Book Club Meeting/Lunch in Merced

Hi Gals, hope you're all doing well! What was the consensus about getting together to discuss the books we've read this year? I'm volunteering my house, my mom would love it! I will be driving back from Las Vegas on the 28th, would it be possible to do it on the 29th? Camille, I think you are leaving Sparks and can only do it on the 28th? Let me know everyone's availability. I can probably come back earlier from Vegas if needbe. Is 'need be' one word or two? Merry Christmas in a few days!

Book of Genesis?

I’m not sure if it’s because it was translated from Spanish or because it jumped around so much, but I had a really hard time getting into this book. The names were so similar that I was always a little confused. At least, I was at first.
I read the back of the book and the New York Times review began by saying it was “the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire race”. I’m not convinced that’s true, but it made me realize this should be read more as a history than as a novel. There’s really not a plot, and once you accept that, the book goes a lot faster.
But you’ll also have to accept the fact that it contains just as much tragedy as the bible. I guess the reality is that no one is going to be devoid of hardship and trials, but their choices seem to lead to a lot of these tragedies. Amaranta’s bitterness and everyone’s promiscuity and selfishness just seem to perpetuate sadness in their family.
I have a feeling things won’t end well, but maybe the last one hundred pages will surprise me….

The Mansion

So, President Monson, in the Christmas Devotional, mentioned three stories he reads every year. One of them was "The Mansion". I thought that might be a good story for us to read this month. You can even read it online for free.
But, I'm also open to other ideas.

How is everybody doing?

Happy Thanksgiving you turkeys!! Have any of you finished November's book yet? I'll be honest, I have it on my nightstand, but I haven't read it yet. I'm using it as a reward for when I finish a couple of projects I've been putting off because I REALLY don't want to do them. I am in charge of choosing the next book, I think, but if nobody has finished this one do we want to wait and give ourselves an extra month? Or is that just ridiculous? Also, do we want to choose a Christmas-y book for December, or do you not care?

November Book

Okay, sorry I'm posting this so late in the month. Things have been kind of crazy around here lately. I just got offered a teaching job at a high school in Petaluma (just north of SF) so I'm moving next week and start teaching in two. I'm really excited, but things are kind of hectic.
Anyway, a friend of mine recommended this book and she said it is one of her favorites. She's an English teacher so I always ask her for new ideas on what to read. I've heard good things about it so I hope it's a good one. And I hope you haven't already read it...I did just see that it was on Oprah's book club list (for any Oprah fans out there - Me, not so much :)) The author is a pretty famous Latin American author so maybe you've read something by him. Enjoy!



One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

The story follows 100 years in the life of Macondo, a village founded by José Arcadio Buendía and occupied by descendants all sporting variations on their progenitor's name: his sons, José Arcadio and Aureliano, and grandsons, Aureliano José, Aureliano Segundo, and José Arcadio Segundo. Then there are the women--the two Úrsulas, a handful of Remedios, Fernanda, and Pilar--who struggle to remain grounded even as their menfolk build castles in the air. If it is possible for a novel to be highly comic and deeply tragic at the same time, then One Hundred Years of Solitude does the trick. Civil war rages throughout, hearts break, dreams shatter, and lives are lost, yet the effect is literary pentimento, with sorrow's outlines bleeding through the vibrant colors of García Márquez's magical realism.

I just had to post this review because it was everywhere I was reading about the book and I thought it was interesting -

"One Hundred Years of Solitude is the first piece of literature since the Book of Genesis that should be required reading for the entire human race. It takes up not long after Genesis left off and carries through to the air age, reporting on everything that happened in between with more lucidity, wit, wisdom, and poetry that is expected from 100 years of novelists, let alone one man...Mr. Garcia Marquez has done nothing less than to create in the reader a sense of all that is profound, meaningful, and meaningless in life." William Kennedy, New York Times Book Review

Cute Pregnant Jenny

I meant to put this picture up about a month ago, where has time gone!? I went to Seattle for work and got to see Jenny for a bit. Love her, she is now a mom of three! Ha, we're kind of twiners.

I just don't know.

