December Book Club 2024

Laura hosted our annual Christmas Book Club party. We were excited that Leslie could join us but missed Pam, Darby, Lou, and Tammy. 

Laura made grilled cheese and tomato soup. Carla A brought the ever-popular butternut squash soup. There was salad and lots of yummy appetizers. We had fun catching up over our snacks and dinner. Then we exchanged our cards and had our gift exchange. Carla A. and Lou both had the idea of book club quotes for their cards. We decided that next year's Christmas project would be to find a quote to match the person for our card. 

The Guncle Abroad was well-liked by those who read it and rated it 3.6.

Diana will host our January book club and our book is The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier. 

Laura's home, as always, was warm and inviting and full of Christmas Cheer. We enjoyed seeing Doug and George who helped out with the food and serving. It was a delightful way to end the year. 

November Book Club 2024

November Book Club was hosted by Diana. We were excited that Rilla Askew was available to attend and discuss her newest book, "The Hungry and the Haunted. We missed Carla G. and Janie. 

Lis made our favorite Mexican Hot Chocolate and Diana's first attempt at Tiramisu was delicious. I've posted the beautiful menu she put together. Arnora, as always, provided a beautiful fall bouquet and Laura added cheese and beer. 

Those who read the book enjoyed it and rated it 4.58.

Everyone enjoyed Rilla's discussion of her personal experiences that she had fictionalized but were the inspiration for the essays. 

 

October Book Club 2024

Hello. Thanks to Carla G. for hosting our meeting. Yummy dinner and dessert and coffee! Everyone present really liked or loved Weyward and we had a good discussion. If you read this one and want to rate it please reply. So far Weyward has a 4.4. We are confirmed for Sunday, Nov 3 at 4 pm at my house and Rilla Askew will be our guest author for her new book, The Hungry, and the Haunted. You can order on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or call ahead to check stock at The Green Feather or The Full Circle bookstores as they have copies. I will be finished with my book in a week. It’s a small book of 7 short stories. I’m happy to share my copy with as many as possible. We then have The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley for December. And since Dec 1 is part of the Thanksgiving holiday we will have our meeting on Dec 8 at Laura’s Books we are planning for 2025!!! 1. The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams. 2. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez 3. The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan 4. Mockingbird Summer by Lynda Rutledge, and if you’ve made it this far and still reading, thanks! We have an opportunity for an in-town one-night sleepover in a teepee at Orr Family Farm. It’s posh glamour and I will post a link in the comments. If you’re interested and free on Saturday, November 2 reply asap! There are only 2 teepees left for this date! I will book one tomorrow for Carla A, Laura, me and probably Pam.

September Book Club 2024

Barb hosted our book club for September. The book The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl was recommended to us by Darby, and it inspired a delicious meal and a good discussion. We celebrated Carla G's birthday with a song and chocolate mousse for dessert. We enjoyed the story and the trip to Paris through Stella’s experiences made for a fun read. It had a bit of everything including, some interesting culinary dishes, literature, art, fashion, scenery, and a couple of mysteries to the mix. We rated the book a 4.2. We missed Carla A, Laura, and Sherrie. Sherrie sent her comment that the book was reminiscent of Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. With a woman finding herself in Paris through a couture dress. 

We meet again next month at Carla G's home to discuss Weyward. We talked about several books but didn't decide on one for November. We are looking for something not heart-wrenching and perhaps even some humor would be good. Cheers to all. 

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August Book Club 2024

Thanks to Elisabeth for hosting a fantastic book club and a properly themed Indian dinner. Hats off to all the chefs who contributed to the meal! “The Reading List” was well-liked by all and rated a 4.25. Lou, thanks for recommending this perfect summer read. We all enjoyed the characters and books and the story was very fulfilling. Barb will host our September 8 meeting when we discuss “The Paris Novel” by Ruth Reichl. Carla G will host the October 6 meeting and we will discuss “Weyward” by Emilia Hart. I’ll host November 3 and Laura will host December, a date to be announced later. It was good to be together again. We missed Arnora, Janie, and thinking of Darby, Leslie, Tammy, and Lou. We miss you all and look forward to another occasion when we can all be together. Love to all. Xoxo Diana.

