As of right now, I am on Chapter 19. I might be reading all night and all day tomorrow so I can finish.
It's not a bad read, but it is a little depressing. O.K., a lot depressing. This woman dies of cancer in the '50s--a horrible death, because there weren't that many options to treat cancer, her cancer was very aggressive, and she got second-rate treatment because she was black and medicine was very segregated. The use and reproduction of some of her cancerous tissue started out as innocent sharing for research, and I'm getting to the point in the story where mass production is making money off it. Outrageous stuff.
I already did not want to read about cancer because my cat was diagnosed with cancer at the end of April and it's been rough going.
Definitely don't want to bring that up at the meeting tomorrow night. I probably won't have to. This is so racially charged that I'm sure someone will get fired up about something. And by someone I mean many of the usual characters. We will be missing some members because some people disappear for the summer, beach houses and whatnot. I will miss my librarian friend and mentor because she is traveling.
Our hostess this time around is pretty pregnant with baby #2 so this probably is her last appearance for a while. She's gonna have her hands full.
They tell us to bring suggestions for the next read. I want something upbeat.
I was going to suggest Sugar Queen which two people from school told me they liked, or The Happiness Project. I also just read about My Year with Eleanor, but I don't know if that one or Happiness will work.
After the My Fair Lazy fiasco, which someday when I get over the trauma I will relate, I'm thinking these people don't like memoirs much.
Or maybe they don't like funny people's memoirs that much.
I honestly can't tell.
2 comments:
I'm with you on needing upbeat sometimes. That was a disturbing book, I agree.
I was in a book club 10+ years ago, and never liked any of the choices, so I know how tough it can be! In fact, a blog I read just wrote about the minefield of selecting books for book clubs! You should check it out: http://everydayreading.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-pick-book-for-bookclub.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EverydayReading+%28Everyday+Reading%29
My new job has a book club, and I'm looking forward to trying it, but I'm a little nervous.
Also: intrigued by your hint of a fiasco. I hope you tell that story soon!
That was a great post--thanks for pointing me over there!
And yeah, once again, we have something sad/serious to read for next time. UGH.
That said, though, I really do encourage you to go at least once to the work book club. It might be cool.
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