Reader's Ink discussion

All, let’s welcome Amber to the book club! Amber is an Oxy grad as well (class of ’03, right?) and she’s the busy mum of an ADORABLE little man named Cyrus. Amber, if you get an extra 14 seconds, do you wanna give the gist of your life story so those who don’t know you sort of get to know you?

Oh, one other thing: If you know of anybody you think might enjoy the club, dear members, please feel free to send them an invite.

Welcome Amber. Since you know most everyone, read our posts to see our mini bios as to who we are. These are great ladies, and they challenge me. As I posted earlier, the book club I belong to here in Albuquerque is wimpy in comparison. These gals challenge my thinking, etc. I've been out of college since 1979, probably since before you were born, so I'm not as sharp as you all are, but you are helping to hone my skills.

Welcome Amber! I see you live in Portland? That's awesome- I lived there for several years but now live a few miles south in Salem. I miss Portland pretty much every day :)

WELCOME, AMBER! PORTLAND IS BEAUTIFUL AND HOME TO ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE BOOKSTORES IN THE WHOLE WORLD! POWELL'S! IT DIDN'T GO OUT OF BUSINESS, DID IT? MY FORMER COLLEGE ROOMMATE USED TO LIVE IN BEND BEFORE SHE MOVED BACK TO NYC. WE SPENT DAYS IN POWELL'S...

Powell's is still alive and kickin' for now, but sadly had to do some substantial layoffs recently. I try my best to contribute to their bottom line every time I get a chance. Love love love that place.

Hello All. First let me say how excited I am to be in this book club! Once upon a time I was an avid reader, but since the birth of my little boy nearly 2 years ago, I have read a total of 7 books - and four of those were during a one week vacation! I definitely need some outside motivation to help me rediscover my passion for books. A little bit about me: I was born and raised in Portland, and then moved to NYC after college (yep, Oxy class of '03). For five years, I worked for a small non-profit that ran a rustic summer camp for low income youth from New York and NJ. My future husband joined me in NY about a year after I moved there, and we were married in 2006. He also worked in non-profit youth services. We loved our jobs, but the commute from the Bronx to Manhattan was brutal, and life in NYC can pretty tough. When we found out we were expecting our little boy, we decided it was time to leave the big city, and head back to Portland, OR (where we both grew up). We were only there for about 18 months before work led us to Tempe, AZ, which is where we now live. We're expecting a little girl in September. My days are spent chasing Cyrus around, and trying to fit in some part time work from home while he sleeps. Portland is where my heart lives, but I'm adjusting to life in AZ - although these 110+ degree days are not pleasant! On a different note, I cannot believe that Powell's is struggling! That is one of my all time favorite places in the world so I hope that it can push through. Thanks to everyone for the warm welcome, and I'm looking forward to our discussion of the first book!

Amber, cute picture, looks like Cyrus is a cutie. All the picture are nice--love those babies (and hubbies).

Amber, welcome! I hope we can provide sufficient motivation ...