Choose Your Own Adventure - October Edition

We had positive feedback from posting September's book early, so I'm going to try to do the same for October. The theme for October is horror/thriller/mystery which means a lot of different things to different people (which you'll see by the nominations). Please vote by September 14.

Here are the contenders, in no particular order (all summaries have been pulled from Amazon). Please respond to the poll at the end. Thank you!


Deadfall Hotel by Steve Rasnic Tem
Think of it as the vacation resort of the collective unconscious. The Deadfall Hotel is where our nightmares go, it’s where the dead pause to rest between worlds, and it’s where Richard Carter and his daughter Serena go to rediscover life — if the things at the hotel don’t kill them first.
With the powerful prose that has earned him awards and accolades, Steve Rasnic Tem explores the roots of fear and society’s fascination with things horrific, using the many-layered metaphor of the Deadfall Hotel. Drawing inspiration from literary touchstones John Gardner and Peter Straub, Tem elegantly delves into the dark corners of the human spirit. There he finds not only our fears, but ultimately our hopes.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The searing, post-apocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-—and each other. The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill
Aging death-metal rock legend Judas Coyne is a collector of the macabre: a cookbook for cannibals...a used hangman's noose...a snuff film. But nothing he possesses is as unique or as dreadful as his latest purchase off the Internet: a one-of-a-kind curiosity that arrives at his door in a black heart-shaped box...a musty dead man's suit still inhabited by the spirit of its late owner. And now everywhere Judas Coyne goes, the old man is there—watching, waiting, dangling a razor blade on a chain from his bony hand.

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach
What happens when we die? Does the light just go out and that's that—the million-year nap? Or will some part of my personality, my me-ness persist? What will that feel like? What will I do all day? Is there a place to plug in my lap-top?" In an attempt to find out, Mary Roach brings her tireless curiosity to bear on an array of contemporary and historical soul-searchers: scientists, schemers, engineers, mediums, all trying to prove (or disprove) that life goes on after we die. She begins the journey in rural India with a reincarnation researcher and ends up in a University of Virginia operating room where cardiologists have installed equipment near the ceiling to study out-of-body near-death experiences. Along the way, she enrolls in an English medium school, gets electromagnetically haunted at a university in Ontario, and visits a Duke University professor with a plan to weigh the consciousness of a leech. Her historical wanderings unearth soul-seeking philosophers who rummaged through cadavers and calves' heads, a North Carolina lawsuit that established legal precedence for ghosts, and the last surviving sample of "ectoplasm" in a Cambridge University archive.

The Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk
Carl Streator is a solitary widower and a fortyish newspaper reporter who is assigned to do a series of articles on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In the course of this investigation he discovers an ominous thread: the presence at the death scenes of the anthology Poems and Rhymes Around the World, all opened to the page where there appears an African chant, or “culling song.” This song turns out to be lethal when spoken or even thought in anyone's direction–and once it lodges in Streator's brain he finds himself becoming an involuntary serial killer. So he teams up with a real estate broker, one Helen Hoover Boyle–who specializes in selling haunted (or “distressed”) houses (wonderfully high turnover), and who lost a child to the culling song years before–for a cross-country odyssey to remove all copies of the book from libraries, lest this deadly verbal virus spread and wipe out human life. Accompanying them on this road trip are Helen's assistant, Mona Sabbat, an exquisitely earnest Wiccan, and her sardonic ecoterrorist boyfriend Oyster, who is running a scam involving fake liability claims and business blackmail. Welcome to the new nuclear family.


Please complete the poll by September 14th! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P8Q7FNL

September - Book Pick & Date

For September's book club pick, we will be participating in One Maryland One Book, so we will be reading The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. One Maryland One Book is a great program to promote literacy within our own state. Ideally, the program is put together to get everyone to read the same book at the same time. I am personally really excited about our book club reading this in conjunction with OMOB.

I have signed our club up to be listed as an Official OMOB Partner, and therefore, we will receive free reader's guides and bookmarks. These should be in by the time our book club meets.

The author will be speaking at the Baltimore Book Festival on September 30, 2012 at noon. Before we head over to see the author talk, let's meet for brunch and have our own discussion of the book. We'll meet at B&O Brasserie (inside of the Hotel Monaco) at 10am. Afterward, we'll head over to the book festival. If you can only make one of these events, please be sure to specify in your RSVP, so I can make an accurate reservation for brunch.


You can get the book at Amazon (for around $10), most local bookstores, or check it out from the Enoch Pratt Free Library system.

