Book club: Passages
Location: Santa Barbara
Reading: “Spouse Trap” (A Madeline Dawkins Novel) by Cynthia Hamilton (Woodstock Press, 2013)
The story: After being framed for an affair, pampered socialite Madeline Dawkins Ridley must clear her name and in doing so, she becomes a self-reliant woman.
Comments: “We invited the author, Cynthia Hamilton, to join us. It was such fun to hear how she came up with her characters and plot, how she does research and how she writes. We agreed that it is the self-actualization of the main character that is the highlight, and we look forward to the next Madeline Dawkins novel,” says member Ann Lippincott.
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Next up: “Angels At My Table: An Anthology of Poetry and Memoir” edited by Gaby Edwards
Book club: Bakers Dozen
Location: Santa Barbara
Reading: “Howl’s Moving Castle” by Diana Wynne Jones (Greenwillow Books, 1986)
The story: Under a witch’s spell, young Sophie is transformed into an old lady. The only way to break the spell lies in an ever-moving castle in the hills.
Comments: “A funny, fluffy, magical read. It’s a good kids’ book. A great escape to another world. Wonderful for kids but also a great reminder what it’s like for adults to live in an imaginary world,” says member Jaime Fiore.
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Next up: TBA
Book club: Word SB/IV!
Location: Santa Barbara/Isla Vista
Reading: “The Second American Revolution and Other Essays 1976-1982” by Gore Vidal (Harper, 1982)
The Story: Essayist Vidal writes on authors like Carl Sandburg, politicians like Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt, and topics like elections and sexuality.
Comments: “A great collection of essays by one of the most astute, insightful and literate minds of our time. It begins disarmingly enough with a discussion of contemporary literature and its relation to the past, with articles focused on specific writers like Fitzgerald and Isherwood. Then he goes deeper to the causes of bigotry against homosexualists (as Vidal used to say), women and artists, the industry of art and many other topics,” says member Ken Volok.
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Next up: “Scarred for Life: Eleven Stories About Skateboarders” by Keith David Hamm