Marshmallow Snowmen

There are so many winter crafts out there that don't involve the holidays, and I am so thankful for that. I love thematic programming, and it can be hard finding an activity to do that is wintery and fun between January and March. It's still snowing outside, but we've taken down the evergreens and the lights. Our theme for this dreary time? Snow!

We've been doing a lot with snow flakes lately--cutting them from paper, making them with puff paint, and creating snow 'dust' for sensory play. I took it a step further and had a 'snow' themed week, including marshmallow snowmen.

There was a snowstorm the day of the craft (go figure) so we had low attendance. It was still a fun program, but I don't know that I'll do it again. We used marshmallows, frosting, edible ink pens, and little candies like m&ms. The snowmen turned out pretty cute, but they were kind of useless. Sure, you can eat them, but I don't really like programs that are basically just free candy. This program didn't link back to a book or another activity, so it felt kind of flat to me. I might do it while babysitting a few kids, but not in a library setting.

Marshmallow Teeth

Confession: I didn't really like this project. It's simple, there's no creativity to it, there's no use for it, and it's....weird. And confusing. It looks like something dentist related, like a tool for learning to brush. Yet the teeth are made of candy....that you can't eat because there's glue on it.

What do you do with something like this? Hang it on the fridge? I tested this out, but I don't plan to do this with the kids.

Adult Book Discussion: The Handmaid's Tale

This is one of my all time favorite books, and it made for a quality discussion. Margaret Atwood is a genius, as far as I'm concerned. The Handmaid's Tale introduced my to dystopian fiction many years ago, and I haven't looked back. Atwood is often on book club selection lists, so my group was familiar with her writing style.

I should have predicted this, but the sex scenes were a little too detailed for comfort for some readers. I didn't see an issue with it, and neither did the younger participants, but some of the older members found it unnecessary. I argue that in a book about reproduction, it might be pertinent to address sex. In any case, it made for a lively discussion.

Topics we talked about:

• When in the near future do you imagine this? Could this kind of a society really happen?
• Where in the world do you see shades of this type of behavior happening already?
• What happens at the end of the book? Do you think there would ever be a sequel?
• What would you do in Offred's situation? Do you agree with her decisions?
• (Some of us had seen the movie) Was the movie a fair interpretation? What was lacking? Did it add anything to the story?
• What if Offred had been a younger teenager, and not an adult woman?

I suggest this as a book club book--or a for-fun book. I've reread it several times, and I always find something new and interesting about it.

Adult Book Discussion: She's Come Undone

I am a huge fan of Wally Lamb, and have read each of his books at least once. Last year, I chose She's Come Undone for our discussion group. This was another title that I read as a young adult and enjoyed, chose it for my book club, and then reread the racy parts, horrified I had just assigned the story. I don't mind raciness in books at all. I order the Romance collection, so it would be a pretty major issue if I couldn't handle a little narrative intimacy. However, my book club has been meeting for 14 years, and they have guided the reading choices in a certain direction. Nobody enjoys reading 'dirty' stories, so I don't choose them. That's why I've dipped into YA titles lately.

This book was a little too long for us. It was over 300 pages and spanned one character's tragic, difficult life. It was just too much for some of the participants to wade through, and a few people gave up before the ending.

Dolores, the main character, is no stranger to poor decision making, and it's sometimes painful to read. While that can make for a good discussion, we agreed that it was a bit like watching a train wreck. I'm trying to find books we can escape into--not books that bring us down. I think I struck out with this title.

Topics we discussed:

• Why is Dolores so self destructive?
• Do you blame her for her actions, or is she a product of her environment?
• What role does music play in this story? What does it mean to Dolores? How does it break up the plot?
• What if this had been during a different time? Or in a different place? (I know this makes almost all of the 'topic' lists in my posts, but it always comes up!)

So, I probably won't choose this as a book club book again. I do recommend Wally Lamb books on your own time, though. They're truly fantastic. If you have a group that's willing to get a bit more raw in their discussion, this may be a great pick for you.

