The first book club discussion took place last Wednesday the 18th with the usual suspects: Tim, Tina, Rachael, and I. Sam was also present, but chose not to participate. The book we discussed was “Stranger in a Strange Land” by Robert A. Heinlein. There was some lively debate about the language and characterizations that the author chose, but ultimately I do not think anyone present had a favorable impression of the book. I think we all agreed that the book, originally published in 1961, probably contained some radical ideas in its day. However the book did not age well with the changes to society in the past 47 years. What was probably tantamount to heresy in 1961 barely raised an eyebrow in 2008. While the book started with an interesting concept with a nice mix of characters, the story appears to lose its way halfway in, causing most of the characters to become listless and, according to one source, downright preachy. Overall the book was not rated highly, and probably did not start the book club with as much enthusiasm as originally hoped. Sam, however, did enjoy being petted.

The book that was chosen for July is “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak. Published in 2005, this book tells a story of a young girl living with a foster family, from 1941-44, in Molching, Germany, a village outside Munich and home to the Dachau concentration camp. Mostly, it’s a book about books and the power words have to shape our world: they’re capable of creating a vision of a better world - or quite the opposite.

Here Be Books placed some copies on order which should be in shortly. I certainly hope more people will join us for the meeting in July. We need more people to help choose a name for our band of book vagabonds, but mainly offer other opinions and insights. We also need much help on choosing what books to read next. We are hovering between “depressing” and “puff” in our choices, so we really need more people to suggest books somewhere in the middle. So come on down to Here Be Books on the 16th for some pleasant conversation, or at the very least, pet Sam. He really enjoys it.

Local author, Mary Elizabeth Reynolds will be on hand Saturday, August 23 from 1pm to 3pm to chat with readers and sign her book, Diary of a Ghost.

About Diary of a Ghost:

After losing her lover to suicide, Samantha, the heroine of the story, sinks into a terrible depression relieved only when she begins transcribing the war journals of a Union soldier. The dead journalist, Josiah, appears to Samantha as a ghost and takes her back in time to visit the battles and places he experienced while a Union soldier. Samantha’s ghostly journeys have a cost, though: the more she delves into this fascinating spirit world of the past, the further she drifts from reality. Can Sean, the young Charleston lawyer who loves her, save Samantha from herself at the risk of losing himself?

Diary of a Ghost is based on the authenticated Civil War diaries of New Jersey soldier Eugene Forbes, that were transcribed by the author. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, every place the ghost and Samantha travel to, through time, are the same places where Eugene Forbes fought and endured.

You can learn more about Eugene, the diaries, and the inspiration for Diary of a Ghost at the author’s website:www.ereynolds.net.

Come join us for games Saturday night! Usually we pick a theme (board games, card games, etc.) for the evening’s venture, but, in the spirit of Independence Day, we’ve decided to make July’s Game Night a free-for-all. We have quite a selection here at the store, but you’re welcome to tote your favorite game along with you and set up camp.

Snacks and drinks are available for purchase, but if you have an extra folding chair or two, we could use some extra seats. The more, the merrier - come join us!

Date: Saturday, July 5, 2008
Time: 6 pm to 9 pm