DRAGONFLIGHT by Anne McCaffery hosted by Suzanne Graska 12/18 in Her Home

I really meant to get this typed up and sent out WEDNESDAY but it's been a busy time of year and I'm just slow.
Had a great time as always with this band of readers. Wish everyone could have made it but that's life. The evening was a success. We ate pizza, had wine or soda and discussed the book. Now I'm not saying we didn't get side tracked. HA That's and impossible feat with this group.
Suzanne loves her SciFi/Fantasy books and the book she chose for us was Book 1 of a series of 12 if I remember right. You don't know how hard it was for me to convince her to choose a SciFi book. So many of you nixed those kind of books right off in the beginning of the club but HA to your surprise it wasn't so bad now was it? You may not be a hard core lover of SciFi but there were aspects of the the book you liked. Suzanne I believe was very please to hear the positive comments about reading this book Dragonflight by Anne McCaffery.

Diana got excited about reading this one when Denise told her it reminded her(Denise) of Avatar but alas Diana had a hard time reading this one.. This was a book she needed to be able to concentrate and that was hard to do with the distractions on the plane. Now Brenda listened to DragonFlight by Anne McCaffery on tape. She said it was very enjoyable.
Now get this... the one person that shocked us was Pam for 2 reasons. LOL She told Suz that she read the book and SHE liked it. Cheryl like the dragons best and then all the other animals. She actually wouldn't mind having one to jet fly around town on. I forgot to ask Cheryl what color she wanted but I know it has to be vegetarian. LOL. Cheryl Wasn't impressed with their eating habits.

Okay I screwed up I had Tamica on my email list but forgot to add her to our EVITE. I am so sorry Tamica... You're welcome to join us at anytime. I'll add you to the permanent email list and EVITE if you like. Just let me know.

Suzanne told us that the people from Pern originally came from Earth and in the second book you learn more about their origins. So I'm gonna have to read the 2nd book to find out more.

Not that I really want to know the future but it would be kinda cool to fly between times on my super uber cool shiney Purple Dragon. Yes Purple. I bet Suz would agree seeing that's her favorite color. Once most of us figured out the human from the dragon names it got easier or at least for me.

Cheryl said she wasn't a convert but did like this book and Thanked Suz for picking it. Lauren was already a fan and had already read all 12 in the series. Jan even liked the book. Right? Did those of you who couldn't make it... Did you read the book and did you like it.

At one point of course we got off topic imagine and got to talking about trips, roommates and traveling period. Several were talking about how they hated when they had a roommate. Cindy you should have been there because I brought up the story when you some how got locked out of yours and Cheryl's room in nothing but your t-shirt and had to go to the front desk. Of course they wanted ID. Ummm yeah. LOL And Pam you were mentioned to. I was gonna call you a..... oh well never mind. LOL. Sorry folks you had to be there.

Everyone who wasn't able to join us missed a good time, good friends, and good pizza even a blue cheese pizza. Yum who would have thunk it?  

Oh wait talking about Friends..... Guess who was there?  Kathy made it!! She was moving slow but she made it. Glad she did too. 

And a surprise guest was Janie Mendoza. It was great to see her. I hadn't seen her in a really really long time. Hope you enjoyed yourself. Did you find her over on the right by Kathy?

                       Oh   okay   DRUUMMMMMM ROLLLLL PLEASE..........................................

Brenda was ready with a book choice and it is The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery.
Please get in and get your book so we can meet on January 17, 2013.
That is our anniversary. Sweet 16. Can you believe it? 16 years we've been together.

Next to choose will be Carla, Cheryl, Cindy or Dawnie.

Oh Brenda and Jan got the door prizes for being the first ones to reply yes and show.

Okay that's it. You know the book title and the date so do your part and start reading.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

See you next year!

Your unofficial secretary/photographer
aka Book Nasi

Carla

Dry by Augusten Burroughs hosted by Barbara @ the Red Onion

6 seems to be the magic number the past couple of meetings and tonight was no different. We met up at the Red Onion to discuss Barbara’s book choice Dry by Augusten Burroughs or should I say book choices. She also left you the option of reading Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay. Word of warning I won’t  let that happen again you only get to have one book choice for the group but you can suggest that they might another book to read when they have time kinda thing. LOL
Of the 6 only 3 read Dry, 1 read Sarah’s Key, well 1 hadn’t started reading either book and 1 of us had read almost 50 pages but after listening to the discussion I’m ready to continue to read and I want to read Sarah’s Key. I didn’t realized Augusten was the same person who wrote ‘Running with Scissor’s not that I’ve read that book but I remember how popular it was when I worked in the book after school. Actually I noticed he’s written quite a few different books.
Dry is Augusten Burroughs memoir. Augusten looks like every other business person but then you might notice he smells like alcohol. Where you or I might have a drink or 2 or 3 Augusten would have 12+.  Dawn pointed out that he had No Off Button. Or when the crowd would start leaving around 12 he'd close the bar and maybe not even go home.

