bookish girl book club

Book Choice 1: Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Vonnegut’s writing, along with ogres, is like an onion. Layers! It is strange, quirky, funny, sarcastic, accessible, and deep. Cat’s Cradle is about the father of the atomic bomb, his midget son, a fictional non-religion that exists only on a fictional island with its own fictional lexicon – all of which can be read in a only few afternoons. And while on the surface it’s a strangely entertaining story, what lies beneath is a poignant exploration about life, relationships, and humanity complex enough to keep you thinking for several more afternoons.

--Book summary written by Brett

Book Choice 2: So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell

I had just finished reading The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewki when I read about the author’s five favorite books. Wroblewski said, “There's a special society of readers who know what a perfect novel So Long, See You Tomorrow is, and I'm proud to be among them. The story opens with a murder, suicide, and mutilation near the small Illinois town of Lincoln, but quickly turns to the emotional journey of Maxwell himself, who, in 1918, at the age of ten, lost his mother to the Great Influenza. The result is a braid of memoir, fact, and fiction, rendered in gorgeously spare prose.” A special society of readers? I wanted in. And well, now I am. Do you want in, too? As another enticement, you should know this novel clocks in at only 135 pages. Don’t let the mutilation reference scare you. It’s not gory. This book has adult themes, but no graphic sexual or violent content. There are maybe two uses of expletives.

--Book summary written by Kelly

Book Choice 3: Summer by Edith Wharton

Wharton, famous for creating characters civilized, restrained and repressed, lets it all out in Charity Royall, the protagonist of her novel Summer. The novel follows our heroine through a summer in which she faces life outside of her rural village and upbringing. In the city, she finds love, sexual awakening and, inevitably, the consequences of both of these discoveries, for better or for worse. Lest you fear overly explicit content, you should know two things. One: This book was published in 1917... scandalous "then" means something entirely different than scandalous "now." Two: I originally read this book in a literature course at BYU. Although, upon mental review, I'm suddenly seeing its intended purpose through the mind of my beloved alma mater. Perhaps... cautionary tale? You be the judge.

--Book summary written by Melissa