Books

A favorite pastime of mine all of my life has been reading, accumulating a large home library, having writers autograph their books for me, and taking part in book discussion groups.

In 1962 I organized my first group, "The Study Guild" in Osceola, Missouri; we had a study lesson and a book review, as of now, it is still meeting monthly. In 1971 I joined a book discussion group through "Newcomers" in Omaha, Nebraska, and later another friend and I formed a "Non Fiction Discussion Group" also in Omaha. Later I worked with forming several groups in Alexandria, Virginia.

We moved to Tempe, Arizona, and within a few months I organized a new "Day Time Book Discussion Group" in October 1983, and in May 1989 was co-founder of a new "Evening Book Discussion Group". Both of these Arizona groups are non-smoking, meet monthly in participants homes and have lively discussions. See the BOOKS section for some titles that lend themselves to lively discussions (and my logs of the books I have read). The Day Time Book Discussion Group changed its name to "The Contemporary Book Discussion Club" July 14, 1999.

The East Valley Tribune and the Scottsdale Tribune newspapers published a very nice article "Meaty tomes open door on discussion" by Betty Webb (I am quoted several times in this good article) in the Sunday, Nov. 19, 2000, issue on page D4. The Tribune has a new web page, but no archive yet (2001), so I cannot give you the URL.

TOTAL list of the books read and discussed by The Contemporary Book Discussion Club (formerly The Day Time Book Group) since being organized in September 1983, and what the Evening Book Group has read since being organized in May 1989 (updated May 10, 2005)

Click here to email me SunnySusan@Cox.Net

NEW - I "Sunny Susan" was invited to write a Blog - NEW
on the web site of the Arizona Republic
newspaper as they have liked letters I have
written to the editors over the years.
March 26, 2008 was my first Blog.
I shall write additional articles, but not
on a set schedule. You may go to my Blog at http://www.AZcentral.com/members/Blog/sunnysusan

Below are the lists for what both of these book discussion groups are currently reading and following that are the suggestions for starting book discussion groups, and a
few "rules" on how we operate.

Both groups have room for two or three additional participants, contact me if you are interested. Susan

==========================================
CONTEORARY BOOK DISCUSSION CLUB                                                                   Revised: May 7, 2008
-------------------------------------------------------------------
05-14-08 The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook
06-11-08 Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West
                by Hampton Sides
07-09-08 The Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield
08-13-08 The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard
09-10-08 The Wolves At The Door by Judith L. Pearson
10-08-08 Five Quarters of the Orange: A Novel (P.S.)
               by Joanne Harris
11-12-08 The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
12-10-08 Balzac and the little Chinese seamstress By Dai Sijie
01-14-08 Little Heathens by Mildred Armstrong Kalish
02-11-09 The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery
03-11-09 Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts
04-08-09 Seneca Falls & the Origins of the Women’s Rights
               Movement by Sally McMillen
05-__-09 26^th Annual Pot-Luck Dinner
05-06-09 Special Meeting, SELECT Books July 09 – June 10
05-13-09 The Great Escape by Kati Marton
06-10-09 A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews

===========================================================================
NIGHT BOOK DISCUSSION CLUB
                                                                   Revised: April 14, 2008
‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑------------------------------
05-12-08   The Jew Store by Stella Suberman
06-09-08   The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
07-14-08 Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland
08-11-08   They Did It with Love by Kate Morgenroth
09-08-08   Petropolis by Anya Ulinich
10-20-08   Body of Lies by David Ignatius
11-10-08   Soldier’s Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and
              War at West Point by Elizabeth D. Samet
12-08-08   The Journey of Crazy Horse: A Lakota History
              by Joseph M. Marshall III
01-12-09   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
02-09-09   The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court
              by Jeffrey Toobin
03-09-09   People of the Book: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks
04-13-09   The Brooklyn Follies: A Novel by Paul Auster
05-11-09   Annual pot-luck dinner & meeting to select books for the coming year
06-08-09   T is for Trespass by Sue Grafton

============================
May 13, 2004, page 18 of The Rep -- published by the Arizona Republic Under Lectures / discussions.
“The Book Club Cookbook: 7 p.m. May 17. Susan Anderson and Changing Hands manager Meredith Warner lead a discussion of The Book Club Cookbook: Recipes and Food for Thought From Your Book Club’s Favorite Books and Authors, by Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp. Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 S. McClintock Drive, Tempe. Free. (480) 730-0205”.