Adult Book Discussion: The Paris Wife

To celebrate the 1920's, we read The Paris Wife in February. It chronicles the marriage of Hadley Richardson and an unfamous young Hemingway. I hadn't read this until our book club chose it, but I had read some Hemingway. Hit titles in my book club include The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, The Aviator's Wife,  and Mrs. Tom Thumb, so I was hoping the group would like The Paris Wife, too.

The response was lukewarm. We all liked the book, but we weren't racing back to the pages to read 'one more chapter'. It was a retelling of their brief marriage during their time in Paris. Hadley as a character was more narrator than anything, and we agreed that she seemed to be lacking a strong sense of voice. We were surprised at how often we sympathized with Hemingway, who, while rather wicked, was portrayed in an adoring light.

Topics we spent the most time on:

• Why does Hadley continue to love Ernest?
• Was Ernest wrong to end the marriage? Were his actions in any way understandable?
• What undiagnosed issues did Hemingway have? What family history points to something beyond moodiness?
• How were the other historical characters portrayed (The Fitzgeralds, for example)? Was it accurate? How does it differ from other books, like Call Me Zelda?
• How did the culture of 1920's Paris contribute to the destruction of the marriage? Could it have survived elsewhere?

I would recommend this as a book club book. It's an easy read, and aside from some animal violence during bullfighting scenes, my group didn't find the plot objectionable. I'm interested to reread some Hemingway after reading this title!

Adult Book Discussion: A Passage to India

A Passage to India was the first book discussion I led for my current group. I didn't pick the book, and I was nervous to host the discussion.

The main reason I was nervous was that at first, I really didn't like the book. I didn't care to read about how hot it was, or how eager certain characters were. I didn't feel invested in the setting or the characters and I didn't see much of a plot. I began browsing for discussion questions, and they all referred back to a plot point I hadn't reached yet.

I won't give away any spoilers, but basically the beginning of the book sets up a relationship between an Indian man in his hometown and a British family on vacation. The Indian man takes the family sight-seeing, something happens in a cave, and the rest of the plot unfolds in a case of he-said, she-said. I kept reading, and sure enough, the plot became very interesting. I can't believe I almost didn't give the book a chance. If I were reading it on my own, I might have thrown in the towel, but I sort of had to finish it, and I'm glad I did.

The discussion went...okay. Many of the members did not finish the book, or reach the plot point that kicks things into gear. Our conversation was a bit lopsided. The people who had finished it really enjoyed it, but the people who hadn't regretted not sticking it out.

Topics we discussed:

• What really happened? What leads you to believe this? What would we have gained from being in the cave with them? What would be the point of the book?
• How would this story have played out today?
• Does the turn of events seem realistic?
• What was going on culturally at this point that might skew people's perceptions?

I don't know that I would recommend this to a book group. I suppose it depends on the group. For us, it was slightly too stuffy, and not engaging enough to grab hold of our attention.

Adult Book Discussion: The Turn of the Screw

We read The Turn of the Screw last October in honor of Halloween. My group praised this title for length, but found the writing a bit too stuffy for pleasure reading. I read this book in high school, but didn't really enjoy it until I read it last year.

Many of my group members had also read the book before, but I find that's not always a bad thing. After reading it, group members had collected ideas and anecdotes about the book over the years. When everyone came together, the discussion was rich with remembered essays, read-alikes, and interpretations they'd come across in their adult lives. I really enjoy discussing read-alikes at the end of our discussion sessions. We all leave with something to rent, research, or just plain Google Image Search.

Main topics we discussed:

• Was this all in the Governess' head? Why or why not?
• What role did the uncle play in the plot? Why was he so distant? What if he had been more present?
• Would this story work today?
• What factors in this piece contribute to the 'scariness'. Is it the idea of ghosts? The unknown? Being thought of as crazy?
• What outside factors contribute to the understanding of the plot? What was life like at that time? How isolated were they? What social expectations was each character under?

I would suggest this as a book club pick. Many of the 'scary' titles had already been reserved for other book clubs. We also shy away from genre fiction in my group, so anything too gory wouldn't have really fit with us. This was a sleeper hit, and an excellent way to enjoy the season without going overboard.