February 2, 2023

The Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library Book Club met on February 2, 2023, from 12 NOON until 1:00 PM with 6 members in attendance. To the delight of all, one member shared her delicious home baked molasses cookies with us.  The library’s fireplace, home baked cookies, and coffee provided a wonderful background for great conversations about the books that members had read in the past month.

The members discussed the following books:

1. The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais (available in library as a book and DVD movie).

Description:  “Born above his grandfather's modest restaurant in Mumbai, India, Hassan Hail first experienced life through intoxicating whiffs of spicy fish curry, trips to the local markets, and gourmet outings with his mother. But when tragedy pushes the family out of India, they console themselves by eating their way around the world, eventually settling in Lumiere, a small village in the French Alps. The boisterous Haji family takes Lumiere by storm. The open an inexpensive Indian restaurant opposite an esteemed French relais that of the famous chef Madame Mallory and infuse the sleepy town with the spices of India, transforming the lives of its eccentric villages and infuriating their celebrated neighbor. Only after Madame Mallory wages culinary war with the immigrant family, does she finally agree to mentor young Hassan, leading him to Paris, the launch of his own restaurant, and a slew of new adventures. The Hundred-Foot Journey is about how the hundred-foot distance between a new Indian kitchen and a traditional French one can represent the gulf between different cultures and desires. A testament to the inevitability of destiny, this is a fable for the ages-charming, endearing, and compulsively readable." (amazon.com)

Having read the book and watched the movie, the book club member sharing her perspectives about The Hundred-Foot Journey stated that although she enjoyed both, this was one of few occasions when she preferred the movie to the book.

2. The Tide Between Us by Olive Collins (available on order as a book in MeLCat)

Description:  “1821: Among the thousands of Irish deportees to the Caribbean British colonies is a 10 year old Irish boy, Art O'Neill. As an indentured servant on a sugar plantation in Jamaica, Art gradually acclimatizes to the exotic country and the unfamiliar customs of the African slaves. When the new heirs to the plantation arrive from Ireland, they resurrect the ghosts of brutal injustices against Art. He bides his time and hides his abhorrence from his new master by channeling his energy into his work. During those years, he prospers, he acquires land, he sees his coloured children freed after emancipation as he takes us on a multi-generational historical saga. Eventually Art is promised seven gold coins for seven decades of service. He doubts his master will part

with the coins. The morning Art sets out to claim his gratuity, he ignores his sense of foreboding that he may not return home alive.  Ireland 1991: One hundred years later a skeleton is discovered beneath a fallen tree on the grounds of Lugdale Estate. By its side is a gold coin minted in 1870. Yseult, the owner of the estate, watched as events unfold, fearful of the long-buried truths that may emerge about her family’s past and its links to the slave trade. As the skeleton gives up its secrets, Yseult realizes she too can no longer hide. Inspired by the real story of 2,000 Irish children deported to Jamaica and the statistic that 25% of Jamaican citizens claim Irish ancestry. The Tide Between Us is a powerful novel documenting true historical events and the resilience of the human spirit." (goodreads.com).

The club member reviewing this book brought a copy with her and showed the group that it includes a family tree inside the cover, allowing the reader to reference family and generational connections while reading. The member enjoyed the book, indicating that she learned about a piece of history she had not previously been familiar with.

3. The Wildwater Walking Club by Claire Cook (available as a book, large print book and audiobook in MeLCat)

Description: "After losing her boyfriend and her job in one fell swoop, Noreen has no idea what her next step is. So she puts on a new pair of sneakers and a seriously outdated pair of exercise pants, and walks. Before long she's joined by two neighbors as lost as she is. Throw in a road trip to Seattle for a lavender festival, a career-coaching group that looks like a bad sequel to The Breakfast Club, some terrific romantic comedy twists and turns, a quirky multigenerational cast of supporting characters, and the result is a tribute to female friendship that will inspire you to pick up the phone and call all your old friends-and maybe event start your own walking group." (clairecook.com)

The club member reviewing this book commented that one phrase from this book that resonated with her was that each person must "make a fully conscious decision to invest” in himself or herself. The main character builds meaningful friendships by joining a walking club and learns about herself and others by doing so. The member enjoyed the book and recommended it to the others.

4. The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell (available as a book in library and in MeLCat)

Description: “1904: In the banks of the Zambezi River, a few miles from the majestic Victoria Falls, there is a colonial settlement called The Old Drift. In a smoky room at the hotel across the river, an Old Drifter named Percy M. Clark, foggy with fever, makes a mistake that entangles the fates of an Italian hotelier and an African busboy. This sets off a cycle of unwitting retribution between three Zambian families (black, white, brown) as they collide and converge over the course of the century, into the present and beyond. As the generations pass, their lives their triumphs, errors, losses, and hopes emerge through a panorama of history, fairytale, romance, and science fiction. From a woman covered with hair and another plagued with endless tears, to forbidden love affairs and fiery political ones, to homegrown technological marvels like Afronauts, microdrones,

and viral vaccines, this gripping, unforgettable novel is a testament to our yearning to create and cross borders, and meditation on the slow, grand passage of time." (amazon.com)

The club member speaking about this book commented it included a family tree on the inside cover to assist readers. The book's setting in Zambia and the fact that observant, talkative mosquitoes tie the story together made for a unique read. The member also enjoyed the author's beautiful prose.

5. The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky (available through the library as an Overdrive ebook and audiobook and though MeLCat as a book and audiobook).

Description: The author's final novel was "First published…in 1879-80 and generally considered to be his masterpiece. It is the story of Fyodor Karamazov and his sons Alyosha, Dmitry, and Ivan. It is also a story of patricide, into the sordid unfolding of which Dostoevsky introduces a love-hate struggle with profound psychological and spiritual implications." (britannica.com)

The club member reading this book said she was very much enjoying this classic.

6. Now I See You by Shannon Work (available on order as a book in MeLCat)

Description:  “Two Murders. A terrified mountain resort. Can a daring reporting help stop an avalanche of dead bodies? Celebrity TV anchor Georgia Glass wants out of Denver and far away from her obsessed fan. Set to host her own investigative crime show in LA, she's surprised to inherit a Victorian house in Aspen from a mysterious uncle she never knew. But while exploring the gothic property, she discovers the frozen corpse of a missing heiress. Georgia's journalist instincts kick in and she is determined to help police track down the killer. But by investigating the murder, has she made herself the killer's neat target? Can Georgia help solve the case before she becomes the next victim? Or will the stalker that followed her to Aspen get her first? Now I See You is a fast-paced whodunit set amidst the spectacular scenery of Aspen, Colorado, and the first book in the suspenseful Mountain Resort Mystery series." (barnesandnoble.com)

Having read the book, the club member sharing her perspective told the group she enjoyed the mystery but did feel as if the book read like contemporary TV.

7. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (available through library on Overdrive as ebook and audiobook and on order through MeLCat as book, large print book, and audiobook).

Description:  “A novel written by an Ethiopian-born Indian- American medical doctor, it is a saga of twin brothers, orphaned by their mother's death at their births and forsaken by their father. The book includes both a deep description of medical procedures and an exploration of the human side of medical practices." (wikipedia.org)

The club member shared that she read this book twice because she recalled enjoying the feelings that reading the book the first time gave her. She recommended the book to the other members, describing it as “so good.”

8. Wonder by R.J. Polacio (available through library as a book and on Overdrive as a book and audiobook and on order through MeLCat as a book, audiobook, and movie).

Description: “August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5^th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid but his new classmates can't get past Auggie's extraordinary face. Wonder, begins from Auggie's point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others." (goodreads.com)

Although classified as young adult fiction, the book is appropriate for readers of all ages.  The club member sharing thoughts about this book appreciated the author's shifting perspectives about August's facial differences from August to his sister in particular. The member recommended this book to the group and felt that teens would benefit from reading this selection as well.

9. My Blessed, Wretched Life: Rebecca Boone's Story by Sue Kelly Ballard (not available in library or MeLCat).

Description: "Much has been written about the adventurous frontiersman Daniel Boone.  Author Sue Ballard documents the life of Daniel's wife, Rebecca Bryan Boone, a woman who deserves tribute for her role in carving new homes and new lives in the primitive and dangerous Kentucky wilderness. Ballard's description of Rebecca's day-to-day life is accurate in each detail, from raising their many children, farming, and kitchen work, to her hourly prayers and waiting in loneliness for the return of her trailblazing husband Ballard's narrative voice takes hold of the reader from the first pages and sweeps us back to relive those earliest days of Kentucky history. This evocative book inspires admiration for Rebecca as a fine representative of our revered pioneer women whose bravery and strength established the way for following generations." (Mary Popham, MFA, Spalding University, on butlerbooks.com)

The club member reviewing this book received the books as a Christmas present from her husband, and she believed he made an excellent selection. Although fiction, the book effectively weaves in accurate historical detail making this a very interesting read. The member shared her amazement at Mrs. Boone's ability to give birth to, raise and care for 10 children, manage a household in the Kentucky wilderness in her husband's absence for long time periods, and make due under conditions of extreme poverty.

