Blind Your Ponies

  

The summer has come and gone and from the look of the comments that have been made about A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, the extra time you've had in the second quarter, to catch up on reading Unbroken and finishing our second quarter pick was used most wisely. Thank you for sharing your insightful comments.  I always find it a joy to read your thoughts and reflect on how interesting it is that with so many people reading the same books, we all find different things about them that enrich our lives and give us added perspective about places, people, events, and even ourselves.  Bravo!

Without further ado, I'd like to introduce our next book choice for 2011.  It is 'Blind Your Ponies' by Stanley Gordon West.  The following is a brief synopsis of the book:

 
"The small town of Willow Creek, Montana's high school basketball team has an abysmal streak of 0 wins and 93 losses. Their distant and haunted coach Sam Pickett dreads another season, but the arrival of two new students fills him - and the struggling town - with a surge of hope. Can Sam still inspire his team and resurrect his town?"

What's not to like about this book choice for the Smith family; it takes place in Montana, the main character is a high school literature teacher who also moonlights as their basketball coach, the team has a 93 game loosing streak, AND the reviews all say that the strength of this book is how the characters deal with adversity of all kinds.  Come on ..........this book was written with our family in mind!

And if that little tease doesn't sell you completely on reading this book, maybe knowing how the book choice came to be will pique your interest and push you over the edge to run to your library or favorite website to get a copy of this book.


As many of you know, Annette and I took a road trip to Montana, to visit Grandpa and Grandma Smith a couple of weeks ago. 

We decided that while driving up we would walk the walk and smell the roses on our long car trip ......... you know, enjoy the journey......... get out of the car for more than a bathroom break and a candy bar purchase.  And what does that mean to Annette and I?  You got it folks; finding some new book stores to visit.  Our love of regional, independent bookstores is legendary.  Who would have guessed, certainly not us, that quaint and scenic Dillon, Montana is the home of a delightful, regional book store appropriately named The Bookstore.

 
As we entered The Bookstore and looked immediately to our left, we noticed a magnificent piece of Montana objet 'd art that had Annette and I drooling and professing the need to repent of breaking the commandment, 'Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's stained glass door'. 

Lucky for us, the shop's owner, Debbie, didn't mind us immediately falling to our knees asking for forgiveness ......as well as the price of the door which we found out is not for sale ......... and we are happy to report that we are now guilt free ........well, of that offense at least .......... and currently in negotiations with a 'not to be named' renowned stained glass artist in the family who is considering the commission.  Stay tuned for details.  I digress.


We moved on to perusing the bookshelves which were chock full of regional books we had never seen nor heard of.  While doing so, a woman came into the shop who obviously was well acquainted with Debbie.  She said she had just finished Unbroken, which she loved, and wanted another book recommendation equally as good, but in her words, "Not so exhausting to read."  At this point Annette and I were doing some heavy eavesdropping, which I believe is also a sin.  Debbie recommended a number of books which didn't seem to do much for the woman.  She then took a moment to think and then excitedly told her that she had just the thing, Blind Your Ponies.  It was her current favorite book and she said that all the book clubs in the area had read it and LOVED it.  At that point I raced over to the 'W' book shelves and pulled out the copy which I promptly purchased.  Honestly, I don't know what book the woman bought because at that point I had my copy and wanted to make the most of the rest of the time I had in the shop, which I am happy to report I did.  I hope she bought it as well.  From the look of all the reviews I've read since coming home, it is a perfect choice.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed the choosing of it.  I look forward, as always, to reading your comments. Enjoy a beautiful autumn and take time to read on a bench  somewhere under colorful falling leaves breathing in the crisp fall air!


Happy reading!

Debbie

P.S.  And when next we meet, remind Annette and I to tell you the story of the Taco Bus we ate at in Dillon, Montana as well.  You know us ..........always a story to tell when the two of us get together!

