May 13 Book: 'One Summer: America 1927' by Bill Bryson

Sam is hosting May 13 and has selected a Bill Bryson book, "One Summer: America 1927." Amazon.com says:

It’s amazing what a talented writer at the top of his game can do with a seemingly narrow topic. The title of Bill Bryson’s latest sums up the simplicity of his task: to document the “most extraordinary summer” of 1927, beginning with Charles Lindbergh’s successful flight across the Atlantic. Even though we know many of these stories--Lindbergh’s flight, Babe Ruth’s 60-homerun season, the Mississippi River flood, Al Capone’s bullet-ridden reign over Chicago--in Bryson’s hands, and in the context of one amazing summer of twentieth-century ingenuity and accomplishment, they feel fresh, lively, and just plain fun. The book is so jammed with “did you know it” nuggets and fascinating origin stories (the opening of the Holland Tunnel, the first Mickey Mouse prototype, the source of the term “hot dog”), the effect is like sitting beside a brilliant, slightly boozy barstool raconteur, who knows a little bit about everything. From a tabloid murder trial to a flagpole-sitting record to the secret origins of the looming Great Depression, One Summer offers a new look at a transitional period in history, re-introducing us to such characters as Capone, Jack Dempsey, Al Jolson, Charles Ponzi, and Herbert Hoover. Ultimately, this is a book about the moment when important things, for good or ill, began happening in the US. With a giddy narrative voice and keen eye for off-kilter details, Bryson has spun a clever tale of America’s coming of age.

A few reviews:

"This splendid book, written in the breezy and humorous style that has come to be Bryson's trademark, is sure to delight readers steeped in the history of the period as well as those looking to acquaint themselves with it for the first time." — The Associated Press


"There are two kinds of readers: those who love Bill Bryson and those who haven't met him yet... Colorful, rollicking and sweet, this is Bryson being Bryson. Which is to say: marvelous." — People

April 1, 2016, Book: 'Boys in the Trees: A Memoir'

"We have no secrets. We tell each other everything," sang Carly Simon in the 1970s.

For those of you who were awed by the feminine mystique of Carly back in the 70s, and perhaps sang along to "Anticipation" or "You're So Vain" playing on the turntable in your bedroom (or was that just me), then you'll be extra excited about this selection.

Juli is hosting on April 1, 2016, and she has chosen Carly's confessional new book, "Boys in the Trees: A Memoir" for our first spring selection.

Millennials may not know who Carly is, and they may not know she was married to the then very handsome (and troubled) James Taylor. But when I think about the demographics of our humble club, I'm pretty sure we ALL remember all of this. Like it was yesterday.

So whether you love Carly or you never thought much about her, you're going to learn all about her now.

And in case you'd like to flash back to the jaw-droppingly good music of the 70s (or just the bralessness of it), here's a great video for you to check out: https://youtu.be/Ux7HgO9QhAc

Feb. 19, 2016, Book: 'The Girl on the Train' by Paula Hawkins

Stacey will be hosting in February, and we will be going back to Europe with the "The Girl on the Train." Here is an overview from Amazon.com:

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Compulsively readable, "The Girl on the Train" is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

A few reviews:

“'The Girl on the Train' marries movie noir with novelistic trickery ... hang on tight. You'll be surprised by what horrors lurk around the bend.”—USA Today

“Like its train, the story blasts through the stagnation of these lives in suburban London and the reader cannot help but turn pages. . . . The welcome echoes of Rear Window throughout the story and its propulsive narrative make 'The Girl on the Train' an absorbing read.”—The Boston Globe