What Should I read next part 2

I think I was supposed to report back here last Saturday and tell you what book you chose for me to read this month--and it is....

Yay!  Another book to add to my reading this month.

I say that only slightly sarcastically, because I chose to do this, right?

This is what I'm reading right now:

The Lilac Girls

The Crossing Places 

Glamorous Powers  (It's my Slow and Steady Read--10 minuets a day is all)

Those above are all for my own enjoyment.

Then my book clubs in November?

The CCB (coffee, conversations and books) Club--The Bookman's Tale

Totally Lit- Don't Skip Out on Me

Lit Wits- The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Reading Between the Wines Romance--Stuffed

And I'm trying to listen to The Gown on Audible. But it's not going well.  I need a long car trip or something.  Or I need to clean my house. THAT'S IT!  Tomorrow I 'll be cleaning out the 'grandchildren's room' -- which is another term for one of my extra bedrooms where everything gets tossed!

Anyway, that is what I'm reading this month.

In September, for our Totally Lit book club, one of our members, Cathy,  had just gotten back from the Basque (Spain) Country  (we have a huge Basque population in Winnemucca) and she wanted to make  us an authentic meal. And she choose the book Guernica

An extraordinary epic of love, family and war set in the Basque town of Guernica before, during, and after its destruction by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War.

 She paired up with another of our book club friends, Keeli,  who had been to the Basque country over the summer too.

They ran into each other at a café in Spain.  (how funny is that?!)

Because?--the Basque community is a small community after all!

I mean, you leave Winnemucca, NV, fly to Spain, go to Guernica, meet someone from Winnemucca, NV who is in  your book club!

It happens.

But the book club story?

Cathy was doing the cooking, but it was going to be at Keeli's house.

Keeli's daughter was taking her solo pilot license test the same day.  It was scheduled for the morning in a town 2 hours away--Keeli  went with her daughter.  

It began to rain (even tho the weatherman said it wouldn't) , so they waited and waited and waited.

They did not plan on the rain--- but they were stuck.  What could you do if your instructor says we'll fly as soon as the rain lets up?

Mid-afternoon, I got a call from Keeli explaining that she wasn't in town and that her daughter had just taken off in the plane for her test, and she would be late for book club,  but her house was still available and could I go help Cathy out with the cooking, etc.

I said, sure, does Cathy know?

Keeli said,  No and  I'm not telling her.  She'll freak out.  I'll tell her when she arrives and can't get in my house--she'll call me and I'll give her the code so she can get in.

So...April and myself arrived to help Cathy prepare a Basque meal in a kitchen none of us were familiar with.

It was tons of fun!

(actually Keeli has THE BEST Knives in the world--I thought of stealing them--and her kitchen is the easiest to cook it and entertain around)

Keeli arrived in the middle of book club and then we all gave her a bad time about not having to be home to host a book club.

It can be done!

Cathy made paella and croquettes and Spanish torta (2 or 3 different kinds) and salad and good cheese from the Basque country and tinned anchovies and tuna packed in oil and bread and wine and so much more!

So yummy!

We had such a good time that evening.  

The food was great!

Here are some pictures 

 (there are a lot, as you know I always overshare)

It really was a BOOK CLUB, but I don't see one book in sight!

You had to pour it this way--Cathy said!

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!

Saturday Snapshot #2

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.

This is Saturday Snapshot part II for me.

I didn't know where to put my other love(s)-- my bookclubs!  Complete with friends I love!

So I am putting them here in another Saturday Snapshot post.

This is my Totally Lit Book-club

There were about 3 people who weren't there --and 2 who left before we got this picture, so altogether we have about 12/13 people in this group.

Our book was:

It got very mixed reviews by the group. I had originally given it 3 stars a few years ago.  I did not reread it, but enjoyed the discussion.

They all love it when I make them gather to take a photo!

So then---they call a husband out from beyond and make me be in it. 

At first I told them--NO, see I can be in it.  I'll do a selfie!

They didn't fall for that one and made me be in one.

