Sorry I've been so delinquent in posting. As a teacher, I think that the busiest time of the year is that Jan. Feb. stretch. Sheesh! This won't be a long post but I wanted to give you an update on the books we've chosen...
January: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
February: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
March: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortensen
April: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Enjoy! Be looking for follow up questions here... I promise I'll be better at posting!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Next Book!!
Sorry for the short post but I'm sick and we just bought a house and I'm totally pooped. Our next book, however, I'm really excited about. It's called "The Kids from Nowhere: The story of the Arctic Educational Miracle" By George Guthridge. I'm a sucker for teacher stories... happy reading. This one is hard to find in bookstores. I ordered mine from half.com. Good Luck!
Friday, September 19, 2008
Readers Guide for "The Art of Racing in the Rain"
HEre are the reading guide questions taken from artofracingintherain.com, Garth Stein's site about his book. They definitely get you thinking!
* Some early readers of the novel have observed that viewing the world through a dog's eyes makes for a greater appreciation of being human. Why do you think this is?
* Enzo's observations throughout the novel provide insight into his world view. For example:
o "The visible becomes inevitable."
o "Understanding the truth is simple. Allowing oneself to experience it, is often terrifically difficult."
o "No race has ever been won in the first corner; many races have been lost there."
How does his philosophy apply to real life?
* In the book's darkest moments, one of Zoe's stuffed animals— the zebra— comes to life and threatens him. What does the zebra symbolize?
* Can you imagine the novel being told from Denny's point of view? How would it make the story different?
* In the first chapter, Enzo says: "It's what's inside that's important. The soul. And my soul is very human." How does Enzo's situation--a human soul trapped in a dog's body--influence his opinions about what he sees around him? How do you feel about the ideas of reincarnation and karma as Enzo defines them?
* Do you find yourself looking at your own dog differently after reading this novel?
* In the book, we get glimpses into the mindset and mentality of a race car driver. What parallels can you think of between the art of racing and the art of living?
* The character of Ayrton Senna, as he is presented in the book, is heroic, almost a mythic figure.� Why do you think this character resonates so strongly for Denny?
* Some early readers of the novel have observed that viewing the world through a dog's eyes makes for a greater appreciation of being human. Why do you think this is?
* Enzo's observations throughout the novel provide insight into his world view. For example:
o "The visible becomes inevitable."
o "Understanding the truth is simple. Allowing oneself to experience it, is often terrifically difficult."
o "No race has ever been won in the first corner; many races have been lost there."
How does his philosophy apply to real life?
* In the book's darkest moments, one of Zoe's stuffed animals— the zebra— comes to life and threatens him. What does the zebra symbolize?
* Can you imagine the novel being told from Denny's point of view? How would it make the story different?
* In the first chapter, Enzo says: "It's what's inside that's important. The soul. And my soul is very human." How does Enzo's situation--a human soul trapped in a dog's body--influence his opinions about what he sees around him? How do you feel about the ideas of reincarnation and karma as Enzo defines them?
* Do you find yourself looking at your own dog differently after reading this novel?
* In the book, we get glimpses into the mindset and mentality of a race car driver. What parallels can you think of between the art of racing and the art of living?
* The character of Ayrton Senna, as he is presented in the book, is heroic, almost a mythic figure.� Why do you think this character resonates so strongly for Denny?
Our meeting and the next book!!
Hello Readers,
Our next book has been chosen! You'll have to read to the end to get the name of it... We met this past Tuesday evening at Kathy's home. She made wonderful lasagna and sent us home with homemade pickles! I was in heaven! We talked about the book, "The Art of Racing in the Rain" and it's inevitable ties to the deeper issues in life: loyalty, friendship, inequity, money, fear, and our deeper "demon zebra" self. Written from the perspective of a dog whose obsession with opposable thumbs is hysterical, the book is fresh and witty. I really liked it. It was a welcome change from some of the heavier books we've read lately. I'd love to hear what you thought... anyone read it? Becky, another member of our group, chose the book "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Piccoult. I've read it alreay but I will definitely read it again. Being a teacher, the story takes on a whole new life for me. I hope you will read along. It's a gripping story... one that you won't forget. Keep reading... Keep posting!
Our next book has been chosen! You'll have to read to the end to get the name of it... We met this past Tuesday evening at Kathy's home. She made wonderful lasagna and sent us home with homemade pickles! I was in heaven! We talked about the book, "The Art of Racing in the Rain" and it's inevitable ties to the deeper issues in life: loyalty, friendship, inequity, money, fear, and our deeper "demon zebra" self. Written from the perspective of a dog whose obsession with opposable thumbs is hysterical, the book is fresh and witty. I really liked it. It was a welcome change from some of the heavier books we've read lately. I'd love to hear what you thought... anyone read it? Becky, another member of our group, chose the book "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Piccoult. I've read it alreay but I will definitely read it again. Being a teacher, the story takes on a whole new life for me. I hope you will read along. It's a gripping story... one that you won't forget. Keep reading... Keep posting!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Next Book!!!
