July Book Club Selection: Travels with Charley

The Our Savior’s book club selection for July, Travels with Charley: in Search of America by John Steinbeck, should appeal to all of us armchair travelers. It was written in the 1960’s and is a memoir of Steinbeck’s 3+ month road trip around the country with his dog, Charley, to ‘rediscover’ America. Lots of copies of Travels with Charley are available at the public library. Please join us! Our discussion will be held on Thursday, July 29th at 6:30 P.M.

May Book Club Selection: The Silenced

Our May book The Silenced is by James DeVita. Consigned to a prison-like Youth Training Facility because of her parents’ political activities, Marena organizes a resistance movement to combat the restrictive policies of the ruling Zero Tolerance party. This is a gripping read and adults and young adults will certainly empathize with the characters’ conflicts between self-expression and a desire to fit in. Readers will find the Zero Tolerance credo that the state’s first priority must be the safety of its citizens to have a chilling resonance with statements in the news today.

The OSLC Book Club will NOT meet on Thursday, May 27th as planned. We will meet to discuss both May’s book, The Silenced, and June’s book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, on Thursday, June 17th at 6:30 p.m. All readers are welcome!

April Book Club Selection: The Omnivore’s Dilemma

The Our Savior’s Book Club selection for April is The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. The book offers insight into food consumption in the twenty-first century, explaining how an abundance of unlimited food varieties reveals the responsibilities of consumers to protect their health and the environment.

Pollan’s easy writing style and unique approach freshen this contemporary debate. Our book discussion will take place on Thursday, April 29th at 6:30 p.m.

March Book Club Selection: The Lost Symbol

Our March book is The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown. Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, at the U.S. Capitol Building to deliver a lecture, is drawn into a desperate search through the hidden tunnels and temples of Washington, D.C., when his mentor Peter Solomon, a prominent Mason and philanthropist, is kidnapped and the only clue to Solomon’s whereabouts lies in an ancient invitation to a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

We will also view a DVD of the program aired on the Discovery Channel to learn more about the Freemasons. Our book discussion will take place on Thursday, March 25th at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome!

February’s Book Club Selection: Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

The OSLC January book club selection is Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom. This is a true story of author Mitch Albom, having been asked to write a eulogy for an elderly rabbi, begins a relationship with the man in order to get to know him better, and, in the process, also becomes involved with the plight of a local pastor whose church is falling down around him, leading Mitch to better understand the importance of faith.

We have a wonderful group of members who enjoy reading and then coming together for a discussion of ‘the book of the month’. Talking about books is another way to learn some thing new about our friends and ourselves as we travel our faith journey together. We look forward to seeing you!

January’s Book Club Selection: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

The OSLC January book club selection is “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie. This book is categorized as a ‘young adult’ novel and is appropriate for anyone in Grade 7 or above. Exploring Indian identity, both self and tribal, the novel is a semi-autobiographical chronicle of Arnold Spirit, a.k.a. Junior, a Spokane Indian from Wellpinit, WA. The bright 14-year-old was born with water on the brain, is regularly the target of bullies, and loves to draw. He says, “I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats.” …The teen’s determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. (School Library Journal)

Please see or call Sandra Hansen if you would like to purchase this $8.00 paperback book. We have a wonderful group of members who enjoy reading and then coming together for a discussion of ‘the book of the month’. Talking about books is another way to learn some thing new about our friends and ourselves as we travel our faith journey together. We will meet in the Fellowship Hall on Thursday, January 28th at 6:30. We look forward to seeing you!

November’s Book Club Selection: A Thousand Splendid Suns

Our Savior’s November Book Club selection is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

Hosseini’s compassionate storytelling and his sense of personal and national tragedy are woven into this tale of two women that is weighted equally with despair and grave hope. This is a riveting story—an in-depth exploration of Afghan society in the three decades of anti-Soviet jihad, civil war and Taliban cruelty.

Please let Sandra Hansen know if you would like to purchase a book for $12. Copies are also available at the public library. All are welcome to join us in the Fellowship Hall on Monday, November 30th at 6:30 to talk about this eye-opening, and sometimes jaw-dropping story.

October’s Book Club Selection: Peace Like a River

Set in the Minnesota countryside and North Dakota Badlands of the early 1960s, Peace Like a River is a moving, engrossing, beautifully told story about one family’s quest to retrieve its most wayward member. Reuben Land, the novel’s asthmatic and self-effacing eleven-year-old narrator, recounts an unforgettable journey riddled with outlaw tales, heartfelt insights, and bona fide miracles. Born without air in his lungs, Reuben is keenly aware of the gift of breath—and, by extension, the gift of life. Time and again, both gifts are bestowed on Reuben by his father, a gentlemanly soul who works as a school janitor and has the power—and faith—to bestow true miracles. When the family is threatened by two evil high school boys, events escalate and their lives seem to have worsened beyond the aid of miracles. Or have they? When the family set out on their journey, the reader eventually witnesses rivers, plains, and city lights unseen by mortal eyes. Equal parts tragedy, romance, adventure yarn, and meditation, Peace Like a River is an inspired story of family love, religious faith, and the lifelong work and trust required of both.

The Book Club will meet to discuss this captivating book on Monday, October 19th at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Book Club Meeting on September 15th

The OSLC book for September is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. Christopher Boone is the autistic 15-year-old narrator of this revelatory novel. When his neighbor’s poodle is killed and Christopher is falsely accused of the crime, he decides that he will take a page from Sherlock Holmes (one of his favorite characters) and track down the killer. Solving the mystery leads him into an odyssey to find his place in the world where he must fall back on deductive logic to navigate the emotional complexities of a social world that remains a closed book to him. Though Christopher insists, “This will not be a funny book. I cannot tell jokes because I do not understand them,” the novel brims with touching, ironic humor. The result is an eye-opening work in a unique and compelling literary voice.

We will meet on Tuesday, September 15th at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall to talk about this curious book.

Book Club Meets on August 11th

The OSLC Book Club will meet at 6:30 on Tuesday, August 11th in the Fellowship Hall. We will discuss the book The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. All are welcome!

We will meet in September to discuss The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Christopher Boone is the autistic 15-year-old narrator of this revelatory novel. When his neighbor’s poodle is killed and Christopher is falsely accused of the crime, he decides that he will take a page from Sherlock Holmes (one of his favorite characters) and track down the killer. The result is an eye-opening work in a unique and compelling literary voice. Please contact Sandra Hansen if you would like a public library copy of this book.

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