Old Bridge Public Library General Book Discussion Group

--Upcoming Discussion Schedule--

**REMINDER**: With the new electronic catalog (<http://librarycatalog.lmxac.org/>, which will redirect you to <http://librarycatalog.lmxac.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi.exe/x/x/0/49/>), you can request your own inter-library loans.  So even if the other libraries don't respond to the Old Bridge Library's request for copies, you can order a copy for yourself.

Be reminded that this information is on-line for easy access.    It is at
<http://geocities.datacellar.net/markleeper/ob_discussion_gen.html>.

The science fiction reading discussion group has a similar site at <http://geocities.datacellar.net/markleeper/ob_discussion_sf.html>.
 

While the library usually requests copies of discussion books, this does not always work, and they usually don't show up until a couple of weeks before the meeting.  The best way to assure yourself a copy early enough is to request an interlibrary loan either on-line or at the library, and this will get you the book much faster.  There is no charge for requesting a book.

 
05/21--THE RED TENT by Anita Diamant
    pages: 333
    copies in LMxAC catalog: lots in Old Bridge (summer reading list)
    suggested by: Dawn
"The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insider's look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter, Dinah. Told in the voice of Jacob's daughter Dinah (who only received a glimpse of recognition in the Book of Genesis), we are privy to the fascinating feminine characters who bled within the red tent. In a confiding and poetic voice, Dinah whispers stories of her four mothers, Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah--all wives to Jacob, and each one embodying unique feminine traits. As she reveals these sensual and emotionally charged stories we learn of birthing miracles, slaves, artisans, household gods, and sisterhood secrets. Eventually Dinah delves into her own saga of betrayals, grief, and a call to midwifery."  [amazon.com]
 

06/18--TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY by John Steinbeck
    pages: 246
    copies in LMxAC catalog: lots/1
    suggested by: Evelyn
"John Steinbeck, sensing it was time to rediscover America, decided to set out on a three month odyssey with his French poodle Charley. A tornado in his first week nearly stopped him in his tracks. Steinbeck soon discovered the art of perfect scrounging: sending Charley off, he would follow to retrieve him only to find him buried in some delicious meal. Steinbeck would feign immediate petulance and retrieval, only to receive (of course) a huge welcome from Charley's latest friends. This evocative account of travelling in America is very enjoyable."  [Kirkus UK]
 

07/16--cancelled

 
08/17--THE MEDICAL DETECTIVES by Berton Roueche
    pages: 432(*)
    copies in LMxAC catalog: 3(?)
    suggested by: Mark
(*) Contains twenty-five pieces.  I will figure out which are most available in other volumes the library has and tag those.
"Berton Rouche wrote for the New Yorker magazine for many years, and received numerous awards for his 'Annals of Medicine' department. His tales (and these are that, 30-page articles) of epidemiology chronicle the discovery of diseases new and old, and the scientist-detectives who track these diseases down and find their sources and their cures.  You do not have to be a scientist to appreciate these accounts: being a real-life mystery buff will do. Rouche, now deceased, wrote with an intelligence and clarity that should be the model for--and envy of--all writers.  'The Medical Detectives' includes some of my favorite tales--I've been reading and re-reading Rouche for a long time: 'Eleven Blue Men,' the discovery on the sidewalks of New York of eleven men who were bright blue; 'The Huckleby Hogs,' one of the first-ever journalistic accounts of the hazards of mercury poisoning; 'Aspirin,' about the history, benefits and, yes, the dangers of aspirin.'
 
09/17--?
 

10/15--stories by Edgar Allan Poe
    suggested by: Evelyn
    Murders in the Rue Morgue 44
    The Gold Bug 45
    The Purloined Letter 25
    The Masque of the Red Death 8
    Hop-Frog 12
    A Predicament (under 4000 words)
    The Philosophy of Composition (under 5000 words)
 

11/19--THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adams
    (joint with SF group)
    pages: 216
    copies in LMxAC catalog: lots in Old Bridge (summer reading list)
    suggested by: Dawn
"Join Douglas Adams's hapless hero Arthur Dent as he travels the galaxy with his intrepid pal Ford Prefect, getting into horrible messes and generally wreaking hilarious havoc. Dent is grabbed from Earth moments before a cosmic construction team obliterates the planet to build a freeway. You'll never read funnier science fiction; Adams is a master of intelligent satire, barbed wit, and comedic dialogue. The Hitchhiker's Guide is rich in comedic detail and thought-provoking situations and stands up to multiple reads. Required reading for science fiction fans, this book (and its follow-ups) is also sure to please fans of Monty Python, Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, and British sitcoms." [amazon.com]

 

 

[Unless otherwise noted, quotes are from amazon.com]
 
Pending for some time in the future are the following
    (numbers are copies in LMxAC/copies in Old Bridge):
something by Calvin Trillin (pending go/no-go from Arlene)
--CONFESSIONS OF A DANGEROUS MIND by Chuck Barris (256pp, 7/1)
    (pending go/no-go from Dawn)
--THE POWER AND THE GLORY by Graham Greene (240pp, 23/3)
--THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY by Patricia Highsmith (19/0) (suspense)
--I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou (lots/3)
    (autobiography)
--THE VIRGIN SUICIDES by Jeffrey Eugenides (249pp, 19/1) (mystery)
something by Saul Bellow
something by Isabel Allende
long (narrative?) poem