Accordion Crimes Novel by Annie Proulx hosted by Jan

Well while the book was not a big hit with everyone including Jan we still had good food and fun. Jan said this book came highly recommended but she not sure why. She can't wait to get hold of the person who recommended it to find out what it was that this person loved so much.  Jan will have to share her findings.




We welcomed a new member tonight...Jennifer. She already knew the way to our hearts was through our stomachs.  She made an awesome Italian Creme cake with Orange curd between the layers. Hmm I think that's what she said...Either way it was soooo good.  And I was told that Naomi will be coming back to join us. Will be great having her input.

This is Riley. He was hoping Lauren would give him more luvs and maybe drop a morsel of food his way. Sweet boy. His co-heart in crime was Lulu and she was the official greeter.

As always trying to catch pieces of the many conversations regarding the book is always fun.
Jan said this was full of raw sex, hard to read, but the book was interesting because of all the different windows you saw of so many immigrates but wanted know where the humor was in this book. 
Cheryl's not sure if she'll finish reading the book or not. She kept reading hoping for some happy ending. 
Brenny too was waiting for a happy story and Barbara felt the book too wordy.
Jennifer was waiting for a climax. She found no redeeming value.
Gaye said Nope to this book
The book jumped around too much and the writing seems to be disjointed. You could never get attached to a character. 

Maybe that's because you knew that the character was going to die a violent or grim death.

I went to read some other reviews and they pretty much said the same thing. Depressing, grim and hard to pick up after you stopped reading. No one is happy, not the characters nor the reader at this point. One reviewer said it was refreshing. From everything I heard and read I don't know that this book and the work refreshing belong in the same sentence. LOL

Jan did say that the Green accordian originated in Italy. And Hey Lisa Rhodes where was our accordian music. You were suppose to play for us.. Jan laughed and goes now that we've thoroughly slammed this book who picks our next book.

And the answer was/is Kathy.... TA..DA

LOL she feels the pressure of picking the next book is big. She was too worried trying to decide which book that she didn't finish this one. Poor Kathy.

Without further ado, Kathy's choice is "Why Not Me?" by Mindy Kaling.  Next meeting will be February 16th, 2017. Location to be determined later. So get that book and get to reading. Next to choose will be Lisa, Lauren, Pam, Patrick, Sandy, Susan, or Suzanne. Be ready folks.

Thanks everyone for coming out and thank you Jan for hosting in your home.
One Last thing....Happy 20th Anniversary WTS Book Club!

February 20, 1997

Can you believe it?  January 1997 our club was formed and on February 20 we had our first meeting. Brenny chose that first book "She Came Undone" by Wally Lamb. It was pouring down rain that night but it didn't stop this group. 
Thank you Jan for bringing us together.  Oh the adventures we have had and oh how we've changed


Until next meeting

Your unofficial secretary/photographer

Music for Chameleons: New Writings by Truman Capote hosted by Ed

Great evening folks. Small group but fun. Thanks to everyone who was able to come out to Tampico's to join Ed as we discussed his book choice Music for Chameleons: New Writings by Truman Capote 
Music for Chameleons is a collection of short stories fiction and non-fiction and for a couple that was fine but some not so fine. Kat wants more. She says short stories end to fast and don't go into a enough depth but she did like the stories she just wanted more out of them. LOL.
Brenny loved the Marilyn Monroe story best and Ed loved the Pearl Bailey story. Truman Capote's writing was simple, direct and grabbed your attention. Barbara and Jan loved all the stories except the Handcarved coffins but that was someone else's fav I  think. Jan hated the cliff hanger and how the story stopped abruptly.
After reading these short stories some were fascinated with Truman Capote's life and are ready to read "In Cold Blood" 

Couple of news making funnies for the night 

• Brenny may have broke her toe putting on her pants. the broken part not so funny.  
• learned her lesson and she won't be.....well.....what was said at the meeting will stay at the meeting. Should have been there.
• She actually READ the book and didn't just listen to it.

Drum rolllllllll please...

