December -

The Zookeeper's Wife

Diane Ackerman (368 pages)

A true story — as powerful as Schindler's List— in which the keepers of the Warsaw Zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands.

When Germany invaded Poland, Stuka bombers devastated Warsaw — and the city's zoo along with it. With most of their animals dead, zookeepers Jan and Antonina Zabinski began smuggling Jews into empty cages. Another dozen guests hid inside the Zabinskis' villa, emerging after dark for dinner, socializing, and, during rare moments of calm, piano concerts. With her exuberant prose and exquisite sensitivity to the natural world, Diane Ackerman engages us viscerally in the lives of the zoo animals, their keepers, and their hidden visitors.

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Leader/Host: Fanny
Discussion Meeting: Sunday Dec 14th (Time TBD)

Location: Lincoln Park Zoo - tentatively @ the conservatory to enjoy a nice "tropical" weather and maybe see the xmas lights.

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This will be a discussion/xmas celebration, so... bring lots of joy & the wraped book for secret book-worm-santa!!!
As planed on our last meeting each one of us picked a member.
For next meeting please bring a book for that person as a gift. A book (from your personal colection/new/used) that you think that person will enjoy/find iteresting.

Please note,there will be a price for most original wrapping ... so feel free to get creative!!! And Feel free to bring beberages & snacks.
- Bring a back-up book in case your 1st choice has already been read, you don't have to wrap the back-up.
- Our very first dicator-style-book-discussion will take place at our 1st discussion meeting in 2009. Here we will have 10-minute mini discussions in which each one of use will review/talk about the book we received as gift on the xmas meeting: was it a good match? would I recomend it to the rest of the group? etc etc..

November -

Veronika Decide Morir

By Paulo Coelho (240 pages).

Veronika es una joven que tiene los mismos sueños y deseos que cualquier persona de su edad. Es guapa, cuenta con un buen trabajo y no le faltan pretendientes. Su vida transcurre sin mayores sobresaltos, sin grandes alegrías ni grandes tristezas. Pero Veronika no es feliz. Por eso, la mañana del 11 de noviembre de 1997, Veronika decide morir. Sueños y fantasías. Deseo y muerte. Locura y pasión. Veronika, en su camino hacia la muerte, descubre que cada segundo de la existencia es una opción que tomamos entre la alternativa de sequir adelante o de abandonar. Veronika experimenta placeres nuevos y halla un nuevo sentido a la vida, un sentido que le había permanecido oculto hasta ahora, cuando ya es demasiado tarde para echarse atrás.

Discussion Meeting: Sunday November 16th - 1pm

Discussion leader/host: Iris
Location: NoFriction Café (2023-A N. California Ave)