Manassas Book Club

Hey there Book Ckub members,

Can you believe it is kinda snowing outside right now while I am typing this? Well, even if you can't believe it - it really is kinda (KINDA) snowing.

In case you missed the news our first Manassas Book Club Baby, Nora Jane, was born on on October 14 to Cameron and her husband. Congratulations to all three of them. I can send you the blog link if you email me.

So this past book club - Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome was beautifully faciliated by Kathy F. Mixed reviews of book. Most often comment - timeless humor - but I think everyone felt it was a nice break after Atlas Shrugged and before this upcoming book club book - The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Roseanne will develop questions and faclitate our discussion of The Brothers Karamazov.

Here is a summary of the book and the author compliments from Amazon -

"In 1880 Dostoevsky completed The Brothers Karamazov, the literary effort for which he had been preparing all his life. Compelling, profound, complex, it is the story of a patricide and of the four sons who each had a motive for murder: Dmitry, the sensualist, Ivan, the intellectual; Alyosha, the mystic; and twisted, cunning Smerdyakov, the bastard child. Frequently lurid, nightmarish, always brilliant, the novel plunges the reader into a sordid love triangle, a pathological obsession, and a gripping courtroom drama. But throughout the whole, Dostoevsky searhes for the truth--about man, about life, about the existence of God. A terrifying answer to man's eternal questions, this monumental work remains the crowning achievement of perhaps the finest novelist of all time."

So a little more longer and complex than 3 Men in a Boat.(Which we now know is not the prequel to the Tom Selleck movie, 3 Men and a Baby, alas). So essentially, we are back to the hours of reading just to show an increase of 1 percent of "book read" on our Kindles. Although, we all "know" of this famous book and probably many of us(meaning you) have read it, let's see what a critic says about the book. (I'm feeling too lazy to look up more than one, ok?)

Donald Fanger of Washington Post Book World writes, "[Dostoevsky is] at once the most literary and compulsively readable of novelists we continue to regard as great . . . The Brothers Karamazov stands as the culmination of his art--his last, longest, richest and most capacious book." (uh oh, when THE REVIEW has words like capacious in it, you know it is going to be a tough book to read.). Perhaps not quite as humorous as 3 Men in a Boat

Well, I'd like to chat a little longer, however, I better start reading now. I want to be sure I get through all the brothers and not just one brother. Drop what you are doing, go grab a drink, find a nice place to read and begin reading the one and only - The Brothers Karazzmo..Karmars...uh...Kammazovicovithch...Karspoviavov...er...Karmalovian...you know what I mean - in case, you don't I mean(duh) - Karamazov - which by the way actually translates into Baldwin in English- The Brothers Baldwin -Alec, Billy, Daniel and Stephen (Which is kinda sad that I knew that)..as you read see if you can spot the similarities between the Baldwins and the Karamzovs. (ie - see if you can figure who Kim Bassinger is based on).

Have a great rest of the month - look below to get a head start - we have books picked almost through June (all months except March - waiting on Donna G.)

For those planning ahead:

December Book - Sarah's Key - by Tatiana de Rosnay (Beth, Darla and Kelly will develop questions and facilitate)

January Book - Orange is the new black by Piper Kerman(Kelly will develop questions and facilitate) February will be picked by Ellen Blades March will be picked by Dona Gilroy

February Book - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (Ellen will develop questions and facilitate)

March Book - picked by Donna G

April - the long awaited 6th and final book in the series we have been reading by Michael Sullivan

May - The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson (Rachel will develop questions and facilitate)

June 2012 - picked by Andrew

See you at the November 28 meeting. Come a little early and have some Panera's food and drink with me. (and you can help me protect our table grouping)

Andrew

About this Meetup Group (http://bookclub.meetup.com/1134/about/)

List of the previous books we have read:

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky - November 2011(Roseanne)

Three men in a Boat Jerome K. Jerome - OCtober 2011 (Kathy F.)

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand September 2011(Cameron)

In the Woods by Tana French - August 2011 (Steve)

One Day by David Nicholls - July 2011 (Andrew)

Star Island by Carl Hiaasen - June 2011 (Davida)

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick - May 2011 (Fiory)

Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue – April 2011 (Kathy)

Moby Dick by Herman Melville - March 2011 (Steve)

Wintertide by Michael J. Sullivan - February 2011

The Passage by Justin Cronin - January 2011

The Help by Kathryn Stockett - December 2010

Cutting for Stone (Vintage) by Abraham Verghese - November 2010

A Confederacy of Dunces By John Kennedy Toole - October 2010

Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - September 2010
World Without End by Ken Foillett - August 2010

The Graveyard Book by Neill Gaiman - July 2010
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith - June 2010

Emerald Storm but Michael J. Sullivan - May 2010
Lucky You by Carl Hiaasan - April 2010
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski March 2010
Daniel Isn't Talking by - Marit Leimback Feb 2010
Nyphron Rising by Michael Sullivan Jan 2010
The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore Dec. 2009
The Lost Symbol - by Dan Brown Nov. 2009
The Solace of Leaving Early by Haven Kimmel Oct. 2009
The Chicago Way by Michael Harvey Sept. 2009
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout August 2009
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows July 2009
AVEMPARTHA by Michael J.Sullivan June 2009
The Secret of Lost Things by Sheridan Hay - May 2009
Grave Digger's Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates- April 2009
Katherine: A novel by Anya Seton- March 2009
Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet- February 2009
The Shack by William P. Young - January 2009
The World according to Garp by John Irving - December, 2008
The Crown Conspiracy by Michael Sullivan. (The author came to this meeting to talk about his book), - November, 2008
Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen.-October, 2008
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. - September 2008
The Turnaround by George Pelecanos. August 2008
Keeping Faith by Jodi Picoult. June 2008
Forever by Pete Hamill . May 2008

Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez April 2008