Thursday, December 18, 2008

Join us for a Safe Return on January 10th!



On Saturday, January 10th (2pm), we will be discussing the novel Safe Return by Catherine Dexter. The story, based on historical events, takes place in 1824 on the tiny island of Gotland off the coast of Sweden.

Booklist review calls it "a spare drama of people waiting for a ship to come home. The story is told with simple beauty in the voice of 11-year-old orphan Ursula. Her beloved aunt is one of the women who sailed to Stockholm to sell the island's sweaters, which were knitted by everyone--men, women, and children--from the wool of the local sheep. There are storms at sea, and the ship is late returning. An outsider on the island, Ursula has never been able to learn to knit, but while she scans the horizon and hears the wind, she gets out her knotted mess of wool and painstakingly teaches herself to knit those rows in a pattern of waves. The knitting metaphor is rooted in a very real craft of needles, stitches, and yarn. As the days and weeks pass, readers will feel the dark dread of Ursula's waiting and her effort to knit a pattern and make a miracle."

Check out the official tourist website for Gotland for a quick overview of the history and culture of this interesting island.

Read this blogger's experiences in a Gotland knitting symposium here.

Knitting and wool crafts are still popular in Gotland. Beautiful photos here.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Monday, November 10, 2008

Come talk about the Tenth Gift on Dec 6!


We had a great time discussing The Lace Reader last month, and what a special surprise! Author Brunonia Barry called up our club and answered our questions, tantalized us with hints of what is yet to come from her pen, and shared that she knows how to knit! It was a great surprise and our very first author call. Brunonia, if you are reading this, you are a delight and we enjoyed talking to you!

December's book is The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson. Here's a synopsis from the author's website:

On a Sunday morning in July 1625, Barbary pirates sail into a quiet Cornish bay and storm the church. Their loot: sixty men, women and children, kidnapped and bound for northern Morocco, where they are to be sold in the thronging slave market of the Souq el Ghezel.

Amongst them is Catherine Anne Tregenna, a talented young embroiderer. But as her diary reveals, Cat is anything but the subservient and compliant slave that her captors were expecting - and as the coast of England fades from sight, adventure beckons in the East ...

In an exclusive London restaurant, a gift is given that will change Julia Lovat's life. The antique book of Jacobean embroidery delights her, but when she settles down to read it more closely, she unexpectedly discovers within its foxed and faded pages the extraordinary diary of a young Cornish girl, calling to her from across the centuries...

The stories of these two women are destined to converge in an extraordinary and haunting manner.

One of our club members did a little digging and provided us with the following links that can add to your enjoyment of the book!

First of all, Random House has made a Reader's Guide available here. It's got some good points for our discussion.

Want to know what inspired Jane Johnson to write this story? Check this page out, it's all about her inspirations for writing the novel.

If you'd like to learn more about the author, there's an interview here that may interest you.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

The Lace Reader


This Saturday, we'll be talking about the Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry. The publishers have even made a little video promo about the book for Youtube! (The times, they are a changin) You can check it out here.



The author's website has many interesting features, including a game where you can read lace, and interesting interviews. Visit the official site here.

In the meantime, don't forget to reserve December's book, The Tenth Gift by Jane Johnson! See you Saturday.

Friday, September 12, 2008

October's book: Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone!


Join us on Saturday, October 4th, at 2pm for a discussion of Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Whether you're a muggle or a wizard, you'll enjoy knitting/crocheting/crafting along with us for our book discussion!

Here are some magical links you might enjoy:

Reading guides for books 1-4

J.K. Rowling's official site

Links to Harry Potter inspired knitting patterns

Great and informative site The Leaky Cauldron

Sunday, August 10, 2008

"There is a great deal of wickedness in village life"-- Miss Marple


On Saturday, September 6, (2pm), we will be discussing Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie.

Murder at the Vicarage is the first of twelve novels featuring Miss Jane Marple, first published in 1930. Why are we reading this book in September? Miss Marple is often seen knitting in her books and film/tv adaptations. In many stories, she is quietly knitting in a corner and makes sharp observations that come in handy solving the crime later.

To learn more about this wonderful knitting sleuth, the official Agatha Christie website is a great place to visit. Here are some links from the official site that may interest you:

Marple Stories

Miss Marple in TV & Film

Murder at the Vicarage (cast of characters, history of the book, fun trivia)

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Now on Saturdays!


Due to library hours being shortened at all locations, our book club is now meeting on SATURDAYS instead of THURSDAYS.

This month will be our first meeting on a Saturday afternoon. We will be meeting on Saturday, August 9, at 2 pm, to discuss books by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, also known as the "Yarn Harlot". We hope you'll join us!

Friday, June 6, 2008

Baa!


Last night's meeting for The Shop on Blossom Street was great! We had a nice crowd and a fun discussion. Next month we'll be reading a very different detective story, Three Bags Full, by Leonie Swann. This inventive story enchanted readers around the globe and was a surprise best-seller. When George the shepherd is murdered, it is up to his crime-solving sheep to get to the bottom of his untimely death.

Learn more about author Leonie Swann in this article from the Boston Globe.

You can also listen to a past interview with her in the Open Book segment entitled Unusual Narrators on BBC Radio 4.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Shop On Blossom Street- June's Read!



Are you ready to visit A Shop On Blossom Street? You will be after visiting these websites!

First of all, the Shop On Blossom Street is the first in a series of books set on the fictional street of Blossom Street in Seattle. You may enjoy reading the other books related- here's a list from Debbie Macomber's website.