His life had been working for him so far but now it’s starting to spiral out of control and people couldn’t ignore the smell and his co-workers were tired of his attitude and lack of responsibility.
His creative advertising partner and employer’s had an

intervention and convinced forced him to go into rehab. While they suggested The Betty Ford Clinic he himself suggested the Proud Clinic for the gay. In Augusten’s mind it was a great way to get a 30 day paid vacation and rub elbows with the rich and famous. Only Dr. Drew was no where in site when he arrived at the Proud Clinic. His dream smashed into a wall  upon checking into the clinic. There were no grassy park, no pond of coy, or park benches covered by the shade of a tree and surrounded by flowers. This is not what he agreed to. Nothing against Minnesota but going to detox anywhere in Minnesota doesn’t even begin to sound enticing to me personally. Okay so nothing about the process of detox sounds enticing.

Then again all of this was his perception of the Proud Clinic. He didn’t want to be there and all he saw a place of concrete, paper hospital gowns and paper slippers. Staying sober in rehab was like a child molester in jail. Augusten was able to stay sober of course because there’s no alcohol just like a child molester who’s in jail and on good behavior with no children around to molest. So are they cured after serving their sentence in the controlled environment or once released back into their old environments do they go back to old friends and habits.

I was amazed when he wrote on the wall and even he realized just what he was… an alcoholic. He wanted to drink so bad he would take over 12 Benedryl because he was actually allergic to alcohol. With 2 Benedryl I’m sleepy and here he takes 12 Benedryl plus alcohol. How does he function. HOLY COW
.
While in affirmations, group therapy and during the teddy bear song he realized something. ... Drama that's why you go to a gay rehab. Gays don't mind drama in his mind. At some point it hit Augusten he did have a problem. But as he accepts this fact he worries about how to stay sober when back home. He was told he would have to go to AA every day for the rest of his life. His rebuttal was but I can't, I won't have time, I have to work. Rehabs reply you had/made time to drink so now that time can be spent at AA and doing good.

Can you imagine coming home to thousands of empty bottles and cans? He did. Once he thought about it that's why he never had visitors. He never wanted them to see the mess.

Okay now Dawnie I think but for sure Suzanne related to

 Augusten's like for small olives. Suz is right there with Augusten. She don't stop until the bar closes and she doesn't drink at home.
Something else some us learned was that in NY hotels for sure if you go to the mini bar don't touch the bottles because if the hotel can tell you've touch them they'll charge you.
Augusten sat in the hotel room and fondled all the bottles but held strong and never opened or drank anything but the hotel charged him.

The girls liked how Augusten writes using humor to help tell his story. A story that has it's funny moments, it's hopeful, it's heartbreaking and at times it's pathetic. If you didn't read or haven't finished do so it's worth the read.

I didn't get notes on the book Sarah's Key except that after Gaye gave us the run down of the story I definitely want to put it on my to read list. It's about the French yes the French police arresting thousands of Jewish families and held them outside Paris before shipping them off to Auschwitz. It's about Sarah's loss and survival.
Well Suz emailed everyone her book choice "Dragonflight" by Anne McCaffery. And preferably you get the 1988 publication. Yes ladies and gents this is basically fantasy for beginners. I don't want to hear any one say 'yuck or I'm not reading that.' The whole idea and bases for the club was that we would try to read something we would never pick up on our own and read more. So here it is. A challenge to all by me to read this book. I am. I've never read anything like this but I'm gonna try. I may find a new genre of books to read and so might you! Rule of thumb is you need to read at least 100 pages before you give up.
Go ahead I dare you.... Try it, you just might find out you like some of the fantasy books. If you click on the title above it will take you to an amazon link for the book.

So you've got your assignment please don't dally. Get that book and start reading. According to the amazon site it has 800 pages and the meeting is Tuesday November 27th.

At that meeting we'll look forward to Patrick, Angie,  or Brenda picking the next book!

Are your reading the book yet? What are you waiting on?  LOL Get that book.

Your unofficial secretary/photographer

Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich hosted by Susan Schultz

The six of us who made it to Tampico Thursday had fun. Like when don’t we? Of course this meeting wasn’t as lively or wild as Fifty Shades but that was one for the records. LOL

We actually covered a lot of material… So maybe not all of it was about the book but this group never stays on one topic for long.