Jan's book choice is 

Accordion Crimes Novel by Annie Proulx 

Next book club meeting will be Thursday Dec 15th.  Location to be announced

Next to choose:  Kathy. Lisa, Pam, Patrick, Sandy, Susan, or Suzanne 

Be there or be square.  Maybe Lisa Rhodes will play us a tune on her accordion. Maybe jingle bells? It could happen.

Your unofficial secretary/photographer

Carla

The Far Empty Discussion hosted by Gaye

Another lovely evening with friends with a common bond...reading and laughter. Gaye wasn't expecting the so many to show up but was so happy to see everyone come out to discuss her book choice The Far Empty by J. Todd Scott. Even had a surprise return from Lauren who had been MIA due to school and work. Welcome back. Hopefully school won't interfere too much this year.
Everyone thought the book was a good read and didn't want to put the book down. It was a real page turner. My review on this one won't be that great because I'm still reading but this is what I got out of the discussion which was going every which way. LOL What's new.
It was agreed that the book was around Alpine Texas and probably actually the town of Marfa out in West Texas. The name was just changed to Murfee. Did I get that right? 
The book was bloody, evil, had death, crooked cops, and drug etc. The author is an Ex-DEA agent that threaded a good tale based on his own experiences. Everyone was a little surprised that this was a book that Gaye picked. I mean it was kind of gruesome and all the sex. LOL

The big question was "Did the Sheriff kill his wife" well the book never comes right and says but the group present said without a question he did.
Everyone agreed that Duane was the biggest villain in the book.

Thanks for picking this book, serving up some good food and conversation Gaye. Had a great time. Oh and I have to mention the awesome dessert. It was Brenny's recipe apparently that she had and while making for us tonight she

accidentally modified but it was so good and refreshing. She even cut me a piece to bring home and I sadly went off and left it. aauuughh! It had mandarin oranges and pineapple in it. I'm drooling just writing about it. Oh and remember Gaye you're suppose to share the recipe with everyone.


Next to choose was Ed. His choice was Music for Chameleons..New Writings by Truman Capote. Next meeting will be October 20th. Ed always pulls out the good ones for us to read. Get busy folks. This book has 4-5 short stories to enjoy.

At the October meeting the
Next to Choose will be:   Jan, Kathy. Lisa, Pam, Patrick, Sandy 

Until the next meeting ...

Your unofficial Secretary/Photographer

Carla

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman hosted by Cheryl

What a lovely evening. Sorry everyone couldn't make it out for the great conversation, food and as always great friendship.

Everyone loved Cheryl's choice "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman. It was one of those feel good kind of books. 

I personally wasn't so sure when I started reading it. Ove was driving me crazy with all his pet peeves about people and rules. I'm thinking to myself as I read good grief man you're only 59 and you're this big of a pain to everyone around you.  He's Oscar the Grouch. Black is Black and White is White, he's right and everyone else is wrong. 

Hmmm I think I know someone like this. 

Then I as I read I kept thinking okay where's the humor. Oh wait here's a man who's trying to kill himself and fails miserable every time. Between failed equipment, neighbors interfering, someones else's accident or that damn cat that keeps appearing. Or the the over weight neighbor who warms up the cat. And is.... well I won't say... won't spoil it for those who haven't read it yet.

Here's a man who appears to hate people but seems to draw them to like moth to a flame. 

And there's the love story side of the book. When he see's the girl and goes out of his way to be with her. And without her in his life, it's not worth living.

He's hard working and self motivating but computers and economy push him out of his job.

This book makes you think of that commercial someone commented where the man walks into the coffee shop all irritable at everyone and thinks they're stupid or cry babies whatever then he gains insight into their life and sees that the woman crying just lost her husband and another person just got word they had terminal cancer and another lost their job and has 3 kids to support.  My description is not the exact commercial but you get the idea. Basically next time you run into someone and think what a "JERK" give them the benefit of the doubt they may have been given bad news or had a rough day themselves.

This book brought about as all our books do many other conversations and examples of in our lives that paralleled the book in some little way.

One conversation went to politics. YIKES. Trump..... Clinton. Crap... The choices we have are ......... 

