It is that time again

Ok, e need to add a few more books to our list for upcoming months.  I would like to have enough to get us to June so I won't have to think about it during our move :), so that means we need four more books.  So throw them out.  Come on, I know you want to. 

January 2009: The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

January's book will be The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. Here is the excerpt from Amazon:

Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it.

In this book, you'll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life -- money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You'll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that's within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life.

The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers -- men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.

You can find the book here on Amazon for as little as $9.90. Or here on ebay.

Keep an eye on the site - around the middle of the month we will be adding more books to our reading list.

Finding Noel Discussion

I borrowed some of the questions from the Barnes & Noble online bookgroup discussion...there are lots more questions there if you want to check it out and bring another back here.


#1 - In Mark's first encounter with Macy, she says, "We always tell our deepest secrets to strangers." (Pg. 12) Do you agree with her reasoning for this? How does Mark's initial honesty create a foundation for his relationship with Macy? In what ways does this contrast with the other relationships in his life? Why do you think Mark believes people will use his secrets against him?


#2 - In Macy's Christmas poem (pg. 73), she describes the responsibility of Christmas as being "called, to leave our troubled lives of care,/To set aside our burdened minds, with God and man our hearts to share." In what ways is the gift of Christmas also a responsibility? How does Mark step up to the challenge in this novel? In what ways is this a Christmas story?


#3 - How does Tennys's personality contrast with Macy's? What do you think Mark got out of his relationship with Tennys? Mark describes Tennys as a "sure thing." What makes her less of a challenge than Macy? How have Mark's strong emotions for Macy complicated his relationship with her, in addition to validating it? What sort of life do you imagine Mark would have with Tennys?


#4 - Why did Macy react so negatively to Mark's proposal? Was it inappropriate for him to propose after so short a time? Was Macy's anger at Mark's running from his past justified, or was it an easy defense mechanism? How could Macy's past affect her present relationships?


#5 - Adoption is discussed in the book and you see the outcome of Macy's as well as Noel's adoption. Did the story impact your opinions on adoption?  How?  

December 2008: Finding Noel

Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans. Amazon.com gives a brief description of the book:

On the night that Mark Smart has decided will be his last, his car dies in a blizzard. He enters a closing coffee shop and finds Macy Wood, who literally offers him a shoulder to cry on. The two forge a deep friendship, and after three weeks, Mark proposes marriage. She declines, but waitress Joette, who has taken care of Macy since she was 13, orchestrates a reunion as Mark tries to smooth over the rifts dividing what remains of his family. Mark's stepfather's advice—"sometimes it's the fight that makes a thing worth having"—serves as the defining aphorism of Evans's yuletide offering.

You can get the book here on Amazon. It is thirteen dollars and change. You can get it here on ebay. Most are less than ten dollars, and there are a few audio books on it too - in case you don't want to read it.

Be sure to check the side menu too - so you can be watching for the books that are coming up next year.

Skipping Christmas Discussion

I looked online to get some questions to spur discussion but I couldn't find any so we'll have to wing it this month.


1 - As you were reading the book, did you find yourself siding with or against the Kranks as they skipped Christmas?

2 - Do you think it is possible to skip christmas entirely?

3 - If you skipped Christmas, what traditions, etc would you miss the most?

4 - Has this book affected how you will view the Christmas season this year?

November 2008: Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

The book for November is Skipping Christmas by John Grisham.  This book was made into a movie a few years back called Christmas with the Kranks. The movie was ok, but the book was better.  It is an easy read, pretty short and I think it is fitting to read it before the holidays.  

Here is the book for sale on Amazon (it is less than $10) and here is the book on ebay (I found a couple on ebay for $0.01!)

Come back to talk about the movie the week after Thanksgiving.  

Also - note the list of books on the side.  We have the list set up through February so you can start watching for the books on ebay or at thrift stores.  

If you have any friends that you think would like to join us, pass the website along...I'd love to get more people participating!

Help!

I want to come up with some book ideas for the December book...I'd like it to have something to do with the holidays...if we get two good ideas we'll do them for November and December. So, drop your ballots in the comment section - and hurry, the end of the month is Friday so we need to have the November book in place by then.

I also want to get the list of books at least through March up soon- so post your suggestions for them too.


So, a comment would look like this:

Nov, Dec: Skipping Christmas
New Year: Moby Dick

Thanks!!

Followers

Hey - Blogger added this new thing a month or so ago - and it allows you to follow a blog. It makes it easy to see when the site has been updated, and it also lets me know that I am not the only Unseen Reader out there.

So what do I want? I want you to follow the blog (see the box on the right)...come on, what are you waiting for?!?

My Sister's Keeper Discussion

Here are some questions to spur discussion. I got these from HERE and AND HERE. There were more questions at these links too - if you're looking for more.

Reread the prologue to My Sister's Keeper. Who is speaking? Is that who you thought was speaking the first time you read it?

What is your opinion of Sara? With her life focused on saving Kate, she sometimes neglects her other children. Jesse is rapidly becoming a juvenile delinquent, and Anna is invisible -- a fact that the little girl knows only too well. What does this say about Sara's role as a mother? What would you have done in her shoes? Has she unwittingly forgotten Jesse and Anna, or do you think she has consciously chosen to neglect them -- either as an attempt to save a little energy for herself, or as some kind of punishment? Does Sara resent her other children for being healthy? Did you find yourself criticizing Sara, empathizing with her, or both?

Why does Jesse burn things? Is Jesse the opposite of his firefighter father or are they similar? In what ways?

During a conversation about Kate, Zanne tells Sara, "No one has to be a martyr 24/7." When she mistakenly hears the word "mother" not "martyr" and is corrected by Zanne, Sara smiles and asks, "Is there a difference?" In what ways does this moment provide insight into Sara's state of mind? Do you think it strange that she sees no difference between motherhood and martyrhood?

The epilogue talks about how the family moved on. How did they grieve? How did they survive? In what ways did Anna give life back to all of them, not just Kate?

Near the end of the novel, Anna describes "Ifspeak" -- the language that all children know, but abandon as they grow older -- remarking that "Kids think with their brains cracked wide open; becoming an adult, I've decided, is only a slow sewing shut." Do you believe this to be true? What might children teach the adults in this novel? Which adults need lessons most?

At one point, Campbell thinks to himself: "There are two reasons not to tell the truth -- because lying will get you what you want, and because lying will keep someone from getting hurt." With this kind of thinking, Campbell gives himself an amazingly wide berth; he effectively frees himself from speaking any semblance of the truth as long as the lie will somehow benefit himself or anyone else. Did it concern you that a lawyer would express an opinion like this? Do you think, by the end of the story, that Campbell still thinks this moral flexibility is okay? In what ways might this kind of thinking actually wind up hurting Campbell?

Let's add some more...

Leave a comment with another book to add to our list. I'll put them all in a hat and draw them out to decide the order.