February Book/Movie Selections

February is movie tie-in month and these selections come to us from Julie C.




P.S. I Love You, by Cecelia Ahern

Holly couldn't live without her husband Gerry, until the day she had to. They were the kind of young couple who could finish eachothers' sentences. When Gerry succumbs to a terminal illness and dies, 30 year-old Holly is set adrift, unable to pick up the pieces. But with the help of a series of letters her husband left her before he died and a little nudging from an eccentric assortment of family and friends, she learns to laugh, covercome her fears, and discover a world she never knew existed. The kind of enchanting novel with cross generational appeal that comes along once in a great while, P.S. I Love You is a captivating love letter to the world.

Book - 512 pgs, Pub. 12/04
Movie - Rated PG-13, 2007












The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher And 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves And the World Around Them, by Erin Gruwell

Shocked by the teenage violence she witnessed during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, Erin Gruwell became a teacher at a high school rampant with hostility and racial intolerance. For many of these students, whose ranks included substance abusers, gang members, the homeless, and victims of abuse, Gruwell was the first person to treat them wiht dignity, to believe in their potential and help them see it themselves. Soon, their loyalty towards their teacher and burning enthusiasm to help end violence and intolerance became a force of it's own. Inspired by reading The Diary of Anne Frank and meeting Zlata Filipovic (the 11 year-old girl who srote of her life in Sarajevo during the civil war), the students began a join diary of their inner-city upbringings. Told through anonymous entries to protect their identities and allow for complete candor, The Freedom Writers Diaries is filled with astounding vignettes from 150 students who, like civil rights activist Rosa Parks and The Freedom Riders, heard society tell them where to go - and refused to listen.

Book - 320 pgs. Pub. 12/06
Movie - Rated PG-13, 2007




Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck

First published in 1939, The Grapes of Wrath is a landmark of American literature. This Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of The Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm homestead by the "land companies" and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. A portrait of conflict between the powerful and the powerless, the novel captures teh horrors of the Drepression and probes the very nature of equality in America.

Book - 464 pgs. Pub. 1939
Movie - Not Rated - 1940


You can vote on the poll at the right ----->. You have until January 6th to cast your vote!

The Christmas Sweater

We had a small, intimate group meet last night at Lori N.'s house for dessert and discussion of the book The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck. As an added bonus we got to chat with Cindy N. on the phone!

This was a little different that our typical Christmas themed books as it had more meat to it and make you think about things more. Our average rating was 7.4 and our descriptive words were:

Moving
Delightful
Warming
Redemptive
Parable
Frustrating
Heartbreaking
Wholesome

January Selection - VOTE NOW!

These war/missionary themed selections come to us from Betty Jo...

The Zookeeper's Wife, by Diane Ackerman

The New York Times bestseller: a true story in which the keepers of the Warsaw zoo saved hundreds of people from Nazi hands.

Paperback, Publication date 9/08, 368 pages

Chameleon Days: An American Boyhood in Ethiopia, by Tim Bascom

At the age of three, in 1964, Tim Bascom is thrust into a world of eucalyptus trees and stampeding baboons when his family moves from the Midwest to Ethiopia. Unflinchingly observant, young Tim reveals his missionary parents' struggles in a sometimes hostile country. Sent reluctantly to boarding school in the capital, Bascom finds that beyond the gates enclosing that peculiar, isolated world, conflict roils Ethiopian society; as he grows older, the secret riot drills at school create in him a mounting unease. While visiting his parents' home, where another missionary family has fled after an attack by rampaging students, Tim witnesses the disintegration of his family's African idyll as Haile Selassie's empire begins to crumble. Like Alexandra Fuller's Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, Chameleon Days chronicles social upheaval through the keen yet naive eyes of a child. Bascom offers readers a fascinating glimpse of missionary life, much as Barbara Kingsolver did in The Poisonwood Bible.

Paperpack, Publication date 6/06, 256 pages

In the Presence of My Enemies, by Gracia Burnham

Soon after September 11, the news media stepped up its coverage of Martin and Gracia Burnham, the missionary couple held hostage in the Philippine jungle by terrorists with ties to Osama bin Laden. After a year of captivity and a violent rescue that resulted in Martin's death, the world watched Gracia Burnham return home in June 2002.
In this riveting personal account, Burnham tells for the very first time the real story behind the news--about their harrowing ordeal, about how it affected their relationship with each other and with God, about the terrorists who held them, about the actions of the U.S. and Philippine governments, and about how they were affected by the prayers of thousands of Christians throughout the world.