     

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Here's a brief synopsis of the book thanks to Wikipedia:

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a novel by Betty Smith first published in 1943. It relates the coming-of-age story of its main character, Francie Nolan, and her Austrian/Irish-American family in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City. The novel is set in the first and second decades of the 20th century. The book was an immense success, a nationwide best-seller that was distributed to servicemen overseas. It was also adapted into a popular motion picture, the first feature film directed by Elia Kazan.

Much of the book can be thought of as thinly disguised autobiography. Like her main character Francie, Smith was able to take university courses without completing high school, wrote many works including plays, and was a second-generation immigrant (although Francie was third-generation). Many of the characters are also derived from actual inhabitants of Williamsburg with whom the author grew up.

When you have completed reading this book, post your comments here.

Happy reading!

Debbie

Introducing . . . .

Well hello there Smith book club members.  If you're like me, it's hard to believe that the first quarter of 2011 has come and gone.  (Who was that masked man?)  It feels like just yesterday I was ringing in the New Year with a glass of Martinelli's and a big woo-hoo.

I sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed reading Unbroken this first quarter as much as I did.  What an incredible read!  It was by far the best book I've read in years.  Reading that book changed my life.  (Read more about that in my Unbroken post.)  I know many of you have finished the book, a few of you are in the process of reading, and one or two of you are going to read it in the next month.  Bravo to you all!  Annette and I appreciate your support and hope that you are enjoying this adventure in good reading as much as we are.

The book for the second quarter of 2011 has been chosen.   As you all know by now, it is our book club goal to read a book from four genres this year:  fiction, non-fiction, classic, and biography.  Unbroken was our non-fiction pick.  Our choice for the second quarter is ......ta ta ta dah ........... a classic.  Before you even have the chance to go down the proverbial pooh pooh lane, let me tell you how this quarter's book choice came to be.  I think you will find it intriquing.

During the Christmas holidays, Annette, Grandpa Smith, Grandma Smith, Jenna, and I were discussing the book club throwing out ideas we thought might make it a success.  As we spoke about genres and the idea of expanding our literary comfort zones. we fell into a discussion about the classics.  We determined it was a fine idea in theory and that we "should" read more of them, but to put it bluntly, could we really pick one that people would actually get excited about reading and finish?  We all determined it would be a challenge.

Fast forward a few months .............

A few weeks ago, I took a mini-vacation, ok, a long weekend, to St. George to visit the fam.  It was supposed to be a rejuvenating getaway to a spa like family retreat in the sunny warmth of the St. George redrock.  Well, to make short work of the story, it snowed and we used the fireplace every day of my visit but one.  I digress.

The first evening we discussed the quickly coming to a close of the book club's first quarter and the need to choose a new book for the second quarter.  Annette and I lamented the fact that we'd only received one pick for the upcoming quarter and weren't sure that choice would be appropriate for everyone.  We tabled the discussion that evening without coming to a conclusion.

Two days later, as we were sitting in Grandpa and Grandma's living room, Grandpa Smith said out of the blue, "I've got an idea for next quarter's book club choice.  It's a classic.  The name of the book is A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  It is a book about Ellis Island immigrants.  I think it would be a great choice and relevant to our day and age with the immigration issues we are currently facing."

Imagine if you will, Annette's and my jaw dropping to the floor ..........I mean dropping and hitting hard.  We rubbed our eyes, looked at each other, then sung out in unison, "Great choice!  We agree.  We so agree."  Unbenownst to our Dad, Patti, Annette and I read A Tree Grows in Brooklyn when we were in high school and adored every word of it.  It's the kind of book you read slower and slower as you pass the 50 pages left mark as you do not want the book to end.  And when it did, we read the author's other book, Joy In the Morning, which we equally devoured and loved.  We both thought to ourselves, "Who put a hoodoo, voodoo, book picking spell on our father?"  Keep in mind that Grandpa is a history, mystery, biography genre kind of a man.

