October means Halloween, and Halloween means something thematic (monsters, anyone?) for HYP book club. “My Favorite Thing is Monsters” is a graphic novel by Emil Ferris. In it, 10-year-old Karen Reyes scrawls B-movie horror images while she attempts to solve the murder of her mysterious upstairs neighbor, a holocaust survivor. In the course of her inquiry, the reader learns about her neighbor’s life in Nazi Germany. As this investigation unfolds, we begin to see how the lives around her are interconnected, in addition to the past and the present.
Two programming notes – Amazon lists a second book with additional content, but we’ll only be reading the first book (hence the Book 1 in the title). In keeping with the Halloween theme, we’ll be at a ‘mystery location’, and the address will be sent to those who RSVP. Please RSVP and/or send questions to Joe Foner at joefoner1@gmail.com.
So the ol’ book club is at it again, with a longer than usual book for a longer than usual time period. Enter the challenge read, where we’ll have approximately 3 months to read a sci-fi classic, “Dune” by Frank Herbert. Dune is set on the planet Arrakis, the story of a boy heir to a noble family that rules an inhospitable desert world. His family is betrayed and destroyed, sending him on an unimaginable journey, where he evolves into a man of mystery, moving mankind toward an unattainable dream.
Besides it being a classic, another reason to read Dune is in recognition of the upcoming movie version, due out in theaters/streaming in late October. If possible, we’ll fit in a discussion of the movie; the focus will be on the book.
Programming note: we’ll be reading the first book of the Dune Chronicles (known as Book 1). The versions we’re seeing are approximately 700 pages, but can vary based on print size and format (i.e., hardcover, paperback, kindle). Feel free to e-mail Joe if you have a question about which book to get. To account for the length, we’re taking approximately 3 months to read and meeting in November.
RSVP and/or send questions to Joe Foner at joefoner1@gmail.com.
“State of Wonder”, by award-winning and bestselling author Anne Patchett, is the story of pharmacologist Marina Singh, who journeys to Brazil to bring back information about seemingly miraculous drug research being conducted there by her former teacher. Recalling such books as The Lost City of Z, and the film “Embrace of the Serpent,” it’s about choices, especially the ones we make in the name of discovery, as well as love.
The meeting is planned for outside, so please plan appropriately, including chairs, water, sunblock, etc. In the event of rain in the forecast, Joe will e-mail the zoom link to all RSVP’s the day before. Please RSVP and/or send questions to Joe Foner at joefoner1@gmail.com.
It’s been a while since we’ve been to movie theaters, so it’s been a while since we’ve done a crossover discussion at the ol’ HYP Book Club. March’s book will remedy that with “The Queen’s Gambit” by Walter Tevis. Yes, THAT Queen’s Gambit.
About a young girl who overcomes a car crash, the loss of her mother, and an orphanage to become a chess phenom, it’s an engrossing tale of genius, addiction, connection, and maybe most of all, that insular world of chess versus the insular world of her mind. Or vice versa. We’ll be talking about both the book and the TV series, so feel free to consume in whatever order if you haven’t already.
HOW TO ATTEND:
We’ll meet on Zoom, and a link will be sent to those who RSVP. Please RSVP and/or send questions to Joe Foner at joefoner1@gmail.com.