June/July 2017 Book choice

Our first summer read was a historic foodie book Thomas Jefferson's Creme Brulee by Thomas J. Craughwell 

Here is a brief overview by Goodreads:

This culinary biography recounts the 1784 deal that Thomas Jefferson struck with his slaves, James Hemings. The founding father was traveling to Paris and wanted to bring James along “for a particular purpose”— to master the art of French cooking. In exchange for James’s cooperation, Jefferson would grant his freedom. 

Thus began one of the strangest partnerships in United States history. As Hemings apprenticed under master French chefs, Jefferson studied the cultivation of French crops (especially grapes for winemaking) so the might be replicated in American agriculture. The two men returned home with such marvels as pasta, French fries, Champagne, macaroni and cheese, crème brûlée, and a host of other treats. This narrative history tells the story of their remarkable adventure—and even includes a few of their favorite recipes! 


Sally hosted the dinner party 

May 2017 Book Choice

Our May 2017 book choice was The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer
Here is part of the 2015 book review from the Guardian writer Celeste Ng 

Kate Hamer’s debut novel has the trappings of a thriller. Sensitive eight-year-old Carmel –the red-coated girl of the title – is spirited away by a man who claims to be her estranged grandfather. As Beth, her mother, desperately searches for her, Carmel realises that her kidnapper has not taken her at random: he believes she has a special gift. Told in the alternating perspectives of the grieving mother and the missing daughter, it keeps the reader turning pages at a frantic clip.
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It’s no accident that the title calls to mind Little Red Riding Hood, the ultimate story of a young girl captured by a predator. Carmel is abducted from a storytelling festival, and both she and her mother make frequent reference to the fairytale nature of what’s happened. Beth wishes she’d kept her daughter “shut away in a fortress or a tower. Locked with a golden key that I would swallow.” Spotting her shadow on the wall beside her captor’s, Carmel muses: “We both look like the paper puppets … and I wonder what story we’d be telling if we were.” She steels herself by thinking: “Sometimes, it’s easier to think of things as stories … If I made these things into stories I could float away from them, and look at them sideways, or like they were happening inside a snow globe.”

Jeannie hosted the dinner party 

September 2015 Book Club dinner

Our September book choice was Ghost Boy by Martin Pistorius an autobiographical account of his childhood illness and the misdiagnosis. Here is a part of the book review  

"In January 1988 Martin Pistorius, aged twelve, fell inexplicably sick. First he lost his voice and stopped eating. Then he slept constantly and shunned human contact. Doctors were mystified. Within eighteen months he was mute and wheelchair-bound. Martin's parents were told an unknown degenerative disease left him with the mind of a baby and less than two years to live.

Martin was moved to care centers for severely disabled children. The stress and heartache shook his

parents’ marriage and their family to the core. Their boy was gone. Or so they thought.

Ghost Boy is the heart-wrenching story of one boy’s return to life through the power of love and faith. In these pages, readers see a parent’s resilience, the consequences of misdiagnosis, abuse at the hands of cruel caretakers, and the unthinkable duration of Martin’s mental alertness betrayed by his lifeless body."

Seattle Beehive Trip and Book Group Dinner

July Book Dinner 2015

Our July book group dinner was hosted by Lori at her lovely home, where we enjoyed a round table discussion, lots of great food choices and Lori provided maps and support text, making this a very educational and lively gathering.

June 2015 Book Dinner

Simone hosted the first book group meeting for the summer of 2015 in her charming Cottage Garden.
We had a San Francisco inspired feast and lots of great discussions. The night was still but the group was sparking. I went home and watched the classic Bogart movie of the book and found it to be very true to the text.

Book Club Dinner

Deborah hosted our early spring book club dinner at her classic high water Victorian. Lots of lively conversation and tasty foods, the group was small but the spirit was big!

February March Book Club Dinner

Molly hosted our March gathering at her lovely villa, with lots of spice and candle light to ward away the rain. We all admitted to knowing very little about this president and or the situation that lead to his death. Lots of history twists and turns, plus great food and fellowship.

January Book Club Dinner 2015

Jane hosted the first meeting of the New Year at her arty Elmhurst cottage. Interesting discussion on the lessons of life and the choices we make based on love, survival, lust and security . Lots of meaty food choices, sweets and belly laughs.

End of year cookie exchange and book dinner 2014

And another year comes to a close. We have read some great books this year, traveling around the world and through time. Our end of the year book is The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. Suzi hosted the dinner in her charming holiday decorated cottage, with comfortable chairs, pillows and books galore! Lots of interesting discussions on what you would would do if you could relive your life, what choices would you make, how would you do things different and why? The discussion was lively, the soups/salads were delicious and the treats oh so yummy. It was a most gay and delightful way to say farewell to 2014 and welcome in the new year and new reading.

I am Malala Book Club Dinner

Friday November 7, Kitty hosted our book club dinner in modern cottage complete with outdoor seating and indoor lounging. Malala seems to be everywhere right now and this book provided a lot of in sight into who this young girl is and where she came from. The book opens and closes with the shooting and takes you on the journey of survival, rehabilitation, recovery and rebirth. We talked about the story from the parent's point of view too, which was a very interesting discussion. It was different to read a book that is so very current.

Completely unrelated to the book Rory brought a crazy yummy pie from Apple Hill!

And the Mountains Echoed September Book Dinner

Our September book club dinner was held at Molly's elegant abode with lots of delicious treats both savory and sweet. This book allowed for a lot of discussion regarding how our lives connect and influence each other-stories building on stories. People had favorite characters and characters that they found to be just awful. Interesting twists and turns. The structure of the book almost reads like a series of short stories but they we all connected in global setting.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life Death and hope in Mumbai Undercity

We had a lovely evening at the Hasting household at the end of August to discuss Behind the Beautiful Forever's.  Several members of the group were absent due to vacations and other summer activities so we were a bit of a small group.  But a lively discussion was had.  We ate dinner out back until we  heard the  spray planes and headed inside for cover.   We discussed the characters of this non-fiction book and how unbelievable their living conditions were.  Some of us found the book a bit depressing but some found it inspiring that people can survive anywhere.  The day to day survival of these people was more then most of us could even imagine- living in trash, seeing dead bodies and people lighting themselves on fire.  Everyone agreed it was well written and read like fiction. Like all good books, we were introduced to new places and new experiences. 

The food was a mix of Indian cuisine, vegetables , rice, salad and a dump cake (they lived in a dump) plus an interesting after- dinner tea.  Overall a good read, great food  and a good gathering.

Next month we are reading And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini.  The meeting will be at Molly's house on September 26th. 

June 2014 Bookclub Dinner

A cooling Delta breeze created the visitors as the arrived to celebrate the May June book choice "Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore" at Michele's home of loveliness. It was a small but lively group with a variety of Google inspired salads and NYC vs SanFran. dishes as well as sourdough bread and the classic Rice a Roni . What do you read "on" an electronic devise or an actual printed book? Is one better than the other? What is the future of bookstores? These and many other questions were discussed. Also we are setting our plans for the next 5 selections taking us into 2015!