I just don't know exactly how to explain my feelings about this book. Part of me wants to say I'm not a fan, but then the fact that the author is a dying (now deceased) man trying to leave his last words of advice to his children, makes you feel guilty saying anything bad about the book. If it weren't for the fact that this man wrote the book while dying of cancer, I'd really dislike the book. It jumps around like crazy and I even think he repeats himself quite a bit. You know the expression 'drinking water from a fire hose'? That is how I feel. Lots of good thoughts and things I should apply, but there is just so much of it! Does anyone else feel this way? Am I a horrible person?

Better Late than Never

So I just finished Love Walked In and surprise, surprise, I LOVED it. Just reading about some of her old movie references inspired me to turn on the Turner Classic Movie channel. I think Cornelia is a much stronger woman than me, but I definitely identified with her. And let's be honest, I wish I had a gorgeous childhood friend to fall in love with. Oh, and this entry is helping me avoid figuring out "what color is my parachute".
Which explains why I identified with Cornelia's discovery: As she learned that prior to Martin's entrance into her life she was "...one who spent her days skirting around the edges of adulthood, commitment, responsibility, accomplishment". After Martin, she learned that real life is not "going after what you want and getting it" but "knowing what you love and why".
I'm not sure exactly why this week has been different, maybe because I've been praying to understand the Lord's mission for me on earth and here in Arizona, but I've become especially grateful for close friends and family. I think sometimes I get so caught up in the need to have everyone like me, that I forget to revel in the friendships I already have.
So, I want to tell each of you how much I love you. I love you for your goodness and your testimonies. I love you for our shared experiences: girls camp, weekend parties, "Made in the USA", making movies, etc, etc. And I love you for being a part of my life.

October's book

Ok, I guess it's my turn to pick. I am picking a book that you might have read, but that I've been wanting to read for a while.

The Last Lecture

by Randy Pausch

Ok, I tried to get a summary, but blogger won't let me paste it here. So go to this website to read about it:

www.thelastlecture.com

I'm excited!

Who's picking for October?

I have a business trip coming up and want a good read...just curious.

Still reading...

This book is a slower read than I expected. I'm currently reading about their first few days in office as president.
But I find it fascinating to think about how many times they lost elections and kept going. Maybe it's because I don't have that kind of passion for anything, but I just couldn't imagine. How were they so willing to suffer disappointment after disappointment? He was basically a nobody in the West who couldn't even get elected by his state legislature yet somehow he became President of the United States.
It makes me think of Churchill and how he always believed he was destined to be in charge during WWII. I think he was right. I also believe Lincoln was the right man to be president during the Civil War.
But it's interesting to think about them as real people, who have made mistakes. I don't know if the rest of you do this, but I tend to think of the founding fathers, successful people, or even heroes in books to be perfect. I appreciate this book for reminding me that imperfect people can do great things.

Can I get any lazier?

I have to tell you all the coolest thing EVER! I work at Wake Forest University and I often check out books from the campus library. I just started using a service they provide...are you ready for this? THEY DELIVER BOOKS TO ME AT MY DESK!! All I have to do is log into my account online and tell them what book/books I want and they bring them to me at my desk. And they aren't due back for a year. Isn't that the coolest? Are you alll jealous? You should be.
"Love is Eternal" was delivered to my desk just minutes ago. Good choice, Kim! I'm excited to read it!

September Book

I made the mistake of asking my parents, brother, and sister-in-law for book suggestions. This led to a list of about twenty books. I narrowed it down to three, then decided to go for something older and less known (but still available in local library or amazon).

(picture borrowed from amazon.com)

Love is Eternal by Irving Stone

It is historical fiction of the relationship between Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. My mom loves it. As a disclaimer, it is fiction, so it may not be entirely accurate.