No one can call our group dull. I hope everyone who is /was traveling has a safe trip, Kathy if you’re reading this I hope you’re feeling better soon you were on our minds and for those who are or they’re spouses who are having surgery.. I hope all goes well.

Oh you want to hear about the book and the meeting. Hmmm…..

Susan was surprised when I jumped over about 4 other people and said do you have a book you’d like to announce no one else is ready or have passed on their turn to choose at this time. Think fast.

See I told you everyone should  Stop, Think and put a book title in the back of their mind so at a moments notice you’ll be ready if I call on you.  See see I told you so. So anyway Susan looked at the best seller list and thought mmm Janet Evanovich everyone likes/liked her Stephanie Plum series so let’s  try Lizzy and Diesel series. She chose Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich. This was a no thrills all fluff book.

Wicked Business was very light hearted and almost childlike in writing. The story line makes you think of Stephanie Plum and Ranger with sexual tension between the two, the macho guy and the not so brave almost clutsy girl but that’s as far as the similarities go. And all the characters have some sort of magical mystery power. I wouldn’t call it fantasy just silly. Maybe this is there alter kid ego’s. Wicked Business was cute and silly. We all had to laugh at the hex Glo put on Hatchett.. All he could do is fart. She did reverse that one. Kinda stinky ya know. Gotta love Carl the monkey with his unique personality and how he’s able to understand the human language. He’s got to be one of a kind. I vaguely remember him showing up in one of the Stephanie Plum books but can’t remember which one. Unfortunately the characters and story line was lacking in this book compared to Evanovich’s other books.

The next to choose was Patrick and he wasn’t able to attend and emailed me to go to the next person.

And the next two weren’t present so it landed in Barbara’s lap who was present.

So her choice…………….imagine sound  of trumpets……

Dry by Augustin Burroughs

It’s a memoir. Sounds pretty interesting

She threw alternative book choice should you decide you just can’t read Dry or want to read both it’s up to you.

Both the below books are by Tatiana De Rosnay

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay

Goal Meeting date  will be Tuesday September 25^th .

Next to choose will be Patrick, Suzanne, Angie or Brenda. Each of you need to have a book ready just in case and everyone after that. You never know how far down the list I have to go.

So until next time …

Happy Reading……………

Your unofficial secretary/photographer

Carla

Fifty Shades of Grey Discussion 6/28/2012

So how do I ever rwrite about Lisa’s choice of books? Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James. Who needed discussion questions. Trust me when I say not this group of fun loving and out spoken ladies and gent had plenty to say. It was loud and wild. Yes this was a book for the records. It was provocative, erotic, and trashy. Several of the group had read all 3 books and others are reading book two and/or three as I write. With each book you learn more about the main character Christian Grey.

Some thought it was just plain and simple porn… hmmm maybe I don’t know and not worth reading but how do you know if you don’t read it. Obviously ladies around the world must not think it’s so bad. Sales for Fifty Shades have superseded Harry Potter, Hunger Games and Twilight. Crazy huh!

Several brought up the fact that if you had some kind of ereader no one knew what you were reading. Unlike me for example… I’m sitting in the patient room waiting on the doctor to come in.. he comes in, sits down at the little computer, starts looking over my file then glances over at the book sitting in my lap. The Doctor “So is that the book that’s all over the news and ladies are reading like crazy?” Me.. “Oh! Uhh yes.” And I flip the book over and drop into my purse on the floor. LOL. Oh well. Wonder what he was thinking after that?

I found myself cringing, crying and laughing with this book. Okay so no I’m not into the sex toys and games that Christian Grey was into but I found the book somewhat entertaining on different levels. Who am I to judge? Each book builds off the other and they do have a story line and it gets better. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I’m not into pain of any kinds so there’s no way you’ll find me thinking about trying any whips, chains or clamps etc. No Way.

Susan and Suzanne said that Christian Grey didn’t appeal to them because they prefer their men to have brains. Hey Christian didn’t sound stupid to me so his good looks were a bonus the way I look at it. The man ran several businesses and was rich beyond my wildest dreams at the age of 27.

No names mentioned to protect the innocent but 2 members had an interesting evening this past week.  They were driving by this bar when One said  “Did you know that bar is suppose to be a swingers bar? Really? What Kind of people go there?” So I'm not saying that they drove by 4 times to check it out or anything before they decided to park and watch.

So it’s one of those things where you had to be at the meeting to get it but we were all laughing hysterically at the story. There was more detail . Oh one couple that they saw go in was probably in their 70’s and dressed very nicely. See I mentioned the story and no names. 

