Sommières Book and Serie Club

We don't yet have a book for January, so get your suggestions in! There is on book club meeting in December; we will meet up with the Café et Conversation folks and do a joint Christmas party, December 21st at Isabelle and Marc's place in Beaulieu.  More info to follow on that. Please submit book suggestions in the comments to this post.  So far I have: The Budda in the Attic Americanah Defending Jacob

Hello club members! Since the weather is not cooperating for tomorrow's outdoor event (we talked about doing a tour of a mielerie and then having a picnic and early meeting), I think we need to keep the two events separate.  I know I cannot make it to the honey event, unfortunately.  I really wanted to go! For those who will attend the honey event, please email Marielle Snellings <marielle.snellings@gmail.com> directly.  The book club meeting is at 5pm at Rebecca and Janice's place.  Directions: 1.  Come to Salinelles from Sommieres. 2.  After you take the round point into town, take your FIRST RIGHT on Chemin de la gare.  Then take your second left into the old mill (right before the bridge, across from a pasture.)  If you get to the bridge, you've gone too far.  The first left turn has a  gate over the road, but I included it to not confuse you. 3.  Pull into the driveway and continue around to the left to the parking area (don't park right in front of the sma

Hello book club members!  Here's our book for November: Clear Light of Day by Anita Desai (suggested by Claire). Link on Amazon.fr:  http:// amzn.to/17dMqQA Description: To the family living in the shabby, dusty house in Delhi, Tara's visit brings a sharp reminder of life outside tradition. For Bim coping endlessly with their problems, there is a renewal of the old jealousies for, unlike her sister, she has failed to escape. Looking at both the cruelty and beauty of family life and the harshness of India's modern history, Clear Light of Day brilliantly evokes the painful process of confronting and healing old wounds.

Hey, everyone!  The meeting for this week, October 20th at 17h00, will be at my house. 43 plan de la croix, Salinelles. We're in the pink house in the center of town, directly across the street from the church.  Just come right into Salinelles from Sommieres and you can't miss it.  Park down behind the church.

The September meeting was great.  Marielle finished off the event by giving us a tour of her beautiful village.  We got the best view of Pic St. Loup anywhere.  Thank you, Marielle, for that and for hosting! For October, the location is yet to be determined.  We've chosen the following novel: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Authors:  Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows LINK in French:  http:// amzn.to/163W6g7 LINK in English: http:// amzn.to/18qqEZp   Description January 1946: As London emerges from the Second World War, writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of Guernsey, the British island once occupied by the Nazis? As Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence, she is drawn into the world of this man and his friends, all members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a book club formed to protect its members from arrest

We're reading WOOL this month for book club, and here's a great article about Hugh, showing some nice photos that go with the book's story. http://blog.jasonmyersphoto.com/2013/09/04/wool-author-hugh-howey-for-college-of-charleston-magazine/#comment-1553

First, thank you to Susan for hosting our August meeting!  What a lovely place to discuss a nice book - right in the middle of the vineyards of Mas Montel. The book for September is WOOL by independent author Hugh Howey .  Here are some links for you: http:// amzn.to/17BCo6P https://www.facebook.com/hughhowey www.hughhowey.com We will be meeting at Marielle's house: 25 Chemin de Clapiers 34730 Saint Vincent de Barbeyrargues Phone: 04 34 43 51 81 Cell:  06 02 12 13 97 It's about 30km from Sommieres.  Anyone interested in carpooling or following with other members, please email me . 

The meeting will be at Susan's house in Asperes.  Sorry for the confusion.  Here's a map!  Click to download or make bigger.

Hello readers!  The location for the book club meeting has changed to my place (Leigh) due to Joy renting her place out.  The book is The Secret Life of Bees and the address is 43 plan de la croix, Salinelles.  17h00.  See you there!

Our July meeting was great!  Seven of us snacked, talked books and world culture, and then had a swim in Patricia's wonderful pool.  In August our book will be The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.  Joy Robinson has offered to have the meeting at her place (and that's super awesome because she also has a pool!) Link on Amazon.fr in English Link on Amazon.fr in French

July book club is this week, the 21st!  And it will be hosted by Patricia Buisson in Sommières.  Here's her address:  447 chemin de paillassonne.  Her cell 06 47 22 26 11 The book:  The Man Who Wanted to Be Happy Directions:  Go over the bridge to Sommières.  Turn right at the big clock.  Follow the road up to Laurence Durell center (up the big hill).  Pass Laurence Durell, bear sharp right with the road, and when the road splits into a Y, take the left part.  Go up the hill.  The house is on the left after a few twists and turns (be careful of oncoming traffic, the road is narrow), up a very steep driveway with a wine-red metal gate. You will have to get out of your car and push the intercom button to have the gate opened for you. Patricia says: Bring your bathing suit and a towel Bring any discussion questions you want to cover Bring a snack to share See you there!