If you get bored next month, my other two options were The Beekeeper's Assistant and The Spy Wore Red. :)

Love Walked In

I just finished the book and I really liked it; which is good because I needed a distraction this week. My house looks like we have been robbed. Even I am having anxiety about how messy it is. And that's saying a lot. We had a garage sale yesterday and got rid of a bunch of stuff, but there is still so much junk in here. what the what? blerg.
Anyway, as I read this book, I imagined the character of Cornelia as Kim Weed. Yup, I sure did Kim. Little; beautiful; sweet; kind; lovable; loving. I seriously just imagined everything with Kim in there. Someday you will be with a man who looks like Cary Grant, Kim. How lucky. Anyway, my favorite passage in this book was this:

"I sat up and rubbed her back with the circular motion I've always found soothing. After a while, she put her head in my lap and said,
'I want my mommy.'
I thought about those words, how they contained so much more than they seemed to contain, more than any four words could hold. They meant what they meant were also a universal cry, maybe the universal, plaintive, openhearted cry for comfort. Soldiers in the heat of battle; death-row prisoners; explorers stranded in deserts, jungles, on mountaintops; anyone sick or lost of just tired and bewildered: we all wanted our mothers."

Beautiful, right? Mothers. We all want our mothers. And that's one of things I liked about this book. There was so much love in it. People just loved each other. Patiently, unabashedly loved each other. Not only do we want our mothers, we need them. Just as we need each other. Viviana, at the end of the book, says something like a world with only two is not enough. We need each other! I am moving 4000 miles next month. I can't take everything with me. I called my mom to ask if she could make me some blankets since I had to basically give all of mine to Goodwill here (including my favorite one which I'm pretty sure we've all sat on at one time or another at Sunset Beach). No problem, she said. We can make as many blankets as you want. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my mom. That's what this book made me think of. Love didn't walk in, it was there from the beginning. We have our mothers. And we have each other.
How lucky are we?

August's Pick!

This was recommended to me by a roommate. Here's a synopsis:

Life has been pretty kind to Cornelia Brown, the college-educated twenty-something manager of the Café Dora, a comfy little Philadelphia coffeehouse. In fact, things have been so good and so free of responsibility that lately she's been thinking she should make something more of her life. It's as if she's been treading water, having risen no higher on the food chain than café manager because she just hasn't figured out anything better.

Cynical about some things, totally romantic about others, and ultimately believing that "true love is tops," Cornelia seeks succor in Cary Grant films, hoping that one day her very own Mr. Grant will walk through that café door. And he does, in the form of the gorgeous, gracious, and most civilized Martin Grace, who takes one look at her, falls in love with her, and immediately asks her to come to London with him.

Meanwhile, Martin's ex-wife, Viviana, has recently abandoned Clare, her eleven-year-old daughter. Wise beyond her years, Clare is an absolute marvel - resourceful, imaginative, even brave - the kind of girl "you usually find in books." A fan of romance fiction, she is a startling mixture of sweetness and pluck; it's almost as though she has been delved from the pages of Little Women.

Clare knows that something is terribly wrong when her mother starts exhibiting strange and erratic behavior: soon she is shopping compulsively, inexplicably pulling Clare from school, taking her to lunch in a fancy restaurant, even giving her red wine to drink. There's no explanation for Viviana's strange absences or odd behavior, but with her mind gradually slipping and skipping away between confusion and clarity, none of Clare's books have taught her what you do when your mother turns into "someone you don't know, someone who doesn't take care of you anymore."

When Viviana drops Clare off on the side of the road before disappearing, the young girl is set adrift, forced to find a home with Martin while trying desperately to imagine living with her father instead of her mother, and realizing that her father probably couldn't imagine it, either. Thinking, deciding, and worrying, it all becomes too much for the poor girl; she realizes that she is through with all of that: "floating and drifting, she did not want to think at all."

Almost immediately, Cornelia falls in love with the fragile Clare, adopting the role of semi-parent. But in the process, she discovers that Martin is not exactly the man she had hoped he would be; his chilly attitude toward Clare in her time of need has disturbed Cornelia. Wracked by doubts regarding his rightness for her, even though he is a "flesh and blood man," and with the less-than-fantastic sex on her mind, Cornelia's world is rocked when Tao, her distractingly handsome brother-in-law, arrives in town.

