Thank you Kelby, for a great start to our day! It was a good, if not mixed, discussion of A Visit from the Goon Squad. Our very perceptive, Teresa, said the book reminded her of the movie Pulp Fiction. Little did she know, Pulp Fiction was a big influence on author Jennifer Egan. Below is an excerpt from a review of the book in Paste Magazine...

A side note, if I may. Egan has mentioned that Pulp Fiction influenced her a great deal while writing Goon Squad. In 1994, when Pulp Fiction burst onto the scene, with its startling nonlinear storyline, punchy dialogue, pop culture references and humor juxtaposed with rank violence, a whole new phenomenon was created—so much so, no one knew quite where to place it....

As in Pulp Fiction, the characters ooze unlikeability, yet it is to Egan’s credit you feel their woundedness and wish some relief for them.

Egan creates underdog characters, achingly self-destructive and down-on-their luck. The characters’ personal interactions exude intimacy, and yet they know so little about each other. In other words, they’re more like real-life people or the messy, unpredictable characters in Pulp Fiction than the happy, redeemed-in-the-end Hollywood caricatures required for a movie deal. [Although I’m happy to report that HBO—o brave and cutting-edge network!—has acquired the rights to develop Goon Squad as a half-hour TV series.]

Moving on to October, most of you have learned that Laura has chosen The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot as our next book. Laura introduced it as a story about a woman who is very much still alive amongst us, despite being deceased and she is very popular and important in the science industry although her family has struggled to make ends meet.

Watch this quick clip from the author:

Sounds like a great read....now the dilemma of reading the actual book, reading it on an iPad or Kindle, or listening. So many choices! Or do as Peggy does...use all the options!

Happy reading!