Hello everyone!  Here's the book for our July meeting: Author:  Laurent GOUNELLE Title:  'The Man Who Wanted to Be Happy' or 'L'homme qui voulait être heureux' We need a location for this meeting, so if you're willing to host, let me know.  If no one volunteers we can either (1) meet at my place again, or (2) meet at the Lecques gangette and have an outdoor meeting in the beautiful sunshine.  :)

Hey, everyone!  The book club meeting is today in Beaulieu at Isabelle's house at 17:00.  I don't have directions, but here is her email: wurtisa@orange.fr You can either email her for directions, or you can follow me there!  If you want to follow me, call me on my cell and I will meet you in the parking lot in Sommieres where the old grocery store used to be and the big bus stop is.  06 69 16 19 55. See you soon. Leigh

Isa, the host of our next book club meeting (this Sunday) has provided the following discussion question for us: 1. What is the American Dream? How does Gatsby represent this dream? Does the novel praise or condemn Gatsby's dream? Has the American dream changed since Gatsby's time? 2. Think about the two worlds, the Midwest and the East, as Fitzgerald describes them, and what they represent for Nick and for Gatsby. 3. Compare and contrast Gatsby's social class with that of Tom and Daisy Buchanan. How does geography contribute to the definition of social class in The Great Gatsby? 4. What is Nick Carraway's role in the novel? Consider Nick's father's advice in chapter one: "Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." Does telling the story from Nick's point of view make it more believable? 5. What part of his past is Gatsby trying to recapture? Is h

I held a vote to pick our next book and got only three responses (boo).  The Great Gastby or Gatsby le magnifique came up as the winner.  Yay! Here are links for the book in English and French.  No fair watching the movie.  :) Paperback - English:  http://www.amazon.fr/The-Great-Gatsby-Scott-Fitzgerald/dp/185326041X Kindle - English:  http://www.amazon.fr/The-Great-Gatsby-ebook/dp/B004JU0K48 Paperback - French:  http://www.amazon.fr/Gatsby-magnifique-Robert-Redford/dp/B0000UN8U4/

My earlier post said the meeting would be May 26th, but I didn't realize it's Mother's Day that day.  So I've moved the meeting to the next Sunday, June 2nd at 17h00 at the BEPLATE residence in Villevieille.   Directions coming soon! The book is: DISGRACE by J.M. Coetzee Here's the US version:  http://www.amazon.com/Disgrace-Novel-J-M-Coetzee/dp/0143115286 Here's the French version: http://www.amazon.fr/Disgrâce-J-M-Coetzee/dp/275782578X/  

Our first meeting went very well!  It was great having those who could come, and the discussion was brilliant.  I for one was really able to appreciate some of the finer nuances of the book after listening to everyone share their ideas and opinions.  Thank you!!  And the food was yummy too. The 2nd meeting will be May 26th , June 2nd, Sunday, at 17h00 at the BEPLATE residence in Villevieille.  We will provide directions soon, but it's very easy to find, just east from the mairie and across the street. For books, we had several suggestions.  I've checked them all out, and only one has both a French and English version available online that I could find DISGRACE by J.M. Coetzee Here's the US version:  http://www.amazon.com/Disgrace-Novel-J-M-Coetzee/dp/0143115286 Here's the French version: http://www.amazon.fr/Disgrâce-J-M-Coetzee/dp/275782578X/ Here are the other suggestions, so if anyone can find them in French and English, we could use them for the 3rd me

Here are the discussion questions.  I narrowed them down to 16, but I'm not sure we'll discuss all of them.  My guess is we'll run out of time!  I will have a copy for each of you on Sunday if you don't want to print them out at home.     1.    In his introductory note Yann Martel says, "This book was born as I was hungry." What sort of emotional nourishment might Life of Pi have fed to its author?     2.    Pondicherry is described as an anomaly, the former capital of what was once French India. Do you think the town made a significant difference in Pi's upbringing?     3.    Chapters 21 and 22 are very short, yet the author has said that they are at the core of the novel. Can you see how?     4.    Early in the novel, we discover that Pi majored in religious studies and zoology, with particular interests in a sixteenth-century Kabbalist and the admirable three-toed sloth. In subsequent chapters, he explains the ways in which religions and zoos are b

Hello, book club members!  This Sunday at 17h00 is our first meeting, where we'll be discussing the Life of Pi by Yann Martel.  You will find the discussion questions in the post above this one. Please bring a snack to share.  I will provide drinks, plates, napkins, and silverware (utensils). My house is at 43 plan de la croix in Salinelles, just across from the church in the center of town.  You may park behind the church. If the weather is good, we'll have the meeting on the terrace.  Fingers crossed!

This is my second post.  If you haven't seen the first one, please scroll down.  After getting a few emails back about availability, I've decided our first meeting should probably happen on a Sunday.  It seems like we all have commitments during the week nights.  During the summer it might be better, we'll see. For now, let's make the meetings the 3rd Sunday of every month.  That means our first meeting will be April 21st at 17h00.  We will meet at my house, 43 plan de la croix, Salinelles.  It's directly across from the church in the centre ville.  Bring a snack food to share!

Hey book lovers!  Welcome to the Sommières Book Club.  This is the first post, launching the start of our Book Club.  Right now we have 10 members which is a great number.  It's large enough that we have lots of things to talk about and not too large that we won't be able to fit in someone's living room. If we get bigger, we can always fraction off into smaller groups or meet more than once per month.  I'm not sure what day of the month we will meet yet; I hope to get some feedback from you on that very soon. So here is how the book club will work: 1.  We will select a book each month to read.  The book will be available in English and French, so you can read it in your native language if you prefer.  The first book will be: Life of Pi by Yann Martel.  All book discussions will be in English during the meeting. 2.  Each month, a different person will host the meeting, either at home or in another place (like Sansavino).  This host will be responsible for developing o