Moving between the voices of Clare and Cornelia, author Marisa de los Santos progressively charts the deepest and most poignant of these characters' emotions, revealing their flaws and exposing their hidden insecurities. For most of Clare's life, there has been so much distance between her father and herself, an empty space across which she could send stories, that actually telling him mattered so little - "he was just the near-stranger he'd always been."

Cornelia little by little becomes distracted about the nuts and bolts of Clare's well-being, the attributes of parenthood thrust upon her without warning. Yet she also worries about her relationship with Martin, forced to deny a steadily growing and brutally honest attraction to Tao. For Cornelia, Clare, and Tao, the world holds endless possibilities, but can the house of cards they seem to be keeping up through sheer force of will do anything but tumble down?

The author writes candidly and delicately, thoroughly in tune to the quiet domestic dramas of life. The characters in Love Walked In can little afford to leave their troubles behind, or even live in an in-between space where you think troubles can't find you. For all these characters, denial and defiance is not an option. It is where parenthood and its ensuring responsibilities crop up in the unlikeliest of places.

Only through her bourgeoning relationship with Clare and her surprise love affair with Martin does Cornelia realize that real happiness isn't what happens to you when you "whistle along," drifting through life, ignoring responsibilities and pretending that bad things just don't exist.

Happy Reading!

washington

So I really like this book. I wasn't sure what to expect of it. I mean, I wasn't sure if it was a novel, or like a boring textbook. Surprisingly, it's kind of like both, but awesome! My favorite quote so far is from the gold medal that was struck in Washington's honor:

"Those pages in the annals of America will record your title to be a conspicuous place in the temple of fame, which shall inform posterity, that under your directions, an undisciplined band of husbandmen, in the course of a few months, became soldiers."

BEAUTIFUL. George Washington was even more marvelous than I thought. I'm only at the part where the British ships have all entered New York and are seriously outnumbering our military. Even though I know we eventually win this war, I find myself seriously on the edge of my seat wondering how we're going to get ourselves out of this mess. I like it.

July Book Announcement

I've always wanted to read this. July seems like a good time to do it. How many of you have already read it? If I'm the only one who hasn't read it I have a pretty good back up.

I'm next, right?

Ugh!

This book has been really hard for me to read. I keep thinking of that "conference" of the church when Jacob was the prophet and he had to speak harsh words to soft hearts or broken hearts. I just don't really want to be happy about the idea of pornography being so HUGE.

I keep reading until there is a positive note then I take a break.

I can't read it right before I go to bed or I have sad dreams.

I'm taking it really really slowly.

I'm really happy to be reading it though because it is reality. And I have a son. Oh, and I'm pregnant and I think it's going to be another son. I can also see a lot of parallels in the science of the brain and other addictions I've read about: drugs and alcohol. I guess that's obvious though because the author points out the similarities.

I'm motivated to take a positive and proactive approach to teaching our children about this beginning with "I Am A Child of God." The sanctity and eternity of our bodies. The Plan of Happiness. Personal grooming and respect as well as for others.

Lots of thoughts. Thanks for choosing the book Cami.

What are you all thinking as you read this book?

On a more serious note....

I have chosen the book for June, and I hope it doesn't depress everyone. For a while now, I have been feeling the need to read and learn about pornography addiction and recovery. Thankfully, I have not had to deal with this in my personal life, but I know that the chances are high that I might have to one day. I feel like I need to educate myself about this problem in order to be more understanding, sympathetic and prepared, and to be less judgmental of those who do struggle with pornography addiction. As we get older and continue to have opportunities to serve in our families and in the church, I am convinced that I/we have to educate ourselves on this topic. I think it is particularaly important that we have this knowledge as we work with our children and the youth of the church.
So sorry to drop a bomb on you with such a sobering topic, but I'm hoping I'm not the only one who will find this useful. This particular book comes highly recommended from people I trust completely. My mother-in-law, Christa, has read many books as she's tried to educate herself on the topic and she says this is one of the best. The author is not LDS but apparently Elder Holland quotes him frequently. I can't find the book in local libraries, but it is on amazon or deseret book. I'm trying to give you advance notice so you can order it, if you choose to read it. So....here it is:

The Drug of the new Millennium: The Brain Science Behind Internet Pornography Use
by
Mark Kastleman

"An epidemic is sweeping across America and much of the world. Parents and spouses are desperate for answers. Clergy and counselors are inundated and searching for solutions. It s estimated that over 60 million in the U.S. are addicted at some level. Nine out of ten children between age eight and sixteen have been exposed. Teens are the largest consumers. The epidemic? Internet Pornography Use. Now, via computers, cell phones and even video gaming systems, every variety of Internet porn is instantly available to anyone, regardless of age or gender no one is immune!

