Introductions [ Edited ]

[justthemesseng…]

Hi everyone. Looks like I will fit right in since there are several Barbs and several teachers. I am a high school English teacher. This is my third year. I have 3 teenagers, so most of my time is spent with young people (although their "coolness" has evidently not rubbed off on me).
I recently started a book club at our school, and The Memory Keeper's Daughter was the first book I chose. I loved the description of the book, and since the setting was Lexington, KY, and I am just down the Mountain Parkway, I couldn't wait to read it. I am continuously looking for good local authors to share with my students. I am really excited about the discussion. However, I am a little confused about how it will work. Will it be a live session at a certain time of day, or just postings?

Message Edited by justthemessenger on 02-01-200711:09 PM

[vivico1]

justthemessanger wrote:
....However, I am a little confused about how it will work. Will it be a live session at a certain time of day, or just postings?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just..,
my understanding is, nothing live but that the author will be posting from time to time too, starting on Feb 5th and answering some posts i guess. So you dont need to be here any certain time of day.

[justthemesseng…]

Thanks...this is also my first online book club and I wasn't sure how it worked..

[kris123z]

Hi everyone,

My name is Kris.I'm 29 and from NJ. This is my first book club, so I am very excited to see what happens here. I also have only owned a computer for about six months so everything is a little new(so I hope I am posting correctly). I never was much of a reader but I have trouble sleeping, so about a year ago I decided to try reading to help me sleep. I now read a new book every 4 days or so. I don't know what kind of books I like yet so this book club will really help me to try books I probably would have never read otherwise.

[cjc68]

Hello everyone! I am mom to 6 grown children and grandma to 4 with 2 more on the way in March and August. I love to read and belong to 2 book groups--one on-line and one "in person". My book collection could be described as eclectic--a little bit of almost everything. I'm looking forward to participating in this group, particularly since the author will be involved.

I read "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" on the recommendation of a friend. I found it very thought-provoking. I'll save more specific comments for elsewhere in the discussion, but since I have finished the book I have returned to read bits of it and think about the story. For me, that's the sign of a good book. I'm interested in others views and opinions.

[jensy99]

Hello, I know we have not officially "started" but I needed to write, I just completed this book and it really hits home, I am 36 years old and I am the guardian for my mentally retarded brother who is 32 years old. I found this novel so thought provoking and at times heart wrenching, I can not wait to share some of my perspective with all of you... I am so glad this novel came into my life and the timing, although painful, is perfect

[justthemesseng…]

Hello, I know we have not officially "started" but I needed to write, I just completed this book and it really hits home, I am 36 years old and I am the guardian for my mentally retarded brother who is 32 years old. I found this novel so thought provoking and at times heart wrenching, I can not wait to share some of my perspective with all of you... I am so glad this novel came into my life and the timing, although painful, is perfect



I also have a mentally retarded brother. He will soon be 30 yrs old. Books with characters like this really put things in perspective. Have you ever read Flowers for Algernon?

[vivico1]

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justthemessenger wrote:
Hello, I know we have not officially "started" but I needed to write, I just completed this book and it really hits home, I am 36 years old and I am the guardian for my mentally retarded brother who is 32 years old. I found this novel so thought provoking and at times heart wrenching, I can not wait to share some of my perspective with all of you... I am so glad this novel came into my life and the timing, although painful, is perfect



I also have a mentally retarded brother. He will soon be 30 yrs old. Books with characters like this really put things in perspective. Have you ever read Flowers for Algernon?

---

Flowers for Algernon was great! Did you see the Cliff Robertson movie on it called Charley(of Charly? He did a great job for the time, really worth a look if you havent seen it.

[justthemesseng…]

I haven't seen that one, but I will look for it...thanks. The part in The Memory Keeper's Daughter (TMKD), that got me was that she (Rosemary) wanted to get married and do things that everyone else does. Her mother worried about what to tell her.... many MR (and people w/any disability) just want to be "normal." My brother continuously asks for a car and talks about getting a wife. I empathized with the mother, because I know how difficult it is to tell someone with a mental disability that they can't do something ESPECIALLY after they have been raised to believe they can do basically anything...which is how my brother was raised.

P.S. Believe it or not...he did get his driver's license...he kept bugging my mom and she didn't want to tell him he couldn't---thought that DMV would do it for her....low and behold he got them!!!! Although, he has never driven since.But he keeps it renewed.

[vivico1]

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justthemessenger wrote:
I haven't seen that one, but I will look for it...thanks. The part in The Memory Keeper's Daughter (TMKD), that got me was that she (Rosemary) wanted to get married and do things that everyone else does. Her mother worried about what to tell her.... many MR (and people w/any disability) just want to be "normal." My brother continuously asks for a car and talks about getting a wife. I empathized with the mother, because I know how difficult it is to tell someone with a mental disability that they can't do something ESPECIALLY after they have been raised to believe they can do basically anything...which is how my brother was raised.

P.S. Believe it or not...he did get his driver's license...he kept bugging my mom and she didn't want to tell him he couldn't---thought that DMV would do it for her....low and behold he got them!!!! Although, he has never driven since.But he keeps it renewed.

