kk - when you have the time and energy let me know what else you've been reading or will be for your group - I may have some additional suggestions on the asian theme for not just female authors

dick - it's nice to see someone interested in reading!! i am in 2 book clubs (all women). we meet once a month at someone's house, have a few snacks and some wine and talk about the book. some months we talk more than others. but it's a lot of fun.
we read different genres of books but stay away from science fiction and most mysteries. for the month of november, we read Small Island from Andrea Levy and the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon. both ok books but not out of this world! we take a break in december then for january, we are reading Cry the beloved Country which I have already read (hate that) and Middlesec by Jeffrey Eugenides. and

that is Middlesex

kk - following the Asian theme i would recommend Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

thanx - will keep those 2 books in the "want to read list"!

OK - here's a few more suggestions on the Asian theme:
The Doctor's Wife - Sawako Ariyoshi
Pavilion of Women - Pearl Buck
Shogun - James Clavell
Tai-Pan - James Clavell
Gai-Jin - James Clavell
Seeing Calvin Coolidge in a Dream - John Derbyshire
Soul Mountain - Gao Xingjian
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
When We were Orphans - Kazuo Ishiguro
Comfort Woman - Nora Okja Keller
A Mature Woman - Saiichi Maruya
Empress Orchid - Anchee Min
A Quiet Life - Kenzaburo Oe
A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - Dai Sijie
Harp of Burma - Michio Takeyama
Rose, Rose, I Love You - Chen-Ho Wang

Memoirs of a Geisha the book was so much better than the movie. The movie just murdered it.

I agree with you Jes. The only time I saw a movie do justice to a book was "Lord of the Flies."

yes the book was definitely better. but i did enjoy the scenery in the movie as well as the feeling of constant dampness!
and dick have you read all of those books and which one is your favourite?

kk - yes, I have read them. It's hard to pick a favorite, but the top two would be Shogun, by Clavell and A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. Shogun was made into a mini-series for TV with Richard Chamberlain playing the central figure. It was reasonably well done but fell far short of the book. If you haven't seen the movie, read the book first. It's about 15th century Japan and its encounter with the western world through the exploits of a captured british ship's crew and it's extraordinarily fortunate and gifted pilot.
A Suitable Boy is about two families in India - one is Hindu, the other Muslim - brought together by the friendship and romance of a daughter of the Hindus and the son of the Muslims. The character development in this story is so rich that you can get totally immersed in their lives knowing nothing about either culture. Although, when you're finished with the book, you'll feel you've been there. Well worth reading.

dick- read Shogun years and years ago and did see the movie - it's a bit of a blur at the moment!
A Suitable Boy sounds interesting.
Rohinton Mistry is also an author writing re India. He or she (can't remember!!) is worth a read.

Thanks kk, I'll check our library.

Dick, I saw Lord of the Flies! and you are so right! All of the characters (especially Piggy) are exactly how I had imagined them. It was awesome. I also have to say I feel the same way about the Grapes of Wrath, but I do think that too many things were left out of the movie that were in the book.

If we're talking movies based on books, try Disclosure (Michael Crichton) - the book first, then the movie. It looked on the screen exactly like the movie projector in my head ran it.

Disclosure was an interesting movie - good story! Part of the movie was shot right here on Bainbridge Island at the ferry dock...

Just finished quite an interesting easy read - Strawbetty Fields by Marina Lewycka. It's a story about struggling migrant workers in England. Political issues are addressed and while I reacted with compassion and social outrage, the humour and lighthearted set by the author, well I couldn't help but laugh out loud!! A little bit of everything.

Just finished an interesting autobiography - David Brinkley, A Memoir. He wrote it in 1995 and I believe he died in 2003. A quick but good read.

I was just reminded of a book I read a couple of years back. It's a great book for those of us who are boomers or maybe slightly preboomer, like me. It's called "Where River Turns to Sky" by Gregg Kleiner (1996). It's about a man who fails in his promise to a friend not to let him die alone and the wonderful and hilarious adventures he precipitates in his attempt to make up for that failure. It's a really good read!

I just discovered this link! wow! How nice! I've been away for a few months becuase of preparing for our Christmas Craft Show, which was very successful! We raised over $3,000 and pruchasr new tables and chairs for our church social room. And on the dy after Thanksgiving, I rushed my hubby to the er, where he actually stopped breathing. He ssuffered from congestive heart failure and on Dec 1st was rushed to a larger hospital, where he had a quadruple by pass. December was spent counting my blessings and caring for him when he returned home. On January 10th, we renewed our vows with close family and friends with us. we are both now rebuilding our emotional and physical strength.

Soooo, my books have been laying near my chair waiting for me. I have read many on your lists. Reading is one of my favorite past times. I currently have about 20 crafting books by my chair, which I constantly reference for ideas. Most of them are by "Martha Stewart" or "Gooseberry" books. I am a huge Jan Karan fan. If you haven't read her "Mitford Series", you are missing out!...you simply can not put them down. I recently read "Dewey" and enjoyed it as much as "Marley and Me". I have over 200 books, lining my closet shelves, that have been waiting for me since I retired, but I can't catch up because I keep buying more or my daughter in law is always bringing over her favorites to share. I recently read "Out of Egypt" and "Christ the Lord" by Anne Rice. I loved "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett.and have not yet started the sequel "World without End." There is never enough time in the day for those of us who want to curl up into a good book and get lost into the adventure. I started a book a acouple of years ago and only have 2 chapters done, I guess I better get busy!