Introducing: These Is My Words

Ladies and Gents, I would like to formally introduce to you all our next read.  Please welcome with open minds and time...These Is My Words.  I honestly don't know much about this novel, but it did come highly recommended to me by a trusted reader, so I'm excited.  It's quite a bit longer than our previous novel, so I'm estimating a total read time of about seven weeks.  That puts us at 55 pages a week.  I know for some of you this is turtle pace, but I never want someone to quit us because they can't keep up.  So, if you finish early, just pick up another read on your own. 

In a compelling fiction debut, Nancy E. Turner's unforgettable These Is My Words melds the sweeping adventures and dramatic landscapes of Lonesome Dove with the heartfelt emotional saga of Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All.

Inspired by the author's original family memoirs, this absorbing story introduces us to the questing, indomitable Sarah Prine, one of the most memorable women ever to survive and prevail in the Arizona Territory of the late 1800s. As a child, a fiery young woman, and finally a caring mother, Sarah forges a life as full and as fascinating as our deepest needs, our most secret hopes and our grandest dreams. She rides Indian-style and shoots with deadly aim, greedily devours a treasure trove of leatherbound books, downs fire, flood, Comanche raids and other mortal perils with the unique courage that forged the character of the American West.

Rich in authentic details of daily life and etched with striking character portraits of very different pioneer families, this action-packed novel is also the story of a powerful, enduring love between Sarah and the dashing cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot. Neither the vast distances traveled nor the harsh and killing terrains could quench the passion between them, and the loss and loneliness both suffer only strengthen their need for each other.

While their love grows, the heartbreak and wonder of the frontier experience unfold in scene after scene: a wagon-train Sunday spent roasting quail on spits as Indians close in to attack; Sarah's silent encounter with an Indian brave, in which he shows her his way of respect; a dreadful discovery by a stream that changes Sarah forever; the hazards of a visit to Phoenix, a town as hot as the devil's frying pan; Sarah's joy in building a real home, sketching out rooms and wraparound porches.
Sarah's incredible story leads us into a vanished world that comes vividly to life again, while her struggles with work and home, love and responsibility resonate with those every woman faces today. These Is My Words is a passionate celebration of a remarkable life, exhilarating and gripping from the first page to the last.

A Few Reader Reviews:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/348225.These_Is_My_Words
http://www.seagullfountain.com/2009/04/19/reading-in-the-desert/
http://www.reviewers-choice.com/these_is_my_words.htm
http://www.katelehrer.com/gatheredPieces/fewReviews/theseWords.htm

OK, I'll see you all in a week for a check in ending on page 55.  Happy reading!  -CC

RITR...We're Finished!

We.  Are.  Done.  I'm curious to see what you thought of Racing in the Rain.  I found these generic questions I thought might be a nice way to wrap up a book.  You can answer them all, just a couple, or maybe you have a random thought you'd like to add.  Let me hear from you!

1. Which character do you like the most and why? The least and why?
2. What passage from the book stood out to you?
3. Are there situations and/or characters you can identify with, if so how?
4. Did you learn something you didn’t know before?
5. Do you feel as if your views on a subject have changed by reading this text?
6. Have you had a life changing revelation from reading this text?
7. What major emotion did the story evoke in you as a reader?
8. At what point in the book did you decide if you liked it or not? What helped make this decision?
9. Name your favorite thing overall about the book. Your least favorite?
10. If you could change something about the book what would it be and why?
11. Describe what you liked or disliked about the writer’s style?

RITR Check In

Hey, guys!  Yes, guilty as charged, I did not post last Sunday regarding the third quarter of Racing in the Rain as I said I would, but honestly, I just didn't have much to say or ask at that point.  I figured we could save our thoughts and opinions for this Monday's upcoming post when we finish the book.

"Monday?  I thought it was Sunday?"  Yep, changing that.  I find I like/need both Saturday and Sunday evenings to read, and it so it seems natural for me to post to the blog on Monday regarding the previous week's reading.  Hey, this is a new book club, so I'll be working out the kinks as we go :-)

As for a rough schedule, this is what I'm thinking.  We'll wrap up The Art of Racing in the Rain this weekend, then we'll take next week off so everyone can have time to get the new book, These Is My Words, and catch up on any personal reading they'd like to do.  Sounds good?  Feel free to share any ideas, opinions, suggested reading, etc!