There was all kinds of stories flying but to avoid incriminating those who shared or offending anyone who wasn’t my lips are sealed and my keyboard frozen. What goes on at the Book Club stays in the Book Club but oh my Lordy this is one meeting I won’t soon forget.  At first I thought I’d drop subtle hints like “Don’t leave your doors unlocked or Magic Jeanies laying around” but you had to be there to understand the meanings.

Ahh Dawnie is back with us! There’s never a dull moment with her around. Glad to have you back. For those of you who have never met Dawn this little girl came to WTS at the age of 18 and the stories we could tell if she doesn’t. LOL. You know what else? I didn’t know anything could make that girl blush. But she did Thursday. I mean she blushed. What!

No Way you say

. Well it happened. Love you Dawnie.

Lisa Roper said that since she hasn't been to a meeting in forever she told me she felt it was only right that she pass. So atrick was at the meeting and has been at most of the other but he too passed. He said he didn’t have a book  ready to go to the next person. The next person who was at the meeting was Susan so without further ado….. She has chosen “Wicked Business” by Janet Evanovich. Tentative meeting date is Thursday August 9^th.

This so called photographer left her camera bag in her office under her desk. I can’t believe I did that even now. So I did snap a few so so pictures on my phone. Sorry for the quality of my pictures.

Thanks Diana for saving the day by having your camera with you! Thanks Lisa for choosing such a wild book .

Thanks Suzanne for the use of your home.

 And Thank you Barbara for your compliments on my post about The Shack . It meant alot.

 Now Go buy your books … Next to choose will be Patrick, Suzanne, Angie. Or Barbara. Each of you should be ready with a book just in case I have to move down the list like I did this time.

In case you’re wondering why I skipped a few of the folks it’s because they haven’t been to a meeting in a long time but as soon as their schedule allows them to they will come back to us. When they do I’ll put them as one of the next to choose. We want you to come back to us girls. We miss you.

This is the email  version of the blog. It doesn't show pictures so you'll have to go to the actual website to see any pictures I inserted into the blog post.

On the website I'll post the current book choice, date and location in the left column. Hopefully I haven't made too many mistakes in this post but I do my best.   You can click on the title to go to actual website Or click  the following  http://wtsbookclub1997.blogspot.com/

Does anyone know of a good Thai restaraunt? Just asking......

So until I next meeting.... Happy Reading.

Your unofficial Secretary/Photographer

The Shack Book Discussion

If you weren’t at Lupe Tortilla’s for the discussion of Lauren’s book choice “The Shack” by William P. Young you were missed and you missed some good conversation and food.

Kathy was able to join us for the first time in a long time. It was great to have her back and she looked good. And I hope those folks were sick that evening are definitely feeling better by now.

The Shack provoked a lot of conversation. I had heard that you either liked this book or hated it. Keep in mind that this book was not meant to be Biblical it was only the story of one man’s experience. ;o)  Everyone present liked the book while they may not have agreed with the whole content. The consences of the group.. the book is about “relationships.”

You know me there are always books that make me dig for more info and this was one of them. The author felt that this book tells you more about him than you could ever read any where else. His life is partly revealed in both characters Willie and Mack and more. His whole life is about the Trinity and guess what “RELATIONSHIPS.” I read his blog , yes a blog to find out that he actually never intended to have the story published. He wrote it for his kids to understand his relationship with God. Mack is not a real person but Mac’s family members resemble William P's own family and friends. In his blog he reveals that the story is fiction but the emotional pain is real. He has a shack and said the conversations are real. William P. lost his 5 year old neice to an accident not a murder.
One of the reasons I think people have trouble with books like this is because they are controlled by their beliefs and have no room for options. If it’s different from what they are taught then it must be wrong.
A few points made in the book hit home with me

1.     Forgiving isn’t about forgetting; it’s about letting go of another person’s throat

2.     . Even though God can work incredible good out of unspeakable tragedies, it does not mean God caused it. Where there is suffering, you will find grace in many facets and colours.

3.     Jesus will travel any road to find his children. But only one road leads back to heaven

4.     We say: “Predators deserve judgment, their parents, too, for twisting them, and their parents, and on and on, until finally we go right back to Adam, and then, why not judge God? He started it all…isn’t God to blame for our losses? He could have not created, or he could have stopped the killer, but he didn’t.” If we can judge God so easily then, of course, we can judge the world. We must then (e.g.) choose two of our five children to go to heaven and three to go to hell, because that’s what we believe God does. Mack could not choose any one of his children because he loved them no matter what they did. So instead, he begged that he could go to hell for his children. This response is exactly what Jesus did. Mack judged well. He judged his children worthy of love, even if it cost him everything. This is how Jesus loves. ‘And now we know Papa’s heart.”