After 10 years of study and research with leading neuro-scientists, and direct interaction with more than 10,000 families, renowned author, researcher and speaker Mark B. Kastleman brings the world his groundbreaking work. Rather than approaching this controversial issue from the traditional moral or religious angle, Mark sticks to the facts the brain science behind Internet pornography use. For example:

Internet porn triggers a flood-release of potent neuro-chemicals in the brain virtually identical to illicit street drugs. Porn use is substance-abuse a drug addiction.

Internet pornography radically alters the brain at cellular level, dramatically impacting attitudes and behaviors.

Most importantly, in addition to cutting-edge brain science, Mark provides parents, spouses, clergy and counselors with the 3 Power Principles guaranteed to protect children, marriages and families tested and proven practical solutions to prevent addiction to this super-drug.

This remarkable, comprehensive guidebook gives people the straight-forward, no-nonsense answers and practical solutions they've been searching for."

On a lighter note...Do you realize that we've been doing this book club for a year and a half?! We are awesome!! I love you all!

Sympathy or No Sympathy???

I still have a little bit left in the book, but I just thought I would throw this out there. Is anyone else having conflicted feelings about feeling sorry for Max?! I usually find in these books about WWII that it's always so easy to feel sad for the Jewish people and the whole situation, and I still do here, but it's a little different. Max was super selfish and totally abandoned his mother. What in the world? Knowing the way I feel about my mom, there is no way I could ever do that. So I was talking with my sister-in-law about this and wondering what I would have been like if I had been there during this time. Would it have just been every man for himself? What if I were German...would I have hid people in my house and risked everything? It's so easy to say yes now, but I wonder. So my question is...sympathy...or no sympathy? He left the people he loved behind to save himself. I think the gospel and knowing what we do about families gives us a different perspective and we probably know exactly what we would do in that situation, which makes it all the more difficult for me to feel sorry for Max. It kind of changes the tone of the book for me because I can feel this inner struggle about what happens to him when I read.
On a different note...I love that it is written from death's point of view. Awesome! I love that the whole thing is about finding a love of reading. Different experiences really do change things for people. I think it took me until my senior year with Crime and Punishment to really love and appreciate reading like I do now. If only I had found a grave digger's handbook when I was younger...

High School Goodies

Oh my, when I was looking for a high school picture that included Amy Hendricks, I came accross these oldies but goodies! I thought this might provide some good laughs. Miss you gals!

picks and pickles

So I finished the book long long ago. Is everyone else there now? I found myself finishing the book really fast. Because it was an easy read and because I thought it was pretty entertaining. However, I kind of thought it was the poor man's Steel Magnolias. I mean, it kind of started to bug me as the book went on. Why didn't someone punch Agnes T. Ritter in the face. I don't care if she's a "pickle." She sure didn't act like one. Grrr.

I also found myself wondering about our main character Queenie. It seemed like she and her husband had plenty of money (at least considering) and I wondered how that was possible with farming the way it was. Anyone know? Did it ever explain why they were so much better off than most? Maybe I just missed it.

Well, I think that since I am the last alphabetically to choose, it is Amy's turn! Welcome, and let us know what the book for May is. Meanwhile, we can keep commenting on the pickle club.

My Initiation: The May Book

So I know the book should be posted a month ahead of time, but there was so much pressure with this being my first pick and all; I really had to make sure it was a good one. I'm super excited about being part of this elite club! I miss you girls. I checked through the old posts to make sure I didn't pick a repeat, so I hope everyone hasn't read this one yet. If so, let me know and I have a back up plan. Okay, the book for May:

The Book Thief
By Markus Zusak

It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist – books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau. This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.