(the first one)

Sigh. 

I like to be behind the camera.

 Those are my book club snapshots from last week.

Book clubs are my happy place!

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

Okay...  I don't know what to say.  I really liked this book!

But it comes with really serious 'ewwww-iness"

How's that for an opinion?

The general thought at book club was the same as mine. We all liked it--but we all felt guilty for liking it as much as we did.

What does that say about the author, when you can write about a despicable thing and make the reader sympathetic?

That she's pretty good.

It was a really good story with very complicated situations.

During book club we read  (not sure if was on the jacket or of the internet) that the author did have a inappropriate age relationship as well as the main characters in the book did.

Interesting, right?

As you know, I don't write 'reviews' this is more of a way for me to keep track of what I've read for the year and what book club has read which book. (whew)

But Keeli made a great tart for dessert!

Here is what Goodreads said about it:

As the daughter of a meth dealer, Wavy knows not to trust people, not even her own parents. Struggling to raise her little brother, eight-year-old Wavy is the only responsible "adult" around. She finds peace in the starry Midwestern night sky above the fields behind her house. One night everything changes when she witnesses one of her father's thugs, Kellen, a tattooed ex-con with a heart of gold, wreck his motorcycle. What follows is a powerful and shocking love story between two unlikely people that asks tough questions, reminding us of all the ugly and wonderful things that life has to offer.

Bookclubs and more Bookclubs!

On Monday, I said this about this book:

This one was---just okay.  I read it for book club and tomorrow night I have to go defend my opinion in someone's house, who really loved it. 

I would recommend with reservations.

But here it is Wednesday, the day after book club and guess what?  I still would recommend it with reservations, BUT we had the best discussion last night.

It was all about women's issues--which the book brought to light in a different way.  I guess they weren't just women's issue:  health, love, parenthood and worry, infidelity, aging, friendships, discovering yourself.  But the book talked about these things among women, so we really, REALLY, got off subject and didn't talk so much about the book's characters, but rather, ourselves.  The book was the catalyst tho.

I still don't know if I'd recommend it,  I didn't love it, but I did love the discussion it brought about.

It was a small group last night--only half of us--but it was fun.

I could kick myself for not stepping outside and taking a picture of Kerry's view. I don't know why I didn't, it's so beautiful, and as you know I like it when I can show off  Nevada's beautiful side.

I took a few photos but my head must have been somewhere else.

Betty and Kerry were our hosts. They served some great appetizers

And Kerry has a very big lazy susan, so serving ourselves was easy peasy.

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

On Wednesday afternoon,  we had our first Literary Guild Luncheon of the season.

The Literary Club (we gave up the word Guild some time ago) has been meeting since 1952.

We don't all read the same book (except for the month of May), but we have a nice lunch and listen to a book talk.

We have a little booklet with all the members names in it and phone numbers.

Every October we donate money to purchase Dictionaries for all the 3rd graders in the county school system.

And this is the book which Terri gave the report about.

She says we all should read it!

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry

 

From Goodreads:

From the author of the internationally bestselling 'A Man Called Ove', a novel about a young girl whose grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters, sending her on a journey that brings to life the world of her grandmother's fairy tales.

Elsa is seven years old and different. Her grandmother is seventy-seven years old and crazy, standing-on-the-balcony-firing-paintball-guns-at-men-who-want-to-talk-about-Jesus-crazy. She is also Elsa's best, and only, friend. At night Elsa takes refuge in her grandmother's stories, in the Land of Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas where everybody is different and nobody needs to be normal.

When Elsa's grandmother dies and leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she has wronged, Elsa's greatest adventure begins. Her grandmother's letters lead her to an apartment building full of drunks, monsters, attack dogs, and totally ordinary old crones, but also to the truth about fairytales and kingdoms and a grandmother like no other.

 

  

For the record-- I don't really  review books.  I don't feel qualified, BUT I do love to talk about them and like to feel part of the book blogging world. And this is a great way for me to log my books --besides Goodreads that is.

