Ep #23 The Midwich Cuckoos

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All good things must come to an end. Join Jeane and Karena as they end the CWAtC podcast and discuss the Midwich Cuckoos. Stay tuned for next month's outtakes episode for all of the Tators' shenanigans that didn't make the cut.

Where's My Bookmark?

• City of Lost Dreams
• Among Others
• The Whipping Boy
• Lord of the Flies
• The Ground Beneath Her Feet

Ep #22: Persuasion

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Could the Tators be persuaded into Jane Austen's final novel? Was Karena losing her voice the act of malicious post Halloween spirits? Did Jared read a book other than the selection of the month? Did Jeane finish her Newbury Award Winners? Find out now! 

Where's My Bookmark?:

• Call It Courage
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
• What the Dog Saw
• Black Magic Sanction
• Flight Behavior

Websites we mention: 

• Bay Area Literature Map
• Amazon Kindle Matchbook
• 1001 Books to Read Before You Die app

Ep #21: The Handmaid's Tale

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2013 has been the year of the dystopia and science fiction for CWAtC, as Jared, Jeane, and Karena buckle down to discuss Margaret Atwood's arguably most famous book, The Handmaid's Tale. This conversation proves the range of the dystopian genre with how wrong society can go in a variety of ways.  

Where's My Bookmark and other books we mention:

• The Thirteenth Tale
• Flight Behavior
• The Round House
• May We Be Forgiven
• Sweet Tooth
• David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
• Steelheart
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Websites we mention: 

• Culling the Classics
• Booktrack

Ep #20: LitClubs to Lit Songs

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How can you get teenagers to enjoy the classics? Jeane and Karena interview Ali Dent about her book The LitClub in which she describes the literature club she created to get her kids and other kids into reading. Then they spotlight fellow CWAtCer Martin Waterhouse's musical take on Brave New World (which the gang talked about  back in May).


Where's My Bookmark (and other books we mention):

• The LitClub
• Beloved
• The Color Purple
• Brave New World
• The Handmaid's Tale
• Schindler's List
• Inferno
• A Wrinkle in Time
• The Bronze Bow
• Seanan McGuire 

Websites we mention

• Oyster
• Brave New World by Martin Waterhouse

Ep #19 Burn Baby Burn

The band is back together on this episode where we chat about upcoming fall television shows that are based on books (the best ones usually are!). There's some chatting about Karena and Jared's recent DC trip and then we move on to delve into our August book, Ray Bradbury's often misunderstood novel, the book burning classic Fahrenheit 451.


Where's my bookmark?

• Inferno
• Chris Bohjalian novels
• The LitClub
• City of Bones

Ep #17 The Phantom of the Opera

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Even though they were short a Tator this week, Jeane and Karena delve into what most know as a Broadway masterpiece, Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. They snoop the shadows and discuss the mystery of Erik (don't know who that is? Read the book! Then listen to this!). Also the ladies share the joy which will be the California Bookstore Day that is being featured on Indiegogo. Support your local indie bookstores! 


Where's My Bookmark? and other books we mention:

• A Memory of Light  
• First Grave on the Right
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
• Phantom
• Orange is the New Black

Websites We Mention:

• CWAtC forum - Historical accuracy
• California Bookstore Day

Required Reading

Our Tators are always reading. Here are some of their favorite books for the month of July.

July's Required Reading



More of All's books »

Angie

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: Probably one of the strangest stories I've read lately. I was looking for a quick read, and this was perfect. I was hooked on the very first page. A very dark, but perceptive, look at what it means to become a grownup and understanding too much of a good thing can be very, very bad.

Heather

Jennifer Miller's The Year of the Gadfly. Despite being categorized as young adult fiction, Gadfly is an engaging read for older fiction lovers as well. Miller has worked diligently to bring attention to her debut novel from creating a Novelade Stand (complete with homemade cookies) to setting a world record. Her efforts are paying off as she's receiving high praise from a broad swath of readers.

