Mystery? History? Fiction?: Northwest Neighbors Village Members Read!

Cathy Waldman and Paul Levi, NNV members and volunteers, can attest to this because conversations with fellow members about books invariably come up at coffee groups, men's lunches, group dinners, and outings that they have attended. Having jotted book recommendations on napkins and notes on the phone, Cathy and Paul decided to take this interest in books to the next level and are forming a new group: "What Are You Reading Lately?"

Every six weeks starting September 9th, the group will meet on Mondays from 11 to noon in the Chevy Chase Library Meeting Room. Unlike most book clubs where everybody reads the same book, this new group will encourage participants to share whatever they are currently reading or have enjoyed in the recent past. Members are also invited to come and just listen to get new ideas for books.

How will this all work? To start with, please register online for the new group, just as you would for any other Village event. When you come to the meeting, there will be a sign-in sheet, and that is where you can write down the name of the book that you're recommending, its genre, and author. Cathy and Paul will act as moderators, and they ask that presentations of each book be limited to about five minutes. It's likely that there will be some lively cross-discussions, and it’s also possible that new friendships could form as well!

After the meeting, the sign-in sheet listing all the books discussed will be sent off to be published in the following week's news blast. This way, not only the group's members, but everyone receiving the newsletter will have access to peer recommendations, which will probably cover a multitude of interests, and which may even pique your curiosity about exploring a new genre or discovering a new author!

If you’d like to join us, please click here to register on our website. You may also email Leslie or call us at 202-935-6060 to let us know you plan to attend. Drop-ins are welcome, as well.

P.S. from Heather: Thanks to everyone who shared their book recommendations in response to my August 2^nd weekly update article! Here’s a sampling of what our village is reading:

NNV member, Paul Pearlstein, recommends The Women by Kristin Hannah. The book highlights “the work of female nurses in Vietnam and has very powerful triage scenes and good writing”, Paul shares. Our executive director, Stephanie Chong, also read this one. Stephanie’s father was a medevac in Vietnam and has always spoken about the important role the nurses played in the war. Stephanie loves Kristin Hannah’s books, and said, “This one didn’t disappoint!”

Book Recommendation by Livia Bardin: An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong.

Ann Todd, NNV member and volunteer, shared her latest read, Someone Like Us, by Dinaw Mengestu. His subject is the Ethiopian diaspora, much of it centered in D.C. His first novel, The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, is set in Logan Circle in the 1980s and 90s. He has received numerous prizes including a Macarthur Fellowship. Ann also shared a recent interview with the author featured in The New York Times.

Nancy Montwieler, NNV volunteer, recently enjoyed James by Percival Everett. James is the retelling of Huck Finn which Nancy thinks deserves all the attention and praise it’s received. (The novel was long-listed for the Booker Prize this year.) Afterwards, Nancy enjoyed a rereading of the original Huckleberry Finn. What a delightful follow-up!

Member and volunteer, Ellen Siegel recommends Stranger in My Own Land: Palestine, Israel and One Family’s Story of Home by Fida Jiryis. She says it’s “the best book I have read on the Palestinian issue. The whole history of the Palestinians is presented through a personal and historical manner, and it’s beautifully written”.

Happy Reading!