I was mostly fascinated with following this possible meeting about vampire books and wondering why?

But now I see someone mentions Sir Winston. If that six book series gets any discussion in Austin next week perhaps I should get back into it for a moment. By the way in Vol. III, the following:
"No American will think it wrong of me if I proclaim that to have the United States at our side was to me the greatest joy. I could not fortell the course of events. I do not pretend to have measured accurately the martial might of Japan, but now at this very moment I knew the United States was in the war, up to the neck and in to the death. So we had won after all! ... Hitler's fate was sealed. Mussolini's fate was sealed. As for the Japanese, they would be ground to powder."

I believe he actually wrote it two days after Pearl Harbor, but put it in the book after the war. As for the ability to turn the English language he is par excellence.

Now having written this post I guess I have answered my first question - to each his own.

Janette, Thursday lunchtime sounds like the best time, since we'll all pretty much be together anyway. Lunch and vampire discussions, how perfect.

Does anyone who knows the area better want to suggest a meeting place? (Since my only suggestion would be to wander the lobby until we run into each other.)

What about gathering at the far left entry door (as you face the room) to the main ballroom (usually where the criminal track is held)immediately after the last Thursday morning session ends. Once we ID each other, then we can pick a place, get our box lunches, and start. To make it easier, since some of us don't know the others by sight, perhaps we get afix a colored dot or sticker in the upper corner of the name tag.

Janette A

I'll be there. Not in trial after all. I"ll be looking for you guys at the far L door.

I'll be holding my copy of Twilight. Too obvious?

Jana

I'll at the L door (facing the main ballroom) right after the morning session breaks on Thursday, only I'll be clutching my Kindle (looks like a small black binder).

Janette A

I'll be there as well, with my copy of Twilight. Guess I need to remember to pack that now.

I'll be there too, but sans Twilight. But not for lack of trying -- alas, all the copies in our division are currently loaned out to someone else.

However, I will say, I'm in the middle of reading The Book Thief - it's really good!

The book club was fun, ladies! Hopefully we can get a few more participants next time.

This group sounds a lot like the Jane Austen Book Club. Is there a token male too?

JAS

Not yet, but you are welcome to join us this September! Any book suggestions?

Janette A

I just finished the 4th of the Twilight series this weekend. My favorite was the 4th one Andrea. I never saw most of that coming.

What to read next?

With no help from the forum...my next book was called One Mississippi. I read it because my 12 year old wanted me to. If I had read it first, I probably would not have wanted her to because of the ending. But a good enough book about the angst of being a teenage boy with a dysfunctional family and one best friend.

Sunday's at Tiffany's was another I read because of my daughter. She bought it but I read it first. A charming book with an interesting twist.

Then I picked up a book called American Wife at the airport. Almost done, my review will depend upon the ending.

It's time to reorganize and pick a book or two for the annual in September. Suggestions? How about some book that will appeal to both men and women?

By the way, I don't recommend An American Wife. I can't find a book that's a "can't put down" lately. Suggestions?

I have been reading a broad spectrum--mysteries to serious tomes. I recently finished A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, and Aristotle's Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages be Peter Rubenstein. On the lighter side, I have been reading the latest Sookie Stackhouse Novel, Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris (the books on which the True Blood HBO series is based), and Bootlegger's Daughter by Margaren Maron (a fun mystery series featuring a female lawyer turned judge).

So just let me know what book I need to read, and I'll be there!

Janette A

J.A. and I were talking about which book to read. I like true crime and here are three she came up with:

per J.A. "I did a little research on true crime books. Wow==lots and lots! I came up with three that looked interesting and that decent reviews. One is new; the other two are older so you may have already read them.

A Slaying in the Suburbs: The Tara Grant Murder (Billups & Miller) (killed by husband)

Fatal Vision (McGinnis) (about Jeffrey McDonald)

Cold Storage (Lasseter) (This one is about the murder of Denise Huber from Orange County, California. "


Of the 3, I think I'd vote for the third.

Still other books to consider? It doesn't have to be true crime. We could do bestseller or something. Let's decide by the end of August for sure!

I am game for whatever. If the rest of the crew is not interested in true crime genre books, I read reviews that said The Time Traveler's Wife is a very good book even though the movie is not all that great. Currently I am ploughing my way through The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris, which is the first volume of the two part biography. The second book is Theodore Rex.

Janette A

I've read the Time Traveler's Wife. I got a bit of the child molester feel...and to be fair, I wasn't alone. Of course, the two of us that thought this were both child abuse prosecutors...so, take that as you will.

If you haven't read it, Erik Larson's "The Devil in the White City" is a good true crime book about H.H. Holmes, America's first mass murderer. And since the annual is on the Gulf Coast, "Issac's Storm" by Eric Larson is another good one, even if it is about Galveston and not Corpus.

The crew may be down to you and me, Janette. Haven't heard from Lisa yet. RK or Brody or anyone else want to join us?

I don't want to be the one to decide the book this year. I chose last year. But I don't read fast enough to read a two part biography JA.

Almost forgot, I downloaded the free Kindle app for I-phone and I-pod touch. So now I have my own baby Kindle.

You may be right! You like true crime Janna. Why don't you pick a book. But we really need at least three or more. Come you guys--we did a chick book last time, so we will go more mainstream so maybe some of the men will join us.

I dare you!

Janette A