Book Club and other reads III

Book club was this past Friday. Once again, I thought I would share with you what we read and the other things I have read this past month. This was our first Friday bookclub and although it was a little quiet, because most of our fellow bookclubbers actually have lives and could not attend, I really enjoyed the festive feel. The weather was nice (meaning it wasn't 160 billion degrees) so we spent the evening enjoying quesadillas, quiche and chaampagne on our hostess' new screened in deck. This month we read Terry Pratchett's Night Watch. A fantasy novel about a time-traveling cop who helps a town insurrection and teaches his younger self a few tricks. Despite this being book number 27 in a series it was easy to get into and I didn't find the fantasy aspects distracting (trying to remember if dwarves and hairy and if elves are nice can be tiresome). In fact, I thought the intricate plot was relevant to today's political and social climate. Plus, it was an entertaining, quick read. Giving me time to read other things this month. The draw back of the book was it didn't really lend itself to much discussion. This surprised me because of it's vaguely political subject matter but it must have been the bubbly because all I could really think to say was "boy do I wish I could give my younger self some advice" and "pass the quiche please." Grand words of literary insight indeed.
The other fantasy/children's series I have been reading or I should say listening to this month is the Phillip Pullman trilogy, His Dark Materials. After book one and two (The Golden Compass and the Subtle Knife) I was sure these were the best children's novels I had ever read. A few months ago I told you how I was obsessed over Harry Potter and counting the hours at work until I could get home and read more of that book. Well if you thought that was obsessive that was nothing. With this book I snuck out at lunch to listen to it in the car and would not stop talking about how plucky Lyra and Will were... poor cornyT. Unfortunately, the third book is a bit of a disappointment. There are few things more frustrating in a story than watching the story take a forced turn that makes little sense. Yes, I am way too invested in these stories but I couldn't help yelling at my stereo "why do you have to do that- it makes no sense." I am a goof. Anyway, these books have been characterized as the anti-Chronicles of Narnia, and I think that is accurate. I also wouldn't recommend reading the 2nd and the 3rd books to your kiddoes but with all that being said I am so happy I read this imaginative and ambitious series.
In the category of be thankful for your cushy life, I read One day in the LIfe of Ivan Denisovich and Persepolis. The first a novel depicting a day in 1950's era Russian gulag and the other is a graphic novel about a young girl growing up during the Iranian Revolution. Both were very moving and important books and fulfill one of favorite requirements of reading - expose me to a world I would not know otherwise.
Next month I will tell you about the wacky adventures of an Irish widow and their scrawny kiddoes.
Happy reading.