“Discerning Diner...with Elan Head Feeding the stomach, feeding the mind When Massachusetts writers Judy Gelman and Vicki Levy Krupp set out to pair good food with good literature, they discovered that their idea wasn’t as novel (no pun intended) as it seemed”.

This is article I was interviewed for, it is on pages 2 & 14 of The Wrangler News and on-line
at: http://www.wranglernews.com/elan051504.htm

The Book Club Cook Book web site and newsletter

Below is a sheet of information I made available on May 17, 2004, when spoke at Changing Hands Book Store, Tempe, AZ

Susan L. Anderson - Email: SunnySusan@Cox.Net
                                    - Web Page: http://www.carcinoidinfo.info

Guidelines for book discussion groups, meeting in private homes that have worked for me over the decades.

When wanting to start a book discussion group there are decisions to be made.

- What do you hope to accomplish? (see purpose below)
- What kinds of books do you wish to read and discuss?
- Where and when shall you meet?
- Smoking allowed, or totally non smoking?
- How many people do you want to participate? (In private home may limit to a maximum of 20)
- Name for group?
- The purpose is to read and then discuss those books selected, and read, by all members.
- The participants read ALL books selected, including those she/he would not have read if not selected by
   the discussion group.
- The group should NOT a lecture series or a book review series for NON-readers.
- The group shall select books that a majority of the members desire to read.
- Prospective members should have a love for learning and a thirst for knowledge.
--They should desire to learn something new daily, and from each book they read.
--A group that is multi-generational is good so each may learn from the other age groups.
-- Lively discussions happen when the group has a wide range of life experiences and have lived in many
     locations.
-- Prospective members must be able to disagree without being disagreeable.
-- Members are not to take personal offense at comments by other members re: the book, subject, or author.
-- There are no right or incorrect answers about a book under discussion.
-- Opinions of ALL participants are of value and should be respected.
- If a member misses three meetings in a row without calling the hostess she shall be removed from roster.
- Once a year all members shall meet and present book suggestions for the coming year.
- The goal / guideline shall be to select a variety of books with at least one from each of these categories:
   -- 1. Biography or memoir
   -- 2. Mystery
   -- 3. Travel related
   -- 4. Government or politics
   -- 5. Arizona location, or book by an Arizona writer
   -- 6. Women’s studies and/or self-improvement
   -- 7. The remaining selections from current/contemporary fiction
- After the books are chosen, annually, members volunteer to be discussion leader, and/or hostess.
- Setting the schedule for 12 months at a time allows more discussion time at each meeting.
- Each discussion leader shall lead as she feels comfortable, with only a few guide lines:
   -- Provide a few reviews of the book, both pro and con if possible.
   -- Provide biographical information on the author.
   -- Prepare a group of discussion questions about the book, to start the discussion and keep it going.
- A house guest is always welcome to attend a meeting with a member.
- Local residents who only want to go out to lunch, but are NOT book readers, are NOT welcome to attend.
- If two current participants have reservations about a prospective member, that person shall not be invited
to become a member.
-The group shall operate on American democratic principles – equal opportunity for ALL members to
participate in all things, unless they choose not to participate.
- All discussions are more interesting when everyone expresses an opinion, all are valued and wanted.

A list of ALL books read and discussed, since their organization, by The Contemporary Book Discussion Club (fall 1983) and the Evening Book Discussion Club (spring 1989) are on my web page under “Books” at: http://www.carcinoidinfo.info (this web site).      I have a small business card size 2004 calendar with web page and email addresses if you would care of have one tonight. On the other side of this page I shall list a FEW books that have been lively discussed in book groups.

Copyright 2004 by Susan L. Anderson

Click here to email me SunnySusan@Cox.Net
=============================
- NEW - All communication shall be via e-mail, so all members must have
                and USE e-mail.

