Quotes

"I want to read really good books!" -Becky

The Virgin Suicides

by Jeffrey Eugenides

Summary (Publisher's Weekly)

Eugenides's tantalizing, macabre first novel begins with a suicide, the first of the five bizarre deaths of the teenage daughters in the Lisbon family; the rest of the work, set in the author's native Michigan in the early 1970s, is a backward-looking quest as the male narrator and his nosy, horny pals describe how they strove to understand the odd clan of this first chapter, which appeared in the Paris Review , where it won the 1991 Aga Khan Prize for fiction. The sensationalism of the subject matter (based loosely on a factual account) may be off-putting to some readers, but Eugenides's voice is so fresh and compelling, his powers of observation so startling and acute, that most will be mesmerized. The title derives from a song by the fictional rock band Cruel Crux, a favorite of the Lisbon daughter Lux--who, unlike her sisters Therese, Mary, Bonnie and Cecilia, is anything but a virgin by the tale's end. Her mother forces Lux to burn the album along with others she considers dangerously provocative. Mr. Lisbon, a mild-mannered high school math teacher, is driven to resign by parents who believe his control of their children may be as deficient as his control of his own brood. Eugenides risks sounding sophomoric in his attempt to convey the immaturity of high-school boys; while initially somewhat discomfiting, the narrator's voice (representing the collective memories of the group) acquires the ring of authenticity. The author is equally convincing when he describes the older locals' reactions to the suicide attempts. Under the narrator's goofy, posturing banter are some hard truths: mortality is a fact of life; teenage girls are more attracted to brawn than to brains (contrary to the testimony of the narrator's male relatives). This is an auspicious debut from an imaginative and talented writer. Literary Guild selection.

Discussion Points

Themes:

• Control, paranoia--holding something so tight that it spirals out of control.
• 70s era coming of age: youth’s first experience with personal pain, sadness, death
• The Libson house--highly visible metaphor for the Lisbon family’s demise
• Pubescent infatuation--mystery and allure of the girls bred by their confinement
• Suicide

Suicide theories:

• Purity of the girls--too good for the world. Purposely predeceased the neighborhood, city, and nation’s downturn.
• Ending unhappy, suffocated lives of confinement
• Author’s perspective--selfish act, leaves no legacy, just belongings and questions, leaves those behind forever haunted and bewildered

Noteworthy happenings:

• Cutting down of the trees--symbolism
• Fish flies
• Significance of ‘Virgin’--4 of the 5 girls were virgins, Cecilia held laminated Virgin Mary, Cruel Crux song
• Head in the oven--what???

links

• Get the best deals here: allbookstores.com
• Check out the Monterey Bay Aquariam Seafood List to see how we as consumers can make better choices about the seafood we eat. The list separates different varieties of seafood by region into three categories: Best Choices, Good Alternatives, and Avoid. Chilean Seabass is, of course, on the Avoid list.

Recommended Reading

Here's a book list of all the books we've ever read or want to read. If you have a favorite book or would like to post a book review, let us know!

Orlando, Virginia Woolf
The Lover, Marguerite Duras
War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
Written on the Body, Jeannette Winterson

Hooked: Pirates, Poaching, and the Perfect Fish

by G. Bruce Knecht

Summary (from the publisher):

This modern pirate yarn has all the makings of a great true adventure tale and is also an exploration of the ways our culinary tastes have all manner of unintended consequences for the world around us.

Hooked is a story about the poaching of the Patagonian toothfish (known to gourmands as Chilean Sea Bass) and is built around the pursuit of the illegal fishing vessel Viarsa by an Australian patrol boat, Southern Supporter, in one of the longest pursuits in maritime history.

Author G. Bruce Knecht chronicles how an obscure fish merchant in California "discovered" and renamed the fish, kicking off a worldwide craze for a fish no one had ever heard of—and everyone had to have. And with demand exploding, pirates were only too happy to satisfy our taste for Chilean Sea Bass.

Knecht—whose previous book The Proving Ground was hailed by Walter Cronkite as "a sailing masterpiece...a tale more thrilling than fiction"—captivates readers by deftly shifting among the story's nail-biting elements: The perilous chase at sea through frenzied winds, punishing waves, and an obstacle course of icebergs; the high-stakes environmental battle and courtroom drama; and the competitive battle among the world's restaurants to serve the perfect, flaky, white-fleshed fish.

From the world's most treacherous waters to its most fabulous kitchens, Hooked is at once a thrilling tale and a revelatory popular history that will appeal to a diverse group of readers. Think Kitchen Confidential meets The Hungry Ocean.

Discussion Points

1. Are we responsible consumers?
   a. How connected or disconnected are we with the food products we buy?
   b. Eating farmed vs. wild animals


2. What factors influence our culinary choices?
   a. Media
   b. Diet/health
   c. Income
   d. Peers


3. How do our choices influence the food industry?
   a. Domino effect – supply and demand
   b. Food security all around the world


4. Fish dilemma – parallels with other species
   a. Repeating mistakes of the past?
   b. Poaching/endangered species and exotics
   i. Bear gall bladders
   ii. Ivory


5. What can we do to change the problem?
   a. Different choices?
   b. Increase awareness
   c. Do all humans have the “selfish gene”? If so, are we doomed?
   i. Selfishness vs. altruism

about lit ladies

Purpose
The purpose of this book club is simple: to encourage intellectual stimulation. The members of the book club are women who wish to become more broadly read - to be exposed to multiple authors, issues, and writing styles. Very different from a “girls’ social gathering”, the monthly dinners will be focused on discussion and analysis of the books that we read. Anyone is welcome to join at any time, and below are some general rules/guidelines to follow.

How it works

1. Each book is selected by the host for that month
   
   a. The host must select the book one month in advance, to give members enough time to purchase and read the book.
   
   b. The host will lead/moderate the discussion, so should be prepared with notes and discussion points.
   
   c. The host is also responsible for coordinating the meal and/or drinks (she may choose to do a pot-luck, or may want to cook – either way she is in charge of dinner and drinks).


2. All members should come prepared for discussion
   
   a. Come with notes, questions, or discussion points