February 2009 Selection

The February 2009 selection is Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence.   

Perhaps the most famous of Lawrence's novels, the 1928 Lady Chatterley's Lover is no longer distinguished for the once-shockingly explicit treatment of its subject matter--the adulterous affair between a sexually unfulfilled upper-class married woman and the game keeper who works for the estate owned by her wheelchaired husband. Now that we're used to reading about sex, and seeing it in the movies, it's apparent that the novel is memorable for better reasons: namely, that Lawrence was a masterful and lyrical writer, whose story takes us bodily into the world of its characters.

This book was selected by Vicki for the "Classics" genre.

The Book Snobs Gathering
The Book Snobs gathering was held on Monday, February 23.  We enjoyed a dinner of Baked Ziti and Greek Salad with ice cream and sugar cookies for dessert.  We agreed that this was not one of our favorite selections, but the discussion was interesting.  Most of us struggled with the dialect.

Janna shared excerpts from "Apropos of Lady Chatterley's Lover."  This essay, written by D. H. Lawrence provides insights into the characters that clarify some of the book's story line.  Anyone who reads LCL should include this essay.

January 2009 Selection

The January 2009 selection is Left to Tell - Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.

Immaculée Ilibagiza was born in Rwanda and studied Electronic and Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Rwanda. Her life transformed dramatically in 1994 during the Rwanda genocide when she and seven other women huddled silently together in a cramped bathroom of a local pastor’s house for 91 days! During this horrific ordeal, Immaculée lost most of her family, but she survived to share the story and her miraculous transition into forgiveness and a profound relationship with God.

This book was selected by Janna for the "Current Events" genre.

The Book Snobs Gathering
The Book Snobs gathering was held at Janna's home on January 26.  She served yummy chicken enchiladas, broccoli and raisin salad, and a selection of wine.  Discussion covered a wide range of topics including the U.S. governments lack of intervention in Rwanda and how we each might react if our own faith was so tested.

December 2008

In December we decided to take a month off from reading as a group. We met for dinner at Luciano's Restaurant. We enjoyed wine and delicious Italian food along with excellent company and conversation. In lieu of a gift exchange, each of us contributed to a gift for the Corpus Christi Literacy Council. Our donation will sponsor beginning reading workbooks for four adults who are learning to read.

November 2008 Selection

The November 2008 selection is The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian.

When college sophomore Laurel Estabrook is attacked while riding her bicycle through Vermont’s back roads, her life is forever changed. Formerly outgoing, Laurel withdraws into her photography and begins to work at a homeless shelter. There she meets Bobbie Crocker, a man with a history of mental illness and a box of photographs that he won’t let anyone see. When Bobbie dies suddenly, Laurel discovers that he was telling the truth: before he was homeless, Bobbie Crocker was a successful photographer who had indeed worked with such legends as Chuck Berry, Robert Frost, and Eartha Kitt.

As Laurel’s fascination with Bobbie’s former life begins to merge into obsession, she becomes convinced that some of his photographs reveal a deeply hidden, dark family secret. Her search for the truth will lead her further from her old life—and into a cat-and-mouse game with pursuers who claim they want to save her.

In this spellbinding literary thriller, rich with complex and compelling characters—including Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan—Chris Bohjalian takes readers on his most intriguing, most haunting, and most unforgettable journey yet.

The Book Snobs Gathering
The Book Snobs gathered for dinner and discussion at Claudia's home. This book an excellent choice for discussion. There was a lively discussion about which characters were real and which were fictional. We found the author's web site very helpful in answering our questions and guiding our discussion.

October 2008 Selection

In October 2008 we read The Woman in Black by Susan Hill.woman in black

Eel Marsh house stands alone, surveying the windswept salt marshes beyond Nine Lives Causeway. Once, Mrs Alice Drablow lived here as a recluse. Now, Arthur Kipps, a junior solicitor with a London firm, is summoned to attend her funeral, unaware of the tragic and terrible secrets which lie behind the house's shuttered windows.

It is not until he glimpses a young woman with a wasted face, dressed all in black, at the funeral, that a sense of profound unease begins to creep over him and take hold, a feeling deepened by the reluctance of the locals to talk about the woman in black or what happens whenever she is seen.

And Kipps has to stay on in the lonely house, sorting out Mrs. Drablow's papers, when the mist begins to enshroud both it and its surrounding graveyard and the high tide cuts it off from the world beyond.

The Book Snobs Gathering

This month's book was selected by Theresa. We gathered at Teresa's home on October 27 for a memorial service for Mrs. Drablow and to discuss The Woman in Black. She served delicious home-made soup and a selection of sandwich fixings with a decidely British twist.

September 2008 Selection

In September 2008 we read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.


Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story.

The Book Snobs Gathering

The Glass Castle was selected by Della. The Book Snobs met at her home on Monday, September 29. Della served a buffet of slider-size sandwiches and sides accompanied by wine and margaritas. This book was great for discussion. We could hardl "save our comments" the group session. Discussion was lively and often included personal experiences that were similar to those experienced by the characters in the book.

August 2008 Selection

The August 2008 selection for Book Snobs is Veil of Roses by Laura Fitzgerald.

This compelling debut follows one spirited young woman from the confines of Iran to the intoxicating freedom of America—where she discovers not only an enticing new country but the roots of her own independence. . . .

Tamila Soroush wanted it all. But in the Islamic Republic of Iran, dreams are a dangerous thing for a girl. Knowing they can never come true, Tami abandons them. . . . Until her twenty-fifth birthday, when her parents give her a one-way ticket to America, hoping she will “go and wake up her luck.” If they have their way, Tami will never return to Iran . . . which means she has three months to find a husband in America. Three months before she’s sent back for good.

From her first Victoria’s Secret bra to her first ride on a motor scooter to her first country line-dance, Tami drinks in the freedom of an American girl. Inspired to pursue her passion for photography, she even captures her adventures on film. But looming over her is the fact that she must find an Iranian-born husband before her visa expires. To complicate matters, her friendship with Ike, a young American man, has grown stronger. And it is becoming harder for Tami to ignore the forbidden feelings she has for him.

It’s in her English as a second language classes that Tami finds a support system. With the encouragement of headstrong Eva, loyal Nadia, and Agata and Josef, who are carving out a love story of their own, perhaps Tami can keep dreaming—and find a way to stay in America.

The Book Snobs Gathering
The Books Snobs met at Sandra's on Wednesday, August 20th. She served delicious chicken flautas with all the trimmings along with margaritas. (It was close to chicken burritos.) We enjoyed a lively discussion about Veil of Roses and the freedoms American women often take for granted.