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Book clubs can be hard to find if you are looking to join one. Readers can start by checking out the Books & Talks calendar in The Roanoke Times on Tuesdays where, among other literary events, book club meetings sometimes appear. Or, online, check out the Events Calendar search feature. Some clubs are very small and want to keep it that way, others are simply expanding beyond their chosen meeting place. Some clubs are single genre focused, and some are eclectic and varied. When looking for a group, ask around; you may know someone who knows someone who can get you in.

Maybe you want to start a book club but aren't sure where to begin? For tips on starting and managing a group, there are numerous websites. Book Bundlz is a different sort of self help for book lovers, akin to a Facebook for literary fans. Other sites are very straightforward and offer step by step instructions. Here are a few to look at:

http://www.book-clubs-resource.com/running/starting.php 

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahsbookclub/startingabookclub/20080701_orig_bookclub

http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-start-a-book-club

I was lucky enough to join a group at work, where we are currently reading a book about a book club. The hardcover of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society has been on the NY Times Bestsellers list for 30 weeks since it's publication in July 2008. The paperback will be available May 5. I'll let you know how the group likes it. We meet up for fellowship, food and discussion after the book has been read by the all female group. We're pretty laid back about the club and have fun with it, experimenting with recipes and chatting about all manner of things. Other book clubs I've heard from are strict with Roberts' Rules and deadlines; to each his own. Whatever your style, make your book club your own thing and pass the paperbacks around.

Shopping for gifts at this time of year, for moms, dads, and grads, might seem a little daunting. Lovers of literary on the giving and recieving ends, might find the following to be an option: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/08/book_shelfget_i.php

That same website also gives new meaning to the pocketbook: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/03/rebound_designs.php

Bookish jewelry can be found here: http://www.stopfalling.com/Jewelry-p-1-c-266.html

The Library of Congress has a giftshop online that offers many different literary items, including the game Bookopoly, where players buy bookstores and libraries. Instead of getting sent to jail for three turns, offenders are sent to watch TV for three days.

For the staid reader, there is the Levenger site, where they list tools for serious readers. Tote bags, page markers, and lap desks await your perusal.

I'm not that serious though and my favorite item to date has got to be this conspiracy theory themed shelf.

Happy shopping!

Run

By Ann Patchett
Harper Perennial
425 words, $14.95

Reviewed by Amy Hanek

In Anne Patchett’s “Run” you can expect a whirlwind filled with miracles, secrets, broken hearts and most of all, perfect coincidences.

Patchett’s story begins simply with a statue and a mother’s wish for a daughter to give it to. After all, the Sullivan family statue of the Virgin Mary has been handed down from mothers to daughters for four generations. So, when Bernadette Doyle dies at a young age, she leaves behind a grieving husband, three sons and an unfinished legacy.

Patchett brings the reader into the boys’ lives almost two decades later. Snow begins to fall as the younger boys, Tip and Teddy (Doyle’s adopted sons) exit a Jesse Jackson lecture with their father. Tip begins his walk back to his college when a woman pushes him out of the way of an oncoming vehicle.
From here, the story only progresses 24 hours. But during this short time, the character’s lives all change drastically. The woman that saves Tip is unknown to the Sullivan family, yet she and her 11-year old daughter look familiar – even related. Everyone wonders, but is afraid to hope that Teddy and Tip might have found their biological family and if Bernard Doyle might have somehow found a daughter. 

The beauty of this book is in the three-dimensional characters and gripping story line, but also the poetry. There’s rhythm, and balance amidst each sentence that is difficult to find in many books today.

Patchett also cleverly weaves a political message into the novel without weighing it down. Bernard Doyle, the former Mayor of Boston, revisits many political decisions as he meets the real faces of the poor and uninsured, just blocks from his grand home.

I cherished the truth Patchett displayed in her details too. About halfway through the story, Tip notices a sign posted in a dorm window, while standing in Harvard Yard. It simply reads “Obama 2012.”

You could call it foreshadowing to the greatest extent of the literary law. Patchett explains in her P.S. section in the back of the book that she noticed this sign in another area of Boston several times while doing research for the book. She just couldn’t leave it out. And what a prophecy.

As much as I hate sequels, I would love to see Patchett write a part two. The characters in this novel are everlasting and will resonate in my heart and mind for a very long time. “Run” is poetry in motion.

Amy Hanek is a freelance writer and substitute teacher living in Glade Hill, VA.

Attila: The Barbarian King Who Challenged Rome
By John Man
Thomas Dunne Books, $17.95, 336 pages

Reviewed by Bob Willis

He lived 1,600 years ago; he and his followers left no grand monuments, no public works, no cultural impact, few artifacts and no heritage to speak of. With one exception: The name of Attila is synonymous in most of the Western world with ruthlessness and cruelty, and the word Hun conjures up a fierce and warlike folk.

Undertaking a book about Attila the Hun meant, for a wide-ranging historian like John Man, a constant effort to separate myth from reality. Attila was the sort of figure who inspired legends, and little definite is known about him or his origins. Man agrees with those who conclude that the Huns came out of Mongolia and pushed westward early in the Christian era.

It was not a relentless progress; the Huns tended to war and pillage according to their felt needs, and could be content for a time with tribute. But never for long. In mid-fifth century A.D. Attila led his forces into Gaul and made Rome tremble until the Huns were turned back at present-day Orleans in 452.

There is no doubt about the Huns’ ability at war, especially on horseback, whence they could loose a volley of arrows with breathtaking speed. A modern-day Hungarian, Lajos Kassai, has resurrected the Huns’ techniques and has attracted a band of devotees to a newborn sport that they hope will one day become an Olympic event.

