Category Archives: Brown Baggers Book Group
“He had learned the worst lesson that life can teach — that it makes no sense.”
Philip Roth’s Pulitzer Prize-wining American Pastoral was the title on tap for this month’s meeting of the Brown Baggers Book Group. This was the first time reading Roth for some us, while others had enjoyed previous works by the much … Continue reading
“Home, whether it be structure or familiar ground, is, finally, the identity that does not fade.”
A slightly smaller turnout did nothing to dampen the discussion of the Brown Baggers’ latest book, House of Stone by Anthony Shadid. A two-time Pulitzer winner, Shadid reported for the Washington Post and later, the New York Times. Tragically, Shadid … Continue reading
“It’s a luxury being a writer, because all you ever think about is life.” Amy Tan
This month the BrownBaggers discussed JMRL’s 2013 Big Read title: Any Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club.” We began our meeting by watching a film in which Amy Tan talks about writing her book. This film is available at the Big … Continue reading
The Elegance of the Hedge-blog
At the last Brown Baggers meeting, group members had a lively discussion of The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Originally published in French, this novel was a bestseller in many European countries as well as America and South … Continue reading
“This is the Court of Chancery, which has its decaying houses and its blighted lands in every shire…”
The title of Bleak House is a bit deceiving. The BrownBaggers Book Group discussion of this novel by Charles Dickens in January was not at all bleak, and the presence of the house in the novel is a pleasant one although … Continue reading
Brown Baggers 2013 Selections
Members of JMRL’s Brown Baggers Book Group are demonstrably adept at discussing themes, characters, and fascinating twists each month — but for December, members put those sharp minds to good use by selecting books to read for the upcoming year! … Continue reading
The Cervantes Prize or Premio de Literatura en Lengua Castellana Miguel de Cervantes
We all know about the National Book Award or should if we are readers in the US of A, but how many of us are aware of the Miguel de Cervantes Prize or Premio de Literatura en Lengua Castellana Miguel … Continue reading
“Life isn’t like a book. There’s never a final page.” — We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
It’s not unheard of for members of the Brown Baggers to arrive at our discussion without having finished the chosen title. But generally when this is the case for the majority of members, it’s because the book was dull, dry, … Continue reading
“She’s the most important person in the world and her family living in poverty. If our mother is so important to science, why can’t we get health insurance?” Deborah “Dale” Lacks, Henrietta Lacks’ daughter
A couple of weeks ago the BrownBaggers book group discussed “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” the first book by Rebecca Skloot. Bombardment by political operatives and Hurricane Sandy hampered my efforts to get this report onto the JMRL blog. … Continue reading
“I believe that today more than ever a book should be sought after even if it has only one great page in it.” – Henry Miller
September 30 through October 6 marks Banned Books Week 2012, promoting and celebrating our freedom to read and access information. So it was only appropriate that the September selection for the Brown Baggers was Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer. First … Continue reading
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