Hello, reader…
*Note to first time readers: the following is a summary of a discussion by friends who gather monthly in a virtual space called Second Life. Book notes are lightly edited reflections shared in real time via text chat.
We opened our July gathering by sharing 3 poems that we received through our poetry mailbox. They are reprinted here with permission from each poet.
I'm a little bit late for book club today.
Drove over from Haman, got lost on the way.
The path is lovely, but I wore the wrong shoes
Twisted my ankle, its only a bruise.
The next time we meet, I might take the train.
~ Written by Veyot. Copyright 2024.
A Solitary Bee Landed On Me
A solitary bee,
landed on me,
with gentle hum and fragile wings.
Its tiny feet, a light caress,
paused on my arm, in nature's dress.
No rush, no swarm, just it and I,
beneath the broad and endless sky.
A fleeting guest, a moment's grace,
a whispered bond in this quiet place.
We shared a breath, a heartbeat’s span,
then off it flew, this little friend.
Leaving behind a trace of gold,
a story in the silence told.
Written by Emm Evergarden. Copyright 2024.
birds in the rain
Today i walked
in the rain—
have you ever wondered
where the birds hide
when it rains
and what they think about
while waiting
for the sun?
Written by Julian Heylinck. Copyright 2024.
Here are the books mentioned by the readers who joined us at our July gathering:
The Jungle – by Upton Sinclair
We comment about the abuse to the animals in the Chicago slaughter houses at the turn of the 20th century, but the abuse to the human workers was far beyond everything. The parts that were censored from the 1906 edition were very involved with socialism being on the rise all over the world. FireWoman found this book to be very enlightening.
The Jaipur Trilogy by Alka Joshi
FireWoman doesn’t remember how she came by this series but it is very good storytelling.
The first book is The Henna Artist. The second book is The Secret Keeper of Jaipur. They are set in 1950s India. FireWoman couldn’t put it down. She’s now on the third book, The Perfumist of Paris. She said the character portrayals are great, very believable.
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
The premise of the book is that there is a library in Hell — not necessarily part of Hell, but kinda leasing space there. Books that authors think of, but didn’t actually write, wind up there. The librarians have the job of taking care of the books, administering the Library, fixing book bindings (or re-binding, as needed). Sometimes… a book will get antsy and leave!
When a book leaves it takes the form of a character in the book — generally the protagonist. Then the librarian has to seek them out to return them.
Such is the start of the book, when Claire (our protagonist Librarian) has to retrieve a book that went walkabout (Sierra’s term) but on the way it turns into rather more of an adventure, with other sidekicks in tow.
Sierra said that this was a really fun read! So much so that she got a couple of follow up books, too. She liked the world building that went on with this… getting at how these ‘afterlife’ realms relate… besides Hell we get a glimpse of Heaven, of Valhalla, and an un-labeled realm that was sorta Greco-Egyptian kinda (?). Good writing, too… the dialogue worked well.
Irving Penn: Centennial
This is a photography collection that Sierra has been going through. It goes along with a MET gallery exhibit. Penn was mostly a photographer though he did some other drawings and paintings too. A lot of his work was in Vogue — so a lot of fashion photography, but he also did lots of portraits. He has a whole series that he is known for where a subject is positioned between two narrow panels forming a v-shape. Sort of a simple layout but Sierra thought it was interesting how much mileage he got out of that. She said that the book, Centennial, is quite the heavy tome and a pretty thorough compendium of his work.
The Executioners Song by Norman Mailer
This is Vivian’s favorite book. It won a Pulitzer Prize. It’s about Gary Gilmore, the first prisoner to have the firing squad. It’s very romantic in the most crazy way. It has short chapters, huge book but she devoured it. Gilmore felt by choosing to die there was dignity in his death instead of just rotting in jail. He had very different beliefs but Norman Mailer made her understand this man. Based on a true story.
A film based on the book is available to view here.
The Weatherman by Steve Thayer
FireWoman mentioned this in passing as a spine tingling read.
With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix
Tiordan shared this title. It helped him through a period of watching someone close to him pass away.
Only Forward by Michael Marshall Smith
This is Tiordan’s favorite book. It’s a wonderfully weird book about a manhunt and a world divided into sectors, each with their own rules and ways of beings. There’s a zone of cats, a zone where the soul is believed to be a boomerang, a zone of “Actioneers” where everyone works and is measured by the size of their desks. The author has a stunning turn of phrase and a grasp of the absurd. It’s also insightful and haunting at times.There’s the spider that skedaddles, the trousers that receive congratulatory notices and a sea that differs depending on how its seen and from where. Much more to be discovered – it’s a fun, thoughtful read!
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
Zoe mentioned this title in passing as something on her TBR, about a bedridden woman who shares the story of a snail that lives on her nightstand.
Extraterrestrial Languages by Daniel Oberhaus
Sierra mentioned this book that she recently added to her TBR pile. About basically the problem of… if we ever communicate with aliens…. how would that really work? It looks niche and eclectic, which often appeals to Sierra. 🙂
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
Zoe recently started this book about an unlikely friendship between a retired English professor, the handyman who has a crush on her and a young woman who accidentally killed the handyman’s wife. It’s a rather cozy read – and well written. Zoe recommends it and is keen to read Wood’s other books.
Plant Spirit Medicine: The Healing Power of Plants by Eliot Cowan
Ananda mentioned this book in passing. She hasn’t started it yet but it sounds interesting!
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Betzi is re-reading this series at the moment. She has an SL daughter and they’ve been listening to the audiobooks together.
Our next gathering is August 11 at 1pm SLT. We’ll meet at our new location in Seogyeoshire. All are welcome – bring a friend!
The Reading Room 