Introduction-Susan Drossulis

I guess I am the last one to figure this thing out...so here goes. My name is Susan Drossulis and I must confess to have been an avid reader for most of my life. When I was young, I spent almost every penny of my allowance on buying the newest Nancy Drew Adventure. When the bank account failed, I could be found searching the aisles of the local libray in the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake. I loved all of the Anne of Green Gables series (I know she is my kindred spirit). When I finished those books I started all of the Oz series books, and then turned to every book that I could find about horses, dogs, and adventure. As an adult I read almost everything, from Harry Potter to Sue Grafton to the Fablehaven series. As a busy nurse, I am finding myself reading less and less and I hope this book club will get me back on track!

I am the nursing manager of a 20 bed acute care specialty Oncology unit. I have the opportunity to work with some of the best nurses I have ever met. They are kind, caring, compassionate, and very, very smart! (yes Holly, I am talking about you.) I have worked in cancer care my entire career (almost 17 years) and I love what I do. I am just a thesis away from a Maters degree in Nursing Education. The completion of this is my big goal for 2012.

My family is what balances out my stressful career choice and I am grateful tht they keep me grounded. I am the mother of 3 grown children and am the proud grandmother of 1 and 8/9's grandchildren (Kaelyn Sophia is due in just 4 weeks!!!) I am married to the love of my life of almost 35 years but recently he went to be with our Heavenly Father. We met in high school, even holding hands in Drivers Ed. I am so grateful that I have a strong testimony of the Gospel and Forever Families.

I look forward to good books, good conversation, and getting to know each one of you just a little bit better.
Susan

Intro - Aubrey

Hey! My name is Aubrey Williams. It has been a long time since I was in a book club so I am super excited to be participating in one again! I love so many books and am excited to be introduced to some new ones. A little about me, I currently live in Mesa with my husband and my daughter. We moved here almost two years ago for my husband to finish his Mortuary Science degree. I work as a chef for the public school system here, and I LOVE IT!!! I love to craft and create, watch movies, play outside, decorate cakes and run with my dog. Oh, and I like to read!! That's about me in a nutshell, can't wait to get to know you all better!

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Erica

Introduction-For all of you who thought you were last, wrong I am the true slacker here.

My name is Rebecca Howard.  Laura Pesja and I already started talking about books we like and I am always interested in what others think are good books to read.  I have not participated in a book club before mainly because I am the slacker in actually reading on time with everyone.  I hope I can stay on track with you all.  I really only read a lot during school vacations.  I am a high school math teacher and during the summer I probably read a new book every two days.  But I will read on other vacation times so now I will try to read the book for the month.

I have been married for 15 years and I have four kids.  Three girls and one boy ages 10, 7, and twin girls that are 2.  I read mostly sci-fi fantasy but I will read almost anything.  Here is a list of some of my favorite books/authors:

Hero and the Crown-Robin McKinley
The Blue Castle-L M Montgomery (The best book even better than Anne of Green gables)
Elantris & WarBreaker -Brandon Snaderson
Book of a Thousand Days-Shannon Hale
Harry Potter-J K Rowling
Little Women-Louisa M Alcott

I love Jane Austen and JR Tolkein but I have recently really enjoyed everything by Brandon Sanderson.  The authors above you cannot go wrong.  If you have not read Brandon Sanderson then start with Elantris because it is a singleton book that is easily checked out of the library. I also like his childrens books that I want to read more that the first of "Alcatraz vs the Librarians".  The Blue Castle I lost my copy of and it is out of print so I am really sad about that because I read it so often it was falling apart.

I have a nook now, sorry kindle people on this blog, but my family all has nooks and I wanted to be able to read their lend me books.  I am like the others who also buy the book when it is their favorite.

Other things that I have on my nook that I have always wanted to read and I haven't yet are Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" and I am currently reading Gulliver's Travels because they are free nook books and I have always wanted to read those classics.  If you like classic literature then you also need to read Alexander Dumas "The Count of Monte Cristo".  This is the book that lead my father to reading the Book of Mormon.  It's a long story but because of the Count of Monte Cristo my father became an avid reader and hence he read everything in the library and had nothing left to read except the Book of Mormon.  So this book has a special place in my heart.