 

From Me:

I'm going to say it again---I didn't really want to read this one --- but I'm so glad I did.

We had just finished "A Man Called Ove' and I was reading reviews that said this book didn't live up to his first (Ove).  But you know, it's book club and I try my hardest to read all the books I should.

Well....and I might be the only one around---but I liked this one better than Ove!  (and I really liked Ove)

Sometimes the fairy tale part of the story got me a little bogged down, but I loved how it all came together at the end.  I liked how we are all entwined  and how we need each other. 

I do have one problem with Backman's books---In OVE the curmudgeony old man was '57'.  and in this one the little girl is 7.   I have to get his ages out of my head, because 57 is NOT OLD and 7....Hmmmmm  if the main character Elsa is really only 7, she's the smartest 7 year old EVER.   As I said, I had to let his age descriptions go.

 

I listened to this one on audio and loved, LOVED the narration.

 

4 stars from me!

Miss Fresh Greens--a Book Club story

 

 

This is my Sunday story....

 

I have a new laptop!  This is exciting news, as I have been  posting from work or the Handyman's ancient computer in the garage for over a month.

 

The not so exciting part is that I have to get used to a new updated version of windows.  A few quirks here and there for me to work out.

 

I went to church this morning and did some grocery shopping.

I am making spaghetti for supper -- my mom's recipe, which is on the Friday Friend Cookbook countdown. --and now we are getting ready to wash some windows and put some screens back up.

 

I would like to say that then I was going to lay in the hammock and read a book, but for some reason I have been in a reading slump lately.  It's been over 2 weeks since I have read a book ---I just don't have an interest right now, but I'm sure I'll get over it soon.

 

Even tho I've been in a reading slump---there is no way I'd ever  miss a book club!

 

Last week Totally Lit held our semi-annual (sometimes Tri-annual)  MISS contest.  This year it was "Miss Fresh Greens"

 

(in past years, it was Miss Congealdiality,  Miss Hot Dish and Miss AppeTEASEher)

 

 

 

Well our Miss Fresh Greens evening was lovely.

We ate outside and discussed the book--and many, many other things.

We tend to get off track sometimes, but it always comes back to the book.

We talked into the wee hours of the night....well, okay, it might have been 10.  Yes, we stayed up and out until 10pm!!

 

 

Everyone brought their best greens!

Or salad.... we said any salad was fine.

 

And then.....the waiting was unbearable.... was our salad "the best".

Who would represent for the next year or two, or three?

 

 

 

 

 

There were lots of fresh salads, but not too many greens!

(which we thought was kind of funny)

 

Who would win??

 

 

 

Miss Congealediality, Cindy, our first MISS ever, is ready to crown ---or sash (since we don't have a crown) the Queen!

 

 

Oh look!  It's me.

 

 

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen,  I was crowned/sashed MISS FRESH GREENS!

It was the thrill of a lifetime!

And I did it all with --- a Mexican Coleslaw.

(coleslaw mix, halved red grapes, green onions, pistachios, cilantro, coleslaw dressing with a bit of chili powder)

(and I used a mix of pistachios, almonds and peanuts)

 

All kidding aside, we really have a good time at our MISS evenings. Lots of good food and drinks. It's hard to choose just one winner.

 

 

 

 

As the evening wore on, it got chilly outside, but we couldn't stop talking books!

So, we just got blankets.

 

Our book was "Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands" by Chris Bohjalian.

I think on an average, it got close to 4-stars from the book club.

 

.

 

 

 

You know how I feel about the ladies of my book clubs, right?

(I love them)

Well, things are changing---in Totally Lit especially. 

Believe it or not, (and I know you won't believe it because we all look so young!) there is talk of retirement, moving away, leaving---and I don't like it!

 

I want things to stay the same for ever and ever.

Just sitting around drinking wine, discussing books and laughing with friends.

 

But it looks like next year, 2 of these ladies will be retiring 'elsewhere'.

 

I guess that means we will become a traveling bookclub-when we go visiting them!