A chilling good tale for October 
Monday
September Book Group Meeting
Here is a little about the book that started it all...
"Hoffman has a child’s dreamy eye, in the best possible sense. To her, the stuff grown-ups don’t see anymore looms huge and important — insects 
banging on windowpanes, thunderstorms, a chestnut tree with a door to the “otherworld.” She invents a realm where that sense of the fictive doesn’t go away, where imagination and reality bleed together. “The Story Sisters” itself is not a fairy tale. The characters in fairy tales are all good or all bad, and Hoffman’s characters are always moving back and forth, challenging our perceptions, daring us to judge them. Her sentences tremble with allegory; nothing in this novel is ever as it appears — or is it? As Elv becomes more troubled, she retreats farther into the world of Arnelle, and farther away from her sisters. Even the girls’ last name, Story, is whimsical, lending heft to Elv’s theory that they were renamed by mortal kidnappers — we mortals being so maddeningly literal. "
banging on windowpanes, thunderstorms, a chestnut tree with a door to the “otherworld.” She invents a realm where that sense of the fictive doesn’t go away, where imagination and reality bleed together. “The Story Sisters” itself is not a fairy tale. The characters in fairy tales are all good or all bad, and Hoffman’s characters are always moving back and forth, challenging our perceptions, daring us to judge them. Her sentences tremble with allegory; nothing in this novel is ever as it appears — or is it? As Elv becomes more troubled, she retreats farther into the world of Arnelle, and farther away from her sisters. Even the girls’ last name, Story, is whimsical, lending heft to Elv’s theory that they were renamed by mortal kidnappers — we mortals being so maddeningly literal. " 
New York Times Book review 2009
Friday in the Garden
End of summer book group meeting at Jane's house to celebrate the book "The Forgotten Garden". English cooking and garden fresh treats make for a lovely dinner under the stars.
Saturday
Summer Reading
Check out this website for the author
Kate Morton
http://www.katemorton.com/
The Help June Meeting, 2010
Lori hosted the June Book Group meeting-yummy food and good friends great way to start the Summer... I'm not going to mention the dog treats or pooh pie, you had to be there!
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"
What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing "about what disturbs you." The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies--and mistrusts--enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. "
What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing "about what disturbs you." The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies--and mistrusts--enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. "
Sunday
May Meeting
I have been most tardy in adding commentary from our meetings. I looked at the blog and realized the last time I updated the meeting notes was in January. I will attempt to make this a regular habit but quite often life gets in the way.
For the month of May we met at Betsy's house and discussed Deborah's pick 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith. Only a few members actually finished the book but most everyone read enough to join in the discussion. The book is set in Edinburgh and follows the happenings of a variety of interesting characters. It was originally published in the daily paper The Scotsman in segments. The author was inspired by Armistead Maupin's serialised novel Tales of the City.
For the month of May we met at Betsy's house and discussed Deborah's pick 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith. Only a few members actually finished the book but most everyone read enough to join in the discussion. The book is set in Edinburgh and follows the happenings of a variety of interesting characters. It was originally published in the daily paper The Scotsman in segments. The author was inspired by Armistead Maupin's serialised novel Tales of the City. As a group most felt it was a easy read, enjoyable but didn't have a lot of depth. Not a lot happens in the book. It is more a humorist look at life. Jane compared it to Seinfeld... A book about nothing. Lot's of interesting vignettes. We discussed the characters and the fact that a lot of the happenings are never referred to again or even explained. The book did include some food references but very few of our food items came from the book. Rory made the mushroom risotto that Domenica makes for Pat in the beginning. We had several yummy salads, chocolate dipped strawberries and cheesecake. I did a coffee tasting for the group in honor of the Big Lou's coffee bar.
As usual the conversation got of track by the end of the evening and we were entertained by Annette's story involving canned pork-and -beans and breast. (you had to be there.) A few of us are now wishing we were part of the Gustine Reunion planning committee just so we could witness the Olympic games.