My sister-in-law recommended this book and said she was hooked from page one. I got it with the intent of reading it and then life got crazy and that never happened, so here goes another try. Enjoy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAMILLE!!

Persian Pickles are just a fancy name for Paisleys

I started the book over the weekend and was bored after about five pages. I really just wasn't in the mood to concentrate and try to get into it so I put it down. I picked it up again last night and it only took me about two pages to be totally into it. I guess I'm fickle. I was reading on my lunch break today and I had to stop in a place that totally left me hanging. BUT...I'm pretty sure I've got the whole mystery figured out. Are any of you reading it yet? Were you bored at first, or was it just me?

snow flower and new book

Ok, so I finished the book yesterday and...I liked it I guess. I got a little tired of the way the culture treated women. I know, that's just the way it was, but I just wanted to yell at some of these characters toward the end. Like Snow Flower's whole family pretty much. I was thinking about what Kim said about the culture being the antagonist in the book and I agree. I do think that Lily was not a very supportive friend to Snow Flower when she was going through terrible times, but were those really her sentiments? Or was she just regurgitating the sentiments of an ancient culture? Lily thought she was comforting her friend by saying she needed to have sons. She was trying to be her best self.

This book also made me very grateful to live in a culture and during a time when I can be whoever I want to be. But, is our culture that much different? We still view women in terms of how they look, how talented they are, what they can accomplish. To be honest, I think we are bombarded with pressure in every part of our culture. As women, we are expected to be beautiful and thin. As a mother we are expected to always be smiling and loving every second of the ride. As an LDS woman, we are expected to be crafty and talented and be able to be everything to everyone. Are we stretched just as thin as the women in this book? In some respects I think we are.

**********
Ok, so here is the book for April

The Persian Pickle Club
by Sandra Dallas

My sister-in-law really enjoyed it and I pretty much get all of my recommendations from her. Here is a brief synopsis of the book:


It is the 1930s, and hard times have hit Harveyville, Kansas, where the crops are burning up and there’s not a job to be found. For Queenie Bean, a young farm wife, a highlight of each week is the gathering of the Persian Pickle Club, a group of local ladies dedicated to improving their minds, exchanging gossip, and putting their quilting skills to good use. When a new member of the club stirs up a dark secret, the women must band together to support and protect one another. In her magical, memorable novel, Sandra Dallas explores the ties that unite women through good times and bad.

The Young Women Values

I started the book and so far I am finding it interesting. Surprisingly, the foot binding part didn't make me queasy, but it was disturbing none the less. The fact that their culture places a girl's worth on the size of her foot, and not even the natural size of her foot, makes me extremely sad. I am sad that so many girls suffered so much. Obviously, they suffered physically, but more importantly emotionally and spiritually, just because their culture failed to see the big picture. However, before it starts to look like I'm pointing fingers, our culture has done the same thing with body image, so we are also at fault.
As I've been reading this book, the Young Women values continue to come into my mind. I know that it is the spirit that is "bringing things to my remembrance" and testifying of their truth. I've always love the YW values and I have had many experiences that have strengthened my testimony of their importance and reading this book has been another one of those experiences. Specifically, the values of Divine Nature and Individual Worth. Divine Nature...we are daughters of God and that alone gives us more worth than anything else ever can. There is plan for us that is very personal and based on our faithfulness, our actions, and the desires of our hearts, not based on what other people think of us or how we look or how much money we make. Individual Worth...we all have something great to offer. We each have been blessed with specific talents that can bring us, and those around us, so much happiness. We don't have to be clones of the people around us.
My heart just aches for Lily (or every girl who went through this exact same experience) as she is conditioned to believe she has little worth and whatever worth she does have is based on circumstances that are completely out of her control. I'm so thankful that I was taught those 7, now 8, specific values as I grew up and I'm even more thankful now that I still get to learn about them. I can't imagine how girls and women make sense of the messages being thrown at them without the guidance of the Lord through his servants the prophets and the General YW Leaders. Seriously. We are so lucky!!