Intro - Rachael

I certainly hope that I am not the last person to introduce myself! After Erica's request for all of the slackers to do this, I am certain she was specifically talking to me. I have been married to my husband Scott for 12 years and we live in Sparks, NV. I am a stay at home mom of 4 children. Three boys and one daughter, Carter 7, Nolan 4, Lewis almost 3, and Jenna 1.

I didn't discover that I loved reading until long after I was done with school. I am ashamed to admit that although "To Kill a Mockingbird" was assigned reading more than once for me in school, I have never truly read the book through. I realized I just hated being told to read a specific number of chapters and then I would be tested on them. I much prefer reading what I want on my own schedule.

I went to pick Carter up from school the other day, and I brought my book to read while I was waiting for school to get out. One of the moms saw me and asked how I find time to read with four kids. I told her the truth, I ignore them. I guess that is a partial truth. When I read during the day I do sometimes ignore them. But I also stay up way too late at night/morning reading. I tell myself that the book will still be there the next day, but for some reason, I just can't seem to listen to myself. Those days I pay for it! But, that night after only a few hours of sleep, I manage to stay up WAY too late, again...

I love being a part of book clubs because I never know what books to read. If I stumble upon a good book to recommend, the other person has usually read it a long time ago. I might as well say, "I just read this great series...'Harry Potter,' have you heard of it?" I look forward to reading many new books and chatting about them!

Making Book Selections

Here is what I am thinking about how we will select our next book.  At first I thought everyone would just take a turn picking but I am thinking that with so many of us involved that a voting system might be better. 

If everyone would please submit 2 or 3 books they are interested in reading, in the comments of this post, then each month I will randomly select 2 of those books and post them here on the blog where we can all vote.  The book with the most votes will become the book we read and the one not chosen will go back into the hat (so to speak) to be read at a later time.

I think this will give us the most variety while allowing everyone the most involvement in the selection process.  I know it seems easier for me to read if I have picked it in some way. 

I would like to start the voting process for the next book in the middle of each month so we can have our selection by the last week of the month.  That should give everyone plenty of time to acquire the book before the start of the next month. (Does that make any sense because I think I just confused myself.) 

Happy Reading!
Erica

Just a Few Thoughts....

I've been having a hard time finding time to read but I think I have finally settled into this book and am excited about reading again.  (Hooray!)  At first I had a hard time with this book, and was often confused and had to reread pages to get a full understanding of what I had read.  I still have to go back sometimes but it has gotten easier and I find I like the stream of consciousness style.  It helps me to get to know Oskar.

 Here are just a couple of my other thoughts I thought I would share with you guys and I will do my best to not give anything away if I am a bit ahead of where you might be.  If I do, I am sorry.

First of all, my heart breaks a little every time I read the sentence "I gave myself a bruise."  I feel for Oskar.  I hurt for him.  I see a little boy trying to make sense of a world that he doesn't understand.  I see a little boy that is misunderstood himself, or often overlooked by those that love him.  He has had to face such grown up things at such a young age and I am sad for his loss of childhood.  At the same time, I really like him.  I like his inquisitive nature.  I like his drive.  I do wonder where his mother is and how she is not curious or aware of what he is doing.  However, maybe it doesn't really matter to the story in the end.  It's just something I have wondered.  I am also amazed at the amount of miscommunication that happens between the characters and how easily things could be "fixed" or understood if only they would communicate.  Isn't that story of most of our lives?

Second of all, I am interested by the second story line that seems to be unfolding with the mute man.  I am interested to see how, or if, his story will intersect with Oskar.

And finally, just a couple of quotes that really struck me...
* “I hope that one day you will have the experience of doing something you do not understand for someone you love.”   - As a parent this resonates with me.  How often do we do things for our children, out of sheer love, not really understanding the why but wanting to be there for them.  Is there anything better than unquestionably loving and supporting someone?
* “We need enormous pockets, pockets big enough for our families and our friends, and even the people who aren't on our lists, people we've never met but still want to protect. We need pockets for boroughs and for cities, a pocket that could hold the universe.”    - This quote represents the weight that Oskar is feeling on his shoulders and I am saddened that he feels such a responsibility to protect those around him when it should be the other way.