Paperback, Publication date 3/04, 368 pages

You have until November 30th to vote!

In the meantime, be reading our December book The Christmas Sweater, by Glenn Beck!

November Meeting

We had a nice, big crowd meet at Cindy P.'s house for dinner last Thursday for a southern comfort food themed dinner. I must say, we have some fabulous cooks! What a spread! Thanks to everyone for making such a wonderful dinner.

We did get around to discussing the book, The Help, by Kathryn Stockett (and there was a lot to discuss!). This is the highest rated book that I can remember, coming in with an average of 8.8. Our descriptive words were:

Moving
Embarrassing
Powerful
Cultural
Sassy
Invigorating
Revealing
Layered
Insightful
Thought-provoking
Intriguing
Impactful
Stereotypical

Southern Food Dinner

We'll be meeting on Thursday, November 19th at 7:00pm at Cindy P's house. You should have received an email with RSVP instructions. If not, please post a comment to let me know.

The book we'll be discussing is The Help by Kathryn Stockett and because it takes place in the south, our dinner theme is Southern Comfort Food. You can make something from the book, something you've always loved, or try out a new recipe. Here's a few links to help you look for recipes...

www.pauladean.com
www.southernfood.about.com
www.olsouthrecipes.com
www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com

Guidelines

Your book club committee met to discuss some of the concerns going on and we thought it would be a good idea to bring back the "Guidelines" that were in place (with some updates) once upon a time. Following these guidelines will help to keep our meetings on track and allow us to have more fun together. Here they are:

• Be considerate and respectful during discussions. Debate and disagreement is normal (after all, we're not all going to like every book every month), but we need to be tactful and mindful of others feelings.
• You should have read the book in order to participate in the discussion. You're welcome to attend the meeting and connect with friends if you haven't read the book, but during the discussion, you are an observer, not a participant.
• Please don't monopolize the discussion. Give everyone a chance to speak.
• It helps to come prepared to the meeting with a question about the book in mind.
• Invite friends!! This book club is not affiliated with any group or church. Everyone is welcome.

December Book Selections!

These Christmas themed books come from Tami...

The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck

We weren't wealthy, we weren't poor -- we just were. We never wanted for anything, except maybe more time together....When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder -- and money tighter -- since his father died and the family bakery closed...Eddie dreamed that some how his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning. What he got from her instead was a sweater. "A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater" that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room. Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life's most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie's dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family -- and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell -- to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart. Based on a deeply personal true story,The Christmas Sweater is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives -- while also making us question if we really know what's most important in them.

Hardcover, Publication Date 11/2008, 284 pages

The Last Noel by Michael Malone

Noni, a white woman, and Kaye, an African-American man, are born on Christmas Day, 1955. Just before their eighth birthday, they meet. On 12 different Christmas Days, we watch them as they reunite. Like a ballet duet, their comings and goings draw our attention and sympathy.

Paperback, Publication Date 11/2002, 304 pages

The Christmas Clock, by Kat Martin

Sylvia Winters just found a job and an apartment in her hometown of Dreyerville, Michigan, but she is hesitant to return. Eight years ago, she jilted her fiancé, Joe Dixon, telling him that she was moving to Chicago because small-town living was not for her. But she was lying. Syl was headed to Chicago to be treated for cervical cancer. Sadly, Joe never knew the real reason she left him. Confused and distraught, he turned to drinking to heal the pain, until he accidentally killed a man and served years in jail. Now Syl and Joe are both back in town, but it will take a miracle to bring them back into each other’s arms.Also in town is Lottie Sparks and her grandson, Teddy. Ever since Lottie’s daughter was killed in a drunk-driving accident, Lottie’s been in charge of Teddy. He appreciates her love more than she knows, so much so that the industrious eight-year-old hits up Joe’s auto body shop, so he can save enough money by Christmas to buy his grandmother a Victorian clock she adores—one that vividly reminds her of her childhood, even as the rest of her memories are slipping away with the onset of advanced Alzheimer’s.As spring turns to summer and summer to fall, matters in the Sparks’ household take a turn for the worse. And with winter approaching, will a little hope and a big dose of Christmas magic be enough to make everything all right again?