10. 10. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney (available in library as book and on Overdrive as ebook and audiobook and on order as a book and audiobook in MeLCat)

Description:  "In Daisy Darker, the estranged Darker family reluctantly gathers at Nana's dilapidated coastal cottage to mark her 80th birthday. ‘Seaglass’ stands alone on a tiny tidal island.  At high tide, the Darkers will be stuck together and cut off from the rest of the world for a long eight hours. But just as Nana's eighty-strong quirky clock collection chimes midnight, she's found dead. An hour later, someone else is dead. Low tide is still five hours away. Who of the Darkers will survive until then? (bookofthemonth.com)

"A mystery with a good ending" is how the club member described this book!

11. Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger (available in library as book and on Overdrive as ebook and on order through MeLCatas a book, large print book, and audiobook)

Description: "In Edgar winner Krueger's outstanding 19th mystery featuring PI Cork O'Connor of Minnesota's Tamarack County (after 2021's Lightning Strike), Cork is tending the grill at his burger joint when he's approached by a stranger who introduces himself as Louis Morriseau. Louis wants the PI to find his wife, Dolores, who he believes is having an affair with Henry Meloux. Cork immediately knows something is wrong, because his friend Henry, an Ojibwe healer, is more than 100 years old. Henry is indeed with Dolores, who's having a cleansing sweat under the guidance of Cork's wife Rainy, who's also Henry's great-niece. Dolores later confirms that the stranger is not her husband, Louis, who has been missing. Henry uses his highly developed sense of mysticism to lead Dolores and Rainy deep into the Boundary Waters wilderness to escape two killers pursuing the women. Meanwhile, Cork and Dolores' brother-in-law, Anton, a tribal cop, follows the killers. Krueger skillfully blends an evocative look at nature's beauty and peril with Native American lore. Not just regional mystery fans will be enthralled." (publishersweekly.com)

This book was recommended to the group by the club member sharing the book with the others.

12. An Unwanted Guest by Shari LaPena.

Description:  “A weekend retreat at a cozy mountain lodge is supposed to be the perfect getaway . .. but when the storm hits, no one is getting away.  It's winter in the Catskills and Mitchell's Inn, nestled deep in the woods, is the perfect setting for a relaxing-maybe even romantic-weekend away. It boasts spacious old rooms with huge wood burning fireplaces, a well-stocked wine cellar, and opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, or just curling up with a good murder mystery.  So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity--and all contact with the outside world-the guests settle in for the long haul.  Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead--it looks like an accident.  But when a second guest dies, they start to panic.  Within the snowed-in paradise, something-or someone-is picking off the guests one by one. And there's nothing they can do but hunker down and hope they can survive the storm.”  (sharilapena.com)

The club member shared that she read this book during a recent Michigan snowstorm which was the perfect ambience for this book because it takes place during a blizzard in the Catskills.  The author rapidly introduces that twelve characters during the first few chapters of the book which made the reader want to have a guide to characters near the front of the book for reference.  The author does an admirable job describing the Inn and its surroundings and builds suspense throughout the book.  Each character has a history, and many have something they don’t want the others to know.

The group discussed the value of reading books to and with children and of reading books with family members and friends. Sharing perspectives about books can be very gratifying.

Chris Nofsinger discussed the Russell Wood Ride, a bike-a-thon fundraiser for the Marcellus Township Library. Chris will be leaving soon to start her epic cross country bike ride accompanied by her husband David. Club members can go to gorallyup.com/russellwoodride, the fundraiser page, and to russellwoodride.blogspot. com to visit the Checked Out blog by David and Chris as Chris makes her cross country trek.

The next meeting of the Marcellus Township Wood Memorial Library Book Club will be held on March 2, 2023, from 12 NOON to 1:00 PM at the library. Bring your books, your thoughts about the books, and a friend- -join us for a lively discussion!

Between now and then, ponder on the following:

“Books are the plane, and the train, and the road.  They are the destination, and the journey.  They are home.”  Anna Quindlen

“Keep reading.  It’s one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have.”  Lloyd Alexander