Jared

I liked The Phantom of the Opera for a few different reasons. The first is how he actually wrote the story. I like that it came across as a true story and he wrote it like a crime novel of which I don't usually read, but it's pretty good. It's also depending on how true it is, it shed some light into the old days and theater life. I would now love to read a book that truly depicts the life in the opera during those times.

Jeane

 Juliet Dove Queen of Love by Bruce Coville. (one reason I chose this book as Required Reading is because I read some really crappy books in the month of July, except this book). Even though it is for ages 7-12, Bruce Coville is a great author (I got a chance to meet him and he signed a bunch of books for my daughter!) and this is a great book. It is heavily seeped in Greek mythology so kids will even learn things! Don't really recommend for adults unless they like reading children's books like me :) This is also the 5th book in the Magic Shop series, but you can read it stand alone. 

Karena

The Light in the Ruins was a phenomenal book. If you like Italy, WW2, murder mysteries, family, etc. this is your book.

Laura

The Scarlet Pimpernel is a fantastic mix of adventure, spy action, and romance with the Scarlet Pimpernel as the superhero. At times, it reminded me of Superman with the dual identity factor...meanwhile taking place during one of the most bloody and pivotal points in history, the French Reign of Terror, where the guillotine worked over time. I wrote a paper on the French Revolution in High School, explaining why the Reign of Terror was a "necessary evil."  I had nightmares for weeks while writing this paper, so it was cool to revisit this topic. But this time, I saw it from the aristocrat point of view and felt sympathy for the nobility. 

What was your favorite read this month?

Classical Clairvoyance

Classical Clairvoyance is where we ask our Tators which books they predict will win for the upcoming poll for our Goodreads book club. For October's poll, our winner is Persuasion so Laura's streak has sadly ended.  Aww.  However, she is tied with Karena on most correct answers! 

Our scores for right guesses so far are as follows: 

Angie -2

Heather - 1

Jared - 1

Jeane - 2

Karena - 3

Laura - 3

November's poll choices are for the category of 1910-1959:

The Magnificent Ambersons, The Black Obelisk, Atlas Shrugged, The Innocence of Father Brown, The Midwich Cuckoos  

Angie

Heather

Jared

Jeane

Karena

Laura

Which novel do think is going to win the poll?

Tator Tuesdays

Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is 

What book have you read that you weren't looking forward to, but ended up liking it a great deal? 

Angie

Brave New World

Heather

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I was attending an informal book discussion group a year or two ago where it was on the list. One of the members said that, when she read it, it scared her so much she couldn’t sleep. That, coupled with the fact that the book talked a lot about architecture -- a topic I knew little to nothing about and had no interest in -- turned me off. However, while reading, I enjoyed learning about architecture, the World’s Fair, and H.H. Holmes. The research that went into the novel as well as the narrative Larson was able to weave together makes for a very compelling story that shouldn’t be missed!

Jared

 Life of Pi

Jeane

Life of Pi and Pride and Prejudice

Karena

 Life of Pi. I was not looking forward to that one at ALL, but ending up liking it a lot.

Laura

The Age of Innocence. I was about to give up on it and if it weren't for CWAtC, I would have stopped reading it early on. I ended up enjoying it very much, and this experience made me realize THAT is the reason why I joined CWAtC.

Do you have any books that surprised you?

Bookshelf, Library Bag or Donation Box - Quick and Dirty

In Bookshelf, Library Bag or Donation Box, our Tators give their verdict on the books they read, whether they're keepers for the shelves, ones you borrow from your local library, or just give to your local used bookstore.

Five Star Billionaire 

This novel tells the story of four very different Malaysians who come to Shanghai in search of a better life. Some of the stories were more interesting than others. I applaud Aw in this; he created a character in Shanghai itself. The city itself became the most interesting "person." I think some of the stories could have been fleshed out a bit, and a few times I wasn't sure if the characters were using a past narrative or one in the present day. All in all, it just wasn't enough to make it a keeper for me. However, I'm interested in reading Aw's previous works.