Hardcover, Publication Date 10/2009, 160 pages

I've recently added a few links to the right that may be useful in your decision making. You can use the library link to check on how many copies are available in the system, how long the hold list is, and place a hold for yourself. There are also links to online bookstores selling both new and used books, both at reduced prices. If you choose to purchase a book, consider going in on it with another book club friend.

Comments welcome! Remember you can use the comments section of this blog to help each other. If you find a good price on the book somewhere... post it! If you discover that the hold list is 100 people long... post it! The more information we have about the books, the better choice we will make in our selection.

You have through October 23rd to vote!

The Time Traveler's Wife

Several ladies met at Betty Jo's to discuss The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Well, it was an interesting discussion, and many didn't exactly enjoy the book, given some of the language. But it's about connecting after all. Speaking of which...

Let's see, our purpose says "The 3rd Thursday Book Club was started to connect women of all ages, to stir emotion, to generate friendships and eat really good food."

Connect women of all ages - Check
Stir emotion - Double Check
Generate Friendships - Check (We have seen some new faces lately.)
Eat Really Good Food - Check! (Thanks Betty Jo!)

The descriptive words were:
Twisted
Disgusting
Bizarre
Interesting
Cynical
Creative
Confusing
Chaotic

And the average rating was 4.1

October meeting

We'll be meeting for dessert at Betty Jo's place this Thursday, October 15th at 7:00pm. The book we'll be discussing is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

If you need Betty Jo's address or directions, please email me.

November Book Selections

These are the book selections for the month of November, submitted by Katy M. You can vote for your favorite on the poll to the right ----->


Crazy for God, by Frank Schaeffer

By the time he was nineteen, Frank Schaeffer’s parents, Francis and Edith Schaeffer, had achieved global fame as bestselling evangelical authors and speakers, and Frank had joined his father on the evangelical circuit. He would go on to speak before thousands in arenas around America, publish his own evangelical bestseller, and work with such figures as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Dr. James Dobson.

But all the while Schaeffer felt increasingly alienated, precipitating a crisis of faith that would ultimately lead to his departure—even if it meant losing everything.

With honesty, empathy, and humor, Schaeffer delivers “a brave and important book” (Andre Dubus III, author of House of Sand and Fog)—both a fascinating insider’s look at the American evangelical movement and a deeply affecting personal odyssey of faith.


The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step in Kathryn Stockett's New York Times bestselling debut, The Help . . .Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss. She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger. Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child. Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way. She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi. She can look like nobody's business, but she can't mind her tongue, so she's lost yet another job. Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation. But her new boss has secrets of her own.

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk. And why? Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times. And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women - mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends - view one another. A deeply moving book filled with poignancy, humour, and hope, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don't.


A Painted House, by John Grisham

Until that September of 1952, Luke Chandler had never kept a secret or told a single lie. But in the long, hot summer of his seventh year, two groups of migrant workers -- and two very dangerous men -- came through the Arkansas Delta to work the Chandler cotton farm. And suddenly mysteries are flooding Luke's world.

A brutal murder leaves the town seething in gossip and suspicion. A beautiful young woman ignites forbidden passions. A fatherless baby is born ... and someone has begun furtively painting the bare clapboards of the Chandler farmhouse, slowly, painstakingly, bathing the run-down structure in gleaming white. And as young Luke watches the world around him, he unravels secrets that could shatter lives -- and change his family and his town forever....


Remember, the book to be reading for October is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

The Memory Keepers Daughter

We met at Katy M.'s house last night to discuss the book The Memory Keeper's Daughter. We had a great time visiting and eating, and even got around to the book! The subject matter of the book was a bit disturbing, but we had a good conversation about it nonetheless. Our average rating was 5.7 and our descriptive words were:

Interesting
Appalling
Depressing
Wanting
Puzzling
Evasive
Hopeless
Tragic
Difficult

Meeting Thursday 9/17/09

Don't forget, we're meeting to discuss The Memory Keeper's Daughter this Thursday at Katy M.'s house at 7:00pm. Call or e-mail me if you need directions.

The winning book for October is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger.

Happy Reading!!

October Book Selection - VOTE NOW!

These are our book selections (provided by Wendy L.) for the month of October. You'll have until Monday, August 31st to vote for the book of your choice. I'll follow up with an email to announce the winner.

Sisters, Ink by Rebeca Seitz

(Please ignore the "Click to look inside"... it's not gonna happen.)

Home. A grown woman should know where that is, right? So why is attorney Tandy Sinclair so confused? Is home in Orlando, with her dream job and the only "man" in her life, a Basset hound? Or is it in sleepy Stars Hill, Tennessee, with Daddy, Momma's grave, and three crazy, lovable sisters? Forced into a leave of absence from her job, Tandy heads for Tennessee to find answers. But Stars Hill isn't as sleepy as she remembers. Daddy's got a new "friend", and the sisters have more going on than she ever imagined. And the high school flame she thought was off playing soldier? Think again. Now Tandy's more confused than ever and facing some hard decisions. Decisions that will lead her to a true understanding of home - and what it means to live a dream.

Always Looking Up, by Michael J. Fox

"The last ten years, which is really the stuff of this book, began with such a loss: my retirement from Spin City. I found myself struggling with a strange new dynamic: the shifting of public and private personas. I had been Mike the actor, then Mike the actor with PD. Now was I just Mike with PD? Parkinson's had consumed my career and, in a sense, had become my career. But where did all of this leave Me? I had to build a new life when I was already pretty happy with the old one.."

Always Looking Up is a memoir of this last decade, told through the critical themes of Michael's life: work, politics, faith, and family. The book is a journey of self-discovery and reinvention, and a testament to the consolations that protect him from the ravages of Parkinson's. With the humor and wit that captivated fans of his first book, Lucky Man, Michael describes how he became a happier, more satisfied person by recognizing the gifts of everyday life.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

A most untraditional love story, this is the celebrated tale of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who involuntarily travels through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate affair endures across a sea of time and captures them in an impossibly romantic trap that tests the strength of fate and basks in the bonds of love.

Remember, this vote is for the month of October so you have plenty of time to find the book. You have one week, until Monday, August 31st to vote. Until then, you should be reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards, which is our book for September.

August "Picking Party"

It's a new bookclub year and we're tryin' out some new ideas. We met last night for our annual "picking party", although it wasn't just books we were picking. Instead we were picking months. Let me explain.... people got to volunteer (or not) to be responsible for book selections for a given month. Here's how it works:

1. Two months prior to the month you signed up for, you select three books that seem of interest to you. You have total freedom in your book selection... it's your month. You can choose books from one specific genre of your choice OR three books in totally different genres. You can pick books that you've read or simply ones that you've been wanting to.
2. I post the books on the blog, along with a brief synopsis and picture.
3. Everyone gets a week to vote.
4. Two months later, we meet and talk about the book.

This is an opportunity for those that would like a say in the book selection, to guarantee to have one. It also gives us a chance to read more current books, if that's what we're interested in... the votes will speak for themselves!

Any questions? Pose it in the comments section... you're probably not the only one confused!

Stay tuned... I'll be posting October's book selections up for vote this weekend!

Firefly Lane

We had a nice size group meet at Victoria's Italian Restaurant in Green Bay on Thursday. The size of the book (479 pages) seemed to scare a few people, but once you got into it, it really was a fast read. The questions provided in the back of the book helped (a little) to keep us on topic, but it seems to always get away from us, especially when you add dinner. Good food, a good book, and good friends... what more can you ask for?

Our average rating was 7.8 and the descriptive words were...

Reminiscent
Captivating
Memorable
Engaging
Fluffy

Exciting changes

We thought we might mix some things up for bookclub next year and one of the changes we've been talking about is having a vote on the blog for our monthly book selection. This would allow us to have more current books on our reading list. We thought we'd test it out with our July selection. Here are your choices...