Try as we might to get our father to divulge how he'd come up with such a fabulous classic pick, we could not get him to confess the matter, even with the threat of selling his golf cart and clubs at below list price on Craigslist.  All he would do was give us his little grin, eyes twinkling.  Maybe if we ALL promise to read the book, he'll divulge his source.  Whatever it is, it's good one.  Trust me on this.

So folks, our second quarter book pick is Betty Smith's A Tree Grows In Brooklyn.  It's an older book found in every bookstore and library in America.  It's easy to find.  You will love it.  I am already on chapter 9 and am dumbfounded by the fact that I am actually enjoying it MORE than I even remember enjoying it in high school ..........hmmm 5 or 10 years ago.  Yeah, that's right.

You know how they say you can't go home again and enjoy things as much as you enjoyed them the first time you experienced them?  They lied.  You can.  Oh lucky me . . . oh lucky you!

And yes folks, there is a bonus.  This book was made into a movie. A movie on par with the excellent It's A Wonderful Life.  So be good to yourself this next quarter and give yourself a wonderful present by reading and savoring this gem of a book, followed up by the movie, which will make you cry.  You'll be glad you did.

And you can thank Grandpa later.  *wink*

Happy reading!

Debbie

Unbroken ...... this is the place to post your comment.

As I hope you all well know, your opinion counts and your voices are heard as a member of the Smith Family Book Club!  And in the spirit of that thought, I've received a number of comments from family members currently reading this quarter's choice that they wanted me to create a specific post for Unbroken so it can be the site of all comments.  I thought this an excellent idea!  So in an effort to make this blog user friendly, ta dah ...................

Now you have no excuses ...............comment away mi familia.

Happy reading book lovers! I hope you are enjoying this quarter's book choice as much as I am.  HOw are we going to ever top this pick.  I know you can do it.  Please submit your ideas to me asap.

Debbie

Who's up for a little book fun?

Annette came to Salt Lake last week and stayed with me for a couple of days.  Amidst the frivolity and fun that only sisters can have, we discussed the book club at length.  (Yes, that was after our red carpet Oscar Party.  Feel free to ask either of us for the details and or pictures.)  We've heard from many of you and it appears that everyone not only is enjoying the first quarter book, but many are writing comments about the book in your journals.  We've heard that some are listening to the book while they run, others are reading one chapter a night as a couple before bed, and others are reading as a solo event in an easy chair with a great view of  red rock.  Regardless of how, where or when you are reading, we hope you are enjoying this quarter's choice.

Grandpa Smith gets an "atta boy" for posting the first comment about the book.  We were duly impressed!  He has paved the way for the rest of you to also share your thoughts.  Please keep in mind, you don't have to be finished with the book to post.  Feel free to post as you read if you feel moved to share something you think others might find of interest to ponder or to send a follow-up comment about.

Don't be shy.  You know you want to.*smile*  And remember ........ I sent everyone an invitation to be an author so you have absolutely NO excuse.

So, who's up for a little book fun?  Don't raise your hands all at once.  *wink*  Annette and I decided the book moons have aligned and the time is right for our first, very official, Smith Family Book Club Contest.  So, get your competitive nature out of hiding, prime the creative juice pump, read up on the contest specifics, and GO FOR THE BOOK GOLD! 

Contest Specifics:

You have until midnight April 30, 2011 to have some type of book experience other than the reading of Unbroken and then post a description of that experience on the blog.  You can include pictures or graphics, write a poem or screen play, be serious or funny.  You may enter more than once and all entries will be considered for our fabulous book related prize.  The winner will be interviewed and the interview will be posted on the blog.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact myself or Annette.


Also, as a gentle reminder, please send second quarter book ideas to me at dsdyckman@gmail.com as soon as possible.  I will list the choices on the area designed for book choices on the blog.  All you have to do is vote for one using the toggle button.  Please cast a vote by March 31, 20011.


My love to you all and as always ...........put a smile on that face, a book in your hands and find a quiet spot for an hour or two of reading delight.

Happy reading!