Verdict 

Library Bag

*Received from netgalley.com

Stoker's Manuscript 

Joseph Berkley is a rare manuscript dealer who is hired by an anonymous buyer who commissions him to find and purchase Bram Stoker's manuscript and bring it to Romania. As a book lover, I enjoyed the process Prouty explains on manuscript authentication, and the history of Stoker writing the book was illuminating. Prouty's descriptions are very illustrative; I saw Transylvania and the buildings the character entered. However, Joseph as a character is weak. I didn't relate to him at all, and the climax of the book seems a bit contrived and lacking the horror that it is supposed to have. 

Verdict

Library Bag

*Received from LibraryThing as part of their Early Reviewers program

The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. 

The story of a man and his relationships, Nate is the son of Jewish immigrants, a Harvard graduate, who is now a writer living in Brooklyn. And, he doesn't let you forget it. He repeats all this over and over again. I had a friend tell me once he couldn't be nice to his girlfriend at the time because she would "start to expect it." Nate never vocalizes this, but he thinks it deep down, and it shows in the majority of his actions towards the women in his life. I was disappointed, since the beginning of the novel states, "he's was a product of a postfeminist 1980s childhood and politically correct, 1990s college education." I never saw evidence of this.

Verdict:

Donation Box




*Received from LibraryThing as part of their Early Reviewers program

Book Association

In this month's Book Association we're linking our Goodreads group book of the month The Phantom of the Opera with other titles that fit with some different themes. This week's theme is French literature. Now, I think we can all name works by Flaubert, Hugo, Dumas, or even Camus, but how about some lesser known French titles.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses

I admit, the most I know about this one is it's the source material for Cruel Intentions, a movie from the late 90's starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe as salaciously scheming step siblings. However horrible you may have found the movie, the underlying plot is pretty scandalous. I might need to move this title up my TBR list. 

Candide

The protagonist of this short adventure novel, Candide, goes from one venture to another as Voltaire uses him and his escapades to illustrate scathing satire of the period's current events. 

The Red and the Black

In society after Napoleon's Waterloo, Julien is trying to rise above his station by embracing the hypocrisy by which French society operated at the time. Another exercise in satire, this novel also is full of romance, drama, intrigue, class disputes and so much more. 










What are some of your favorite French novels?

Tator Tuesdays

Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is:

What is your all-time favorite quote?

Angie

"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." 
-F. Scott Fitzgerald The Great Gatsby

Heather

 I don’t have one but a quote that’s been resonating with me lately is Mary

McCarthy’s “We are the hero of our own story.”

Jared

Hundreds. None of them jump to my mind. I love how authors can put shit together.

Karena

“In omnibus requiem quaesivi, et nusquam inveni nisi in angulo cum libro.

(Everywhere I have sought peace and not found it, except in a corner with a book.)” 

― Thomas à Kempis

Laura

“Since you embrace this indiscriminate vice, 

Your friendship comes at far too cheap a price;

I spurn the easy tribute of a heart

Which will not set the worthy man apart:

I choose, Sir, to be chosen; and in fine,

The friend of mankind is no friend of mine.”
- Alceste from The Misanthrope

What's your favorite bookish quote?

Ep #16 Heroes Are Overrated

Click here to listen to Episode 16!

In this episode the Tators ask what makes them abandon a book and talk about Thug Notes. Then they delve into the second installment of the trope/archetype series in preparation for this month's book selection of The Phantom of the Opera. What makes an anti hero? Who are some of literary's most notable? Why do we all love the anti hero even more than the heroes?

