february 2009 group read!

Hi all! Shall we start thinking about our next group read? There has been some chatter over in Donna's challenge thread about The River Wife by Jonis Agee, which I think sounds fantastic. I'd also like to throw Winter Bone by Daniel Woodrell back into the mix, although right now I'm more interested in The River Wife.

Thoughts? Ideas? Seconds?

Either one of these would be OK with me - they both sound good.

I'm ready to get going on this group again as well. It really doesn't matter to me what we read first. Terri (tloeffler) mentioned that she will be reading The River Wife with another group this year. Perhaps we could hold off on that one and read it when she does.

I definitely want to read both books in jfetting's post #1 and would eventually like to read King of the Hill, the St. Louis depression-era memoir by A. E. Hotchner, which I also learned about from jfetting I believe. I know it sounds depressing, but I am coming to the conclusion that writers depict Missouri as a depressing state. :-)

My group isn't reading The River Wife until September. I don't have a problem with reading it now and then giving it a once-over again in September (unless it's really bad, and then I just won't re-read it then!). Any of the above work for me!

Any other Missouri Readers out there want to chime in on this? I'm leaving town for a few days, but I'm easy and will go along with whatever is decided.

I went through and left comments on the other MO reader's profiles to pop over and weigh in.

re: Missouri as a depressing state. When I was in high school, I had an English teacher who told us that the hallmark of great American lit was that it was depressing. I don't know if this is true or not. So maybe all of the US is labeled "depressing", and we just notice the MO descriptions b/c we're reading MO books?

ETA: oh, and please go ahead and call me Jennifer

I think MO is underrated. We're just a nice, unpretentious little state, and it's easy to make us out as depressing because we have the Ozarks, which (justifiably or not) tend to be characterized as "poor and unfortunate." I've always liked Missouri. One of my favorite authors, Calvin Trillin was raised in Missouri, and if we're stockpiling MO books to read, we should add Messages From My Father. It was the ReadMOre selection from a few years back. NOT depressing!

#7 This one looks good, too. Especially the NOT depressing part!

#6 I'm not well-versed in great literature, but I've often wondered if those who do take it very seriously are drawn to the depressing works, just because they are so serious. It's hard to feel like you're enriching your mind when you're laughing out loud. Maybe if we want to avoid depressing depictions of MO, we should go with some lighter popular fiction once in a while. If we can find something.

I'm looking forward to getting started on another book - whatever is chosen.

Thanks so much for messaging me and letting me know!! I always love the reads from this group. As a late responder, my vote goes to The River Wife looks excellent. I went ahead and ordered it beause if we don't choose it I will read it on my own.
Prices aren't bad on it- got mine from Amazon for $0.28 plus 4.00 shipping. Oh and its hardback.

Seconding the thanks for the message too! I don't really have an opinion because I will somehow manage to single out the darkest book of the group, so I'll go with whatever the consensus is.

Would someone mind sending me a comment when we come up with a book and a time frame? I haven't been keeping up with Talk much lately, but I'd definitely be up for a group read.

My order of preference:
1) The River Wife
2) Winter's Bone
3) King of the Hill

#11 I'd accept this order. The ONLY reason I'd put Winter's Bone first is because it's been on the nominations list longer.

I was just browsing the library catalog, and found a book set in Kansas City that might be interesting. Flying Crows by James Lehrer. I've read a few of his other books and mostly enjoyed them. Thought I'd throw this into the mix!

I would like to read all of the books Jennifer has listed and the order is not important to me. Are we thinking of getting started soon like maybe the first of March for discussion of whichever book we decide on? I will probably get my book from the library so need just a little advance notice.

Sandy, Flying Crows looks intriguing. I used to watch Jim Lehrer on the "News Hour" on PBS all the time until we switched over to FOX News. It's funny that I have his partner Robert MacNeil's memoir Wordstruck on my TBR shelf.

Everyone is so polite and agreeable around here - this is one of the reasons I love LT so much (my fellow scientists are, in general, neither polite nor agreeable, so it's a refreshing change of pace).

That said, is everyone ok with reading The River Wife, and starting it on March 1? If anyone feels really strongly about wanting to read a different book, now is your chance!

Sandy, I had no idea Jim Lehrer wrote books! I love him - I still watch the News Hour every day.

The River Wife on March 1 is OK with me. I'm off to find it now.

The Jim Lehrer book I've liked best so far is Purple Dots. I think he must be a natural storyteller.

Thank goodness somebody can make decisions. :-) The River Wife sounds good to me as well. I'm in KC with the grands right now, but will reserve it at the library as soon as I get back to Springfield. Looking forward to discussing it with the group.

I am also okay with The River Wife and March 1.

Great!! So do we have the book read through on March 1st like we did with Sharp Objects or are we going to break it up like we did Enemy Women and Finn? Forgive me if that's been clarified already...I'm just a little slow today. Oh, got my copy in the mail today!

becky, how long is it? I don't have a copy yet, so I don't think I'll be able to have it all read by March 1 (unless, like Sharp Objects, I fly through it). What do you think would be best, based on looking at the book?

I don't know how widely known it is, but I saw in the KC Star yesterday that filming has begun near Branson on a movie version of Winter's Bone. The article didn't say when it might be released. I hope we can get it read before the movie comes out.

The River Wife is waiting for me at the library - are we starting to read or starting to discuss on March 1?

Ok, sorry it took me so long, busy weekend. The book itself isn't too bad, but the type is pretty small, so it looks wordy. I would prefer if we started to read on March 1st, and maybe started discussing in increments the following few weeks, maybe bigger chunks? IDK. Just some suggestions, it's totally up for a vote.

>22 beckylynn:: I am also in favor of starting the reading on March 1. I was surprised to find that there is a hold list for the 5 copies my library has. I am No. 3 so it may be a few weeks before I can even get a copy. Looks like we've chosen a popular book this time. :-)

>21 sjmccreary:: Thanks, Sandy, for the "heads up" about Winter's Bone. Let's definitely make that our next read after The River Wife. It is so cool that they are filming the locally. I'll be on the lookout to see if they need any extras for the movie. My chance for my 15 minutes of fame! My grandfather had a few scenes in "Anatomy Of A Murder" filmed in Marquette, MI many, many years ago.

Starting to read March 1 is good for me, too. I'll pick up the book this evening, but I've also got 2 or 3 others coming that I'll want to start right away, so I'll put it aside for a while.

Let us know if you get on as an extra in the movie so we can watch for you! (Wouldn't that be fun?)

My book's on the way, so I'm also okay with March 1!

Awesome, I'm so excited that it's working out for everybody!

Pulled the book out this evening for a preview before beginning to read Sunday or Monday. Does anyone have any feelings about breaking it up into sections? It's nearly 400 pages, and as BeckyLynn said, it's pretty small print. I think it's 28 chapters, so if we read 7 chapters per week, we'd be finished before the end of the month. Plus, I think that coincides with the author's division of the book into parts. I just don't want to read ahead of the discussion, or (worse) fall behind. I'm even more excited about it now that I've paged through it and skimmed different bits. I'm hopeful that it will read pretty quickly.

That sounds good to me, Sandy. I don't have my hands on the book yet, but it is waiting for me at the library. Good timing.

good idea Sandy!

Glad to have a second opinion, I often times second guess my own. Sounds like a plan.

This works for me too. I have my book and I'll start it today!