On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me … a fabulous book that captured my attention, sparked intriguing discussion at our club meeting, and found a top spot on my list of all-time favorites. This month, a slew of seasoned book clubbers shared a few favorites.
From a Little Rock club of retired teachers and businesswomen, “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” earns a first place position on the Christmas wish list. Author Jamie Ford unpacks memories in a boarded up Seattle hotel. It seems to be a classic case of “if these walls could talk.” Henry Lee, a Chinese man, gains permission to peruse the hotel’s furnishings and finds himself transported back in time when Japanese internment camps were set up in the United States. There are reminders of an unlikely friendship with a Japanese girl. Reminders of war and worry plus pride and prejudice endear the reader to a time in our nation’s history that seems forgotten far too easily. Conflicts between father and son take center stage as antiquated war wounds are slow to heal. Discussions flow freely as this group of readers dissects the book’s prejudices which destroy relationships in a flash. The novel is author Jamie Ford’s first writing of the sort.
And then there’s a Hot Springs literary group promoting “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society”. If you think the title’s a mouthful, just wait until you begin digesting the rich letters that make up the telling of this tale. Authors Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows paint a rich picture through letters from Guernsey Island’s quirky residents. (Think Bob Newhart.) The novel is set during the German occupation of this island in the English Channel and while there is a depiction of the suffering of the islanders, there is also rich humor laced throughout. Spa City readers call this one fast and enjoyable. Perhaps it will find its way under your tree!
For the woman with a fetish for recipe books, “Screen Doors and Sweet Tea” is a must purchase! Written by Mississippian Martha Hall Foose, readers reveled in the Southern hospitality that permeates the pages!
“It made me want to get in my car and head to the Delta,” declared a Little Rock reader. In addition to sharing scrumptious recipes, the author spins knee-slapping stories about food and the folks who prepare it. “All for Okra and Okra for All” is one reader’s favorite. And then there’s “The Painter’s Black-eyed Pea Cakes.” Interspersed throughout the book are colorful photographs and just as colorful comments. Those qualities alone make it coffee table worthy!
Last, but certainly not least, my mother-in-law’s favorite pick of 2009. It’s called “Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell. This non-fiction work explores and contemplates the success of outliers, those who live slightly outside the realm of us regular folks! Many people are intelligent and hard-working, but what makes Bill Gates a billionaire and not just another computer geek?
“Outliers” examines the fact that Canadian hockey players born in the first few months of the year are bigger and stronger than others born later in the year. So does that mean the probability of Stanley Cup success is based on a man’s birth date? Perhaps!
Practicing your craft for at least 10,000 hours is a common thread in the lives of outliers spotlighted in this book. Appealing to men and women, my mother-in-law says it’s a no-brainer, a definite top gift giver in the form of a book. Her fellow clubbers dubbed the read “stimulating” and “remarkable.” “Outliers” has been called cleverly entertaining as it picks apart the mind of genius after genius which in itself, seems genius!
As you are making your list and checking it twice, I encourage you to buy books. Read. Read. Read. Then share your experience in a book club. Forget the partridge in a pear tree, go for the gold and you may just find true love on the pages of a fabulous read!