Where's My Bookmark and other books we mention:

• 1984
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
• The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.
• The Year of the Gadfly
• Darkly Dreaming Dexter
• A Song of Fire and Ice series
• Catcher in the Rye
• The Great Gatsby
• Harry Potter
• Millenium Trilogy
• Schindler's List
• Jack Reacher series
• Sherlock Holmes
• The Lord of the Rings
• Jason Bourne series
• Fight Club
• Pride and Prejudice

Websites We Mention:

• What Makes You Put Down A Book? via Goodreads
• Thug Notes
• The Greatest Books
• Susan Cain Ted Talks: The Power of Introverts

Literary Loot

Source: Karena Fagan

Wrapping it up with part four of my Santa Cruz Public Library Spring Sale splurge! I know this seems like it took forever. Next time I'll make sure to put them closer because you know I'm going to turn around and do this again next time there's another huge sale.

So like in part one, I had David Sedaris so I couldn't resist not pick up Naked as well as Me Talk Pretty One Day. Investing that much (which really was like ten bucks) on an author I haven't tried is scary, but I have high hopes.

Middlemarch is one I really would like to get to one of these days. I am hoping it gets chosen as a book of the month for the group to help me get it to the top of my list.

I've heard both good and bad about Love in the Time of Cholera. I am curious to find out on which side of the debate I will be.

I feel like I'm missing out as I've never read any Toni Morrison, so I picked up Paradise because no one wants to be left behind.

Any plans to pick up your own Literary Loot this weekend? Go support your local library if they have a book store or your local indie library.

Tator Tuesday

Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is:

Who are three authors you'd most like to have dinner with (living or dead)? 

Angie 

Alive: Patrick Ness, George R.R. Martin, Sherman Alexie

Dead: Carson McCullers, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker

Heather

Samuel Clemens, hands down. There’s no way there would be a dull moment. Nate Silver because then I could pick his brain about politics and statistics. And Mary Roach because she’s charming, funny, and deeply curious.

Jared

 Malcom Gladwell, Nate Silver and Clive Cussler

Jeane

Christopher Moore, Anne Rice, and Barbara Kingsolver

Karena

Jenny Lawson, Kevin Hearne and Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). There would be booze and curse words involved and that spells great dinner party. I wonder what Twain would say to alcoholic Otter pops?

Laura

V.C. Andrews, Edgar Allen Poe and ... hmmm Marquis de Sade to keep the conversation interesting.  

Who would you have dinner with?

Words Words Everywhere and Not a Book to Read

This doesn't happen very often to me...I'm between books, and I have no idea where I want to go next. It's not like I don't have anything to read. Those days are long gone. I had those days, pre-Kindle and when I was in a safe place where I only read mystery novels and paranormal romance. Those days are long past, thanks to the aforementioned Kindle and its free or cheap books, my obligation to this blog to review books, and the monthly selections for the CWAtC book group.

Source: Jared Fagan

To be fair, I do have a few review books I could read, but none of them are really sparking the interest at the moment. We pick our CWATC books 3 months ahead of time, and even with that, I am ahead because I got some wild hair to finish them all this week. Two of them I've read recently, so no need to pick up again anytime soon (Fahrenheit 451), and with The Handmaid's Tale winning for September, I'm clear there as well.

I can't even narrow it down to a genre at the moment. A few months ago I was in a slump. I just couldn't get interested in a book to save my life. It wasn't the fault of my literary friends; it was me. I just had a hard time getting started. The thing that pushed me out of it? A reread of one of my more contemporary favorites, The Night Circus. This time, I'm not so sure that would be the case. Plus, I have too many books I want to read for the first time to waste time on a book I've already read, and none come to mind on a "I need to revisit that world/character/whatever" basis.

I honestly used my Filemaker database of all my books and fed the numbers into random.org to find some suggestions. That was less than satisfying and almost embarrassingly geeky. I was able to narrow it down and say, "I'm only reading books I own." That's not so hard if you've paid attention to my Literary Loot posts. I have a lot to read.

My question, I pose to you, Dear Readers, is how do you determine the priority on your TBR pile (whether it's digital or physical or even auditory)?

Literary Loot

Literary Loot is where we share our latest bookish acquisitions.  

Part three of my Santa Cruz Spring Sale loot!