Hello, sorry for the delay in posting. I just started school and finished my Master's degree in the past three weeks so life has been kicking my butt! Needless to say, after another lovely wine-filled book club discussion, I am again thanking God for the gift of this book club! What a wonderful group of women. We did choose our next book entitled: The Art of Racing in the Rain. We chose this one especially becuase it's supposed to be light and fun (we seemed to have been a "serious" rut for the past 3 books so here's a change of pace.) The author's name is Garth Stein and it's about a dog named Enzo who tells his story and gives his take on humanity as seen through the eyes of a dog owned by a race car driver. Fun, yeah? So, happy reading... look for questions yet to come.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Questions and Action Challenges for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle... Please post!
Questions for Discussion from Bookbrowse.com
1. What was your perception of America's food industry prior to reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? What did you learn from this book? How has it altered your views on the way food is acquired and consumed?
2. In what ways, if any, have you changed your eating habits since reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? Depending on where you live—in an urban, suburban, or rural environment—what other steps would you like to take to modify your lifestyle with regard to eating local?
3. "It had felt arbitrary when we sat around the table with our shopping list, making our rules. It felt almost silly to us in fact, as it may now seem to you. Why impose restrictions on ourselves? Who cares?" asks Kingsolver in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Did you, in fact, care about Kingsolver's story and find it to be compelling? Why or why not? What was the family's aim for their year-long initiative, and did they accomplish that goal?
4. The writing of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was a family affair, with Kingsolver's husband, Steven L. Hopp, contributing factual sidebars and her daughter, Camille Kingsolver, serving up commentary and recipes. Did you find that these additional elements enhanced the book? How so? What facts or statistics in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle surprised you the most?
5. How does each member of the Kingsolver-Hopp family contribute during their year-long eating adventure? Were you surprised that the author's children not only participated in the endeavor but that they did so with such enthusiasm? Why or why not?
6. "A majority of North Americans do understand, at some level, that our food choices are politically charged," says Kingsolver, "affecting arenas from rural culture to international oil cartels and global climate change." How do politics affect America's food production and consumption? What global ramifications are there for the food choices we make?
7. Kingsolver advocates the pleasures of seasonal eating, but she acknowledges that many people would view this as deprivation "because we've grown accustomed to the botanically outrageous condition of having everything always." Do you believe that American society can—or will— overcome the need for instant gratification in order to be able to eat seasonally? How does Kingsolver present this aspect in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? Did you get the sense that she and her family ever felt deprived in their eating options?
8. Kingsolver points out that eating what we want, when we want comes "at a price." The cost, she says, "is not measured in money, but in untallied debts that will be paid by our children in the currency of extinctions, economic unravelings, and global climate change." What responsibility do we bear for keeping the environment safe for future generations? How does eating locally factor in to this?
9. Kingsolver asserts that "we have dealt to today's kids the statistical hand of a shorter life expectancy than their parents, which would be us, the ones taking care of them." How is our "thrown-away food culture" a detriment to children's health? She also says, "We're raising our children on the definition of promiscuity if we feed them a casual, indiscriminate mingling of foods from every season plucked from the supermarket." What responsibility do parents have to teach their children about the value and necessity of a local food culture?
10. In what ways do Kingsolver's descriptions of the places she visited on her travels—Italy, New England, Montreal, and Ohio—enhance her portrayal of local and seasonal eating?
11. "Marketing jingles from every angle lure patrons to turn our backs on our locally owned stores, restaurants, and farms," says Kingsolver. "And nobody considers that unpatriotic." How much of a role do the media play in determining what Americans eat? Discuss the decline of America's diversified family farms, and what it means for the country as a whole.
Action Items—On Your Own
Try eating at least one meal per week made from locally and organically produced meats and produce. As Steven L. Hopp points out in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, this "would reduce our country's oil consumption by more than 1.1 million barrels of oil every week."
To find farmers' markets and local producers in your area, visit the USDA website at www.ams.usda.gov, or check out www.LocalHarvest.org and www.csacenter.org.
When shopping at a grocery store or food co-op, ask about food origins and request that locally produced items be stocked.
Share your opinion with local and regional policymakers at town and city hall meetings, school board meetings, and state commissioner meetings. Also, speak up at venues you or your family frequent where food is served such as a church, social club, school, or day care center and encourage them to use local ingredients.
