Book Suggestion: House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III

Andre Dubus III wastes no time in capturing the dark side of the immigrant experience in America at the end of the 20th century. House of Sand and Fog opens with a highway crew composed of several nationalities picking up litter on a hot California summer day. Massoud Amir Behrani, a former colonel in the Iranian military under the Shah, reflects on his job-search efforts since arriving in the U.S. four years before: "I have spent hundreds of dollars copying my credentials; I have worn my French suits and my Italian shoes to hand-deliver my qualifications; I have waited and then called back after the correct waiting time; but there is nothing." The father of two, Behrani has spent most of the money he brought with him from Iran on an apartment and furnishings that are too expensive, desperately trying to keep up appearances in order to enhance his daughter's chances of making a good marriage. Now the daughter is married, and on impulse he sinks his remaining funds into a house he buys at auction, thus unwittingly putting himself and his family on a trajectory to disaster. The house, it seems, once belonged to Kathy Nicolo, a self-destructive alcoholic who wants it back. What starts out as a legal tussle soon escalates into a personal confrontation--with dire results.

Dubus tells his tragic tale from the viewpoints of the two main adversaries, Behrani and Kathy. To both of them, the house represents something more than just a place to live. For the colonel, it is a foot in the door of the American dream; for Kathy, a reminder of a kinder, gentler past. In prose that is simple yet evocative, House of Sand and Fog builds to its inevitable denouement, one that is painfully dark but unfailingly honest.

365 pages

paper back and e-books

Book to Movie: Something Borrowed

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin has been made into a movie and is another book our book club has not read but I higher recommend it along with it's sister book "Something Blue". Actually I think I have recommended this book to most of you already....lol

If anyone is interested is seeing this movie to book adaptation lets discuss. Movie pending release date is May 06, 2011.

BTW: it's a super easy read and you still have time to read if you would like.


Trailer link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qlMqqc7YdE

Book to Movie: Water for Elephants

Sara Gruen's "Water for Elephants" was on the New York Times best seller list. Although we didn't read this book in our book club some of you as I may have read it. If you have and would be interested in seeing it as a group lets discuss. Given the Holiday's and some up coming travel I would guess we could plan to go the last week in April/ 1st week in May.

Trailer link is below, movie release date is April 22nd, 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz455--bNEI

Side Books

Monthly for those of you that would like some extra reading we will begin reading additional books this month.

We will not disscuss during meetings but post reviews on the blog in the comments section each month when I post the book. Books have been themed by the month we read them in, and will posted at the bottom of the blog page.

April-Easter/ Religion                                    

The Painter’s Gift

by Penelope J. Holt

256 pages

May - Mother's, Memorial Day               

Hiroshima in the morning 

by Rahna Reiko Rizzuto             

320 pages

June - Father’s day/ Family                          

Light on Snow

by Anita Shreve

336 pages

July -Independence Day                             

The Letters of John and Abigail Adams

by  Frank Shuffelton                

512 pages

Aug - Honoring Black History                       

One Drop- My Fathers Hidden life:

A story of Race and Family Secrets

by Bliss Broyard 

352 pages

Sept-Honoring Hispanic heritage             

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

by  Junot Diaz 

224 pages

Book Suggestion: When Tito Loved Carla by Jon Michaud

Michaud, the head librarian at the New Yorker, writes about a soap-operatic plot twists mar his debut about a resilient Dominican-American woman. Clara Lugo lives with her husband, Thomas, and their son, Guillermo, in the New Jersey suburbs and desperately wants another child, but can't conceive. Thomas, meanwhile, laid off from his job six months earlier, has lost his confidence. Clara's 16-year-old niece, Deysie, who has recently moved in with the Lugos, turns out to be pregnant by Clara's sister's ex-con boyfriend. Then Clara's old high school boyfriend, Tito Moreno, reappears. When Clara and Tito, who has failed to move on after their brief tryst 15 years earlier, try to resolve some unfinished personal business, hurtful revelations promise to change the course of both their lives. Despite Clara's complicated family drama, Tito's unhealthy obsession with Clara, and a subplot with the seedy ex-con, the story fails to garner any emotional weight.

352 pages, hardcover and e-books

Book Suggestion: "Love in the time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

While delivering a message to her father, Florentino Ariza spots the barely pubescent Fermina Daza and immediately falls in love. What follows is the story of a passion that extends over 50 years, as Fermina is courted solely by letter, decisively rejects her suitor when he first speaks, and then joins the urbane Dr. Juvenal Urbino, much above her station, in a marriage initially loveless but ultimately remarkable in its strength. Florentino remains faithful in his fashion; paralleling the tale of the marriage is that of his numerous liaisons, all ultimately without the depth of love he again declares at Urbino's death. In substance and style not as fantastical, as mythologizing, as the previous works, this is a compelling exploration of the myths we make of love.

368 pages