Thanks Jerry and Cheryl for opening up your lovely home to this rowdy crowd. LOL

Now for Gaye's Choice.....  "The Far Empty" by J. Todd Scott        (Pam you may be in trouble this book has 448 pages so if you enlarge the words you could end up with 700-800 pages.. Love you  LOL)     

Our next meeting will be Thursday, August 18th

Location TBA later

Next to Choose:  Ed, Jan, Kathy. Lisa, Pam

Get out there. get your book and start reading. You have 448 pages to read. Till August.

Your unofficial Secretary/Photographer

Carla

The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman hosted by Deborah

Well this book meeting was supposed to be back in March but it was over shadowed by our good friend Cindy's death and then the floods. I for one missed her Memorial service which I hate because I would have loved hearing more stories from everyone about Cindy. I always smile when I think of Cindy and think of the stories I have heard like how she got her job at WTS. Or her running late and wearing a very inappropriate Tshirt to the airport to catch a flight home to have everyone staring at her at the airport until she realized why. To make things worse it was a Baptist church retreat group on that flight. Or the stories of some of you girls going to the rodeo and maybe having too much to drink. Y'all would never do a thing like that now would you?
I'll miss Cindy and her animated stories and craziness with her heart of goodness and that laugh. Oh how she hated pictures. Just a few of the faces we came to love through the years. RIP Cindy we love you.

So last night was a very pleasant evening at Teotihuacan Mexican Cafe. We started off outside this time.  So much easier to hear plus we had a special guest.
This white dove stayed around for whole time. Was it a sign? Was it by chance?

The Dove wasn't afraid and she/he wasn't begging for food it was just hanging out watching.

Sorry Diana it was you or the Dove. And I chose to keep you in focus.

This was the crowd that made it out for discussion of The Light Between Oceans. Everyone loved the book. They felt the book gripping and sad but not so much depressing. Several thought it would make a great movie. LOL Lo and behold Deborah announced that a movie is being released this fall, in September I think. Everyone loved the book. The author had a way  of tying everything together. Stedman paints a beautiful landscape that makes you feel you're there with the characters an the characters seem to come off the pages.

This book provided a love story, loss, desperation, morality and consequences. You haven't finish or didn't start reading you need too.

Deborah picked a winner folks

Okay Cheryl was ready with a book and her choice is

A Man call Ove by Fredrik Backman. Our next meeting was suppose to be in May but due to the lateness of this one we thought we'd push the next meeting to the 2nd Thursday of June. That would be June 9th. So Aim for that date Ladies and Gents. That's 6 weeks away. Slowly we'll try to get back on our regular schedule before Christmas. Slowly.

Next to Choose:  Ed, Gaye, Jan, Kathy. Lisa

Your unofficial secretary/Photographer

PS:  Here's a couple of books that folks suggested to put on your reading list. Not for book club just for yourself if you want.  Just FYI
1.  The Lilac Girls  by Martha Hall Kelly
2.  The Book Thief   by  Markus Zusak

The Shadow in the Wind host by Denise

Fun nite at a new location for book club discussion. Thanks Denise. Thanks to all who braved the downtown area to join Denise for the discussion of her book The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

And yes that's Susan Schultz with us. Long time no see her and Lisa Rhodes. So good to have them join us.

Denise found the book by googling book club books and liked the story line then chose the restaurant because it was Spanish based. It was new and a learning experience for all of us.  Loved it that Denise hadn't even finished her own book.
Jan said that when Daniel met Clara it felt very sensual. I can't remember the exact how it happened but Jan was at the Y and found a fellow reader who loved the book also.
Diana said that Spanish writers tend to be more sensual when they write. Then Barbara loved that it was a book about a book.  Everyone loved the book and I think everyone enjoyed the food and atmosphere.
This book was perfect for our group since we all have a passion for reading of all kinds, a little love, a little mystery, courage, sensual, hateful, suspenseful you name it and we're there there. Did it suck you into the story, were you part of the story?

If you haven't finished I hope you do.

Deborah didn't get to join us but I did have her book announcement. 
Her choice is The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman
Next Meeting Thursday March 17th. Mark your calendars and get your books! AND Start Reading.

Next to choose will be Cheryl, Ed, or Gaye, Jan, or Kathy 

Until next meeting...