Book Club

Senior Planet Book Club: Vote For Our Next Book!

By Rebecca Altneu Tuesday, November 9, 2021 21 Comments Share This:

Thank you to everyone who participated in our discussion both in the comments section of SeniorPlanet.org and at our meeting over Zoom about Erotic Stories of Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal.

Now it is time to select our next reading!

Each Tuesday, we’ll post a thread on SeniorPlanet.org inviting your comments on the next section of the book and then we’ll host a discussion over Zoom the final week of reading the book together.

But first! We’ve put together a shortlist engaging books suggested by our members and staff. Now it’s up to you pick which one we’ll read together next. Read on for details about each book, then take the poll at the end and tell us: What should the Senior Planet Book Club read next?

We’ll announce the result of the poll in addition to how you can access a copy of the chosen book next Tuesday!

Have any feedback on book club? Tell us what you think in the comments or email phugi@oats.org!

The Books:

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

“Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he’s going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru’s old friends. He meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There’s even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species. But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won’t say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart will break.” -Goodreads.com

The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah

“Sweetbitter meets The Nightingale in this page-turning novel about a woman who returns to her family’s ancestral vineyard in Burgundy and unexpectedly uncovers a lost diary, an unknown relative, and a secret her family has been keeping since World War II. To become one of only a few hundred certified wine experts in the world, Kate must pass the notoriously difficult Master of Wine Examination. She’s failed twice before; her third attempt will be her last. Suddenly finding herself without a job and with the test a few months away, she travels to Burgundy, to spend the fall at the vineyard estate that has belonged to her family for generations. There she can bolster her shaky knowledge of Burgundian vintages and reconnect with her cousin Nico and his wife Heather, who now oversee the grapes’ day-to-day management. The one person Kate hopes to avoid is Jean-Luc, a neighbor vintner and her first love.” -Goodreads.com

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

“In the summer of 1956, Stevens, a long-serving butler at Darlington Hall, decides to take a motoring trip through the West Country. The six-day excursion becomes a journey into the past of Stevens and England, a past that takes in fascism, two world wars, and an unrealised love between the butler and his housekeeper.” –Goodreads.com.

You Can’t Touch My Hair and Other Things I Still Have to Explain by Phoebe Robinson

“A hilarious and affecting essay collection about race, gender, and pop culture from celebrated stand-up comedian and WNYC podcaster Phoebe Robinson. Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comic, which means that, often, her everyday experiences become points of comedic fodder. And as a black woman in America, she maintains, sometimes you need to have a sense of humor to deal with the absurdity you are handed on the daily. Robinson has experienced her fair share over the years.” -Goodreads.com

Take the poll!

Photo by Paul Schafer on Unsplash

COMMENTS

21 responses to “Senior Planet Book Club: Vote For Our Next Book!”

B Session:

Monday, December 13, 2021 at 8:50pm

Another suggestion for future reading, Severance by Ling Ma.

Reply to B Session
Dianne Roded:

Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 9:30am

I would like to know what the next book club choice is so I can participate.

Reply to Dianne Roded
1. Rebecca Altneu:
  
  Monday, December 6, 2021 at 10:08am
  
  Hi Dianne, We would love to have you. We are having our zoom discussion this Thursday at 4:30PM for our current book, The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah and the poll for next month choices will be posted next Tuesday (12/14). All articles for the book club are posted at: https://seniorplanet.org/articles/online-book-club/
  
  Reply to Rebecca Altneu
Ann Connor:

Monday, November 15, 2021 at 6:37pm

Four great options! And sorry I had to miss November discussion; I read the book and thoroughly enjoyed all the subplots, characters and style . I would’ve liked to have heard all the participants’ thoughts.

Reply to Ann Connor
1. Rebecca Altneu:
  
  Tuesday, November 16, 2021 at 8:40am
  
  Thank you, Ann. So happy to hear you loved last month’s choice as well. The next book will be announced later today. Hope you can make it to the December discussion.
  