Alright, that's all I have for now.  I hope you are reading and enjoying yourself as much as I am.

Happy Reading!
Erica

Intro - Allie.

Slacker here. This is a little intimidating, but I'm excited. I'm Allie Lanenga. I grew up in Northern California with the Pratts. Jamie and I did sports/school together up through high school and then went to the same college. I'm a certified Athletic Trainer, though not working, I'm at home with my son. For the past 3 years I've been living in Central NJ with my husband and 2 year old son, Kaden (though we will hopefully be leaving NJ in the near future). My husband is applying for grad schools to get his MBA.

I love reading--there's something about getting lost in a book, and I agree with whoever said it's my "me" time. I'm currently in another Book Club, but I just love reading, thank goodness for public libraries! I have yet to get a kindle, though my husband tries to convince me...

My favorites (to name a few) are:

• Lord of the Rings


• Jane Austen books (any)


• To Kill a Mocking Bird


• The story of Edgar Sawtelle


• Killer Angels


• Les Miserables


• Historical fiction (probably my fav. genre)

I look forward to reading with you all, and sharing thoughts!

Intoduction - Ash

I'm Ashley, mother of 2, wife to 1 silly man, student for life. I'll have my teaching degree soon. Shortly after my graduation party I'll begin work on my masters because, as much as I love teaching all children, I really love the kiddos with special needs.

My real love affair with reading began with The Hobbit. My mom would sit with me and we would read pieces of it together. You know those crazy people that felt compassion for Gullum before the LoTR movies came out? No? I might be the only one.

Since those early days, I've continued to search for authors that offer characters I can feel for. My favorites have even created characters I wish were in my life, just so I could know them a little better. Some of these authors are:

• Ann Fairbairn
• Diana Gabaldon
• Jane Austen
• J.R. Tolkien
• Laura Kinsale

It's been nice reading about all of you. I look forward to hearing what you have to say about our future readings.

Introduction: Laura P.

Hi everyone!

My name is Laura and I live in northern California. I've been married to my husband, Daniel, for almost 7 years now. We have a 5 year old little diva (Aubrey), and a 3 year old super-hero-wanna-be (Ryan). Those two keep me laughing and on my toes constantly.

I work from home for Blue Shield of California. I've been with them for about 10 years but have only been working from home for the past 4. I spend my days buried in hospital contracts and reading workflows, yet can't wait to pick up a book at the end of the day!

I don't think that I have a specific genre that is my favorite..but lately I find myself reading mostly chick-lit or fantasy. I am really excited for this book club and can't wait to broaden my literary horizons!

Nice to meet you all :)

Edited to add:
I thought I'd come back and add some of my favorite books/authors since others have as well. I like seeing what I have in common with others and its a good way to get new ideas too.

Authors: Shannon Hale, Jane Austen, Orson Scott Card, R.A. Salvatore, J.R.R. Tolkien, Kristin Cashore, and F. Scott Fitzgerald to name a few..

Books: The Hobbit (my first love), LOTR, Ender's Game, Sarah, The Graceling, Hunger Games, The Great Gatsby, Catch-22,The shopaholic series (and just about anything written by Sophie Kinsella or her other pen name Madeline Wickham), The Actor & the Housewife, Twilight (books; I haven't watched the movies beyond half of the first one)..... and if I can venture back to my elementary school days: The Babysitters Club! haha

Introduction: Tiffany Alexander

Hi! I am Tiffany Alexander........cousin to Erica and Jamie! I am the mother of 5 lovely children; Gavin (14), Addie (9), Rainier (6), Pierce (16months) and Evelyn (4 months), and the wife of Russ. I am also a Labor and Delivery nurse. I work full time, graveyard shift every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. It remains my favorite pasttime. It is my "ME" time. My favorites are mysteries but I like to try a little bit of everything. I am so excited to be in a book club without having to leave the house, because other than work, it is nearly impossible to get out of the house without one of the babies!

Introduction: Holly Stephenson

I guess I'll chime in and follow Jamie and Erica's leads!  My name is Holly Stephenson.  Erica and I have been friends for, what Erica?, like 6 or so years now?  We've always enjoyed hashing over good books and movies together, so this will be fun to have more people to do it with!  I've been in a book funk for the last year or so (couldn't have been having a baby that sent me into that could it?), so it'll be fun to broaden my horizons and genres and read some fun new stuff!

