Next meeting at Lois' on Friday, November 23rd.  Will send some questions soon!

2013 Schedule

Even though we were thinking about going back to the third Friday of every month, there are some months where that doesn't work because of long weekends etc. (e.g. February, May, December). Instead, I came up with this tentative schedule which works around those issues, mostly gives us more than 4 weeks between meetings, and also doesn't conflict with other important dates, like people's 40th or 50th birthdays :)

UPDATED ON OCT 23/12!!

• November 23, 2012 - Denise
• Not sure if a Christmas meeting makes sense this year, unless we have it before the holidays start (maybe Dec. 17 or 18)
• January 11, 2013 - Sarah
• February 8 - Elsa
• March 22 - Sherri
• April 26 - Patti
• May 31 - Hannah
• July 5 - Rachel
• Tuesday, August 27 - Sue
• September 27 - Julia
• November 1 - Tara
• December 6 - Lois

Let me know what you think about this schedule!

The next book is...

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron.

Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris

I feel like this a good introduction to Saudi Arabia, for all of us. It's a mystery, and it's fiction, but it sheds a light on the culture there. I hope you learn and enjoy, and I'll see you on July 20th to discuss it.

Our next book is Little Bee by Chris Cleave.  I haven't read it myself yet!  For those of you who weren't there last Friday, I do have several copies on hand.  Let me know if you need one and I'll try to get it to you!  Enjoy! 
Julia

Discussion Questions for this Friday

1.      Demick follows the lives of six North Koreans. Whose story do you find most compelling, disturbing, horrific, or inspiring?

2.      Talk about what happens to those who manage to defect. How do they manage life outside North Korea? What are the difficulties— both practical and psychological—they confront in their new lives?

3.      Demick describes North Korea, not as an undeveloped country, but as "a country that has fallen out of the developed world." What does she mean? What would it be like for any of us to live under the conditions in North Korea? What would be most difficult for you? What shocked or angered you most about the book's descriptions of life in the DPRK?

4.      Discuss the history of North Korea and its descent into deprivation. How did a formerly wealthy, industrialized country—which attracted Chinese from across the border—deteriorate into its present state?

5.      What does it take to survive in North Korea? How do some get around the restrictive laws?

6.      Do Koreans love their "dear leader" as much as they claim?

7.      How does one explain the disparity between North and South Korea?

8.      Talk about your experience reading this book? Was it hard to get through...or did you find yourself unable to put the book down? Were you depressed, angered, outraged, thankful for your own life...or all of the above?

(Questions by LitLovers)

Our next book is ...

"Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea" by Barbara Demick. The meeting will be held on Friday, May 4th at my place. I haven't read this book but I have heard good things about it ... it's non-fiction, which we haven't done recently. The runners-up were completely different: "The Paris Wife" by Paula McLain (a novel set in 1920s Paris, from the perspective of Ernest Hemingway's first wife) and "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins (which we decided to "assign" for our August social meeting ... no pressure, but that will give us time to read all three books if we want to, and maybe watch the movie too).

The following two meetings are scheduled for June 8 and July 20, and will be hosted by Julia and Tanya respectively.

Hope to see you all on May 4!