2014 Reads Part 2

[Christie]

It's that time of year again, we need to decide what to read each month for July-December 2014. As before I will take up to three nominations from each member. Please include the book's title and a brief description of the book and why you want us to read it. Suggestions should follow these guidelines:

1. Books must have been published at least 3 months ago. (A lot of readers get their books from the library and it may be difficult to obtain the newest titles.)

2. Books must be available in the Cabarrus County Public Library System. Our group is affiliated with that library and many of our members get their books from there. If you would like to check if a particular book is in stock, follow this link http://library.cabarruscounty.us:8080/#.

Around the end of April, I will post a poll of all of the suggestions for members to vote on.

[Christie]

I will nominate the following:

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran
At the dawn of the Roman Empire, when tyranny ruled, a daughter of Egypt and a son of Rome found each other...

The First Princess of Wales by Karen Harper
Joan plots to become involved with the prince to scandalize the royal family, for she has learned they engineered her father’s downfall and death. But what begins as a calculated strategy soon—to Joan’s surprise—grows into love. When Joan learns that Edward returns her feelings, she is soon fighting her own, for how can she love the man that ruined her family? And, if she does, what will be the cost?

Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan
The passionate and turbulent story of Robert Louis Stevenson and his tempestuous American wife, Fanny.

[April]

Can I still nominate?

[Christie]

Yes definitely! Depending on how many nominations we have I plan on putting up a poll the beginning of May.

[Amber]

Oooo... Christie those nominations look good. Especially the one about Robert Louis Stevenson.

Here are my nominations:

Mute fledgling witch Morgana is married for her safety to a kind farmer in the mountains of Wales before she is targeted by townspeople who are being manipulated by a dark force that compels Morgana to harness her powers.

A story that intertwines the lives of two very different couples during World War I follows army soldier Riley as he fights for the love of Nadine despite a terrible injury, and Riley's commanding officer Peter Locke, who returns home from the war a bitter and scarred man.

"A novel about a woman who can't speak, a man who is deaf, and a widow who finds herself suddenly caring for a newborn baby"--Provided by publisher.
Describes the love story between a developmentally disabled young white woman and a deaf African American after being institutionalized in 1968.

[April]

I was also going to nominate The Story of Beautiful Girl.
My 1st nomination is because it is in keeping with our "theme" of lighthouses. After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. This was also 2012 Goodreads readers choice.
My 2nd nomination is e. In 1946, Harry Copeland has returned after fighting in the 82nd Airborne from North Africa all the way to the Elbe. Reluctantly assuming the direction of the family fine leather goods manufacture, he finds his life unsatisfactory and on hold – until he is “accidentally” united with Catherine Thomas Hale, the woman for whom he has been waiting all his life, although the forces behind his patience have never been revealed to him. A young actress, singer, and heiress, she has been waiting for him, even if she has known this only in flashes that do not come clear to her until the end of the narrative, and that have not prevented her engagement to a much older man who has been taking advantage of her since childhood.
My 3rd nomination is Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century—from the late twenties to the mid-sixties—and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator’s Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriage—revealing both its dizzying highs and its devastating lows. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure.

[Rosemary]

I would like to nominate The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott. The story centers around Alice Barrow who leaves farm life to work in the cotton mills at Lowell, MA. She becomes friends with or the other mill girls especially Lovey Cornell. Alice also catches the eye of Samuel Fiske the eldest son of the mill owner. She becomes the spokesperson for the mill girls and the Fiskes on difficult and dangerous conditions in the mill. The book also contains a murder and trial based on historical events. I truly enjoyed this book as it had a little history, mystery, and romance.

[Christie]

These are some really good nominations! I wish I could read them all. I will be putting up a poll over the weekend.

[Christie]

Rosemary wrote: "I would like to nominate The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott. The story centers around Alice Barrow who leaves farm life to work in the cotton mills at Lowell, MA. She beco..."

Though I would love to read The Daring Ladies of Lowell, this book is not available at the Cabarrus County Public Library so we cannot have it as a group read. I am sorry. I will allow write-in votes on the poll, so if you find another book you would like to add to our nominations feel free to add it to the poll.

[Janice]

Hi everyone - I think some of you may have already read Romancing Miss Brontë, which I penned as Juliet Gael, but if not, you might consider adding it to your reads this year. There are 2 copies available in the Cabarrus library, and audio recordings as well. It is also now available worldwide on Kindle (previously only in North America). There's a Reading Group Guide on the book's website www.romancingmissbronte.com. And although I live in Florence, Italy, if we can figure out a time that would work, I could do a Skype chat with those of you who meet face to face.

I really hesitated to chime in, since I know this isn't a place for self-promotion, but it fits your criteria and the group's interests.

Wish I could join you in your reads this year, but right now I'm working on a contemporary novel and not reading much historical fiction - but if any of you are interested in a fascinating read about women/men/love/relationships in Naples, Italy post WWII - check out Elena Ferrante - I saw she has one novel in your library "The Days of Abandonment" - she writes under a pseudonym to protect her identity - it's not your typical "Under the Tuscan Sun" but a real honest portrayal of the dramas that real women live in southern Italy. She's only been recently translated into English, but has written quite a few novels.

Happy reading!

[Amber]

Any ideas on what we are going to read for 2015??