I live in Nevada with my husband of 6.5 years, Wes, and our children Liam, age 5, and Adelyn, age 1.  I work part time as an acute care oncology nurse and I love it.  It's such a privilege to be able to play a small part in such a critical part of someone's life and to hopefully make a positive difference to them.  In my spare time, I love to craft, sew, scrapbook, blog, and do fun things with my little family.

I've always loved to read. My #1 series will always be The Baby-sitters Club. I'm pretty sure I read the entire series (what is that, like 1000 books?) about 100 times in my youth.  My favorites were Dawn and Stacy.  I can appreciate good literature (To Kill a Mockingbird is a favorite), as well as total cheeseball type books (The Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts).  I read most of my books on my Nook or iPhone, but I ALWAYS purchase my favorites in hardback.

I'm a long winded over-analyzer, who doesn't pay much attention to my typos and uses too many commas, as well as exaggerates often, and tends to make run-on sentences, so good luck reading my posts. ;)  I'm really looking forward to 'meeting' everyone!

Introduction - Erica Finlay

I guess since Jamie went and showed me up I had better hurry and get my intro up here.  Way to be a show off Jame!  I am Erica Finlay.  I am Jamie's older, most amazing sister.  I live Nevada with my husband of 12 years, Jake, and my 3 children; Allison - 10 1/2, Ethan - 8 and Ashlyn 3. 

I work at a daycare as a child care provider, teaching the 3-4 year olds.  I have worked there for almost 5 years now.  I love teaching the children and it is the best thing ever when you see something click or a mommy tells you, a couple of days later, about part of a lesson their child had been recreating at home.  I am also fortunate enough to have my children with me at work and I get to work with my very best friend.  It doesn't get any better than that.

I have always LOVED to read.  I was that kid hiding under the sheets with a flashlight and my book after I was told to go to bed.  I am now the adult that will knowingly stay up way past my bedtime, knowing I will pay for it in the morning, because I just have to know what happens next.  I frequently tell myself "just one more chapter" (I have a touch of OCD that doesn't allow me to stop mid chapter) only to reach the end of that chapter and tell myself "one more chapter".  This can go on for hours.

I am the proud owner of a Kindle.  I swore I would never get one.  I swore that no one could ever convince me that there was something better than holding a book in your hand and turning the pages.  My husband convinced me to get one and I am in love.  I have to say that as much as I still love an actual hard copy book it is really great to be able to throw my Kindle in my purse and have 40 books with me.  My husband especially appreciated this when we moved as it was 40 less books to be put in a box. When Jamie got her Kindle we started talking about books quite a lot.  Through our discussions we both came to say that we haven't been reading as much as we would like.  Thus the idea for our little site here.

It is my hope that as life has gotten a bit in the way of me reading lately, that having the book club will help motivate and re excite me about reading more frequently again.  I am also so excited to hear what everyone else has to say and what insight they offer when it comes to our books.  I am also excited to be able to do it without having to add to my calendar one more place to be. 

And I guess just from reading this you can see that I can tend to be chatty and long winded.  Another bonus to the site here.  You don't have to listen to me go on and on.  You can just skim over or skip it all together.  :)

Introduction: Jamie Pratt

I'll start if off!

I am Jamie Pratt, I am Erica Finlay's sister. I currently live in Arlington, VA within 2 miles of our nation's capitol. I have been here for 2 1/2 years. I currently am self-employed as a personal trainer. I travel to people's homes and make the exercise. I also work some for a corporate wellness company developing wellness programs for their employees and checking cholesterol, glucose, BMI, blood pressure, etc.

I just got a Kindle for Christmas so it is motivating me to read more, hence why Erica and I decided to do this. Typically I like to do anything outdoorsy and active. HOwever, since I have lived on the East Coast I make several trips to the West and have PLENTY of plane time to read. I'm super excited.

SO that's about it I think. Boring enough. I look forward to getting to know everyone else!

February/March

Our first book is Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. Since we are already part way through the month of February we will have until the end of March to finish it.  Be sure to come back and post comments or questions while reading or when you finish.  Happy reading!