Reported by Lauren
This
week, our Nevermore members shared a few fresh titles, but also gave their
opinions on books we had discussed at former meetings that they had passed on
to others. We can’t help but get a sense of satisfaction when we review a book
so well that all the other members fight over who gets it next! Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by
Linda Tirado, My Stroke of Insight: A
Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey by Jill Boldte Taylor, and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by
Kim Michele Richardson have all been popular with our group. We loved hearing
reviews of each title from different perspectives, and the recaps and differing
opinions sparked a lot of lively conversations.
One
reader shared Where Lost Dogs Go by Susannah
Charleson, a new memoir about Susannah and her dog Ace. According to Susannah,
1 in 6 dogs in the US go missing at some point. Many owners are devastated, and
if the owners are invalids, not comfortable with using technology such as
Facebook to locate their lost pets, or if they don’t have access to transportation,
their pets may never be found. Ace, Susannah’s own rescue dog, has a talent for
sniffing out lost pets and helping Susannah reunite them with their owners. The
author also shares other life experiences, like caring for her mentally-ill
mother, and how the techniques she uses to calm and care for her pets are also
helpful in reaching her mother. Our reader said this was one of the best books
she’d ever read, she “just couldn’t put it down.” Another member who loves dogs
snagged this title for herself.
Next,
we discussed Florence of Arabia by
Christopher Buckley, a satire recommended by one member to another. The current
reader found the book witty and enjoyable, but it was taking her a while to
finish because of the subject matter. Buckley uses his main character Florence
to examine the role of women in the Middle East as well the role of the
American government in attempting to police a society they can never fully
understand. Buckley continually points out the ridiculous bureaucracy and red
tape all government enterprises fall victim to, and manages to make Florence’s
adventures both hilarious and dangerous.
Our
next reviewer raved about Bill Streever’s novel Cold: Adventures in the World’s Coldest Places. Streever is a
research biologist who spent a year living in Alaska and documenting his
experiences there. Each chapter opens with a comparison of the temperatures of
several big cities all over the country, and all convey various aspects of
living in the frozen Alaskan climate. Polar bears, blizzards, melting glaciers,
and global warming are all discussed. Our reader raved about this book, so much
so that another member decided to give it a try.
We
closed out our meeting with a review of Will
You Miss Me When I’m Gone? The Carter Family and Their Legacy in American Music
by Mark Zwonitzer. All of our Nevermore members are very familiar with the
Carter Family, as they originated from the Scott County region, and we have
several museums in our area dedicated to celebrating their music. Our reader
thoroughly enjoyed the book, though it was a little dense and packed with lots
of complicated family ties. The Carters’ impact on country music is undeniable,
originating from the Bristol Sessions, a two month-long effort to capture local
Appalachian musicians on record. The Bristol Sessions have been called “The Big
Bang of Country Music,” and have given Bristol braggin’ rights as the
Birthplace of Country Music. Reading about the Carter Family’s influence on
other famous musicians, such as Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, and Elvis
Presley, was fascinating. While most are familiar with the love story of Johnny
Cash and June Carter Cash, our reader enjoyed tracing their roots back to where
it all began with A.P., Sara, and Maybelle Carter. Another member also grabbed
this book to check out!
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