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This Page Last Updated January 20  2007



WOMEN'S BOOK CLUB
Reading Lists:  2004-2005  |  2005-2006  |  2006-2007


Reading List for  2004-2005:
Month Title Author
August, 2004 Mrs. Dallaway Virginia Wolf
September 2004 Staying On Paul Scott
October 2004 Life of Pi Yann Martel
November 2004 Waiting Ha Jin
December 2004 Foreign Correspondence Geraldine Brooks
January 2005 Plainsong Kent Haruf
February 2005 Bel Canto  Ann Patchett
March 2005 Empire Falls Richard Russo
April 2005 Main Street Sinclair Lewis
May 2005 Set This House in Order Matt Ruff
June 2005 Years of Wonder Geraldine Brooks
July 2005 Select Books for the 
Next 11 Months		  
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Reading List for 2005-2006

Month		 Title
Author
August, 2005 STAGGERFORD Jon Hassler
September 2005 ALL THE KING'S MEN Robert Penn Warren
October 2005 PIGS IN HEAVEN Barbara Kingsolver
November 2005 THEIR FATHER'S GOD Ole Rolvaag
December 2005
 NICKLE AND DIMED Barbara Ehrenreich
January 2006 THE KITE RUNNER> Khaled Hosseini
February 2006 THE VIRGIN BLUE Tracy Chevalier
March 2006 TENDER IS THE NIGHT  F. Scott Fitzgerald
April 2006 THE CURIOUS INCIDENT 
OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME		 Mark Haddon
May 2006 HORSE HEAVEN
Discussion Postponed
 Jane Smiley
June 2006 THE NAMESAKE  Jhumpa Lahiri
July 2006 JAMES LAND
 Michelle Huneven
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Reading List for 2006-2007

Month		 Reading List for 2006-2007
Title
Author
August 2006
 MARCH
 Geraldine Brooks
September 2006
 FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
 H. S. Bissinger
October 2006
 GARDENIA   Faith Sullivan
November 2006
 THE RAZOR'S EDGE Somerset Maugham
December 2006
 ORDINARY HEROES Scott Turow
January 2007
 BLINDNESS   Jose Saranago
February 2007
 GILEAD Marilynne Robinson
March 2007
 THE GOLDEN RATIO Mario Livio
April 2007
 THE MAIN  Trevanian
May 2007
 MY SISTER'S KEEPER Jodi Picoult
June 2007
 This time is spent selecting books, suggested by the Book Group members, to be read in the coming year
July 2006 JAMES LAND
 Michelle Huneven


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EVENING BOOK CLUB
Past Reading List:
September 19, 2006 Digging to America Ann Tyler
This is the story of two families who adopt Korean babies and discover what it means to be American. Enjoy Ann Tyler's wonderful, quirky style with us.
October 17, 2006 Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War Nathaniel Philbrick
How did America really begin? According to this book, it was on a cold, dripping wet ship. Join us to discuss this dramatic voyage and its aftermath.
November 21, 2006 Rules for Old Men Waiting Peter Pouncey
With the desire to "tell a story to the end" an old Scot invents a gripping tale of men and war. Comparing this to our current war(s) may be interesting.
December 19, 2006 The Children's Blizzard David Laskin
In 1888 more than 100 children died in 24 hours on the Dakota-Nebraska prairie. Will we have snow by discussion time?
January 16, 2007 The Sea John Banville
This Booker Prize Winner is about Max Morden, an Irishman who returns to live in the seaside town of his childhood summer holidays shortly after his wife dies. Help us judge if this book actually deserved to win a prize.
February 20, 2007 The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex and the Meaning of Life Dr. Armand M. Nicholi, Jr.
The twentieth century managed to produce two brilliant men with very opposing views.  Which side of the debate are you on?
March 20, 2007 East of Eden 
 John Steinbeck
This classic still mesmerizes everyone who opens it up. It is a saga with biblical references and proportions.
 April 17, 2007 War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning Chris Hedges
This is a discussion of the seductive powers of war and what it does to corrupt individuals and entire societies.
Come discuss why he says that sometimes we must take the poison of war, but we must also take responsibility for repentance.
May 15, 2007 Cloud Atlas 
 David Mitchell
Described as a tale of adventure and originally brilliant fiction, it reveals how disparate people connect, how their fates intertwine and how their souls drift across time like clouds in a sky.
June 19, 2007
 The God Delusion 
 Richard Dawkins
Hugely controversial and quite entertaining, this discussion of atheism has been on the best seller list for months.
July 17, 2007
 Pound for Pound 
 F.X. Toole
Published posthumously, this novel takes it reader into the world of boxing. Certain to be different than a day at the office.
August 21, 2007
 Winning the Race: Beyond the Crisis in Black America 
 John McWhorter
 Mr. McWhorter traces the effects of the disempowering conception of the Black identity from the validation of living permanently on welfare to the glorification of irresponsibility sung in gangsta rap.
September 18, 2007
 The Road
  Cormac McCarthy
We know that this was an Oprah selection, but don't let that spoil it for you. Cormac McCarthy is one of our foremost American authors. He is said to capture the essence of the American male in his works.
October 9, 2007
NOTE Change of Date
 His Excellency: George Washington
Joseph J. Ellis
Ever wonder why the United States has a president instead of a king? Explore the personality of our first president.
November 20, 2007
 Runaway: Stories
 Alice Munro
With the desire to "tell a story to the end" an old Scot invents a gripping tale of men and war. Comparing this to our current war(s) may be interesting.
December 18, 2007
 1776
 David McCullough
This book won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005. David McCullough is a book group favorite because his nonfiction reads like a novel.
January 15, 2008
 The Night Gardener
 George Pelecanos
This is a police drama about a serial killer.  Is it a crime novel or just what genre does this book fit into? This book was on the same NPR summer reading list that one of our other favorite selections was on, so we decided to live dangerously and give it a try.
February 19, 2008
 The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals and the Truth about Global Corruption
John Perkins.
Many at church loved this author's other work, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. What are the real affects of globalization? This book explores how  America leadership has ramifications everywhere
March 18, 2008, Bliss by O. Z. Livaneli. This story takes place in Turkey and involves the mixing of both traditional and modern Turkish cultures.
April 15, 2008, The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Tobin. We have a review from an attorney in our group that says this is a "must" read.