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there was a made for TV movie a long time ago about two young retarded people who wanted to get married and their family was against it.Then when they fought hard enough to prove they could make it on there own, i think the parents, or state, was going to make it conditional on the girl being steriized. Believe it or not, unless its changed in just the last 10 years, there are still a couple of states that require all mentally retarded to be sterilized, its one of those old laws no one took off the books but its there. I think in this movie, it may have been Ohhhh, the guy that played John Boy on the Waltons and the pretty girl who played the young wife on that tv series about a couple living on the prairie (not little house on the prairie lol). Dont u love people who tell you about a movie and cant tell you the name or names of the actors lOL. I saw the Movie Charly before I ever knew about the book Flowers for Algernon in high school. Cliff Robertson won an acadamy award for it. I love when he reachs the point where he shows his teacher Claire Bloom how to punctuate: That that is is that that is not is not is that it it is . She told him it wasnt a question. It was so sad to see him change back and know he was. He really changed his facial expresssions for each stage too. Now I want to see it again LOL. Here, i just found this page that at least shows you the movie info:
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0062794/ I am going to check and see if its out on dvd to buy come to think of it

oh yeah, this was made in the 60s too, so speaking of that time frame, should be interesting to go back and see how it holds up and how bias it may have been then. I havent seen it in 20 years.

Message Edited by vivico1 on 02-04-200708:33 PM

[janastasiow]

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justthemessenger wrote:
I haven't seen that one, but I will look for it...thanks. The part in The Memory Keeper's Daughter (TMKD), that got me was that she (Rosemary) wanted to get married and do things that everyone else does. Her mother worried about what to tell her.... many MR (and people w/any disability) just want to be "normal." My brother continuously asks for a car and talks about getting a wife. I empathized with the mother, because I know how difficult it is to tell someone with a mental disability that they can't do something ESPECIALLY after they have been raised to believe they can do basically anything...which is how my brother was raised.

P.S. Believe it or not...he did get his driver's license...he kept bugging my mom and she didn't want to tell him he couldn't---thought that DMV would do it for her....low and behold he got them!!!! Although, he has never driven since.But he keeps it renewed.

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I could be wrong here, but as long as he is able to safely drive I’m pretty sure the dmv can't tell him that he can't drive because it would be discrimination.

[janastasiow]

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vivico1 wrote:

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justthemessenger



I also have a mentally retarded brother. He will soon be 30 yrs old. Books with characters like this really put things in perspective. Have you ever read Flowers for Algernon?

---

Flowers for Algernon was great! Did you see the Cliff Robertson movie on it called Charley(of Charly? He did a great job for the time, really worth a look if you havent seen it.

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I am just about to read this book, I'm hoping it is good.

[wiggleworm]

Greetings to all. Like many others, I am also a "newbie" and excited to try online book clubing. I bought this book in November to read during Thanksgiving, but it was hijacked from me by my HS senior daughter. I just got it back and am ready to dive in. I'm mom to a combined family of 5 (17B,18G,19B,20G,&21G)and work full time so reading time is at a premium. I look forward to our interactions :-) WW

[EdIowaCity]

Hey

I'm Ed from Iowa City, IA and have participated in some of the B&N book discussions previously but not for a few months.

So, I'm looking forward to starting this book and joining in the discussion.

So far it looks like most of the postings are from women so I may be in the decided minority in this group.

I work full-time so I will try to keep up as best I can with the discussion as it begins.

[clarepayton]

Ed, we welcome men into our groups, despite the seeming dearth of you! We encourage you to stay with us and don't be shy. It would be great to catch your perspective on David Henry, for example (or any of them, of course).

Welcome!

[mitchiko]

Hello

This is my first book club. I love to read, but do not have the time. I listen to audio books on my 1.5 hour drive to work. I loved this book, so I decided I would attempt to participate.

[mrsd]

Hi everyone! My name is Jill, I am actively involved in 2 'traditional' book clubs, good friends, good food, good wine, great coversations. I have been involved in a B&N book club prior to this one, "The Kite Runner", what a great experience. I currently work as a Director of Grants for the Easter Seals, New Jersey so I am actively involved in the developmentally 'disabled' community, I use the terms extremely loosely. I just left the profession of teaching in an economically disadvantaged area. My son is graduating high school and leaving for college, I could a use a distraction from thinking about it I am an avid reading, I love to read as long as it is not 'fluff' I have been dubbed the 'book bitch' because I have strong opinions and need to read to learn or become a better person. I live at the Jersey Shore and love it, I work, run, read, cook, and collect wine. My husband 'tolerates' my reading (at times) If I find a good book, I will not put it down, he just doesn't understand.

[mitchiko]

Jill
I have too have read The Kite Runner. It was an awesome book. I have lived in New Jersey and have been to the Shore many times. I loved the Memory Keeper's Daughter, as well.

Mary

[KimberlyW]

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clarepayton wrote:
Hi, everyone, here is a section for us to say "hello" to each other and introduce ourselves. Share as little or as much as you are comfortable sharing. Enjoy!

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Hello. I am glad that I am not the only one who is involved in their first book club. I as well am. I love to read, but sometimes I want to talk about the book I read and there is never anyone to talk to about it, so I am hoping this will be a good place to do so.
My name is Kimberly, by the way. I am 26, married about 11 months now and I am also four months pregnant, so I have a lot of time on my hands and I read most of my time.
Hoping to get to know all of you.

Happpy Reading

[Kailmoss]

Hello! My name is Loretta and I live in San Antonio. I am married with two children, one of which has Down syndrome. This is my first time joining a book club ... have wanted to for some time but didn't have the opportunity. An on-line book club seemed to be just the thing for my schedule and I'm looking forward to the experience! I just started the book today and it's been hard to put down so far. Looking forward to the discussion.