July Book Club 2024

Greetings! Thanks, Arnora for hosting July's meeting and making the delicious enchiladas. It was great to have Sherrie with us. The Thursday Murder Club was well-liked and rated a 3.85. Our next book is "The Reading List a Novel by Sara Nisha Adams. Elisabeth will host on August 4. 

For September, I suggest The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl. This is the book that Darby gifted Sherrie for her Kindle. Arnora and Laura read and enjoyed it. This author also wrote Save Me the Plums. I hope everyone has a bless week. 

June Book Club and Retreat

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Here is a brief update on our Wild West Adventure at Tammy's family Buffalo Creek Lodge in Sweetwater, Texas. It was a perfect place for a retreat. It is 80 acres of lush, green prairie, nine beds in the main house, and a lovely adjacent cottage. Many thanks to Tammy's sister for making it available to us. We hope she will visit us when Tammy is in our area. 

The Lage Queen of Minnesota was well-liked and rated a 4. The beer tasting was superb and thanks to Laura for thinking to do it. 

Our July 7 meeting is at Arnora's and our book is The Thursday Murder Club. Our August book is The Readling List a Novel by Sara Nisha Adams. Le me know if you are willing to host. 

May Book Club 2024

 

Laura hosted our May Book Club on Cinco de Mayo with a Fiesta Taco Bar.  The weather was beautiful and we were able to eat on the patio. We had our discussion around the firepit. The meal consisted of: 

Laura - turkey tacos White Sangria, and Iced Tea

Carla G - tortilla rollups

Denise - corn and black bean salad

Pam - chips, salsa, and queso

Janie - Huevos Rellenos (deviled eggs) and Guacamole

Diana - brought honey-glazed donuts

Lis - taco fixings, Lime Sangria, and Margarita Fizzies

Arnora - Flowers and mixed nuts

We missed Barb who was attending a family event in Ft. Worth. 

Mad Honey

Jodi Picoult - Jennifer Finney

The discussion got off to a hilarious start when Arnora confessed she'd misread the title. She thought it said Man Money and the title and story confused her! I thought it was going to be a murder mystery. And, it was. But, the "murder" was a catalyst for so much more. This book sparked one of our better discussions.

This novel tells the story of two women who have fled abusive pasts to make a new life in the small town of Adams, New Hampshire.  The book is co-written by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney. The two authors take on the voices of their respective characters and the chapter's alternate perspectives. At first, the story seems like a murder mystery. One of the women is found dead and the son of the other woman is accused of the murder. The death, however, is the catalyst for exploring other relevant social issues. It is a well-told tale and is a complex narrative of complex characters facing challenging times. The courtroom drama is filled with suspense and emotional twists. 

The author's notes explain that Jennifer Finney dreamed she was co-authoring a book with Jody Picoult about the three main characters. She posted that to Twitter and Jodi reached out.

Jodi took on the voice of Asher's mother and Jennifer, who is trans, was the voice of Lily, Asher's girlfriend. They alternated the story with Jodi telling it forward to Lilly's death and Jennifer telling it backward. This served the story well. When you learn Lily is trans, it makes more sense to know her story is written from someone with a personal perspective.

I found the book to be a page-turner. The first plot twist comes at exactly the halfway point. I didn't see it coming. Also, thought I had the ending figured out but that surprised me, too. After reading so many novels and watching so many movies over the years, it's hard to surprise me. Diana was the only one who saw both twists coming. 

Asher's mother is a beekeeper and Lily's mother is a park ranger. Their knowledge of sexuality in nature gives them an understanding of human sexuality that helps them navigate a sensitive situation and educates the reader about topics many of us are not familiar with. 

The book rated 4.5 and two "I really loved it!"

Tammy will host our June meeting at our summer retreat in Sweetwater, Oklahoma. We have booked her sister's Buffalo Creek Lodge. Our book is "The Lager Queen of Minnesota" by J. Ryan Stradal. 

April Book Club 2023

 

Beautiful Spring weather favored us this April Book Club. We dined indoors on pizza and salad and had our discussion and cake on the patio. 

We missed Pam and Denise. Barb and Lis joined us late as they weren't feeling in the best of form.  We certainly hope they are better now. Denise had the opportunity to view the eclipse in totality but, she sent us her thoughts on the book. She recommended it after loving it so much she had already read it twice.

A special congratulations to Leslie. They have finally purchased a home in the Jenks area. I'm sure she'll update us on her new address soon. This has been a long and frustrating journey for them and I know she is relieved to soon have her things out of storage. 

Carla G thought this was the easiest book club she had hosted. She opted to pick up pizza at Casey's.
Most of us had not eaten it before and it was delicious. Lis brought a wonderful salad with my favorite Poppy Seed dressing. Laura made a decadent German Chocolate Cake. We also had fruit, cheese, and hummus appetizers.  And, our usual assortment of wine, tea, and coffee. Arnora brought the beautiful spring flower arrangement. 

No Two Persons
Erica Bauermeister

I'm going to start with some of Denise's remarks. "I loved this book so much because it is about the transformative power of reading, which we all can attest to! When we have our book discussions, it amazes me how we receive and respond to the same book in many different ways.  When I read the book the second time, I picked up more subtle links between the readers. The author described these as love notes slipped between the pages."

Denise said she has three pages of notes on these connections and is ready for Discussion Part 2 if anyone is interested.

She pointed out that the book shared among the characters is called, "Theo." which means God's gift. She felt the main themes were; healing, validation, escape, and deliverance. A favorite quote was, "It is always like this? Can we never truly connect? All that matters is we try."  Denise found it sweet the many ways the characters imperfectly worked to connect in their different relationships. 

Denise puts it quite succinctly. Laura was hoping for more of the actual story of Theo. I could understand that. For me, this book wasn't about Theo so much as he was the catalyst for the story. This book reflected to me why I read. I've always thought great fiction holds a mirror up to the reader. And, the books that have had the greatest impact on me teach me something about myself and move me emotionally in some way. This book rated a 4.75.

One final thought that just popped up. In all the ways the different characters responded to the book,

turning it into a different sculpture was interesting! 

 

March 2024 Book Club

 

Denise was our host for the March Book Club.  It was a beautiful day but too windy for the patio. We missed Pam, Janie, and Barb. Pam was attending a funeral and we all wrapped loving arms around Diana who is mourning her beloved dog, Ember. 

Our meal, as always, was delicious. Denise provided Mexican Beef Casserole, chips and salsa, and cheesecake. She also had biscuits from the UK to go with our tea. Arnora brought a wonderful salad and her always stunning floral bouquet. Lis added a cheesy spaghetti squash, Grandy's cinnamon rolls, and two mini bundt cakes. We also had a diverse selection of wines and Carla G brought teas for us to drink and take home. 

Mystic Tea

Rea Nolan Martin

Mystic Tea is a contemporary love story between young and old, franchised and disenfranchised, pedestrian, and mystic. A community of quirky, mismatched women struggles to find meaning and purpose as they try to save their ramshackle monastery, in Upstate New York, from closing.  The six eccentric nuns have spent their lives in service to a church that is no longer interested in serving them. Confused about their future and, that of the entire monastery, they have taken in two new "novices" with their own problems. Despite the chaotic appearances to the contrary, there is divine guidance throughout the book. 

The "mystic" of the group seems to be aging and ailing Augusta. She sages her home to diffuse negative energies and makes teas and tonics. Augusta says, "Most people don't know the first thing about the luminous signals provided by divine providence to point them in the direction of their intended lives. Most people cross the street in the middle of rush hour against the light. Most people get hit head-on, stunned by their own ignorance, and blame it on God." 

Without retelling the story, there is a lot of drama in each character's life colliding with the potential demise of their home. The story provided great discussion. Laura connected deeply to personal revelations in her own spiritual life. Diana and Laura both mentioned having a problem with the omniscient narrator's perspective that interrupted the flow of the writing at some points. The book rated a 4. 

For our April meeting at Carla G's, we have chosen "No Two Persons" recommended by Denise who has already read it twice. 

Mystic Tea

Rea Nolan

This book is described as a contemporary love story between young and old, franchised and disenfranchised, pedestrian and mystic. And, also about female empowerment. A mismatched group of women, having spent their lives in service to a church that no longer cares about them, are confused about their future as well as the entire monastery. 

Feb Book Club 2024

 

Our February book club was hosted by Diana. Laura suggested the book Fire in Beulah. The Oklahoma author, Rilla Askew who lives locally and teaches at Oklahoma University,  accepted her invitation to attend our discussion. 

