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Archives - July 2009

July 16, 2009

Annie Barrows: Literary Meandering

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows unfolds the story of a group of residents on the English Channel island of Guernsey, who formed a book club as an alibi while the isle was occupied by Nazis during World War II. Today's guest blogger, Annie reveals what line spoken by the novel's character Juliet Ashton really resonates with her.
July 15, 2009

Randy Sue Coburn: A Writer's View

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Randy Sue Coburn's novel A Better View of Paradise unfolds the story of 36-year-old landscape designer Stevie Pollack, whose professional and personal lives unravel. Leaving Chicago behind, she returns to her roots on an Hawaiian island. When she learns that her father is dying, what began as a holiday escape becomes a chance for transformation. In today's guest blog post, Randy Sue talks about some of the real-life inspiration she drew on for the novel.
July 14, 2009

Miles Kington's Final Musings

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Every once in a while a book comes along that gives me pause and makes me appreciate the little --- and big --- things in life a whole lot more. How Shall I Tell the Dog?: And Other Final Musings by Miles Kington did that as I spent an afternoon in late May reading an advance copy. After Kington, a humor columnist for a London newspaper, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, he began writing down the thoughts that came to him as he mused on his exit from this world.
July 13, 2009

Talking with Laura Dave

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Laura Dave's novel The Divorce Party is the story of two women at opposite ends of marriage, one on the brink of divorce after 35 years and the other engaged. Today we talk with Laura about how reading groups have responded to the two main characters, some of the research she did for the novel and the increasing media attention for real-life divorce parties.
July 10, 2009

Jonathan Tel: Photographs and Fiction

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In The Beijing of Possibilities, a collection of linked stories, Jonathan Tel chose to intersperse black-and-white photos in with the text. In today's guest blog post he talks about why he wanted to do this and how it enhances the stories --- and about the trip he took to Beijing special to shoot the images.
July 9, 2009

Reading and Discussing Nonfiction Part II

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Yesterday we shared a list of 15 nonfiction books that reading group members are discussing. Here are some comments about specific titles they shared with us.
July 8, 2009

Reading and Discussing Nonfiction

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What nonfiction books are reading groups discussing? In a recent ReadingGroupGuides.com newsletter we asked you to tell us --- and did you ever. We received more email responses than for any question we've asked to date. Well over 100 titles were mentioned. Here are the top 15 (in alphabetical order), including established reading group favorites along with lesser-known books. Tomorrow we'll share comments from group members on specific titles.
July 7, 2009

Monica McInerney: Writers and Readers

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Today's guest blogger, novelist and book club member Monica McInerney, talks about how her life as a writer has changed her as a reader.
July 6, 2009

Book Clubs in the News

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Of the four stories in this round-up of reading group-related news articles, three of them are about...men's book clubs, which we don't hear about all that often. Wrapping things up is a story about a New York State book club marking an impressive milestone --- 40 years.Boston Globe: Where the Guys AreFind out what's happening at a few men's book clubs in Massachusetts.
Here on the ReadingGroupGuides.com blog we've interviewed Lisa See, Kate Jacobs, Julie Metz and other authors. Now we're doing something a bit different.