Monday, December 8, 2008

Wear the old coat. Buy the new book

Well, I had bookclub this weekend and we choose our books for the next 4 months. I love that. I can read ahead if I want to, and that way if I go the library route I’m not stuck at the very last minute waiting for a book. So, like I did here and here in order from January-April, here are our next 4 books if anyone is interested…and I got the little reviews from Goodreads. I heart my Goodreads.

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

Jack Mullen's younger brother Peter is found dead on a Long Island beach. All the signs point to murder yet the police fail to investigate. Peter died whilst working at a party for the wealthy East Hampton Neubauer family. As Jack tries to see that justice is done, he meets a wall of silence as the criminal justice system protects the wealthy. Finally Jack and his grandfather Mack take the law into their own hands. The relationship between Jack and Mack is fiercely affectionate, and the tragic history of the Mullen family wins our sympathy entirely. Against this, Patterson sets the petulance of the Hamptons wealthy. We are left in no doubt that the working-class Irish Mullens are superior to Long Island's self-indulgent, sexually perverse WASPs. Jack and Mack's 'People's Court' unfolds legal thrills to rival Grisham. Patterson's social setting is well observed; the tensions between the Hamptons' rich and poor are convincing as Patterson shows the truth behind the cliche of America's 'glitziest zip code'. This is high-octane suspense with a conscience.


The story of three best friends who vow to change their entire lives...and fast. Emmy is newly single, and not by choice. She was this close to the ring and the baby she's wanted her whole life when her boyfriend left her for his twenty-three-year-old personal trainer -- whose fees are paid by Emmy. With her plans for the perfect white wedding in the trash, Emmy is now ordering takeout for one. Her friends insist an around-the-world sex-fueled adventure will solve all her problems -- could they be right? Leigh, a young star in the publishing business, is within striking distance of landing her dream job as senior editor and marrying her dream guy. And to top it all off, she has just purchased her dream apartment. Only when Leigh begins to edit the enfant terrible of the literary world, the brilliant and brooding Jesse Chapman, does she start to notice some cracks in her perfect life... Adriana is the drop-dead-gorgeous daughter of a famous supermodel. She possesses the kind of feminine wiles made only in Brazil, and she never hesitates to use them. But she's about to turn thirty and -- as her mother keeps reminding her -- she won't have her pick of the men forever. Everyone knows beauty is ephemeral and there's always someone younger and prettier right around the corner. Suddenly she's wondering...does Mother know best? These three very different girls have been best friends for a decade in the greatest city on earth. As they near thirty, they're looking toward their future...but despite all they've earned -- first-class travel, career promotions, invites to all the right parties, and luxuries small and large -- they're not quite sure they like what they see... One Saturday night at the Waverly Inn, Adriana and Emmy make a pact: within a single year, each will drastically change her life. Leigh watches from the sidelines, not making any promises, but she'll soon discover she has the most to lose. Their friendship is forever, but everything else is on the table. Three best friends. Two resolutions. One year to pull it off.


One night, after an unsatisfying evening at a party, author Oriah Mountain Dreamer wrote the start of The Invitation. By the light of her streetlight, she began, "It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.... I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain...." Her profound invitation (longer than is written here) became the framework for this wise and inspiring book. Chapter by chapter, the author uses passages from her "Invitation" to welcome readers into a life that is more soul fulfilling and passionate, and has far greater truth and integrity. In a sense, she invites readers to get a life instead of buying into a lifestyle. Each chapter ends with a guided meditation specific to the theme of the chapter, such as "The Joy" and "The Failure." Despite her suspiciously New Age-sounding name, Oriah Mountain Dreamer is a highly grounded, practical, and honest writer. This fresh and beautifully packaged book is destined for great acclaim in the realm of spiritual inspiration.

No comments: