Best Book Club Week Ever!

One week in November, it so happened that every book club I belong to (in town, anyway) met.   Usually they don't all meet during the same week, but because of Thanksgiving and maybe because I paid attention this year, all this  below happened in one week.  

November had a lot of people missing from certain book clubs, so while you can't see all my bookish peeps, you can see a lot of them.  You might notice there is a face or two that cross over into other clubs, but I am the only constant, and while this might seem silly to you, this is my social life!  People I love and love to talk books with!

People I love and love to drink coffee and talk books with!

So,  here we go---my best Book club week ever!

Ignore my big selfie face 😚 (which takes place in most of the photos) but this is the start of my best week ever! 5...count 'em...FIVE book clubs in one week!  (I counted wrong---there were 6 if I included my bible study--so I did.  I mean, we read, right?!)

This is The CCB (Coffee Conversation and books!) Club.

Book Club #2 of my 5 book clubs in one week week! This is Totally Lit ( missing about half)

Marathon book club week continues for me. This is a book club number three… The library book club.

And Book Club number 4! The oldest club in Winnemucca! (and I mean out of all social clubs not just book clubs. In the good old days used to be written up in the newspaper… What book was talked about, what lunch was served, who wore what etc etc...lol) This is the Literary Guild. Now we just say literary lunch as ‘guild’ is so old-fashioned. Lovely ladies whom I get to have lunch with every month and talk books!

Most of them had/have no clue what I'm doing---blog? Instagram? what? -- but they indulge me anyway. 

Did I say this was a 5 book club week? I was wrong—it’s a six book club week if I count my 6am Bible study. And we just started a new book, so… I'm including it!

 I did it! 6 book clubs in 6 days! The last one deserved two pictures… Because we were laughing so hard and having so much book fun. These are the Lit Wits! (minus a whole bunch. If everyone comes there’s about 20 in the group). Best Book Week Ever for me!!

(also, I was trying to cover my cleavage--because, over 50, you know!  You don't really need to show that stuff, but sometimes I can't  help it. ~grins~ )

And that is my life in book clubs!

The Lost Recipe for Happiness

From Goodreads:

It’s the opportunity Elena Alvarez has been waiting for–the challenge of running her own kitchen in a world-class restaurant. Haunted by an accident of which she was the lone survivor, Elena knows better than anyone how to survive the odds. With her faithful dog, Alvin, and her grandmother’s recipes, Elena arrives in Colorado to find a restaurant in as desperate need of a fresh start as she is–and a man whose passionate approach to food and life rivals her own. Owner Julian Liswood is a name many people know but a man few do. He’s come to Aspen with a troubled teenage daughter and a dream of the kind of stability and love only a family can provide. But for Elena, old ghosts don’t die quietly, yet a chance to find happiness at last is worth the risk

From Me:

Read this one for bookclub. It was a good discussion book and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

I am all about a good foodie book, but at the same time, I didn't fall in love with these characters. (but that's about me, right?)   Elena was an especially complex character, as was Julian I guess.  Well, written, but I wanted to bond with them better.  I don't know why I didn't.

You and I know that sometimes 'the time' is just not right in our lives for 'the book'.  I think it was one of those times.

I loved everything about the book --  3 stars.

But I feel if I had picked it up during a different time, I would have given it 4 stars.

Noggin

From Goodreads:

Listen — Travis Coates was alive once and then he wasn’t.

Now he’s alive again.

Simple as that.

The in between part is still a little fuzzy, but he can tell you that, at some point or another, his head got chopped off and shoved into a freezer in Denver, Colorado. Five years later, it was reattached to some other guy’s body, and well, here he is. Despite all logic, he’s still 16 and everything and everyone around him has changed. That includes his bedroom, his parents, his best friend, and his girlfriend. Or maybe she’s not his girlfriend anymore? That’s a bit fuzzy too.

Looks like if the new Travis and the old Travis are ever going to find a way to exist together, then there are going to be a few more scars.

Oh well, you only live twice. 

From Me:

I thought it was a crazy premise and I balked at having to read it (it was a book club choice)--but, I ended up really liking it.  It was a great story, although  kind of crazy and totally unbelievable but a very touching 'coming of age' story.

Worth the read.

The Weight of Silence

From Goodreads:

“Two little girls are missing. Both are seven years old and have been missing for at least sixteen hours.”

Calli Clark is a dreamer. A sweet, gentle girl, Callie suffers from selective mutism, brought on by a tragedy she experienced as a toddler. Her mother Antonia tries her best
to help, but is trapped in a marriage to a violent husband.

Petra Gregory is Calli’s best friend, her soul mate and her voice. But neither Petra nor Calli have been heard
from since their disappearance was discovered.

Now Calli and Petra’s families are bound by the question of what has happened to their children. As support turns to suspicion, it seems the answers lie trapped in the silence of unspoken secrets.

From Me:

It's been a long time since I've read this one.  It was a book club choice for May.  So, while not really a review-- just keeping track of what I read---I know that I enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing with some good twists in the plot.

I would recommend if you like a mystery.  

It was one of those books that the more I think about the more I like.

Saturday Snapshot

 

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by

West Metro Mommy Reads!

 

To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken then leave a direct link to your post to West Metro Mommy Reads!   Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

 

 

I am kind of doing a BIG CHEAT today.  Well, not a cheat exactly, but catching up with something I should have done long ago. 

In December my Lit Wits book club had a fun gift exchange and I was going  to write about it ---way back in December.   Then I thought maybe January.

And now here  it is the middle of March.

I owe an apology to the Lit Wits for not getting these up in a timely manner.

So...  close your eyes and think back to the holidays to get yourself in the Christmas gift exchange mood...  well, I guess you can't keep them closed or you can't see these fun pics!

 

We had a great time at book club!!

After eating (this is a dinner book club) and discussing the book--The Rosie Project, we exchanged gifts.

We did a sock exchange and our gifts had to be put in the socks.

 

 

 

 

You know I LOVE these ladies  (girls, women---I'm not sure what I'm supposed to call them?  FRIENDS!) 

I find that a  lot of book bloggers have book club friends whom they love too!

So, enough about book club love...and just get on with my Saturday Snapshots.

 

 

 

 

I wasn't going to write any more words, BUT LOOK at Renee's cocktail bucket?  Holy Cow!!  She made them in bulk!!!

 

Cheers!

And Happy Reading!

Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights

 

From Goodreads:

From one of the greatest writers of our time: the most spellbinding, entertaining, wildly imaginative novel of his great career, which blends history and myth with tremendous philosophical depth. A masterful, mesmerizing modern tale about worlds dangerously colliding, the monsters that are unleashed when reason recedes, and a beautiful testament to the power of love and humanity in chaotic times.
Inspired by 2,000 years of storytelling yet rooted in the concerns of our present moment, this is a spectacular achievement--enchanting, both very funny and terrifying. It is narrated by our descendants 1000 years hence, looking back on "The War of the Worlds" that began with "the time of the strangenesses": a simple gardener begins to levitate; a baby is born with the unnerving ability to detect corruption in people; the ghosts of two long-dead philosophers begin arguing once more; and storms pummel New York so hard that a crack appears in the universe, letting in the destructive djinns of myth (as well as some graphic superheroes). Nothing less than the survival of our world is at stake. Only one, a djinn princess who centuries before had learned to love humankind, resolves to help us: in the face of dynastic intrigue, she raises an army composed of her semi-magical great-great--etc.--grandchildren--a motley crew of endearing characters who come together to save the world in a battle waged for 1,001 nights--or, to be precise, two years, eight months and twenty-eight nights.

 

 

From Me:

This book was not the book for me.

1 star.

 

I might not have loved the book, but I do love the girls I discussed it with.

The Lit Wits!

(7 out of 22.  Sometimes it's like that)

Keep Quiet with the Lit Wits

 

 

 

 

From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award winning author Lisa Scottoline is loved by millions of readers for her suspenseful novels about family and justice. Scottoline delivers once again with Keep Quiet, an emotionally gripping and complex story about one man's split-second decision to protect his son - and the devastating consequences that follow.
Jake Buckman's relationship with his sixteen-year-old son Ryan is not an easy one, so at the urging of his loving wife, Pam, Jake goes alone to pick up Ryan at their suburban movie theater. On the way home, Ryan asks to drive on a deserted road, and Jake sees it as a chance to make a connection. However, what starts as a father-son bonding opportunity instantly turns into a nightmare. Tragedy strikes, and with Ryan's entire future hanging in the balance, Jake is forced to make a split-second decision that plunges them both into a world of guilt and lies. Without ever meaning to, Jake and Ryan find themselves living under the crushing weight of their secret, which threatens to tear their family to shreds and ruin them all.
Powerful and dramatic, Keep Quiet will have readers and book clubs debating what it means to be a parent and how far you can, and should, go to protect those you love.

 

From Me:

I listened to this one on audio and I'm giving it 4 stars.  I think if I had read it in print, it would get a 3.8.

It's a recommended book either way.

We read this at our Lit Wits book club in August, and  it was a great one for discussion.

Right or wrong---decisions you make in a split second---how far would you go to protect your child.

These were the topics we discussed.

There was  little bit of predictability, but I never saw the end coming.  Some of my book club peeps did tho.

 

One thing about Lisa Scottoline,  she always has some hot topics (themes) in her books.  Gives one lots to think about and  to talk about.

**********************

 

It was a nice evening to talk books!

Book club evenings are my favorite!

 

 

 

As always, Shauna has the official drink--usually book related.

 

This one was a Dirty Girl!

It tasted like dessert.

 



Last month we met at Trudy's.

She put up some nice décor...

At first, we thought she was inviting us to Li Wits Hell!

But then figured out that was an O not a period.

( which made us very happy, as Trudy is a wonderful hostess and hell is not what we were expecting)

 

 

And this is not true at all!!

We read!

Really.  We do.

 



Necessary Lies

From Goodreads:

Bestselling author Diane Chamberlain delivers a breakout book about a small southern town fifty years ago, and the darkest—and most hopeful—places in the human heart

After losing her parents, fifteen-year-old Ivy Hart is left to care for her grandmother, older sister and nephew as tenants on a small tobacco farm.  As she struggles with her grandmother’s aging, her sister’s mental illness and her own epilepsy, she realizes they might need more than she can give.

When Jane Forrester takes a position as Grace County’s newest social worker, she doesn’t realize just how much her help is needed.  She quickly becomes emotionally invested in her clients' lives, causing tension with her boss and her new husband.  But as Jane is drawn in by the Hart women, she begins to discover the secrets of the small farm—secrets much darker than she would have guessed.  Soon, she must decide whether to take drastic action to help them, or risk losing the battle against everything she believes is wrong.

Set in rural Grace County, North Carolina in a time of state-mandated sterilizations and racial tension, Necessary Lies tells the story of these two young women, seemingly worlds apart, but both haunted by tragedy.  Jane and Ivy are thrown together and must ask themselves: how can you know what you believe is right, when everyone is telling you it’s wrong?

From Me:

I was surprised by how much I loved this book.

I didn't even realize they did Eugenics in the United States!  (forced sterilization)  I am so naive in some ways.

I thought the book was very well done, and so enlightening about historical events that are little known.

This book is categorized as Women's Fiction. I'm going to take a little issue with that.  What exactly is Women's Fiction? 

This book talked about a controversial social issue in the 1960's.  It was historically factual and very interesting.

The plot, the setting, the theme --- all well done.

The main characters were women.  

Does that make it women's fiction?

Just wondering. 

I listened to this on audio and I loved the narrator, Allison Elliot, she did a great job.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read.

I loved it.

I am giving it 5 stars!

************

This book was also chosen by Shelly for our Lit Wits club this month!

The Lit Wit's consensus was----4.5 stars!!

The only thing that bothered some of them was that the ending was a little too tidy.

It was, but sometimes I'm just in the mood for tidiness at the end of a book.

We always have food at this one.

And it's no pot-luck! 

It's all planned, cooked, presented by the host.

It's a bit of a pressure--having to cook for that many people!

It was a small group this time, only 12 of us.

We have 23 in the group.

It was a lovely meal of baked chicken and pork chops, and broccoli salad and fruit and a potato casserole and brownies and ice cream!

YUMMY!

I say this all the time, but I will say it again:

I love these women!

What is it about book club that bonds you?

Discussion on complex subjects?

Listening without arguing about differing opinions on such subjects.

Book talk leading to life talk?

Sharing secrets and memories?

Or -- the Alcohol? 

Just kidding.

Keeli is not going to like the photo with her eyes closed. (sorry)

And then someone told us about the TLC show  "Sex put me in the ER".

We had to take a look!

~it made us laugh our arses off~

Who thinks of these things?

After dinner, we got down to some good book club talk!

Shelly being our leader.

We had a great discussion about this book --- which segued into social work today, and the rights of spouses, and women.

It was a fun evening.

Read the book.

The Lit Wits recommends it!

The Road To Character

From Goodreads:
With the wisdom, humor, curiosity, and sharp insights that have brought millions of readers to his New York Times column and his previous bestsellers, David Brooks has consistently illuminated our daily lives in surprising and original ways. In The Social Animal, he explored the neuroscience of human connection and how we can flourish together. Now, in The Road to Character, he focuses on the deeper values that should inform our lives. Responding to what he calls the culture of the Big Me, which emphasizes external success, Brooks challenges us, and himself, to rebalance the scales between our “résumé virtues”—achieving wealth, fame, and status—and our “eulogy virtues,” those that exist at the core of our being: kindness, bravery, honesty, or faithfulness, focusing on what kind of relationships we have formed.

Looking to some of the world’s greatest thinkers and inspiring leaders, Brooks explores how, through internal struggle and a sense of their own limitations, they have built a strong inner character. Labor activist Frances Perkins understood the need to suppress parts of herself so that she could be an instrument in a larger cause. Dwight Eisenhower organized his life not around impulsive self-expression but considered self-restraint. Dorothy Day, a devout Catholic convert and champion of the poor, learned as a young woman the vocabulary of simplicity and surrender. Civil rights pioneers A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin learned reticence and the logic of self-discipline, the need to distrust oneself even while waging a noble crusade.

Blending psychology, politics, spirituality, and confessional, The Road to Character provides an opportunity for us to rethink our priorities, and strive to build rich inner lives marked by humility and moral depth.

“Joy,” David Brooks writes, “is a byproduct experienced by people who are aiming for something else. But it comes.”

From me:

I had to read this for Book Club.

To be honest, I didn't want to read it.  I wasn't in the mood.  Then I forced myself to read it, because I have made a book club commitment to read all the books.  (that and plus I want to win the socks--see here) 
And then I was glad to have read it.

I am giving it 3 stars.
We don't read non-fiction much in book club, but when we do it always makes for great discussion.
I have not read Brooks' other books or his newspaper column, but I feel in this one, he was searching/researching the lives of great, alhto low-key, behind the scenes,  people, looking for what shaped their character.
They had many struggles and hurdles to get thru, but they managed to come out at the end... well--people of great character.
It was a spiritual book, but not overly preachy, if that is an issue for you.
It was worth the read.

*****************

And because...   I can't do a book club post without a few pictures...

In Lit Wits we always have dinner.
This night some great shrimp and pasta.
As always, a great evening.

And Because I am a WHIZ at all things technology...

I couldn't figure out how to get my phone off black and white!

Waiting on our drinks.

We always have a great cocktail to go with our book discussion.

All the Light We Cannot See-- part 2

It's a really long post... so proceed with caution.

(and it's really just a shout out to my bookclubs)

A strange thing happened this month.

3 of my 4 book-clubs chose, "All the Light We Cannot See" for our monthly book discussion.

That's so weird!!

It's never happened before in the history of my book clubs.

(last month 2 of them did Big Little lies and I thought that was cool too.. but 3 of them? wow!)

The first two photos (which aren't very good) are from the community club:

the Literary Guild.

It's the 2nd oldest club in our county.

Every month we meet for lunch at a local Basque restaurant and someone gives a book talk.

We don't read the same book, but we all love our Literary Lunch.

Inez gave the book talk and her choice was, of course, All the Light We Cannot See.

Because she spent years as an English as a second language teacher and can speak Spanish and French.. her talk was so elegant--peppered with just the right (and correct pronunciation) words.

I used to work with Inez. 
I was the Children's Librarian at the Grammar School and she had an office right behind mine.

It was my first year, and Inez helped me out with ornery children. 
I learned from the best!

I can handle those ornery ones easily now.  In fact, some of them are my favorites.  

The lunch crowd.

Lovely ladies one and all.

 

Now for the peeps I love.  (not that I don't love the lunch ladies too)

(and is peeps still a word?  I'm always behind the times.. but...)

These are my people!

Totally Lit(erature)  Book-Club.

 (we were missing  4 people and I'm taking the photo, so if everyone came,   there are 12 of us) 

I love these people!

This is going to sound weird, but I write them letters---even tho we live in the same town.

I want to be known as a letter writer....the one who always kept in touch.

And while I do correspond with friends who live far away--my daughter-in-law, who is Methodist minister, told me once, she was at a meeting and a lovely older lady was saying how  

"I just wrote to Abigail yesterday, "

and her daughter (the lovely older lady's daughter)

said   'MOM!  you live next door to her!!  Sheesh!"

I'm not older (altho I am lovely), but I want to be known for doing that!!

Writing letters.  Every. Day.

What's better than getting a snail mail letter?

And so 

YES

We correspond by mail.

(some more than others, but you'd be surprised how many write back!)

I just gave you too much information, I know.

 

So then....

I said --- stick out your tongue!

It seems we have  4 game players here and 3 that just laughed.  

Speaking of laughing...

These two got to laughing and couldn't stop!

The reason was because I asked the question--

name memorable animals in literature.

(I saw that question on a blog the other day)

While some of us were seriously naming our favorite animal characters...

these two were naming things like:

the Cowardly Lion

The Squid from Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea  (we figured it was The Cracken, btw)

etc.

It doesn't take much to amuse us.

******************

These people are also my people!!

The Lit Wits!

During book club last night, I got a 'snapchat' from one of them with a video of us discussing the book and she wrote:
BOOK CLUB--my favorite moment of the whole month!

This is:

The Lit Wits Book Club

(we were missing about 4 also last night. So we have about 21 in this group or 22 if everyone comes at once.) 

If you look closely, you will see 2 ladies who were also in the Totally Lit picture.

There are 4 of us who do both groups.

I LOVE these ladies.

But writing letters to all 22?  I don't do that,  I correspond with 5 out of the 22.

And 3 of them are in the other group---it laps over!

Not that I wouldn't write 20 more letters--- it just hasn't happened.

Yet.

I digress. 

Please notice--- there is not one book.  Paper book!

Everyone used their Kindle's, or did it on audio.

I actually had a hardback copy, but I forgot it.

Lit Wits is the book-club where we eat.

It's a cooking club too.

BUT---it is not a potluck.

Our hostess cooks for all.

I forgot to get a photo of the great

Chicken Cordon Bleu.

It was YUMMY.

I did manage to get the drinks in a photo tho.

I didn't ask these guys to stick out their tongues.

But I did ask them to talk about their most memorable animal in literature character.

Chaos ensued!

They all started talking at once, naming GREAT animal characters in some GREAT  books.

It was hard for the hostess to rein everyone in again.

Where the Red Fern always comes up and everyone puts their hand to their hearts when they mention  "Old Dan and Little Ann".

Except for our friend Robin.

She hates it.

She said:  
It's about trapping hunting and dogs that die. It's fun for everyone

In fact... she hates lots of children's classic literature.

she said:

  Winnie the Pooh and all those annoying characters.  Old Yeller and Call of the Wild (hate).  Jack, Little house in the Prairie.  Marley and Me. Peter Cottontail.  Velveteen Rabbit (hate).  Charlotte's Web and Where the Red Fern grows (Hate).  Cujo. Because of Winn Dixie.  I can think of more...

We love her!

She's not a fan of animals dying in books.

Or sad books.

Give her a Stephen King book tho and She's in!!

 

I adore all the ladies in this post!

We'll be friends forever and 1 extra day.

Oh? 

The Book?

All book clubs gave it  3.7stars!