The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

The letters comprising this small charming novel begin in 1946, when single, 30-something author Juliet Ashton (nom de plume Izzy Bickerstaff) writes to her publisher to say she is tired of covering the sunny side of war and its aftermath. When Guernsey farmer Dawsey Adams finds Juliet's name in a used book and invites articulate—and not-so-articulate—neighbors to write Juliet with their stories, the book's epistolary circle widens, putting Juliet back in the path of war stories. The occasionally contrived letters jump from incident to incident—including the formation of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society while Guernsey was under German occupation—and person to person in a manner that feels disjointed. But Juliet's quips are so clever, the Guernsey inhabitants so enchanting and the small acts of heroism so vivid and moving that one forgives the authors (Shaffer died earlier this year) for not being able to settle on a single person or plot. Juliet finds in the letters not just inspiration for her next work, but also for her life—as will readers.

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
In the turbulent summer of 1974, Kate Mularkey has accepted her place at the bottom of the eighth-grade social food chain. Then, to her amazement, the "coolest girl in the world" moves in across the street and wants to be her friend. Tully Hart seems to have it all - beauty, brains, ambition. On the surface they are as opposite as two people can be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret that is destroying her. They make a pact to be best friends forever; by summer's end they've become TullyandKate. Inseparable.
So begins Kristin Hannah's magnificent new novel. Spanning more than three decades and playing out across the ever-changing face of the Pacific Northwest, Firefly Lane is the poignant, powerful story of two women and the friendship that becomes the bulkhead of their lives.
For thirty years, Tully and Kate buoy each other through life, weathering the storms of friendship - jealousy, anger, hurt, resentment. They think they've survived it all until a single act of betrayal tears them apart... and puts their courage and friendship to the ultimate test.

Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore
A dangerous, homeless drifter who grew up picking cotton in virtual slavery.
An upscale art dealer accustomed to the world of Armani and Chanel.
A gutsy woman with a stubborn dream.
A story so incredible no novelist would dare dream it.
It begins outside a burning plantation hut in Louisiana . . . and an East Texas honky-tonk . . . and, without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda . . . an upscale New York gallery . . . a downtown dumpster . . . a Texas ranch.
Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, this true story also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love.

Cast your vote in the poll to the right!!

Murder Passes the Buck

Last Thursday, an intimate group of seven met at The Ladder House for book club. We discussed (among other things) the book, Murder Passes the Buck by Deb Baker. Everyone seemed to get a good laugh from the book (at least those that read it). As always, it was just great to get together, share, eat dinner, and have a great time. OH!!! And our waitress was so excited about women meeting and having a book club that she didn't charge anyone for drinks!! (Okay, so maaaybe she just wanted a bigger tip.)

Our average rating was 6.4 and our descriptive words were...

hoot

engaging

surprising

finally silly

fun

And we got the waitress to take our picture so we're all included!

The Color Of Water May 2009

We had a very special guest at book club this month. Since it was my last physical book club (conference call next time!! :)), the girls invited Blackie and brought presents!! :) Thank you all of you girls. You are all very special chicks and I love you!! :)







We had a hard time staying focused on the discussion of the book (what else is new). Teri had some questions that she found online. We all enjoyed the book and it opened our eyes to the struggles of a mixed race family, what a mom is capable of and how family dynamics can either really make you or really mess you up.

Our average rating was 7.69 and our descriptive words were.....
Easy Read
Fascinating
Compelling
Encouraging
Confusing
Harrowing
Enlightening
Captivating

The next book discussion will be at the Ladderhouse on June 18, 2009. The book is a mystery called Murder Passes the Buck by Deb Baker. Here's a little tidbit to get you excited....
***************
Gertie Johnson may be outspoken, distrustful of banks, and a quick draw with the pepper spray, but she hasn't lost her marbles. Her son Blaze, the sheriff in a backwoods community of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is petitioning to become her legal guardian, but Gertie, a sassy sixty-six-year-old widow with a taste for detective work, has got bigger fish to fry: solving the murder of Chester Lampi who was shot dead in his deer blind. Blaze-who's more interested in retiring than investigating-rules Chester's death as a hunting accident. So, Gertie takes on the case with help from her friends, man-hungry Cora Mae and pin-curled Kitty. Interrogating neighbors, spying, impersonating the FBI . . . the stubborn, spunky grandmother won't give up the chase even when the killer takes aim at her.