Author Debbie Macomber has a weath of knitting information on her website, including free patterns, a place where you can share your current projects with other readers, and find out about her books, too!
http://www.debbiemacomber.com

Need a reading guide to the book? Here's one for you.

If you're really into the series, you might be interested in Cedar Cove Days coming up this summer!

See you in June!

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Who wouldn't want to read Captain Wentworth's Diary?


Persuasion fans may enjoy one of the newest books in the Austen-inspired fiction world, Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange. It was just released today, but early reviews say that it is a retelling of Persuasion from Wentworth's point of view!

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Persuasion was a hit!




We had a very good discussion about Persuasion and lots of other books, as usual! We had scones and real British tea to enjoy, the recipe for the scones can be found here. And there was lots of knitting, too! See everyone next month for The Shop On Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber.








Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Contest for Austen fans!

The Austen Blog is hosting a contest on their site, giving away Austen-inspired books! Go check it out, and good luck!

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Our book club is famous!

Well, strictly speaking, we didn't land on the front page of the Miami Herald or anything. But the AustenBlog did mention our upcoming May meeting to discuss Persuasion! Very exciting!

Monday, April 7, 2008

Persuasion by Podcast


If you would like to listen to Persuasion while knitting away, try this podcast. Nikolle Doolin, a professional voice actor, has read the novel and you can download the chapters from her website as podcasts.

Friday, April 4, 2008

Persuasion Discussion- May 1!


"Persuasion" is the ultimate novel of love lost and regained. By turns achingly sad and intensely romantic, it's a Cinderella story for anyone who's ever felt overlooked - or anyone who's ever had their heart broken...Eight years ago, Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth fell head over heels in love. But Anne's family put a stop to their engagement, believing he wasn't good enough for her. Anne soon realises she's made a terrible mistake. Then Captain Wentworth walks back into her life again. Can he forgive her? Does he still love her? And could they ever be happy, after all this time?

Thursday, April 3, 2008

Austen 101: Getting the most out of Persuasion


If Persuasion is going to be your first time reading Jane Austen, you're in for a treat! Here are some sources that can help you really get a lot out of the reading experience.

If you want to get some help with themes, motifs, symbols, and character analysis, try the very comprehensive evaluation from SparkNotes.

Want to know just what "retrenching" means? Interested in learning more about the film adaptations of the book? How about finding out what songs are featured in the films? The answers to these questions, and just about everything else you could want to know about can be found at the Persuasion FAQ

Jane Austen's World is a really cool blog that aims to bring "Jane Austen and the Regency Period alive through food, dress, social customs, and other 19th C. historical details." Very interesting!

Visit Jane Austen's Centre. The Centre (located in Bath) celebrates their most famous resident with a festival, magazine, gift shop, and lots of fun information.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Knit*Lit meets this Thursday!

Just a quick reminder that we'll be meeting this Thursday to talk about Died in the Wool! Hope you all can make it to talk about this knitting mystery. There's a rumor of cupcakes. . . . .

It's a good time to reserve your copy of next month's book now, too. Next month will be Persuasion by Jane Austen. Perhaps we should have some tea and crumpets for that discussion! :)

Friday, March 7, 2008

Are you driven to knit? Come join us April 3!


Here's a synopsis of our next read, Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger.


"Ariadne Evans is the proud owner of her very own knitting shop. And she's just got herself in a stitch. When Ariadne enters her knitting store one day to find longtime customer Edith Perry strangled to death with homespun yarn, she fears her life is about to come undone -- again, since she's still getting over a divorce. Her worries increase when she's questioned by detective Joshua Pierce, who may or may not have designs on her. While Josh pieces together the details of the crime, clues about Ariadne's ties to Miss Perry come to light...and a bizarre pattern unfolds. Now it's up to Ariadne to do some sleuthing of her own. Can she untangle the investigation without getting snarled up into too much trouble? That depends on whether the killer is as crafty as she is...."

Need to pick up a copy? Reserve your copy using our online catalog, or call the West Regional Library to place one on hold at 954-382-5860 ext. 224. If you need a large print copy, we will be happy to request one for you via Interlibrary Loan.

See you on April 3!

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Our next meeting is this week!


March's discussion of Knitting Under the Influence by Claire LaZebnick is this Thursday (March 6) at 7pm at the West Regional Library. Our club is getting more popular, because it was hard to get the 8 copies of the book into the right hands at the right time! Even if you didn't get a chance to read the book, join us anyway if you're not afraid of spoilers.

Popmatters reviewed the book last year, and they made some interesting comparisons between chick-lit books to Jane Austen. Here's the link if you're interested in checking it out. It will be interesting to keep it in mind for our Austen reading later in the year!!!

Friday, February 29, 2008

Not too early to reserve April's book!


On April 3rd, the Knit*Lit book club will be discussing Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger. It's a knitting mystery featuring Ariadne Evans, yarn shop owner and amateur sleuth. Click here to jump directly to this book in the Broward County Library catalog and reserve a copy for yourself!




If you're interested in learning more about the author, you'll enjoy this interview with Mary Kruger conducted by Baker Books in Massachusetts.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Listen to a podcast with author Kate Jacobs

Kate Jacobs, author of the Friday Night Knitting Club (our February read!) was recently featured on Yarncraft, the new podcast hosted by Lion Brand Yarn. Listen to the interview here.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

March Meeting Coming Up!




Thursday, March 6, is the next meeting of the West Regional Knit*Lit Club. The book we will be discussing is Knitting Under the Influence by Claire LaZebnik. A reading guide to the book can be found here. See you then!