READERS IN THE ROUGH 2024

 

Readers in the Rough—January 2024

Our discussion over the life of Marjorie Post started the calendar year 2023 with a lively evening discourse either approving of her valued collection of art from Moscow or arguing that she should not have purchased those items, but we all marveled at her dream to build Mar-a-Logo in Florida in the late 1920’s, not to mention the men in her life.  

With that we began our year reading, discussing, and deciding on our one important vote for one book a month.

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Merriweather Post received the biggest mix of votes: 3 voted a Par, 3 voted a Birdie, 2 voted an Eagle, and 2 voted it a Hole-in-One. The total of the votes gave it an overall BIRDIE.

To better explain our voting think of a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the best and you would recommend it to any type of reader, and a 1 being a bogey or would not recommend to others to read.  

• A Hole-in-One vote equals 5 points. 
• Eagle vote equals 4 points. 
• Birdie vote equals 3 points. 
• Par vote equals 2 points.
• Bogey is worth 1 point.

One book received a Hole-in-One and nearly a standing ovation.

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus https://www.bonniegarmus.com/lessons-in-chemistry

 

 This year, five books received overwhelming agreement for an EAGLE.

REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt

MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O’Farrell 

LADY TAN’S CIRCLE OF WOMEN by Lisa See

TOM LAKE by Ann Patchett  If you prefer audio books, we recommend listening to Tom Lake.

We enjoy Ann Patchett's books so much, one of our Readers visited her bookstore in Nashville. 

Books receiving the majority of 3 points for a BIRDIE were:

THE MAGNIFICIENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST by Allison Pataki

TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin

VIOLETA by Isabelle Allende

HELLO BEAUTIFUL by Ann Napolitano

<https://annnapolitano.com/hello-beautiful/>

 

WOMEN WITHOUT MEN by Shahrnush Parsipur,

our September book, was the most difficult to discuss and received PAR votes because we all struggled with the issues. It is a translation by Faridoun Farrokh. This passage, on page 85 in a book of only 122 pages, might give a clue as to the subject matter. “Unfortunately, it is still not a time for a woman to
travel by herself. She must either become invisible or stay cooped up in a house. My problems is that I can no longer remain housebound, but I have to, because I am a woman. Perhaps I can make a little progress at a time. But then I will have to be stuck in a house for a while. Maybe this is the only way I can see the world at a snail’s pace.”

We ended our year with  cheerful evening of delicious food, a few drinks, and ornery "Dirty Santa" ornament gift exchange. The lovely crystal ball ornament at the top was stolen two times and found a home at last. Inside the ball were all 11 of the book titles we read in 2023. Thank you members of Readers in the Rough. 

**Along the way, one of our readers became a grandma for the first time. We predict that she may not be reading as many books as in years past. Her hands and arms might be full of this sweet bundle of love. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Birthday Challenge--What Will You Do?

Christmas and birthdays have always coincided in our family. One of the funniest things about Christmas birthdays is that birthday cards trickle in from the beginning of month to the New Year along with Christmas cards.  As the "Family Circus" cartoon shared this week when the little boy looked at the calendar and saw that his friend's birthday fell on the 26 of December. He said, "He just missed being Jesus."  We all missed that mark, but it made me smile at his innocence.

As adults we understand why our birthday gifts were wrapped in Christmas paper, and why birthday parties during the holiday season are rare. This year a SURPRISE greeted me at the door. An opened door revealed two friends, standing in the door way holding this note:

Two friends presented me with this Happy Birthday message, chocolate mousse cake, birthday cards both sweet and naughty, and a gift of teas for my BIRTH-TEA. Before I knew what happened we were singing, laughing, and wiping chocolate off our faces like little children. 

Kim Stone, Letty, Beth Brown

Tears trickled down my face as I laughed. My friends had gone out of their way to make the moment special for me. My heart was filled with love and happiness. Thank you, dear friends, for sharing your time with us. 

More often during the holidays Jack and I enjoy sitting quietly, reading, watching birds out the windows, and playing with Murphy Doodle. Winter solitude fills my soul with peace and a deep sense of gratitude for the world around me. I make time to relax and listen to the morning chirps of the robins after sunrise. 

This week I read the sweetest reflection on sisterhood. It did all I asked of a book. It made me smile, laugh, and think. 

Challenges are something we all face and learn from. This story shares my challenge to each of us in the coming year. Barbara Piece Bush, and her sister Jenna Bush Hager together with others founded the Global Health Corps in 2009. Their mission to develop a generation of leaders committed to realizing health as a human right across the globe. In their book Sisters First (2017. Grand Central Publishing, p. 234) Barbara describes a memory that has stayed near to heart about a child living in Burundian.

Alida grew up with several brothers and sisters; many of them were the children of friends that her parents had taken in during hears of bloody civil war. They treated all children equally, regardless of whether they were related. On birthdays in her family, rather than being showered with presents and treated as someone special, you were asked to make a case of why, in the previous year, you had lived the best year that you could. You did get a cake, but first you had to share what you had done for other people and how you had contributed. 

I was struck, she continued, by the profound idea, even for little kids--the concept that you needed to make a case that you were living life in a way that was worth it, in a way that was giving to others. You are here for a reason, and you should be grateful for every year, and be ready to do the most with the next one.

This story humbled me greatly and yet filled my heart with hope and respect for those who make a huge difference in our world. I thank all  the people who share their lives with the less fortunate. Reflecting on what I might have done in the previous year helped me clear my head and heart. I hadn't lived up to a worldwide standard but I had stepped in and helped others. 

As my new year continues, I will keep this thought in my mind, "I am here for a reason and will do my best to help our community be a better place to live and show respect for others." A plan of action will follow this. 

What will you do?