I'm pretty sure The Three Musketeers should be part of everyone's library if they're a lover of classics. I have yet to read this one, but I look forward to going on this legendary adventure.

I've heard rave reviews about The Poisonwood Bible. I am almost ashamed I haven't read it yet.

I have this thing that I like reading books about books, so The Club Dumas sounds like it will be right up my alley.

The White Tiger is on the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list (in one of its many revisions). I'm working on the combined list and this one sounded pretty great.

I'm actually reading The Secret History as I type this up. If you're a fan of the Dead Poets Society or reading about secret clubs, this story should interest you. You should also check out our side read of The Year of the Gadfly. 

Did you pick up any loot recently?

Playing with History

Playing With History is a monthly column dedicated to books that are history based, but with a fictional plot. I tend to gravitate toward Henry the VIII's England or the Italian Renaissance, but here or there I plan to step out of my usual if the plot sounds promising enough. I will use our usual rating of Bookshelf, Library Bag or Donation Box.

In Kathleen Tessaro's The Perfume Collector Grace Munroe receives a mysterious letter informing her that she's the beneficiary to a will. The problem? She doesn't know the deceased. Grace leaves her life in England, a life where she's barely happy in social circles she doesn't want to be in and married to an absent, and probable cheating husband, to travel to Paris to find out more about the woman, Eva D'Orsey who has left her a fortune. In doing so she starts unraveling a mystery that spans from New York in 1927, to Monte Carlo in the 1932 to rural England in 1935 and back to Paris in 1955.

I was charmed by this book. It swaps from Grace's story to Eva's in a way that you're learning about this mysterious woman along with Grace instead of knowing things the main character doesn't which can get a little frustrating. Eva's history is spell binding. She's not a completely pure character, but she's got the right motivations. To see where she starts and how she ends up is a pleasure in story telling. Grace also gets to go through great character development. I actually found myself at the end surprised I was there already and wishing for more.

There were a few things I really enjoyed about this book. One was that it was about perfume, which is really funny because I rarely wear it and when I do, it's one scent that I buy over and over (I'd tell you what it is, but then you'd accuse me of product placement). Much like The Language of Flowers did with flora, Tessaro makes perfume about more than just smelly stuff that causes people to sneeze, but about the meaning of the scents. How different smells can bring out memories, both good and bad. 

The second thing I really liked about this book was that it wasn't about a woman needing to do something for the love or even approval of a man. Grace and Eva both did things for themselves. Grace's husband is, for the most part, a foot note in the book. She leaves for Paris with barely a thought, forget about permission as might have been the law of the land in those days. And Eva...Eva lived for Eva, but I wouldn't say in a selfish way. She might have taken up with men, but it was never for them unless she wished it to be. 

The Verdict

Bookshelf

Book Association

Every month we find themes in our Book of the Month and find books within those perimeters. July's book is The Phantom of the Opera, and our first theme is the antihero.  The Phantom is a complex character. Is he the villain? Is he a misunderstood hero? Here are some other books that feature characters with the same complexity.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Edmund Dantés is the antihero in Alexander Dumas's tale after he's betrayed and then seeks vengeance on those who wronged him.

The Stranger

Albert Camus tells a story of a man who is unknowingly brought into a murder. Meursault is described as being someone who rejects society's values. 

Rabbit, Run

Rabbit, a former basketball star turned kitchen gadget salesman, impulsively deserts his wife and child and is conflicted in life's complexities. 

Since we can't add every book, let us know a few of your favorite books featuring an anti-hero.

Tator Tuesays

Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is:

What was the first chapter book you remember reading? 

Angie

Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Bloom

Heather

I don’t quite remember, but I do know that Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins is the first book I ever read more than once.

Jared

Charlotte’s Web. There are others, but I don’t remember.

Jeanie

The Boxcar Children

Karena

Honestly, I don't remember the first. I remember really loving the Fudge series.

Laura

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff 

What was your first chapter book?