I look forward to seeing you in September and thank you for making this book club a success!

August Discussion - Questions

Good afternoon!

As previously promised, I am posting some questions to prompt discussion for the meeting this weekend to start the conversation. Please come with additional questions if you have them!

Questions for Discussion

1.  This book was written in third-person narrative, from the perspective of Death. What did you like about that? What didn’t you like about it?
2. Which character did you feel enhanced the theme of the book the most? How so?
3. This book has won multiple Young Adult/Childrens’ book awards, but some people do not think that it reads as a young adult book. What are your thoughts?
4. Compare this book to other young adult Holocaust/World War II books that you have read. What distinguishes it from others, such as Number the Stars (Lois Lowry), The Upstairs Room (Johanna Reiss), and Milkweed (Jerry Spinelli) for instance?
5. Tell me what you thought about Liesel’s obsession with reading, and then eventually writing? Discuss the ways that it saved her life.
6. Did you enjoy the German words interspersed throughout the text? Do you think it added authenticity, or was it distracting?
7. The Book Thief is currently in movie production. Do you think this book will translate well to the screen?

Thank you so much and I look forward to seeing you all on Sunday.

Recap: World War Z by Max Brooks

(I apologize for how long it has taken me to post this.)

Last month, we had a really great discussion on Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War at Teavolve. Teavolve gave us a great table, great service and amazing food and drink (seriously, their tea-infused sangria is to die for). Be sure to check them out if you can.

Please note that this post may include spoilers, and please be aware of that as you continue to read.

The general consensus of our group was that World War Z was awesome, and that seemed to be an expected reaction even before we picked up the book. Unlike Open City (which we read in June), there has been a lot of chatter - including an upcoming major motion picture - about this book. Because of this book (and his other, The Zombie Survival Guide), Max Brooks has now been widely-considered a zombie expert. We did discuss that Max Brooks brings the zombies in from a more contemporary view (a view that seems to be largely credited to Romero) in which zombies are bred from a virus, rather than the "old" view of necromancy. In discussing this, we realized that is one of the reasons that our society seems to fear zombies so much; it is a possible and present danger.

Despite our ever-growing fear of zombies, they were not the only antagonist in this novel. Society really poses the largest threat to itself, constantly blurring the line between killing itself off and saving itself. Brooks' writing style is a non-traditional one, as the historical fiction novel is a chronological compilation of interviews of people (both well-known people and laymen) who lived through and survived the zombie war. This style was well-received by the book club. In fact, most members said that its structure was the strength of the book and that it became more realistic ("less fantasy") as we got to know all of the characters and their individual stories and personalities. Amanda said that, in hindsight, "it had to be written that way to accomplish the arc of the story."

Brooks really works toward a realistic war. We had two US Army veterans at the discussion and they both talked about how well-researched the weaponry was, as well as the authenticity of the soldiers' actions and reactions. A lot of the warfare was flatly taken from World War II, possibly because that was the last time that the entire world was at war. The difference this time is that everyone has the same opponent, and that opponent is unlike any that has been seen before. As Anthony pointed out, in the past, the goal was to disable your opponent, but in the zombie war it was about completely wiping out the opponent. This draws the question whether this was a real war, or if it was a natural disaster of sorts.

Even after one finishes the book, the war is still fairly ambiguous, in the sense of who accomplished what and who came up with certain ideas first. Brooks does this to give a more realistic view of war, in which even the allies are unsure of how things really played out. The only issue that the book club members seemed to take with this is that his writing, even when portraying speakers of diverse backgrounds, seems to be extremely Westernized. In the end, the American army comes in and makes the final push to end the war ("like all war movies," said Stephanie). The Americans seemed "more civil" and "more humane" than the other countries, who were sacrificing one another and generally acting heartless to those around them when chaos erupted. This was rejected by the members as we all seemed to agree that in a zombie apocalypse, it is more likely that everyone would have to be heartless to a degree in order to survive.

Of course, after reading this book, we are all prompted with the idea that this is possible and the question of how we would handle this is inevitable. Even the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has a webpage called "Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse." The main concerns that our book club members expressed were: individual fitness level at time of outbreak, over-vaccinations that either cause the outbreak or impede our immunity, lack of provisions, and the lack of "the grid" (or not being able to use the Internet, phones, etc. to get information and contact others).

In all, we really enjoyed the novel, but do not look forward to the movie. After reading the book and seeing how it is structured, it seems that the movie will either completed deconstruct the book or make a poor replication on screen. We may still take a field trip to see it when it comes out, so keep an eye out for that. Thanks again to all that came to the August discussion. If you read the book and were unable to make the meeting (or if you were at the meeting and have more to add), please feel free to continue the conversation in the comments.