National Day of Prayer

Mary, Tami, Wendy and I attended the National Day of Prayer conference in Green Bay on May 7, 2009. The speaker was Immaculee Ilibagiza who wrote Left to Tell, her story of surviving the Rwandan genocide. We had lunch and listened to her retell her story of surviving through prayer. What an amazing lady.

Truck Love

Mary and Tami had the incredible pleasure of hearing, seeing and talking to Michael Perry. Mary says he's charming. He does, in fact, look better in real life. :) Glad you chicks had fun and thanks for sharing your wonderful picture. :)

April 2009 - The Shack

It was a lively bunch, as usual, to discuss The Shack by William P. Young at Ann's house. We enjoyed good discussion, raspberry brownie dessert and laughing!

Everyone liked the book. We discussed the religious aspects, the mom/parent subjects, info about the author. Most of us agreed that some of the book was hard to get through because he intimately described some disturbing topics. But I think we all agree that it was hard to put down.


Here is our average rating and our descriptive words...

9.3 is our average rating

Intimate
Transforming
Satisfying
Stretching
Emotional
Healing
Comforting
Provocative
Intriguing
Challenging
Relational
Imaginative

Our next book is The Color Of Water by James McBride. Our discussion will be on 5-21-09 at Teri H's house for a dessert. Here is a little tidbit of the book to get you excited...


James McBride grew up one of twelve siblings in the all-black housing projects of Red Hook, Brooklyn, the son of a black minister and a woman who would not admit she was white. The object of McBride's constant embarrassment, and his continuous fear for her safety, his mother was an inspiring figure, who through sheer force of will saw her dozen children through college, and many through graduate school. McBride was an adult before he discovered the truth about his mother: the daughter of a failed itinerant Orthodox rabbi in rural Virginia, she had run away to Harlem, married a black man, and founded an all-black Baptist church in her living room in Red Hook. In this remarkable memoir, she tells in her own words the story of her past. Around her narrative, James McBride has written a powerful portrait of growing up, a meditation on race and identity, and a poignant, beautifully crafted hymn from a son to his mother.

Feb and March....2 posts in one! :)

I'm sorry, girls. I've been a total slacker! Here it is, March, and I'm just getting around to updating the blog since January! urgh.

Anyway, here's the latest book club news.

Our February book, A Thousand Splendid Suns was discussed over dinner at Cindy N's house. We had Afghan food and it was delicious. Most of us liked the book. There was discussion about the sadness of what the ladies in the book went through and how it goes on today in many places. We discussed the little pieces of happiness they encountered. We did, however, forget to rate the book and give our descriptive words.





Our March book, Truck: A Love Story was discussed over dinner at Holly's house. It was a last minute change of locations and I have to say, Holly stepped it up! Her table was adorable with flowers, seeds and even a little truck! We brought "Wisconsin" foods. Yes, there were brats (the sausage kind, not the icky little kid kind)!







The book got an average rating of 8.06 and our descriptive words were Cathartic, Charming, a Rictus Dither, Delightful, Organic, Amusing, Intriguing, Simple and Seedy. It was a fun and delicious night.









Our next book is The Shack by William P. Young. Our discussion will be a dessert hosted by Ann. Here's a teaser of the book for you!

Mackenzie Allen Philips' youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on a wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. In a world where religion seems to grow increasingly irrelevant "The Shack" wrestles with the timeless question, "Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain?" The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him. You'll want everyone you know to read this book!

January 2009 Under the Overpass

We blazed through the extreme cold weather to meet at Wendy's house to discuss Under the Overpass by Mike Yankowski. We discussed homelessness, how mental illness plays a big part, what we can do to help and also asked What Would Jesus Do about issues we go through in our lives today. As usual, we strayed off the discussion a few times, but all in all, we stuck to the book. I admit, I didn't read the book but that didn't keep me from sharing my opinion or ideas on different issues. We also enjoyed a super yummy dessert Wendy made. It's always fun to get together with the chicks!

Here is how we rated the book and the words we used to describe it....

7.67 was how we rated it.
Unsettling
Thought-provoking
Semi-intriguing
Gutsy
Readable and Eye-opening
Mind Challenging

Our book for February is A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Grab a copy and plan for a fun night discussing it during dinner at Cindy N's house on Feb. 19.