July 18, 2006 Gilead
Marilynne Robinson
In 1956, the son of an Iowa preacher writes a letter to his young son to help him understand his family history which includes struggles with abolition and the civil war. This won the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 for fiction.  
August 15, 2006 Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis
 Jimmy Carter
An ex-president offers a personal look at "moral values" and how they relate to important issues of our day. A devote Baptist, he champions the separation of church and state. He takes on the idea of preemptive war, women's rights and more.
June 27, 2006
 1491: New Revelations of the  Americas Before Columbus
 Charles C. Mann
Traditionally, Americans have learned that Columbus discovered a couple of empty continents. Mann reveals and persuades us that researchers have discovered this to be wrong.  
May 16, 2006 A House for Mr. Biswas
 V. S. Naipaul
Born "the wrong way" Mohun Biswas struggles to gain independance and a home of his own. This book is an Indian classic by a Nobel Prize winning author. Expand your mind to the Indian subcontinent. 
April 18, 2006 The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century Thomas L. Friedman.
What is the most crucial development of the twenty-first century? How can anyone know that when it is only 2006? Anyone who got the book for Christmas (according to Barnes and Noble, this was a top seller) should have read this definitive work by now and is welcome to join the discussion.
March 21, 2006 Snow Orlan Pamuk
An exiled poet returns to Turkey to report on the suicides of girls forbidden to wear their headscarves. All the action takes place amid a raging snow storm. Does Turkish weather rival Minnesota's? This is a tale of love and intrigue.  
February 21, 2006 How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe Thomas Cahill
This illuminating book looks into a "hinge" of history that describes how this island nation of saints and scholars preserved Western Culture from being destroyed by Barbarian invasions. Is this just one more Irishman bragging or is there really something to this? 
January 17, 2006 The Plot Against America Philip Roth
What if America had negotiated a deal with Hitler? Do you have a hard time imagining our home town hero, Charles Lindbergh, as a bad guy? This highly acclaimed author explores the "what if" factor in his latest book. It is supposed to be fascinating and especially chilling for us lovers of Lindy. 
December 20, 2005 The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America Erik Larson
This will be the group's first true crime book. The author weaves a story intertwining two men in Chicago in 1893: The architect of the World's Fair and a serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims. Explore the criminal mind with us.
November 15, 2005 Acts of Faith Philip Caputo
In the harsh background of contemporary Sudan, this is a tale of idealism run amok and ignorance disguised as compassion. What motivates all those volunteers and missionaries in Africa? The author explores the reasons in a thought provoking way.  Imagine a discussion by Unitarians about missionary work!
October 18, 2005 Freakonomics Steven D. Levitt and
Stephen J. Dubner
Ever wonder why the crime rate dropped in the 1990's? You will never guess the reason given by this book. This politically incorrect book, shakes out all kinds of surprising truths. The discussion is guaranteed to be interesting whether you are right or left leaning.
September 20, 2005 Everything is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer
A young man sets out to find the woman who saved his Grandfather from the Nazis. His adventures in present day Ukraine accompanied by Alex, the translator/butcher of English, and a dog named Sammy Davis Junior. Junior, are supposed to be hilarious.  Join us for the laughs.
August 16, 2005 Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books Azar Nafisi
Every Thursday for two years, the author met with seven dedicated friends to read forbidden Western classics. Explore resilience in the face of tyranny and maybe gain some insight into the current Middle East situation.
July 19, 2005 The Great Fire Shirley Hazzard
A winner of the National Book Award, this is a romance set following World War II. This will be our first "love story" and discussion should be interesting.
June 21, 2005 The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World Bjorn Lomborg