5.     Mack says: “I just can’t imagine any final outcome that would justify all this (pain, suffering etc).” Papa replies: “We’re not justifying it. We are redeeming it.”

6.     The different appearances of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were used to help Mack break his religious conditioning.

7.     You don’t have to worship in group or 4 walls to believe

An excerpt from his blog:  So is the story true?  The pain, the loss, the grief, the process,

                          the conversations, the questions, the anger, the longing, the secrets, the lies,

                        the forgiveness…all real, all true.  The story in particular… fiction… but….  

Then there is God who emerges so very real and true, unexpected and yet not

unexpected, but surprising and…

So… is all this real?  Is all this true?  I suppose each of us has to decide for ourselves, don’t we?

Next to choose was Lisa Rhodes and her book choice was “Fifty Shades of Grey” by EL James. Oh boy now this book ought to be interesting to discuss. We’ll tentatively set the meeting date for Thursday June 21^st which if 5 weeks out. So get that book and get to reading..  What a book to come after The Shack!

Next to choose will be Lisa Roper then Naomi, Pam or Patrick, Sandy or Susan. 

Everyone get your book and get to reading and everyone start thinking about what book you want the group to read because you never know when I might ask you to suggest a book if no one else before you is ready.

Here's the actual blog link but you can click on the title and it will take you to the blog site and you can see the pictures I took. 

Your unofficial secretary/photographer

http://wtsbookclub1997.blogspot.com/

The Ninth Wife and Nineteen Minutes Book Discussions

First off Ladies and Gents if you got this and are reading it in email form that means you activated you Feedburner Email Subscription. Yahoo!
Now if you click on the title above it will take you to the actual link and you’ll be able to click on the Photo Gallery Tab to see pictures and I’ll try to keep the Left Border up to date with the book, meeting date and location for you to view at anytime by going straight to the link http://wtsbookclub1997.blogspot.com/

If you save the link in your My Favorites you'll always be able to find and check out. 

On March 12^th we met up @ Zio’s to discuss Kathy’s book the Nineth Wife and Kris’s book Nineteen Minutes.
I have to be honest the night of the meeting I wasn’t able to contribute much since I had only read halfway through both books. I don't know what's the matter with me besides at the time I was working on the taxes but it just seems that I've been so sleepy once I get home from work that I'm lucky I don't fall asleep and fall face first in my plate. Wouldn't that be pretty?

The first book we they reviewed was The Ninth Wife by Amy Stolls. The title tells it all or does it? Why do you get married, why do some throw it away so fast, why do some stay in a married.... why why why?  What woman in her right mind would consider marrying a man who has been married 8 times prior?

One or two girls actually said the character Rory charmed them and said they would have married him and been his 9th wife too. Rory is definitely a charmer and it would have been easy to fall for him but I’d always be worried when he might someone who just needed his help and he’d think he’d have to marry them and leave me.  So is he a catch or not I just don’t know? So do you think he and Bess will make it for the long haul?  LOL We were suppose to review this book back in February but unfortunately Kathy, who chose the book was getting ready to have surgery and we decided to wait and combine this book with the next book hoping Kathy would be well enough to join us but unfortunately she wasn't. Some of the group claimed they are suckers for romance and thought this book was more realistic than some of the romance stories we've happened to read prior.  The group would recommend reading. We had a great turn out that night. There were 10 of us present.

The second book we they reviewed was Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. How long does it take to totally shatter the lives of the people in the small town of Sterling, NH? This book I finished the day after the meeting. I mean I had too. There was a twist that I didn't expect and I had to find out how that happened. This book is something you read or hear about in the news but pray to God it never hits near home.

Towards the end of the book one of the characters asked this question "What is your strongest memory of high school? 1/2 of us won't remember anything concrete and the other 1/2 will block it because it was too painful or embarrassing."  Can you relate?  
Most people grow up and realize these incidents in the grand scheme of things are just small pieces of the puzzle that molds us into what we are today while others who can't see the whole picture turn out like Peter.
I guess our reading group has turned out pretty good so we have dealt with our high school years. Thank God.
Kathy & Kris had a great turn out. I always look forward to an evening with my friends and lively conversation.

The next to choose was Lauren  and her book choice was The Shack by William P. Young. Don't delay. Get that book and get to reading.

Until our next meeting....  

Your Unofficial Secretary/Photographer 

.•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•. ✿ Happy Reading✿ .•*¨`*•. ☆ .•*¨`*•.

………… ....♥ •.Carla•´♥…………............…

Under Contruction