Vote for the February 2013 Book of the Month

[Winifred]

Here are the undemocratic selections for this month:

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder: Drama, with the very first sentence: “On Friday noon, July the twentieth, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below.” A priest, who happens to witness the collapse, decides to scientifically test God's will by proving that the five travelers each died at the perfect time to round out their lives. “Some say . . . that to the gods we are like the flies that the boys kill on a summer day, and some say, on the contrary, that the very sparrows do not lose a feather that has not been brushed away by the finger of God.”

A Lesson Before Dying, by Ernest J. Gaines. According to the Big Reads website, the novel "offers a painful yet inspirational tale of institutional injustice and personal redemption. It addresses the biggest theme possible—how one affirms life in the face of death."

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. Hailed as one of the year's (2001) top five novels by Time,..." Peace Like a River is "a collage of legends from...the Old Testament to the Old West, from the Gospels to police dramas" (Ron Charles, The Christian Science Monitor). According to Michael Glitz, The New York Post), Enger tells the story of eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy who has reason to believe in miracles. Along with his sister and father, Reuben finds himself on a cross-country search for his outlaw older brother who has been controversially charged with murder. Their journey is touched by serendipity and the kindness of strangers, and its remarkable conclusion shows how family, love, and faith can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies, the most tragic of fates.

[Winifred]

Well, no one voted for any of the books, and no one had suggested any, either. I'm going to be reading at least two of the three, but don't feel like imposing them on anyone.

Suggest we stop the book club until there is interest again.

[margaine]

Sorry, Winifred! You are really doing a great job trying to keep it going! I guess wait to hear and see if anyone would be upset if it took a break? It might be a good idea to have a book club break, if there is no one interested at the moment.

[Nurkie]

Like I said in the past. I would join in if I could afford to get the books. Some day I will though.