FYI...in case you didn't know, they just put out another new personal progress book a couple of months ago and they are encouraging ALL women to earn or re-earn their award. You should all do it, it is a really great program. And I'm officially done acting like your YW leader now.

Shout out to our newest member!

Welcome Amy Hendricks!! I am so glad you asked to join our very formal and very strict book club. It made me wonder if there is anyone else out there who has stumbled across our club and wished they were part of it. Right now there might be someone out there in a deep hole of depression because they feel left out of our book club. If you are from Merced and you know the people in the picture on our blog and you want to join, just ask!
Okay, so I thought it would be fun to list some memories I have of/with Amy Hendricks. I'll list mine here and feel free to add yours in the comments section.

1. cleaning out dads' law office listening to Brittney Spears. Don't pretend you are too cool for B.S. and you don't remember...I know you do.

2. The Alto section. Enough said.

3. Driving down G Street after a football game and somebody making us thing the tire on your mini-van was flat.

4. trying to find that chemical that turns pee blue or green to answer Ryan and Tim for prom.

5. Leadership my Jr. year

6. 4th period chemistry. You were in that class with us, right? I have to be honest, all I really cared about in that class was flirting with Tim, but I'm pretty sure you were in that class. However, your last name started with "H" so you were a couple of rows away from me. right?

7. Amy was always one of the happiest people. I love that about her.

Excuse the random thoughts

Did anyone else get a little bit queasy at the footbinding description? I can't even imagine...

I have to admit, my love of the Asian culture took a bit of a hit. I know they aren't the only ones to view women as inferior, but it is so frustrating. To be considered a burden by their birth parents, and a visitor by their in-laws must have been very demeaning. Though, I guess women haven't really changed all that much. Their worth was determined by the size of their feet, the victorian era viewed small waists as most important, and we still often view our worth by superficial means.

I was just reading in the bible of Jacob and his relationship with Leah and Rachel. Rachel was obviously the one Jacob loved, but Leah was the first to have children. In the scriptures she rejoices, saying that now her husband will love her for bearing a son. Yet, Jacob still loves Rachel more. Despite that, Rachel envies Leah for her ability to have children. Apparently women really haven't changed; we will always compare ourselves to other women.

Could it have ended differently?

For those of you who didn’t finish Mansfield Park, I’ll summarize part of it. Henry Crawford decides that he wants to work his charms on Fanny, but ends up falling in love with her and proposing. She tries to turn him down because she’s actually in love with Edmund. Henry thinks he just needs to prove to her that he will remain constant in his love. He’s inspired by her goodness and even becomes better because of her influence.
However, he fails in his constancy. While visiting London, he and Maria begin a flirtation and end up running away together. Mary Crawford scandalizes Edmund by expressing her regret, not that Henry could do such a thing, but that he would be so reckless as to get caught. She believes that if Fanny would have accepted Henry’s offer Fanny “would have been the making of him” and this never would have happened.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Would Henry have remained faithful to Fanny, or was it inevitable that he would stray? If he had been constant, would he have made Fanny happy? Is it fair to ask women to "be the making of" men? This is the part that bothers me. Obviously we won't marry men who are doing drugs, unfaithful, etc. But we also believe in the Atonement and people's ability to change. So how do we judge correctly?
I guess the reality is that women can make good men better. The operative word is "good". We don't have to bind ourselves to morally corrupt men, with the hope that they will improve. But we can take good men--men who honor their priesthood--and help them become better.

And does anybody else have a hard time with Edmund and Fanny? It's just seems like such an older brother/sister relationship. He acts so superior to her through the whole thing.

March Book

I know Cami has been trying to get us to choose books a little further in advance, so after desperately calling my sister-in-law for suggestions, I've picked our March book:



I probably wouldn't have picked this on my own, but Julie recommended the Help and The Guernsey Literary.... so I trust her judgment. Though she has never had a desire before, Julie said this book was so intriguing that she now wants to visit China. Though, apparently there is one slightly awkward part (you have been warned).
Since Sunday marks the beginning of Chinese New Year, and since I miss Taiwan, I'm really excited to read this book.

