January's read was Conversations with RGB by Jeffrey Rosen, with Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes coming in for February's pick. Susan mentioned during this meeting that the tentative plan going forward for book club meetings is to continue on with Zoom for a few more months, and then when the weather turns warmer we may be able to schedule some of them outdoors again. What a welcomed change that will be~ for so many reasons! Stay tuned!
To the book!
In Conversations with RBG, Justice Ginsburg discusses the future of Roe v. Wade,
her favorite dissents, the cases she would most like to see overruled,
the #MeToo movement, how to be a good listener, how to lead a productive
and compassionate life, and of course the future of the Supreme Court
itself. These frank exchanges illuminate the steely determination,
self-mastery, and wit that have inspired Americans of all ages to
embrace the woman known to all as "Notorious RBG."
This book was a middle-of-the-road kind of read. While most of our attending members liked the book, few loved it. And of those that liked it, they could still agree that the book had some less than desirable elements. Fewer still really didn't care for it at all, though they could still find the good bits found here and there.
We all agree that RGB is a remarkable lady. Her accomplishments and largely her calm, common sense, and confident demeanor are highly noteworthy, and admired. Several members commented on how interesting it was to learn about the inner-workings of the court, and how nice, if not a little surprising, it was to find that the justices seem to have a healthy camaraderie and respect for one another.
The group largely felt that outside of the specific cases RGB and Mr. Rosen discussed in detail, we felt predominantly out of place within all the talk of case files and legal jargon. We quickly and consistently got lost and confused, at times due to the books repetitive tendency, and would have liked to have seen a short few sentences of case explanation(s)/recap(s) while they were being discussed. The addition of supplemental pictures was also mentioned as being helpful in illustrating RGB's life, as so many times she comments on a small few pivotal people in her circle that had deeply influenced her.
FUN FACT: There was a movie made in 2018 entitled, On the Basis of Sex, that tells the story of RGB~ and there are 6 copies available within the Viking System. Also, if you're a Hulu subscriber, there is a RGB documentary available for streaming entitled simply, RGB.
Let us know below which side of the road you find yourself regarding this book~ but also your thoughts on either of these films if you've had the chance to see them. See you next month!
At the end of every book club
discussion we ask three questions and track the average answers:
Would we
recommend this to another book club for discussion?
"NO"
Would we
recommend this to a friend to read?
"YES"
Rate the
book 1-4 stars with 1 being the lowest rating:
3 stars