Inspired by the book Diana made brown beans, cornbread, chicken, and biscuits. Laura brought a beautiful salad. Carla G brought Chow Chow Relish, sliced onions, and iced tea. Diana also made Black Forest Cupcakes in honor of Rex's birthday. Arnora brought the floral bouquet and mixed nuts and we had an assortment of wine, tea, and coffee. 

We missed Janie, Lis, and Barb. Our condolences to Lis on the death of her aunt. 

Fire in Beulah
by Rilla Askew
published 2001

The story is set in Tulsa, Oklahoma against a backdrop of the oil-boom opulence, and racial distrust in the early 1900s. Blending fictional characters with historical events it is an unblinking examination of heritage and race culminating with the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1920.

Rilla was the perfect guest author. She fit right in with our group and promises to come back "Same Time Next Year!" She does have a new book coming out soon and I think we all agreed we could make that happen. 

We had a lively discussion that deepened the experience of reading the novel. Several of us agreed that we needed a good, descriptive word for a story that captivated our imaginations and we "loved" how it was told but the subject matter is so harsh that it seems like a contradiction to use the word "love." I have finally decided that maybe the word is just heart-wrenching.  I would put Fire in Beulah, Killers of the Flower Moon, The Personal Librarian, and Devil in the White City for starters among those books. We all know that terrible things have happened throughout history. But, I think one of the things that makes these particular books such a tender spot for us is that it is recent history. Some of it happened in history so recently our parents were alive and none of it happened more than 130 years ago. 

It was fascinating to hear Rilla speak of how the characters came to her, why she chose certain names and a few things that she would change now if she could revisit the story.  She pointed out that she realized the relationship with Althea and Graceful had not been clearly defined leaving some to think they were half-sisters because they shared the same last name.  Her intention had been to show a connection further back in history to a time when Althea's family would have owned slaves who would have taken their master's name. 

I realized, as we talked, that I had somehow confused Graceful's rapist as her employer rather than Althea's brother. I intend to go back and read that part but I also realized that I unwittingly made an assumption because historically that's how the story is often written. 

I hope that Rilla enjoyed the evening as much as we did. We did not take a rating but I will state mine as a 5! 

Jan Book Club 2024

 

Blog 197 - Books 259

Happy New Year 2024! This New Year's book club is hosted by Lis and is our traditional Pajama Party Brunch Foods book club. 

Everyone agreed that we had a stellar year of books in 2023. We have raised the bar for 2024!

We start this New Year with North Woods: A Novel by Daniel Mason. This book is the story of a place and its inhabitants over centuries. It is also about the fall of mankind and the habit humans have of repeating history or, so says the review and summary page. The author attempts to manage both a narrow and long view by focusing on the lives of each of the house's inhabitants while encompassing American history, natural history, and the relentless march of time and the cycle of seasons. Did he succeed? 

We missed Janie who is ill and Leslie who is on vacation. We were very glad that Laura and Diana were able to make it after experiencing a death in their family. We are all glad to have a chance to wrap our arms around them. 

Our meal, as always, was exceptional. 

• Liz -  breakfast casserole, cheese and crackers, stuff peppers, veggies, Zinfandel, and Mimosas 
  Carla A. sausage and bacon
• Diana sheet cake blueberry pancakes
• Carla G. fruit
• Denise Apple Dumplings with Caramel Ice Cream Arnora - Fresh flowers, mixed nuts, and bacon 

North Woods: A Novel 

Daniel Mason

We had a very engaging discussion of our book. For the most part, we felt the author succeeded in telling an interesting story. He had chosen a difficult format and one that was new to us. We have read a couple of other stories that were about the place that doesn't change but the people do. This story takes place in an isolated area of the North Woods in Massachusetts over 400 years. The story was somewhat linear but did go back and forth in time and timelines overlapped with people's memories and the interference of ghosts interspersed. Several were disappointed that there wasn't more made of the connections between the people who occupied the house. Listening to the book also made it difficult to follow in some instances. But, overall it rated a 3.75 and everyone had read. it.

It is interesting to note that this novel is shortlisted for the Pulitzer. 

February's book is Fire in Beulah by Rillas Askew. Either Diana or I will host. We'll make an update shortly as we determine the weather.