  Reply to Rebecca Altneu
  1. BERNADETTE SESSION:
    
    Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 5:36pm
    
    Hey Rebecca!
    Might I suggest for a future book club selection, Arsenic and Adobo by Mia Manansala.
    Mia P. Manansala is a writer from Chicago who loves books, baking, and bad-ass women. She uses humor (and murder) to explore aspects of the Filipino diaspora, queerness, and her millennial love for pop culture.
    She is the winner of the 2018 Hugh Holton Award, the 2018 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award, the 2017 William F. Deeck – Malice Domestic Grant for Unpublished Writers, and the 2016 Mystery Writers of America/Helen McCloy Scholarship. She’s also a 2017 Pitch Wars alum and 2018-2019 mentor.
  2. Rebecca Altneu:
    
    Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 7:36pm
    
    She sounds great. I am going to add her to my list of choices. Thanks, Bernadette!
Yvonne Franklin:

Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 9:22am

Hello! A few things, please ….
~ I’m a first timer. I did not hear the facilitator introduce herself. Who is she? What experiences, skills and abilities does she bring to the discussion.
~ Personal anecdotes should be briefly stated and should relate directly to the reading.
~ I think the discussion would broaden and strengthen if there were the following consideration. Where appropriate, a facilitator (or co-facilitator …. now there’s a thought!) should have direct experience or deep knowledge of race, nationality, gender, religion, culture, etc. portrayed in a monthly reading and/or discussion. Readers are not a monolith nor should be the discussion leader(s.)

Reply to Yvonne Franklin
1. Senior Planet:
  
  Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 9:45am
  
  Hi Yvonne – Thank you for your reaching out and giving your feedback. We will take your thoughts into consideration moving forward.
  
  Reply to Senior Planet
Gwen Lisboa:

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 3:06pm

I find your strategy for publicizing information about this book club to be chaotic. I would like to participate but it is not easy to follow even though I have subscribed to the newsletter.

Reply to Gwen Lisboa
1. Rebecca Altneu:
  
  Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 4:01pm
  
  Hi Gwen, we welcome your feedback. Please email Pam, phugi@oats.org with any suggestions.
  
  Reply to Rebecca Altneu
Mercedes Miranda:

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 2:39pm

Ishuguro’s book is from 1989….
Celebrating Native Americans month, why not the extraordinary THERE THERE, by Tommy Orange?
Was one of the NYTIMES Best Books of the Year.

Reply to Mercedes Miranda
1. Rebecca Altneu:
  
  Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 4:12pm
  
  Hi Mercedes,
  Great book! I will add it to the list for future polls.
  
  Reply to Rebecca Altneu
BERNADETTE SESSION:

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 1:39pm

These all look very interesting. Thank you, Rebecca, for working on good selections.

Reply to BERNADETTE SESSION
1. Rebecca Altneu:
  
  Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 4:00pm
  
  Thank you, Bernadette. Looking forward to seeing you for next month’s discussion!
  
  Reply to Rebecca Altneu
Judith Dezarn:

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 1:24pm

I signed up but am not getting emails about what Book was chosen and when to start reading etc..

Reply to Judith Dezarn
1. Rebecca Altneu:
  
  Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 4:09pm
  
  Hi Judy, the book we are reading this month will be announced in next week’s article. I would suggest bookmarking this link: https://seniorplanet.org/articles/online-book-club/
  
  Reply to Rebecca Altneu
  1. Judith Dezarn:
    
    Thursday, November 11, 2021 at 10:14pm
    
    Thanks Rebecca, I am 85 and still read a lot so I will be looking for next weeks message..
  2. Rebecca Altneu:
    
    Friday, November 12, 2021 at 9:46am
    
    Love it :) We accept readers of all ages and stripes! The book choice for next month will be posted next Tuesday morning.
Jane Sawyer:

Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 1:19pm

Thanks for including me in this email. All the books look great! I’ll participate for sure. Warmly, Jane

Reply to Jane Sawyer
1. Rebecca Altneu:
  
  Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at 4:01pm
  
  We are so happy to have you! The book choice will be announced in next week’s article!
  
  Reply to Rebecca Altneu