Hello everyone! Thank you to Kim for hosting us last week. I really need to make a coconut cream pie! (I've been craving it ever since having a slice of the ones she made for us to try!) And thank you to everyone who came!
Next month, we are having our meeting/party on Thursday, Dec. 13, 7 pm at Allison Mitton's house. Knock on wood that not too many things will conflict with that date!
We will discuss The Chimes by Charles Dickens. Also, I have book group set copies of The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness by Joel Ben Izzy to share and discuss.
Also, we will have a book exchange. Please bring a wrapped book -- it can be new or used. Also, you can bring a treat to share, if you'd like! Now, about the books:
First, about The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. It is one of the 5 short Christmas books, with strong moral and social messages. He wrote this one year after writing A Christmas Carol. It is the story of Trotty Veck, a poor ticket porter, whose outlook is changed from despair to hope by the spirits of the chimes on New Year's Eve. Here is the link to the text:
Second, about The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness: Please let me know if you'd like a copy. Here's the teaser:
> The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness is that rare, magical book--a book that tells a good story but also shows us how the tales we learned when we were children shed light on our adult lives. Joel ben Izzy had the unusual opportunity to relive those lessons when he lost his voice and reconnected with his old teacher, Lenny, a retired storyteller. Through his meetings with Lenny, Joel rediscovers the wisdom of ancient tales and takes us on a journey into a world of beggars and kings, monks and tigers, lost horses and buried treasures--and in the end tells us the secret of happiness. Now here is what my sister said about it: > I really liked this. It read like fiction -- because he is a great storyteller!I enjoyed reading the stories at the beginning of each chapter and then seeing how it fit his life -- and then mine too. 5 stars > > It made me want to work better at telling stories! And my friend Clarissa: > Cute book. Full of optimism and hope interspersed with fun little folk tales. Well worth the 2 hours it took me to read - all in one sitting. 4 stars
Next up, various things from the notes that I took on Thursday!
We discussed which of the 5 factions (Candor/Honesty, Abnegation/Selflessness, Amity/Peace, or Erudite/Intelligence) we might have been born in, based on our parents' and families' personality. Also, which one we might choose when we were 16.
Faction Born Chosen Candor Katie ? Abnegation Kim, Alicia W., Janet S., Heather Katie Amity Alicia A. ? Erudite Katie Heather
Gwen would have been born of Divergent parents, she decided. And you can see that a lot of others didn't decide on their final faction yet, so they are factionless for now. :-)
Top quote of the night: "One time I couldn't decide what to do, so I thought, 'What would Katie do?'" Our new motto: WWKD? :-)
My favorite quote from Veronica Roth: "I believe the names we choose on our own can be powerful, and they can embody a new identity for us. It's like we have some kind of need, once we feel we have changed, for people to call us something different. Is it for us, to suit the way we see ourselves? Or is it for them, to force them to think of us differently? Or a combination?"
History, fiction, and real life are quite full of examples of people's names changing. Here are a few examples:
Name before Name after Beatrice Tris Tobias (a name he associated with a helpless little boy) Four (emphasizes his strength) Kathy T. Grammy Janet S.'s student Moon, and the different name for each phase of her life Abram Abraham Jacob Israel Sarai Sarah Saul Paul Simon Peter Mr. Anderson (from The Matrix) Neo Andrew (from OSC's Ender's Game) Ender Tom Riddle (from Harry Potter series) Voldemort Anakin Darth Vador Heather Hermana Crofts (good example with Elders, too) Katie Jo Mooney Jo Mooney maiden name married name Bethany (my cousin) Betty (after a divorce and armed with a new attitude) I'm sure you can think of more.
We also talked about how Roth is fascinated by groups -- hence the factions. Other examples of groups: Hogwart's houses, Ender's Game armies, personality tests, cliques, classes or castes.
Finally here are some book recommendations by our book group! Book Author Person who made recommendation Comments Partials Dan Wells Katie Her fav of the two Variant Robinson Wells Katie She has one of these 2 that you can borrow The Alliance Gerald Lund Alicia A. She read this as a teenager & really liked it. I read this with my old book group. Treason Orson Scott Card Kathy T., Gwen Kathy hasn't read it yet, but thinks it could be interesting. Gwen has read it, but can't remember specifics. The Wind and the Waves Dean Hughes Janet S. Just came out. About saints from England traveling to Nauvoo Hearts in Hiding Betsy Brannon Green Kim? LDS author, mystery series My Fair Godmother Janette Rallison Kim Fairy tale inspired books. Humorous. LDS author. Learn lessons. Keturah and Lord Death Martine Leavitt ? Alicia W? YA fairy tale inspired, fantasy Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy Gwen, Kathy T. Great writing. Your favorite goes here! ? You Let me know what your favorite books are!
And, really finally, a shout-out to Janet S.'s favorite movie: Finding Neverland.
See you later! Have a festive, wonderful Thanksgiving!
--Heather Nuffer 801-400-6216 zzzuzz@gmail.com
Upcoming Schedule: > Dec. 13: The Chimes by Charles Dickens. The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness > by Joel Ben Izzy. Also, Christmas Party & White Elephant Book Exchange. Host: Allison Mitton > Jan. 10: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. Host: Katie Patten > Feb. 21: One More River to Cross by Margaret Blair Young, Darius Aidan Gray > Mar. 14: The Chosen by Chaim Potok > Apr. 11: Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale > May 9: Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson > June 13: The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars #1) by Frank Beddor > Summer book: The Legend Thief (The Hunter Chronicles #2) by E.J. Patten
Next month, we are having our meeting/party on Thursday, Dec. 13, 7 pm at Allison Mitton's house. Knock on wood that not too many things will conflict with that date!