If you have the space, start your own garden and begin by growing a few items. If you live in an urban area, consider taking part in a community garden (www.CommunityGarden.org). More information about urban gardening can be found at www.CityFarmer.org and www.UrbanGardeningHelp.com.
Share stories about your local food adventures at www.animalvegetablemiracle.com.
Let me know what you think!!
1. What was your perception of America's food industry prior to reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? What did you learn from this book? How has it altered your views on the way food is acquired and consumed?
2. In what ways, if any, have you changed your eating habits since reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? Depending on where you live—in an urban, suburban, or rural environment—what other steps would you like to take to modify your lifestyle with regard to eating local?
3. "It had felt arbitrary when we sat around the table with our shopping list, making our rules. It felt almost silly to us in fact, as it may now seem to you. Why impose restrictions on ourselves? Who cares?" asks Kingsolver in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. Did you, in fact, care about Kingsolver's story and find it to be compelling? Why or why not? What was the family's aim for their year-long initiative, and did they accomplish that goal?
4. The writing of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle was a family affair, with Kingsolver's husband, Steven L. Hopp, contributing factual sidebars and her daughter, Camille Kingsolver, serving up commentary and recipes. Did you find that these additional elements enhanced the book? How so? What facts or statistics in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle surprised you the most?
5. How does each member of the Kingsolver-Hopp family contribute during their year-long eating adventure? Were you surprised that the author's children not only participated in the endeavor but that they did so with such enthusiasm? Why or why not?
6. "A majority of North Americans do understand, at some level, that our food choices are politically charged," says Kingsolver, "affecting arenas from rural culture to international oil cartels and global climate change." How do politics affect America's food production and consumption? What global ramifications are there for the food choices we make?
7. Kingsolver advocates the pleasures of seasonal eating, but she acknowledges that many people would view this as deprivation "because we've grown accustomed to the botanically outrageous condition of having everything always." Do you believe that American society can—or will— overcome the need for instant gratification in order to be able to eat seasonally? How does Kingsolver present this aspect in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle? Did you get the sense that she and her family ever felt deprived in their eating options?
8. Kingsolver points out that eating what we want, when we want comes "at a price." The cost, she says, "is not measured in money, but in untallied debts that will be paid by our children in the currency of extinctions, economic unravelings, and global climate change." What responsibility do we bear for keeping the environment safe for future generations? How does eating locally factor in to this?
9. Kingsolver asserts that "we have dealt to today's kids the statistical hand of a shorter life expectancy than their parents, which would be us, the ones taking care of them." How is our "thrown-away food culture" a detriment to children's health? She also says, "We're raising our children on the definition of promiscuity if we feed them a casual, indiscriminate mingling of foods from every season plucked from the supermarket." What responsibility do parents have to teach their children about the value and necessity of a local food culture?
10. In what ways do Kingsolver's descriptions of the places she visited on her travels—Italy, New England, Montreal, and Ohio—enhance her portrayal of local and seasonal eating?
11. "Marketing jingles from every angle lure patrons to turn our backs on our locally owned stores, restaurants, and farms," says Kingsolver. "And nobody considers that unpatriotic." How much of a role do the media play in determining what Americans eat? Discuss the decline of America's diversified family farms, and what it means for the country as a whole.
Action Items—On Your Own
Try eating at least one meal per week made from locally and organically produced meats and produce. As Steven L. Hopp points out in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, this "would reduce our country's oil consumption by more than 1.1 million barrels of oil every week."
To find farmers' markets and local producers in your area, visit the USDA website at www.ams.usda.gov, or check out www.LocalHarvest.org and www.csacenter.org.
When shopping at a grocery store or food co-op, ask about food origins and request that locally produced items be stocked.
Share your opinion with local and regional policymakers at town and city hall meetings, school board meetings, and state commissioner meetings. Also, speak up at venues you or your family frequent where food is served such as a church, social club, school, or day care center and encourage them to use local ingredients.
If you have the space, start your own garden and begin by growing a few items. If you live in an urban area, consider taking part in a community garden (www.CommunityGarden.org). More information about urban gardening can be found at www.CityFarmer.org and www.UrbanGardeningHelp.com.
Share stories about your local food adventures at www.animalvegetablemiracle.com.
Let me know what you think!!
Monday, August 4, 2008
are you reading?
I am almost finished with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver and it is changing my life. If you haven't read it yet, please do. It's not anything earth shaking but it's such a good message. I yearn in a new way for my own home- a place where I can invest in the soil, and in turn invest in the well-being of my family: body, mind and spirit. I've never been much of an environmentalist per se, but I can see changes in my awareness of what's around me and what goes into my mouth. This becomes increasingly important as I consider starting a family in the next couple of years. I've become more aware and more open minded...I've even started eating tomatoes... that is my very own miracle.
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