September 2008: Latin Moon in Manhattan

Latino Book Club meets next on Saturday September 27th to talk about Jaime Manrique's Latin Moon in Manhattan.

Please leave your comments to get the discussion started.

Some topics:

1. Mother and son relationship

2. Homosexuality in the Latino culture

3. The craziest character

Latino Book Club met this Saturday to talk about Jaime Manrique’s Latin Moon in Manhattan. Thanks to Irene and Kathy (Humphrey) for the interesting discussion beyond the book. As for the book it was a "mixed" reaction. Kathy "hated" it, and respecting her reaction Irene and I said we enjoyed it. We all agreed that the novel does not go into depth about any issue, but simply entertains with the variety of unusual crazy characters: Simón Bolívar, Hot Sauce, Mr. O’Donnell etc.
Moving on to our future plans, I would like to welcome our newest member Mary Bulluck to our Book Club.
Some of our regular members (Olga and Lizzy) notified that Pomegranate Books had difficulty getting Jaime Manrique's book, which led us to talk about the unavailability of the books on our list in any of the Public Libraries here in Wilmington, and Kathy has suggested that we send a petition to the Libraries to acquire these books. If you are interested please let me know. We would like to get as many signatures as possible.
With the upcoming holidays in November and December, Latino Book Club will be suspended during these two months. This will give you time to catch up with the books you weren’t able to read, or liked so much that you might want to gift them to someone.
We will meet in January 2008 with Oscar Hijuelos new novel Dark Dude (suggested by Kathy).
We will meet for the last time this year next month to talk about Carla Trujillo’s What Night Brings (suggested and highly recommended by Irene).

Please send ideas for other books that we can read next year, and don’t forget to blog.

August 2008: American Chica

Latino Book Club's next Coffee Hour on Saturday, August 30th at 3PM. We meet to talk about Marie Arana's memoir American Chica.

Please leave your comments, discussion topics.

Irene sends some themes:

1. Color of skin

2. Family ties

3. Identity

We had an exciting discussion arising from Marie Arana's memoir, thanks to our regulars: Olga, Irene, and Lizzy and our newest member Kathy. We all seemed to agree that Arana's writing style is very impressive. This is Olga's favorite book.
If you like Marie Arana's American Chica you can also read her first novel Cellophane, set in Amazonian Peru.
The next month's author and book is : Jaime Manrique's Latin Moon in Manhattan.
We have also chosen October's book: Carla Trujillo's What Night Brings.
Please send suggestions for our book list. Remember they just have to be US-Latino authors and writing in English.
Also, lets try and get our blog site going, especially those who can't come to our meetings, but would like to join us with their reactions. The September discussion link will be available starting September 1st.

July 2008: The Rain God

Latino Book Club meets next on Saturday, July 26th at 3PM for its coffee hour and to discuss Arturo Islas' The Rain God.

Topic of discussions:

1. In comparison to Rudolfo Anaya's Bless me, Última, how do you feel about this novel?

2. Which Ángel family member is your favorite and why?

Other topics: Send them to Amrita to be posted here.

Despite the heavy rain Olga and Lizzy made it to our past coffee hour. For once we all liked Arturo Islas' THE RAIN GOD. I guess the rain was appropriate(although we did not make the connection then).
Irene was unable to come, but sent her comments. She didn't like the novel at first, but then says it grew on her.
Next month(AUGUST) we are changing the geographical origin of our author. Instead of choosing a book by a Chicano/Mexican American, Cuban American, Dominican American or Puerto Rican (the most commonly read), we are reading the Peruvian American Marie Arana's AMERICAN CHICA.

Keeping the varying motif the SEPTEMBER book is Colombian American author Jaime Manrique's LATIN MOON IN MANHATTAN. More information on this will be in our next issue of the newsletter.
DON'T FORGET TO LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS ON OUR BLOG.

June 2008: The Latin Deli

Latino Book Club meets on June 28th to discuss Judith Ortiz Cofer's The Latin Deli.

Some topics:

1. What do you think of the combination of prose(fiction and non-fiction) and poetry in one book?

The Book Club met on Saturday, and I believe because of the summer many people are put of town. Olga and I, the only ones present talked about Judith Ortiz Cofer's The Latin Deli. We both seem to like the prose pieces and some of the essays were helpful to understand where the author and her writings comes from. We both had some trouble liking the poems, just a personal preference.
Do remember our Blog site.

If you are unable to come, you can always leave your comments. Everybody's insight and reaction is welcome and appreciated.
The next month's book is Arturo Islas' The Rain God.
We also picked the August book: Marie Arana, American Chica, a memoir of the Peruvian American writer.
Many of you on the list have never been to our once a month meetings. If you wish your name to be taken off the book club list, please let me know.
If any one of you need a ride, some of the regular members will be glad to bring you in to our coffee hour.

May 2008: Drown

Latino Book Club will meet on May 31st to discuss Junot Diaz' collection of short stories, Drown.

Please post your comments!

A possible topic:

Which is your favorite story, and why?

Junot Diaz (author of Drown, our May 08 book) was on Colbert Report on June 18th, to talk about his Pultizer winning novel The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao.
Watch the video

Thank you Lizzy for staying up late, and informing us.
Enjoy!

We met today to discuss JUNOT DIAZ' DROWN. Most of us liked it. Personally it was the best I have read in our series. We also had one member with few reservations about some of the stories.
As it is the summer and if you are leaving town take the next two books with you THE LATIN DELI and July's book THE RAIN GOD.
If you are in town, please come to our next meeting, especially those who haven't been able to make it to any one our meetings.
Remember, the blog site is always there to leave your comments. You don't need any password. All you need to do is click on COMMENT and write your comment in the box that appears. Choose the NAME/URL option at the bottom of the box and leave your name.

April 2008: In Cuba I was a German Shepherd

Latino Book Club meets on Saturday, 26th April at 3 PM to discuss Ana Menendez' In Cuba I was a German Shepherd.

Leave your comments!

Last Saturday we met to talk of Ana Menendez' In Cuba I was a German Shepherd. We all thought it was a tough read, especially with all the symbolism and the non-linear story telling style. If you didn't quite get it, you were not alone. We all agreed that nostalgia and loneliness were the dominant emotions.
If you did enjoy it, please share your comments with us.
We also enjoyed Jeremy's great music after our discussion.
Here is the next read for the month of May: Junot Diaz' Drown. We have also decided the book for June, and it is Judith Ortiz Cofer's The Latin Deli.
If you want to read a specific author or writer please send suggestions and they will be added to our box.
Happy readings and don't forget to write comments at our blog site.

March 2008: Bless me, Ultima

The Latino Book Club meets Saturday, March 29th at 3PM.

Please leave a discussion topic and your comment to get the discussion going!

Some topics:

Nature as a character

Tony

Lunas v. Marezes

Ultima

Thank you all who came out this past Saturday to our discussion of Bless me Ultima. I am happy we all enjoyed the novel, especially New Mexico's landscape.

April's book and author: In Cuba I was a German Shepherd by Ana Menéndez.
The book is available at Pomegranate Books at a 15% discount for our Book Club members.
We have also picked the book for the month of May, it is Junot Diaz' collection of short stories titled Drown.
Please feel free to send titles to be added to our box. Please visit the Blog site and leave comments about the books you are reading.
If you any other questions, feel free to write back.