Thursday, September 6, 2012

Book Choices

Hello ladies!  Here is the list of books available for voting!  Please vote on the right!

We're adding one book to our list of votes too.  Kim Gomez's (Tallyn's Reach Ward) dad wrote a book called The Anniversary Waltz.  He will be coming out for a book signing in December and might be able to come to our book club if we decide to read this one.  Here is the synopsis as well as the ones for the other books:

The Anniversary Waltz: A Novel by Darrel Nelson, 304 pages
At their sixtieth anniversary party, Adam Carlson asks his wife, Elizabeth, for their customary waltz. After the dance they gather the family and share their story—a story of love and courage overcoming adversity and thriving in the face of overwhelming odds.
It’s the summer of 1946, and Adam has just returned from the war to his home in Reunion, Montana. At a town festival he meets Elizabeth Baxter, a young woman going steady with his former high school rival and now influential banker, Nathan Roberts.
When Adam and Elizabeth share a waltz in a deserted pavilion one evening, their feelings begin to grow and they embark on a journey, and a dance, that will last a lifetime.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, 473 pagesThe compelling story of Louie Zamperini who not only survived a plane crash in the Pacific Ocean during WWII but also over 40 days in the open ocean in a tiny raft and then the Japanese POW camps. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, 449 pagesIn picturesque nineteenth-century New England, tomboyish Jo, beautiful Meg, fragile Beth, and romantic Amy come of age while their father is off to war. Both a classic and autobiographical, Little Women is the classic story of a Northern family at home during the Civil War. This book was unique since it focused not on the war, but on the bond the sisters of the home shared. Through Little Women, we meet 4 incredible sisters and experience the timeless bonds of love, loss, family, and friendship that has ensnared readers for over a century.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, 550 pagesThis book is about a hungry, illiterate, young girl named Liesel living during the Holocaust. Through a kind, foster father, Liesel discovers a love for books and words and begins to steel them from the Nazi book burnings as well as The Mayor's wife's library. As Hitler was destroying the world with his words, Liesel found her salvation and education through the books she read. She has a knack for drawing people to her and makes many unexpected friends. Rudy is an unforgettable friend and their story is captivating.

Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran, 446 pagesThis is an interesting historical fiction set during the French Revolution. Madame Tussaud and her family run a wax museum in Paris and try to stay in favor while different groups fight over the way France should be governed. They have to continually try to prove their allegiance to whoever is currently in power by changing the figures in their museum, associating with the right people, and making sure they stay informed of which people the French commoners are currently aligning with. Madame Tussaud is particularly at risk because of her close relationship with the royal family as tutor to the king's sister. It's a fascinating look at what happened during the revolution and how allegiances were easily won by anyone willing to give an angry crowd what they want. I couldn't put it down and wanted to read more about the time period after I finished.
 

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd by Jim Fergus, 304 pages
***Some Violent and Graphic scenes***
Based on an actual historical event, "One Thousand White Women" tells
the story--in diary and letter form--of a young woman, who in 1875, travels to the American West to marry Little Wolf, the chief of the Cheyenne nation. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world.  Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime. Jim Fergus has so vividly depicted the American West that it is as if these diaries are a capsule in time.

Salting Roses by Lorelle Marinello, 313 pagesGracie Lynne Calloway, once left on a coal bucket on a front porch in a small southern Alabama town, discovers on her 25th birthday that she is the kidnapped daughter of a late New England financier and heiress to a fortune. The only problem? Gracie doesn't want any part of it. From the snooty new rich relatives to the handsome and wealthy attorney trying to convince her to take it, Gracie wants all of them gone. There's nothing wrong with the side of the tracks she grew up on, and she's much more comfortable pitching a baseball than she is in high society. As this Southern Cinderella tries to come to terms with her new "fairytale" life, she discovers that some things aren't as great as they seem, but some things, can be even better. This was a wonderful romance with some fantastic characters. A very fun read!