Bill's Book Group (for Guys): February 2018

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Red Notice Check-in

https://www.whiskytastingroom.com/image/cache/catalog/A%20DEC%2017/fullsizeoutput_9c-350x467.jpeg

I'm writing this from London in the middle of a snowstorm (2 inches!) which seems to have disrupted much of the City. During the unexpected break in my schedule I did manage to fight my way through the weather to make a quick visit to my favorite whisky shop - Cadenhead's - Scotland's oldest independent bottler, where I picked up an interesting and unique bottle for our meeting next week. Remember I'm always looking out for you!

By the way, if you haven't started the book, there is still plenty of time for the invigorating read. To get the juices flowing, you might want to check out this podcast Ralph sent along on Putin's No. 1 enemy or this Bloomberg article from Bart about when Russian officials 'Nightmare' your business.

For those interested, the Annihilation movie excursion is set for next Tuesday, March 6th at the 7pm showing in Framingham. Steve is coordinating, if you are interested in joining, please let him know.

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Blood Meridian debrief

Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West Cover Image

What a great turnout and an enthusiastic debate last night! As always, the more divided the opinions on the book, the better the discussion. Thumbs up or down, I think everyone could find something of value from the evening. It was great to see so many new faces in the room. If it was your first visit, I posted an updated list of the books we've read over the last 4 years or so on our (lightly curated) blog. You can get a flavor for the spirit of the group and the types of books we favor (they're not all as tough as Blood Meridian.) You can also find the syllabus on the Wellesley Books website.

While we're at it, here is the link to the Wellesley Books partnership with Libro.fm for audiobooks. I've always done audio books, going all the way back to Books on Tape in the 1980s. I think you'll find the Libro prices very competitive with other audio book providers and you get to continue to support your local independent bookstore :). You can also find a link to Libro on the Wellesley Books homepage.

We'll follow up in the near future on Steve's suggestion for a group night out for the Annihilation movie coming out soon. If you are thinking about joining, shoot me a note so we gauge the potential interest. In the meantime, check out this list of the most highly anticipated book-to-film adaptations of 2018 with links to all the trailers.

Lastly, our next Book Group meeting will be on Wednesday, March 7th when we will discuss Red Notice by Bill Browder. Part financial caper, part spy thriller, part political crusade: Red Notice is the actual story of an accidental activist pursuing overwhelming odds to seek justice in post-Soviet Russia.