The September meeting of Wine and Words Book Club was a Zoom meeting. A home was not available and indoor gatherings are limited due to the increasing cased of illness from the Covid-19 Delta variant. Sandie, Linda, Karen, Anne and Jan were present.

We talked about our summer activities and discussed Nomadland, our book for September. Members who read the book enjoyed it and some watched the movie, which is currently streaming on Hulu for free, and for a charge on Amazon P. The consensus is that the people living as nomads prefer living this way.

We discussed books read this summer:

Linda:

This summer I read The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson – BOOK FOR OCTOBER – A haunting novel spanning several generations, The Seed Keeper follows a Dakhóta family’s struggle to preserve their way of life, and their sacrifices to protect what matters most.

I also read a LOT of Mysteries: The “MALMO” series (7 books) by Torquil MacLeod….the first book being Meet Me in Malmo. For anyone who likes mysteries, these are great! I have all of them in case anyone wants to start the series. Also, of course, a lot of Louise Penney, Inspector Gamache series.  

I also just finished The Great Alone, by Kristin Hannah…..a little dark, but great Alaska survival book…..

Anne:

The Book of Lost Names, by Christen Harmel. Inspired by an astonishing true story from World War II, a young woman with a talent for forgery helps hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis.

The Ensemble, by Aja Gabel – Anne just started and will report later on the book.

Karen:

The Paris Library, by Janet Skeslien Charles – Karen – An excellent book based on the the true story of the American Library in Paris during the time of WWII. There are 2 parallel stories going on. One is of Lily and in the present day and the other is of her neighbor, Mrs. Gustafson telling about her past. Libraries and Paris are favorites of mine so of course enjoyed tis book!

Lady Clementine, by Marie Benedict – Karen – The story of the wife of Winston Churchill. “Behind every great man is a great woman.” She wrote all of his speeches and was more interested in helping her husband further his career than in her children.

Karen said, I am rather tired of WWII and wasn’t going to read more books from that era, but I read these two and they were both quite good.

Other books that were fun but not necessarily book club material were:

Summer on the Bluffs, by Sunny Hostin. The View cohost and New York Times bestselling author Sunny Hostin dazzles with this brilliant novel about a life-changing summer along the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard.

Normal People by Sally Rooney. Normal People is a nuanced and flinty love story about two young people who ‘get’ each other, despite class differences and the interference of their own vigorous personal demons.

Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid. Reid constructs a plot so beautifully intricate and real and fascinating that readers will forget it’s also full of tough questions about race, class and identity….With this entertaining novel, Reid subverts our notions of what it means to write about race and class in America, not to mention what it means to write about love. In short, it’s a great way to kick off 2020. ­—Washington Post

Narrowboat Summer, by Anne Youngston. A charming novel of second chances, about three women, one dog, and the narrowboat that brings them together.

I also started but abandoned after 100 pages The Ten Thousand Doors of January. It is more fantasy and magic and didn’t hold my interest despite great reviews. 

I am currently reading The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather. It is a classic and oh my what a joy to read. I am sure that I will highly recommend it when I am through, which will be before the next meeting.

Linda also mentioned The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towels (author of Gentelman from Moscow) is coming out on October, 5, 2021. The story follows four boys who set out to travel the country in search of a fresh start.

We chose The Seed Keeper as our book for October and decided to wait to hear what other members read before choosing more books. The October meeting, originally scheduled for Linda’s home will be a Zoom meeting. It is hopeful we can meet at a restaurant for our November/December meeting.