Leary fan, but after I heard about this book (when he was a guest on Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me) I got interested. He makes sure to offend everyone and does it with a refined sense of wit sprinkled with sailor speak and sarcasm. Renee said she wanted to hear it and I warned her that he talks kids, women and such. She said she’d probably agree. I do agree with a lot of what he says, though he does go off on some story-telling tangents and I like them too. I have suggested this for the book club, but I think all the cursing may put it back on the shelf, plus the anger factor may rub these ladies wrong.

Next to be read before the month ends is Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher, another find thanks to NPR. I can’t stand the gossip of today’s celebrity elite (elite is used loosely), but the 40s, 50s and 60s is just the right thing to take to the beach or the park. Even though most things happened before I was born I just can’t get enough of these beautiful people. Plus I think Fisher is pretty damn hilarious. Her spin on growing up in Hollywood and being in three of the biggest movies of all time is just as funny as Leary’s take on being working-class Irish American. I read the opening excerpt and if it lives up to this (which it should since this is taken from her one-woman show) then I will be laughing and crying for days (only a few since it seems like a quick read.)

Due back to the library on April 27th (I’ve already met my overdue limit according to the book lending gods) is Fool by Christopher Moore. I don’t know much about it except it’s about King Lear and the artwork is great. So the expectations are low, but the intrigue is high. We’ll see.

Lastly, for now, is a book Renee recommended and even let me borrow so there is no actual due date. The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury was a miniseries for NBC (though I think the book came first.) Reminiscent of those Dan Brown books (which I admit I liked) this is one of those pieces that probably pisses off the Catholic Church, inspires conspiracy theorists and wastes a few hours for the rest of us. I should get to this in a few weeks.

Next month we’ll make the choices for the book club and we’ll see what the ladies pick. There is a closer book club that meets on Tuesdays and I may check them out too since they have a wider variety of books on their list – I think it’s because there are also men in the club.