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. Reading notes are lightly edited reflections shared in real time via text chat.
Prison Writings: My Life is My Sundance – by Leonard Peltier
FireWoman started this before the author’s clemency was granted and finished it recently. Peltier has been a political prisoner for 49 years for a crime he did not commit.
The FBI and other law enforcement was systematically killing American Indians on the reservations in the early 1970s. Two FBI agents were killed in a massive shoot out. It was the beginning of AIM: American Indian Movement. Peltier is Sioux Indian.
Peltier’s book completely dispels how the trials were handled. All of the evidence was concocted by the FBI. Ramsey Clark was Lyndon Johnson’s attorney general. He was Leonard’s defense lawyer.
Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
Veyot read this sweet novel about a lonely retired lady who makes friends with a mouse. It’s not a children’s story book, but it’s told with love and respect for the lady. Van Booy also writes philosophy books. There is a clever twist in the book where a doctor gets involved in treating the mouse – the doctor is not a vet, but an MD.
Three Days in June by Ann Tyler
Veyot commented that this is almost like a short story. It’s about a divorced husband and wife who deal with problems in the days before their daughter gets married. Veyot said it would make a good book for night reading as it’s funnier than sad.
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls
Veyot also read this book, which was recommended by her local library. The main character is a teen age girl in the 1920’s who runs errands and collects rent money for her father who owns most of the town, including the whiskey business. When liquor is declared illegal in the US, she becomes a successful bootlegger. Characters pop in and out of the story rapidly so much that you can’t remember them all. Veyot thinks that it will surely become a movie.
The Norths Meet Murder by Frances and Richard Lockridge
Petronella read this novel that was recently reissued by the Mysterious Bookshop. She remembered reading and liking the series about 30 years ago when she lived in the same neighborhood as the Mysterious Bookshop, which mostly stocked old, second-hand, out-of-print books. She didn’t love reading this one a second time around however, it’s a cute couples mystery like The Thin Man series – so others may enjoy it.
The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen
Sierra recently started reading this history of the notebook, which Zoe recommended at a previous gathering. So far, she appreciates the book. Each chapter covers a different topic and the continuity is about writing and notebooks and paper. Along the way, it touches on a lot of different topics in history–the invention of double-entry book-keeping, artists notebooks, and that very recent (comparatively) innovation of bullet journaling. Sierra is interested in how other people use their notebooks. Like the eyes are the windows to the soul, the notebook is the window to the mind!
The School of Magical Animals (Die Schule der Magischen Tiere) by Margit Auer
sútha and her little one are reading this series about a group of school children who receive special talking animal companions that help them navigate everyday challenges and adventures. The stories combine friendship, mystery, and magic, making them engaging for young and older readers alike.
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
Zoe read this book about a handful of lonely people who find their way to each other via a local community center and become great friends. It made Zoe cackle out loud. Highly recommended!
In the Buddha’s Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi
sútha is also reading this book and recommends it.
Our next gathering is on April 13 at 1pm SLT.
SLurl to The Reading Room: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gundeulbawe/41/164/45
The Reading Room 