We will discuss The Chimes by Charles Dickens. Also, I have book group set copies of The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness by Joel Ben Izzy to share and discuss.
Also, we will have a book exchange. Please bring a wrapped book -- it can be new or used. Also, you can bring a treat to share, if you'd like!
Now, about the books:
First, about The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. It is one of the 5 short Christmas books, with strong moral and social messages. He wrote this one year after writing A Christmas Carol. It is the story of Trotty Veck, a poor ticket porter, whose outlook is changed from despair to hope by the spirits of the chimes on New Year's Eve. Here is the link to the text:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/653
Here is the wikipedia article about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chimes and the Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24...
Second, about The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness: Please let me know if you'd like a copy. Here's the teaser:
> The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness is that rare, magical book--a book that tells a good story but also shows us how the tales we learned when we were children shed light on our adult lives. Joel ben Izzy had the unusual opportunity to relive those lessons when he lost his voice and reconnected with his old teacher, Lenny, a retired storyteller. Through his meetings with Lenny, Joel rediscovers the wisdom of ancient tales and takes us on a journey into a world of beggars and kings, monks and tigers, lost horses and buried treasures--and in the end tells us the secret of happiness.
Now here is what my sister said about it:
> I really liked this. It read like fiction -- because he is a great storyteller!I enjoyed reading the stories at the beginning of each chapter and then seeing how it fit his life -- and then mine too. 5 stars
>
> It made me want to work better at telling stories!
And my friend Clarissa:
> Cute book. Full of optimism and hope interspersed with fun little folk tales. Well worth the 2 hours it took me to read - all in one sitting. 4 stars
Here is the Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13...
Next up, various things from the notes that I took on Thursday!
We discussed which of the 5 factions (Candor/Honesty, Abnegation/Selflessness, Amity/Peace, or Erudite/Intelligence) we might have been born in, based on our parents' and families' personality. Also, which one we might choose when we were 16.
Faction Born Chosen
Candor Katie ?
Abnegation Kim, Alicia W., Janet S., Heather Katie
Amity Alicia A. ?
Erudite Katie Heather
Gwen would have been born of Divergent parents, she decided. And you can see that a lot of others didn't decide on their final faction yet, so they are factionless for now. :-)
Top quote of the night: "One time I couldn't decide what to do, so I thought, 'What would Katie do?'" Our new motto: WWKD? :-)
My favorite quote from Veronica Roth: "I believe the names we choose on our own can be powerful, and they can embody a new identity for us. It's like we have some kind of need, once we feel we have changed, for people to call us something different. Is it for us, to suit the way we see ourselves? Or is it for them, to force them to think of us differently? Or a combination?"
History, fiction, and real life are quite full of examples of people's names changing. Here are a few examples:
Name before Name after
Beatrice Tris
Tobias (a name he associated with a helpless little boy) Four (emphasizes his strength)
Kathy T. Grammy
Janet S.'s student Moon, and the different name for each phase of her life
Abram Abraham
Jacob Israel
Sarai Sarah
Saul Paul
Simon Peter
Mr. Anderson (from The Matrix) Neo
Andrew (from OSC's Ender's Game) Ender
Tom Riddle (from Harry Potter series) Voldemort
Anakin Darth Vador
Heather Hermana Crofts (good example with Elders, too)
Katie Jo Mooney Jo Mooney
maiden name married name
Bethany (my cousin) Betty (after a divorce and armed with a new attitude)
I'm sure you can think of more.
We also talked about how Roth is fascinated by groups -- hence the factions. Other examples of groups: Hogwart's houses, Ender's Game armies, personality tests, cliques, classes or castes.
Finally here are some book recommendations by our book group!
Book Author Person who made recommendation Comments
Partials Dan Wells Katie Her fav of the two
Variant Robinson Wells Katie She has one of these 2 that you can borrow
The Alliance Gerald Lund Alicia A. She read this as a teenager & really liked it. I read this with my old book group.
Treason Orson Scott Card Kathy T., Gwen Kathy hasn't read it yet, but thinks it could be interesting. Gwen has read it, but can't remember specifics.
The Wind and the Waves Dean Hughes Janet S. Just came out. About saints from England traveling to Nauvoo
Hearts in Hiding Betsy Brannon Green Kim? LDS author, mystery series
My Fair Godmother Janette Rallison Kim Fairy tale inspired books. Humorous. LDS author. Learn lessons.
Keturah and Lord Death Martine Leavitt ? Alicia W? YA fairy tale inspired, fantasy
Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy Gwen, Kathy T. Great writing.
Your favorite goes here! ? You Let me know what your favorite books are!
And, really finally, a shout-out to Janet S.'s favorite movie: Finding Neverland.
See you later! Have a festive, wonderful Thanksgiving!
--Heather Nuffer
801-400-6216
zzzuzz@gmail.com
Upcoming Schedule:
> Dec. 13: The Chimes by Charles Dickens. The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness
> by Joel Ben Izzy. Also, Christmas Party & White Elephant Book Exchange. Host: Allison Mitton
> Jan. 10: Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. Host: Katie Patten
> Feb. 21: One More River to Cross by Margaret Blair Young, Darius Aidan Gray
> Mar. 14: The Chosen by Chaim Potok
> Apr. 11: Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
> May 9: Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
> June 13: The Looking Glass Wars (The Looking Glass Wars #1) by Frank Beddor
> Summer book: The Legend Thief (The Hunter Chronicles #2) by E.J. Patten