Have the environmentalists got it all wrong? This book endeavors to see both sides of the debate. Warning: this book might come close to containing Unitarian heresy.  Click Here to find out about a discussion of this book in the January 2002 Scientific American.
May 17, 2005 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon
Written from the point of view of an autistic hero the book explores a crime involving the death of a neighbor's dog. How does a person exornerate himself when accused of crime when his communication skills are very limited?
April 19, 2005 Life at the Extremes: The Science of Survival Frances Ashcroft
Celebrate surviving another Minnesota winter by finding out just how we do it. Have you ever wondered why divers get the bends and whales don't?  This book explains it.
March 15, 2005 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
The story takes place in Afghanistan and is a coming of age novel about the last days of the monarchy. Help us answer the questions "What monarchy?" and why is it so violent there?
February 15, 2005 The Fabric of the Cosmos Brian Greene
Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Are you not a scientist but wish you knew more? Gain a new and deeper understanding of science and the universe by reading the book and joining the discussion.
January 20, 2005 The Namesake  Jhumpa Lahiri
Cultures clash  when a family from the Indian subcontinent moves to America.  Revelations about the defining powers of names and parental expections have cross cultural  implications.  How do we come to define ourselves?  This Pulitzer Prize winning author may give us some insight. 
December 21, 2004 Galileo's Daughter Dava Sobel
The historical detail of Galileo's life is woven together with the warm and earnest writings of his daughter to create very human version of the scientist. Travel back in time and enjoy this memoir of science, faith and love.
November 16, 2004 The Known World Edward P. Jones
This winner of the National Book Award, looks at the multidimensional world created by the institution of slavery in America. Freed blacks and slaves and black owners of slaves. What happens when a culture disintegrates and its aftermath should be thought provoking.
October 19, 2004 Under the Banner of Heaven: 
A Story of Violent Faith		 Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer usually  writes adventure stories, but  decided to write a true crime book for a change. What he ended up with was a comprehensive study of the Mormon religion and fundamentalism. Join us to explore this tale of spirituality gone awry.
September  21, 2004 Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamtress Dai Sijie
August  2004 Truman David McCullough
July 2004 Left Behind: A Novel of the Earth's Last Days Tim Lahay and Jerry B. Jenkins
June 2004 Doubt: A History Jennifer Michael Hecht
May 2004 Disgrace J. M. Coetzee
April 2004 The Conquerors Michael Beschloss
March 2004 Three Junes Julia Glass
February 2004 The Things They Carried Tim O'Brien
January 2004 Atonement Ian McEwan
December 2003 Colored People: A Memoir Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
November 2003 Life of Pi Yann Martel
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Planning for Growth and Vitality Workshop
Submitted by Donna Kopnick and Kathy Park
It’s Called Community Building

 Or 9 Ways to make MVUUF a visible presence in our community.

  1. Buy a copy of one of the minister''s sermons you liked and give it to a non-member.  (The minister's sermons are available in the office.)
  2. Carry a “7 Principles card” and give it to people when they ask about UUism. (7 Principles available in the pamphlet rack near the entry.)
  3. Display our “7 Principles” at home or work.
  4. Display our “MVUUF Affirmation of Values” at home or work.  (Ask Janet Stevens, Office Manager, for a copy of the Affirmation of Values)
  5. Participate in a community event that reflects UU principles (for example, Gay Pride).
  6. Promote our congregation's rental space to individuals and groups you know.
  7. Tell someone about a provocative thought you heard at church.
  8. Write an article for a local newspaper about a Fellowship project in which you’re involved. (for example, Habitat for Humanity, VEAP, Free Trade) and submit it to the  Fellowship Publicity Chair .
  9. Practice your response to the question ”What is Unitarian Universalism?”
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