- Meeting the second Wednesday of each month at 9:30 A.M. in homes of the members

- If a member misses three meetings in a row without calling or writing the hostess her name
will be removed from the roll of members.

- All participants shall be expected to have read the book for discussion before the meeting.

- The purpose is to read and then discuss those books read by all members.
It is NOT a lecture series, or a book review series for NON-readers.

- Members are expected to be able to disagree without being disagreeable, or without taking personal offense at any comments made by other members about what they thought of the book or author! There are no right or wrong answers!

- The group shall select books that a majority of the members desire to read! There will be selections that many of the members would NOT have chosen to read on their own, BUT, the group will not select a book that does not have a vote of "yes, lets read it" from a majority of the members.

- The group shall select books once each year for the coming year. All participants shall be encouraged to submit a number selections, either books she would like to lead, OR books she thinks the group - as a whole - would enjoy, and would make a lively diverse discussion.

- The goal/guideline shall be to select a variety of books with at least one book from each of the following categories annually -- when possible:

-1- biography or memoir
-2- mystery
-3- travel
-4- government or politics
-5- Arizona location, or book by an Arizona writer
-6- self-help/self-improvement, and/or women's studies
-7- the remaining selections from current/contemporary fiction.

- After the books are chosen, annually, the members shall volunteer to be a discussion leader, and/or be hostess.

- Each discussion leader shall lead as she feels comfortable, with only a few guide-lines. She should provide a few reviews of the book, and biographical information on the author. Then she shall prepare a group of discussion questions (for HER use in leading the group) about the book, to start the discussion, keep it going, and on the book

- If the discussion leader desires to assign research questions, they will only be given to members who volunteer to take such a question. They will not be assigned to anyone not wishing a research question.

- If a leader does ask for volunteers to take questions, this may not be done more than one time in a twelve-month period. This club is NOT a class -- it is for reading and learning pleasure, without stress, and without right or wrong answers.

- A house guest is always welcome to attend a meeting with a member! Local residents who only want to go out to lunch, but are NOT book readers, are NOT welcome to attend.

- If TWO current participants have reservations about a prospective member, that person shall not be invited to become a member.

- The group shall operate on American democratic principles -- equal opportunity for ALL members to participate in all things, unless they choose not to participate. All discussions are more interesting when everyone expresses her opinion! ALL opinions are valuable, interesting, and wanted!

- NEW - All communication shall be via e-mail, so all members must have and USE e-mail.

Since 1996 --- when I first located others with Carcinoid --- I have answered every email sent to me, although some replies were delayed longer than I liked. I am NO longer able to reply to all e-mails due to the volume and other things going on in my life (all good). I do love hearing from others, but an unable to reply to all individually. This web site was 10
years old on April 27, 2007, and my plan is to keep it updated for many many years to come.

Since my husband "retired" I am away from my computer for days, and sometimes, weeks at a time. Yes, there is wireless internet and we have tried that a number of places. But, if I deal with email when we are away from home then it is not a "restful vacation" for me.

PLEASE use the SEARCH capability at the top my pages. You may search for a word, a phrase, a drug, a treatment, a book title or anything you can think of. You may search this site only, or search the complete World Wide Web.

To speak with a person please know you may call the “telephone information and support line” of the Carcinoid Cancer Foundation, Inc. (CCF), Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern Time at
1-888-722-3132 (free) or 1-914-693-1001. “The information and support line” is staffed by medical professionals. Mondays and Fridays are research days, if you call then and do not reach a person do leave a clear message. The Carcinoid Cancer Foundation’s (CCF) superb web site is at http://www.carcinoid.org

CCF - Serving the carcinoid/NETs patient and medical community for close to forty years (chartered in 1968)
“Meets Extensive Standards of America’s Most Experienced Charity Evaluator”
Better Business Bureau

CARCINOID CANCER

A rare form of "slow-growing" neuroendocrine cancer

Susan Anderson - An advocate for Carcinoid and Neuroendocrine Tumor Awareness

BOOKS

Updated: May 8, 2008