Debbie

In the beginning .........

Happy New Year Smith family book club members and welcome to your first viewing of the long anticipated blog!  I hope you're as excited about this venture as Annette and I am.  Ever ones for a little something new and elevating in our lives, and yes, for those of you who know us well, maybe even a little quirky, the idea for a family book club took shape during the Christmas holidays this year as we were battered by bad weather in St. George.  Huddling around the cozy Smith family fire, the idea took shape, a detailed plan discussed, and now a few weeks later, a family book club and blog has been birthed.  It is our fondest desire that each of you, young and more maturely young, will join with us in this venture and share our love of reading for many years to come.

In the spirit of new beginnings ....... drum roll, please ......... let me share with you the details about our book club:

• We will choose 4 books a year to read, one each quarter:  a fiction book, a non-fiction book, a biography, and a classic.  Each member of the book club can nominate a book to be read in subsequent quarters by sending me the name of the book.  I will put your nomination on the blog where you can vote for your favorite by the last week of each quarter. The blog will keep the stats of the book with the highest votes to date.
• I will list the book we have chosen to read each quarter in the spot "Books Read in 2011."  This way we will keep a running list of the books we have read each quarter of the year in case for some reason you miss a quarter or two.
• The only prerequisite to join the family book club is that after reading each book, you must go in and post AT LEAST ONE comment.  Easy, right? That means that in addition to the fun we will have reading and sharing our opinions, which in this family is always lively entertainment, we will hone our ever increasing computer skills.  For the over 50 crowd, it will be a great chance to give a son, daughter, niece, nephew or grandchild a call to catch up as they walk you through the process of posting a comment.  DO not be intimidated!  I repeat ..... DO NOT be intimidated by this one membership requirement.  Trust me, if I can design this blog, ANYONE can certainly learn how to post a comment. 
• Annette and I well understand that not everyone will be able to read along with us each quarter due to those "seasons of life" that we all find ourselves in from time to time like college, a mission, the birth of a new baby, or not knowing how to read yet ( *smile*), so feel free to read when you can and not feel guilty when you can't.  We want this to be a fun, look forward to the adventure of reading and learning something new part of your life.  We would like to know who will be reading with us each quarter, so if you're going to read, post a comment and let us know you are going to do so.  Or send me a quick email and I will post the list in mass.  And if we don't hear from you and find out that you  are reading without our knowledge ........ well, at the next family get together, keep in mind that your favorite piece of See's may not be waiting for you in that beloved box, so beware!
• You do not have to buy the book we are currently reading.  We are giving you three months to read each book so you can buy it, or borrow it from the library, friend or family member.  If you can't obtain and read it in 3 months, then you need to put being more resourceful on your "Goals for 2011" list.  *smile*  Please note: do not do anything illegal to acquire the book.  Although we do have a legal representative in the family, remember we are a "tough love" family as well. *wink*
• Our book choice for the first quarter of 2011 is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.
• Lastly, as a fun gift for joining, each member of the family will be receiving a book club journal in the mail to record the books you've read, the date you  started or finished (or both) each book and comments as you read.  Some of you, and you know who you are, read very quickly and may not remember what your excellent points were by the end of the book.  This little gift will hopefully put that angst to rest and make the BC reading (Book Club, of course!) more pleasurable.

It is Annette's and my fondest desire that all of you are as excited about this family book club, as we were at Christmas when we found very old copies of our favorite childhood books at an antique store in Hurricane, Utah.  Maybe we will blog about them in the next month or so, as, besides this blog being a place to make comments about your book club reading, we would LOVE you to post anything book related that you would like to say.  And trust us, we know you all have a lot to say on most any subject, so let your thoughts be known!

On that note, I leave you with the following thought:

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,
And all the sweet serenity of books.

  ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Happy reading!

Debbie 

P.S.  Check into the blog regularly in the next couple of months, because in addition to having some fun with the 'fam,' we are going to be having a contest or two ........... yes with prizes Annette.