Next month it is Lori's pick. She recommending The Help months ago and we finally decided to not wait for the paperback to arrive.
We have our next 3 books chosen so that folks can read up over the summer. We are skipping July due to the number of vacations and moving right to August. Jane is hosting the August meeting with a book that Linda actually recommended at the first gathering, the Forgotten Garden. Kitty is hosting the September choice. I'm not sure who to credit the recommendation to. It is the Story Sisters by Alice Hoffman. This is the book that brought Suzi, Jane and myself together over ice cream at Leatherbees and formed the idea of the Book club. Then in October is Suzi's choice of The Graveyard book.
I can't wait for the food from The Help. Good ole Southern fare.
Read on
Beth
Wednesday
May, 2010
Our book for the month of May is 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith, the beloved author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and many more novels. Check out his website for up to date information.
http://www.randomhouse.com/features/mccallsmith/main.php
Sunday
March 27, 2010
the Little Giant of Aberdeen County
by Tiffany Baker
"...the kind of book you find yourself stealing time from workday chores to read."
USA Today
"Baker enters Alice Hoffman territory in this parable about beauty and ugliness, meanness and mercy and magic...."
The Hartford Courant
"This fun, folkloric story is part Ugly Duckling, part Tim Burton's Big Fish...For anyone looking to vanquish the cruel realities of the real world, this one's for you."
Marie Claire Magazine
Tiffany Baker website to read about the author
http://www.tiffanybaker.com/news.html
by Tiffany Baker
Book group selection for April
"...the kind of book you find yourself stealing time from workday chores to read."
USA Today
"Baker enters Alice Hoffman territory in this parable about beauty and ugliness, meanness and mercy and magic...."
The Hartford Courant
"This fun, folkloric story is part Ugly Duckling, part Tim Burton's Big Fish...For anyone looking to vanquish the cruel realities of the real world, this one's for you."
Marie Claire Magazine
Tiffany Baker website to read about the author
http://www.tiffanybaker.com/news.html
March, 2010
by Dennis Lehane
Book club choice for March
check out website link for more info
http://www.dennislehanebooks.com/books/givenday/index.html
Wednesday
February Book Club choice
The House at Sugar Beach-in search of a lost African Childhood
by Helene Cooper
Check out the video link and hear the author talk about the
book in her own words.
http://www.simonandschuster.com/multimedia?video=27812683001
by Helene Cooper
Check out the video link and hear the author talk about the
book in her own words.
http://www.simonandschuster.com/multimedia?video=27812683001
Sunday
January meeting
What a wild meeting we had! First off, sorry for not posting a review of the last couple of meetings. The holidays got the better of me. I just couldn't keep up. I'll try to do better this year. 
We met on Friday January 29th at Suzi's house to discuss The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield . Everyone loved the book. But we had some strong opinions on what happened, what it meant and what the author didn't say. We were split on liking Hester, we were split on liking Margaret, we were split on which twin was saved. There were strong opinions on the time period and what hints the author gave to re-inforce those beliefs. Almost everyone got the location immediately.... but a few of us, ok me, were a little slow in picking up those references. The twist at the end surprised everyone. This book generated a lot of great conversation. (On a side note, I have decided to cast my own group of characters for the movie version. I still believe that John the dig should be a Non-white man!) 
The author did such a wonderful job of creating a mood for this book. She made it a little more difficult for us with the food. The main characters hardly ate. There was mention of soup and salad and cake. Not much else. But we ended up with several tasty salads, soups, chili, angel biscuits, cake, cookies and of course hot chocolate. We ended the meeting with a book exchange which helped some folks clean off their bookcases and make room for the new selections. Overall a fun night with Betsy declaring that she will wear depends next time. I'm so happy we've all made this group successful. See you at the end of February.
Beth
Monday
December Holidays on Ice, 2009
Yummy soup, Holiday cookies and candy, the Christmas pickle, wine and oh yes a book or two...what a great way to wrap up 2009.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)