To read the synopsis go here.

baaaa!

Ok, I'm on page like 130 or something and I have a few thoughts.

1. Does anyone else have a hard time getting into classic books like this when it's been a while since you read one? It took me a few pages to understand what was going on. I mean, jeez, Austen uses so many characters and then calls them all the same names. Two Mr. Bertrams and two Miss Bertrams etc. Also, sometimes she does not distinguish who is speaking and it's a little confusing. But, after a few pages I got back into the swing of things.

2. Is there ANY character you like? I'm trying desperately to cling to one, but I just don't like any of them so far. I guess Edmund is supposed to be the most likable? Maybe not. He's nice, but a typical boy, you know? He likes Mary Crawford because she's like fun? I don't know. It seems like the returned missionary dating an 18-year-old kind of thing. And I do not like Fanny at all. Now, I've never read this book, but I'm already predicting that Edmund and Fanny get together in the end. Instead of making me happy, that kind of annoys me. I think he could do better. I mean, I don't like Mary OR Fanny. Are there no other options? Oh, and don't even get me started on Maria Bertram and Henry Crawford. Yikes.

3. Do these people just sit around all day and do whatever? I can't decide whether I love their life--sitting around in the shade and reading books--or hate the boredom. It seems like in every Austen novel there are a bunch of 20-something's just hanging out flirting and eating. And apparently producing a play? It reminds me of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

I guess that's all. These may sound like negative comments, but I am actually enjoying the book. I think it's really good. And I just got it yesterday, so I'm ploughing through it. I'm just not the biggest Austen fan, so what can you do?

February's Festivities

In honor of National Love month, I thought I'd choose a sappy novel written by none other than Ms. Jane Austen. I haven't read Mansfield Park, I hope you gals haven't either. I'm predicting some love triangles, vanity, and mothers trying to marry their daughters off. Enjoy!!

Who's next?

What book is next?

I heart you all.

Camille

Potato Peel Pie....

My sister, Catie, has my copy of this book so I can't really think of any great discussion questions, but I'm in the mood for some Merced communicado so I'm posting anyway.

I remember really liking the format right away. It was fun to read the letters and after I finished the book I spent a whole week writing actual letters to people that actually went in the mail. I hope to do more of that.

I also really like the main girl's editor and wished the whole time that they would fall in love.

I immediately fell in love with the plot and the girl's life and work and then I really cautiously tried to back up and not be so sentimental and give myself time to see if I really liked her or if I thought she was too over the top. You know what I mean by over the top?

It's no secret that I'm a dreamer, but sometimes I have these waves of practicality. Sometimes I think it's my fear of realizing my dreams and sometimes I think it's just practicality.

When I found myself identifying and falling in love with the main girl (who's name I can't even remember) I thought it was so fun and how great that everything was working out for her and she met all these really great people and did these amazing things for their souls and those kinds of things, but then I stepped back because I was nervous that I was being too idealistic or something.

The nerves came from thinking about what other people would think of me being in love with her carefree yet meaningful lifestyle.

So that's all I really have to say about the book because I don't have my copy. Please share your own reactions from the book and I want to hear people's reactions about what I wrote, because am I crazy to think like that?

I heart you all!

Happy New Year! 2010 is gonna rock!

Hey ladies. I hope you all had a fun holiday season. Can you believe it is 2010? Remember how ten years ago we were rockin' out at the Merced stake center hoping that our computers at home weren't going to implode due to Y2K complications? I can't believe how fast time goes!!
So did anybody read "The Hunger Games"? Tim and I read it on our drive to Chicago and we both loved it. I know December is busy for everyone, so if you didn't get a chance to read it, I'd still recommend you read it sometime (preferably before the movie comes out, Tim says they are making the movie). If anyone else read it I'll post some questions or thoughts, but if not I'll just keep them to myself.
I started the potato peel book and so far so good! I'm reading it on our new Amazon Kindle that Tim's parents gave us for Christmas. I wasn't sure if I'd like this little gadget, but it is turning out to be really cool.