I look forward to August's discussion!

August - Book Pick & Date

Thank you again to all that came out for July's discussion. I am currently traveling and left my notes on the meeting at home, but I'll type them up early next week for the whole world to see, read, and comment on.


The next meeting is actually going to be more of a field trip to the 'burbs for an awesome beer and wine festival in addition to our discussion. Mark your calendars for August 26th at Blob's Park for the Kegs & Corks Festival. If you are planning to come, I would quickly head over to Groupon and pick up the deal that they have for Kegs & Corks; it'll save you a lot of money on the festival admission fee. For the book discussion, we will meet on Sunday, August 26 at noon. We will discuss the book first in a quiet area of the festival grounds and then see what the festival has to offer!

You may have already seen on Facebook, but the book chosen for August is Markus Zusak's The Book Thief (you can look at the summary on the previous post). You can purchase The Book Thief at local bookstores, on Amazon, or check it out from the Enoch Pratt Free Library.

If you plan to go with us in August, please RSVP on Facebook here. If you need a ride or someone to "buddy up" with for the Groupon, please let me know or post on the book club's Facebook page and we'll try to make it happen.

I will post discussion questions by August 20th on here, so please keep an eye out for that. Feel free to contact me on here or Facebook with any questions or comments.

Thanks for your continuous support for Bookmarks & Barstools!

Choose your own Adventure - August book edition

Good evening! Thanks to all of you who came out to July's discussion; it was a great time. I will be posting about our meeting later this weekend, so keep an eye out for that.

For now, I'd really like to put out the poll for August's book, so everyone can get a start. The poll will close at midnight on July 31. Here are the contenders, in no particular order (all summaries have been pulled from Amazon). Please respond to the poll at the end.



The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.


Bossypants by Tina Fey
Before Liz Lemon, before "Weekend Update," before "Sarah Palin," Tina Fey was just a young girl with a dream: a recurring stress dream that she was being chased through a local airport by her middle-school gym teacher. She also had a dream that one day she would be a comedian on TV.
She has seen both these dreams come true.
At last, Tina Fey's story can be told. From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon -- from the beginning of this paragraph to this final sentence.
Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we've all suspected: you're no one until someone calls you bossy.


Ticking is the Bomb: A Memoir by Nick Flynn
  In 2007, during the months before Nick Flynn’s daughter’s birth, his growing outrage and obsession with torture, exacerbated by the Abu Ghraib photographs, led him to Istanbul to meet some of the Iraqi men depicted in those photos. Haunted by a history of addiction, a relationship with his unsteady father, and a longing to connect with his mother who committed suicide, Flynn artfully interweaves in this memoir passages from his childhood, his relationships with women, and his growing obsession—a questioning of terror, torture, and the political crimes we can neither see nor understand in post-9/11 American life. The time bomb of the title becomes an unlikely metaphor and vehicle for exploring the fears and joys of becoming a father. Here is a memoir of profound self-discovery—of being lost and found, of painful family memories and losses, of the need to run from love, and of the ability to embrace it again.


Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and a fervent love of stories. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.
The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days while lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional--but is it more true?

Please click on the survey here to respond to your pick for August: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BH9QZNC

Thank you!

July Discussion - Questions

Good afternoon readers!

As promised, I am posting some questions to begin discussion for the meeting this weekend. I hope this begins some reflection and analysis. Please come with additional questions if you have them! Also, remember to RSVP as soon as you can, so I can give Teavolve an accurate number. Remember, we will vote on dates/location/book for August at the July meeting.

Questions for Discussion

1.       What were you expecting of the book before you picked it up? Did it meet your expectations?
2.       What did you think of the non-traditional writing style? Does it lend to the story or distract from the story?
3.       How does this compare to other zombie stories that have recently come out (in books, film, etc.)? Brooks makes a nod to Romero at the end of the book. Do you think his story is written in Romero’s style?
4.       Would you consider the zombies to be the main antagonist? As Sadie has already asked on Facebook: who was the protagonist?
5.       How well do you think the social commentary (infectious disease, wide-spread panic, government mistrust) was presented?
6.       Were there any vignettes that stuck out for you? In contrast, were there any that you could have done without?
7.       This book is currently being made into a movie and it is supposed to take place during the outbreak, rather than ten years later. Your thoughts on this?

Thank you so much and I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.