Book Notes

Book Notes: a dream job turned nightmare

Event Date: February 15, 2019, at 2:00 PM

The Radium Girls by Kate Moore is a compelling book on a repeating theme: dangers in the workplace or community that take too long to be recognized.

November Book Notes

Event Date: November 17, 2017, at 2:00 PM

UMRA Book Club members share their November discussion of Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.

Book Notes: debut novel is a family tell-all

Event Date: November 16, 2018, at 2:00 PM

The Nest, a best-selling debut novel by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, stimulated much discussion.

Book Notes: Timeless classic highly recommended

Event Date: October 12, 2018, at 2:00 PM

In simple, almost poetic prose, Margaret Craven’s novel, I Heard the Owl Call My Name, tells the story of Mark Brian, a young Anglican vicar who is sent by his bishop to serve a First Nation parish in an isolated village in British Columbia.

Book Notes | Summer 2018

Event Date: May 18, 2018, at 2:00 PM

"The Professor’s House" by Willa Cather and "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles are reviewed.

Book Notes: Club Members learn a lot about Zimbabwe from The Last Resort

Event Date: April 20, 2018, at 2:00 PM

Author delivers a riveting account of his parents’ determination to survive the chaotic events that took place during the reign of Robert Mugabe.

Book Notes: A Memory of Violets elicits favorable response

Event Date: March 16, 2018, at 2:00 PM

For those who like historical fiction and a “light” read with a happy ending, the UMRA Book Club recommends A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor.

February Book Notes

Event Date: February 16, 2018, at 2:00 PM

Reflecting on their impressions of The Homeplace by J. Drew Lanham, Book Club members select the quote: “I am as much a scientist as I am a black man; my skin defines me no more than my heart does. …I’ve yet to have a wild creature question my identity.”

Dark Money provokes lively discussion at January Book Club

Event Date: January 19, 2018, at 2:00 PM

“Just thumbing through this book is enough to scare you.” See what UMRA Book Club members say about it.

From the Cares Bookshelf

The Power of Meaning: Crafting a Life that Matters, by Emily Esfahani Smith, explains a growing new movement within psychological research that is fundamentally reshaping our understanding of the good life. It’s a very readable book for academics and non-academics alike.  

From the Cares Bookshelf

Letters from Madelyn: Chronicles of a Caregiver recounts the difficulties of managing caregiving in a true story that reveals the character of a caregiver who must contend with every emotion, yet manage this stage of life with growth, grace, and humor. If you worry about the headaches and traumas of wearing out together, especially as a member of an intimate pair, you will find this book relevant and comforting.  

Book Notes on September Book Club Meeting

Event Date: September 15, 2017, at 2:00 PM

In this new column the UMRA Book Club will be sharing their discussions.

From the Cares Committee bookshelf: The Good Caregiver

The Good Caregiver: A One-of-a-Kind Compassionate Resource for Anyone Caring for an Aged Loved One

Thank you to UMRA members and Care Guides Ron Anderson and Helen Carlson for this review of The Good Caregiver by Dr. Robert Kane, 2011, Pelican. 

Bookshelf Notes—Insights on living from the wisdom of dying

While it is written by a chaplain who has sat with hundreds of dying people, it is more about living and the meaning of living. But mostly it is a quick read that can make you feel good and change how you think about living and dying.

On Living by Kerry Egan was published in 2016 by Penguin Publishing. This review was written by UMRA member and Past President Ron Anderson, who says this book is about finding “joy in living.”

March 2017 Cares Committee Bookshelf: The Song Poet

The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father, by Kao Kalia Yang. 2016, Metropolitan books. Thank you to UMRA member Linda Lindeke for this review.