The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Our next book group will be on Wednesday, May 3rd at 7:30pm at Joy's house to present new books for the group to read.

The next book that we will discuss is The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown.  We will meet to discuss this book on Wednesday, June 7th at 7:30 pm at Rosanne's house.

"For readers of Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit and Unbroken, the dramatic story of the American rowing team that stunned the world at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics.
"Daniel James Brown’s robust book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.

"The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled  by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in each other that makes them a victorious team. They remind the country of what can be done when everyone quite literally pulls together—a perfect melding of commitment, determination, and optimism.

"Drawing on the boys’ own diaries and journals, their photos and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, The Boys in the Boat is an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate story of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit really meant."  --From GoodReads.com

Book Group Voting

It's that time of the year again to present new books to the group for our reading schedule! We'll do it the same way we did it last time, but here's a reminder of how it will work, and some guidelines to follow as you consider which books to recommend:

- We will meet on Wednesday, May 3rd at 7:30pm at Joy's house to present new book recommendations.



- You recommend 2 books that the group will vote on, and one of your books will win. You will then host book group for the month your winning book is assigned to, lead the discussion, and provide a refreshment.  If you don't want to have book group at your house, there are always others willing to host for you.


- The books you recommend can be from any genre, but must be books that you have previously read and know that they have minimal language, violence, etc., and are appropriate for the standards of our group.


- If possible, please bring a copy of each of your book suggestions to book group in May so we can see the book and get a sense of it's length and size. Let me know if you can't find a copy of a book you want to present and I might be able to pick up a copy for you from libraries you don't have access to.


- The voting will take place anonymously with an online survey as usual, where you will rate your interest in each book on a scale of 1 to 5. Voting this way will give you time to read book reviews or learn more about the choices before casting your vote.  This also allows people who can't attend in May the ability to still vote. Voting will stay open for 3-4 weeks and results given at June's book group and online. Each person's book with the highest weighted average will be selected for our upcoming schedule.


- If you would like to recommend books but can't attend book group in May, please let me know and I will present your books to the group for you.


- To see a list of books that our group has already read, scroll down and you'll see the list in the right side bar of this blog.