Also, please check out Bending Binds on Facebook.  It's the more active platform if you're looking for more frequent random posts.  There's a link to our FB page on the left side of the blog's home screen.

Have an awesome weekend!
Claire

Ch. 14-25: RITR Discussion

We're half way there!  Instead of having a particular discussion topic, I thought we'd have something a little more generic since we're at the half way point.  Soooo...what do you think about the book?!  Are you liking it?  Why, or why not?  What do you think about the perspective, characters, plot, etc?  Does anyone have a guess, or would like to share, as to what the big climax, or a turning point, will be?  I'll add my own opinion in a comment...

Ch.1- 13 RITR Discussion: Dogs Smelling Cancer

Alright, you made it to the first quarter!  That reading load wasn't bad, was it?  If so, let me know your thoughts.

On page 37 in Racing in the Rain, Enzo speaks of smelling the disease in Eve's brain before any human or machine could be aware of it.

My mother had briefly told me something about this not too long ago.  My late dog, Del, died of cancer this past December, so dogs and cancer were topics of conversation among us quite often.  I was hearing topics from cancer emitting a smell...to...dogs detecting cancer with their sense of smell.  My obsessive cancer-googling was more within the frame of Del's particular cancer, Mast Cell, at the time, so I sort of forgot about those other topics of interest...until it came up in Racing in the Rain.

Here's an article talking about the research conducted on dogs sniffing out cancer, and there's more out there if you feel inclined to get "google'y".  All I have to say is thank goodness I have both a Lab and a German Shepherd.  Looks like we're good hands over here... ;-)

Have any of you ever heard of this, or even better, have any personal experience?  I'm a believer.  Dogs are extraordinary creatures!

For you shipping savers...

I know many of us like to buy books online, and some stores (ehem, Amazon) give you free shipping if you spend over $25.  So, if you're planning to buy The Art of Racing in the Rain online, the next book we'll be reading is These Is My Words by Nancy Turner.  Save on shipping, and go on ahead and buy it, as well!

Our first book: The Art of Racing in the Rain

Introducing....

 

Overview

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver.

Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side. Having learned what it takes to be a compassionate and successful person, the wise canine can barely wait until his next lifetime, when he is sure he will return as a man.

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it.
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I have been dying to read this book ever since my cousin introduced it to me!  I love dogs.  In fact, to say I just simply love dogs is almost an understatement; I "get" dogs, and they get me.  It's like God's purpose for me, or something.  I was so poor (not too much better off now) and couldn't spend the money to buy the book at the time, but I eventually bought it for my brother in law's Christmas present last year.  Like me, he's a dog dude and a reader, so I thought it would be an appreciated gift.  He actually just texted me a couple of days ago saying he finally got around to reading the book (new baby in the family) and really enjoyed it.  The book has also received wonderful reviews, and I believe a movie will be made in the somewhat near future.

On a personal note, I know this novel will be difficult for me as we recently had to put our beloved dog, Del, down a little over a month ago due to Mast Cell cancer.  Although we still have our wonderful dog Fred, and recently rescued an awesome German Shepherd, Cinna, I'm still mourning the loss of Del.  She was extra-special.  I invite us all to celebrate our own individual "pet angels" while reading The Art of Racing in the Rain :-)

RIP Baby Del...you are missed, and celebrated, daily

I'm shooting for this novel's finish date to be March 11, 2012.  We may find this schedule to be overly ambitious, but it's our first book, so I'm flying blind, here.  Let me know how you feel about the pace as we go, and we may decide to tweek the schedule.

Here's the weekly schedule:

Sunday Feb. 19th:  Ch. 1-13
Sunday Feb. 26th:  Ch. 14-25
Sunday March 4th:  Ch. 26-39
Sunday March 11th:  Ch. 40-finish