Roman and Christian historians tended to demonize the barbarians, whom they often described as subhuman. Only one historian whose works (partly) survive actually met Attila: Priscus, who was also a diplomat who took part in other missions in Asia Minor. Man quotes extensively from Priscus, but his own research was exhaustive and is presented with verve and humor.

This is a very readable book, and it treats not only with the Huns but also with the huge and varied tapestry of tribes who peopled the European mainland outside of Rome’s sway: Alans, Goths, Gepids, Rugians, Skirians, Akatziri, Herulians, Thuringians, Burgundians, Langobards, and more. Little do we appreciate today how rich and yet mysterious is the Western heritage.

 BOB WILLIS is a retired associate editor of the editorial page.

The Optimist’s/Pessimist’s Handbook: A Companion to Hope and Despair
By Niall Edworthy and Petra Cramsie
Free Press, 256 pages, $16.95

Reviewed by Heather Froeschl

Is your cup half empty or half full? Likely there are there days when you could see things from either way. If you are looking for a little read that will confirm your beliefs, on any given day, this handbook is for you.

One side of the book, in white background with gold lettering, is “The Optimist’s Handbook: A Companion to Hope.” Flip it over and other side is a black cover with red lettering for “The Pessimist’s Handbook: A Companion to Despair.” This work of humor is a collection of points covering numerous topics from adventure to youth that will either agree with your view or counter it. For instance, on change: Mahatma Gandhi is quoted as saying, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world,” while a Chinese proverb states, “It is easier to divert a river than change one’s character.”

Whichever side you think you may be on chances are you might see things you agree with however you choose to hold the book. With interesting facts, quotes, and the occasional funny illustration, it is a book to be picked up now and then, given your current mood, rather than digested all at once. I found the optimist side to be uplifting and comforting and read it all in one sitting. The pessimist side, I could only take a little of at a time and found the negative taste it left a bit too much. I would garner a guess that the authors can congratulate themselves on a mission accomplished. I would also guess that it is quite obvious which side of the book I relate to.

I found it humorous that the authors chose to show both sides of themselves as well, with versions of their biographies appearing with each side of the book, reflecting those characteristics that pertained to that side. All in all, it is a lighthearted read, or heavyhearted, depending on your view.

Author Rick Britton to Sign Books at Poplar Forest

Poplar Forest will host author Rick Britton for a book signing at the Museum Shop.  

When: Saturday, April 25, 2009, Noon to 3 p.m.

Contact: 434-525-1806, www.poplarforest.org

"Jefferson: A Monticello Sampler," is a collection of essays on Thomas Jefferson’s multifaceted life. An award-winning historical journalist, Britton has been writing about Jefferson and Monticello for well over a decade.

Britton is a Charlottesville based author, historian, and historical interpreter. During his 15-year writing career, Britton has published over 200 articles—the vast majority on Virginia history. Britton currently teaches classes on the early history of Albemarle County, conducts tours of Civil War battlefields, and is a regular guest on WINA’s “Charlottesville, Right Now” radio show hosted by Coy Barefoot.

Poplar Forest was Thomas Jefferson's plantation and retreat home, now a National Historic Landmark.  Offering tours and special events, Poplar Forest is open April through November, Wednesday through Monday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Call 434-525-1806 or visit www.poplarforest.org.

The WVTF Book Club will meet next Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at the WVTF Public Radio Station, 3520 Kingsbury Circle, Roanoke at 7:00 PM.  The book for the month is "Dreams From My Father" by Barack Obama; discussion leader is Beth Macy.  There is no charge.  Contact 342-5279 or 345-4761

HAUNTED HEART: The Life and Times of Stephen King
by Lisa Rogak, St. Martin’s Press,
310 Pages, $25.95

Reviewed by Alicia Johnson

Should readers fear a typical lengthy biography with a time-line of a writer’s history, only sprinkled with anecdotes and points of interest – they should put down their pre-conceived notions and pick up Haunted Heart: The Life and Times of Stephen King. Lisa Rogak does not write the typical biography. Rogak presents to readers not just a sketch of King’s life, but a personal, sit down with coffee, chat with the master of macabre. Rogak shares King’s story in such a conversational way that readers will feel as if they now know the writer. "#1 fans" looking for more details on King than what one would find on an inside cover or in a magazine interview, will find that this read fills in the gaps.

Journalist Joe Tennis Shares Origins of Southwest Virginia Place Names and Tales 

Where: Christ Lutheran Church
2011 Brandon Ave., SW, Roanoke, VA 24015
(At intersection of Grandin Road & Brandon Avenue.)

When: Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 7:30 p.m.

Contact: 540-342-5770, info.hswv@cox.net, www.history-museum.org

The History Museum of Western Virginia presents April 2009 Lecture Series speaker, Joe Tennis, a graduate of Radford University, formerly of the Roanoke Times and Norfolk Virginian Pilot and award winning feature writer for the Bristol Herald Courier. 

Tennis is the author of "Southwest Virginia Crossroads," "Beach to Bluegrass: Places to Brake on Virginia's Longest Road," and "The Marble and Other Ghost Tales of Virginia." 

Author Belinda Anderson will read from her short story collection, "The Bingo Cheaters." Books will be available for sale and signing, prizes given, refreshments served, and discussion enjoyed.

Anderson is also the author of "Buckle Up, Buttercup" and "The Well Ain't Dry Yet."

When: April 27, 2009, 7 p.m.

Where: Hollins Library, 6624 Peters Creek Road, Roanoke

Contact: RSVP - 540-992-2303, 540-342-6057