2019 05-06 The Wedding Tree by Robin Wells hosted Pam

What a special evening! Not only did we have our usually good conversation of the book and everything else, we had good food but we had a special guest! Our special guest was Robin Wells herself, the author. She fit in quite well with our group. Thank you Pam and Susan S. for making this happen! And a Big Thank to Robin Wells for joining us!  Pam had a great turn out for the discussion of her book choice The Wedding Tree even with the weather being so crazy. The weather cooperated and we were able to sit outside by the pool.  We had a couple extra folks join us at the discussion... Andrew and Sarah (Pam's husband and her daughter.) 
 Thank you Andrew for taking our group picture!

I was so interested in what Robin was telling us I forgot to take good notes and some of them got smudged from water. She always knew she wanted to be a writer. Having both parents being librarians probably had something to do with that. She did work in other jobs plus be a wife and a Mom when she began to truly write As her daughter started growing up Robin decided she had to be true to herself and become a writer if she wanted to instill that same quality into her daughter. She started writing silhouette books that ran around 200 pages because anything bigger scared her. She started in Romance and has moved Women's fiction.
Robin told us a cute story about her parents. They met in Oklahoma and only dated a few weeks before he was shipped out. He sent a letter I believe with money so that Robin's grandmother could go by an engagement ring to give to Robin's Mom. They were engaged by mail. Together they decided that 1 week after his return from the war they would be married. And the rest is history.

She wrote a book called the French War Bride that has the character Addy from The Wedding Tree. Some of the girls started reading it already thinking it was a prequel.  Robin has a new book coming out September 2020 called She gets That From Me.

Suzanne had already decided she didn't like the book before reading it by the title.  LOL but guess what she loved the book especially since it was set in Louisiana. Actually everyone loved the book.
I took a cue from Brenny who tends to always listen to our books if she can so I tried since my drive to doctors and grocery put me in the car for a while. Problem was i didn't want to stop listening when I got to my destination. I wanted to know what happened next and like everyone else i wanted to know what was in the suit case Charlie buried. I found myself laughing out loud right off when Addy started talking to her "mother" floating on the ceiling and the banter between Matt and Hope.

The Wedding Tree was a story of love and obsession from WWII, new budding romance, it was funny, sad and even tragic at times. Definitely recommend.

No one present and on the list had a book choice so I announced a book.. (I then remembered Barbara had texted me a choice. Oops. Barbara keep that choice handy)

My choice was Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens... Next meeting will be in July sometime. Details to be announce at a later date.
Next to choose: Kathy, Lisa, Patrick and Sandy, Susan or Suzanne, Barbara, Brenda.

Just because your name is way down the list doesn't mean I won't be calling on you to choose.  Just like tonight no one had a book ready. Always have a book choice tucked away in your notes in case I call on you.

I wish had an editor to keep me in line when blogging about book discussion.
Until next meeting....

 Your now official secretary/photographer after 22 years. LOL

2019 02-16 Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood Meeting

Jan's meeting was great. We got see Jan's place in Round Top, have good food, be with good friends, and some good conversation. When has conversation ever been a problem with this group. LOL
It was nice to have the meeting in her home. It was easy to hear and comfortable.
Jan picked Alias Grace because she had picked it up at a friends house and couldn't put it down.

Alias Grace is the true story of the 19th century alleged murder by Grace Marks.
Some found it hard to follow at first then they were hooked.

Grace was convicted of killing her employer and his mistress along with a co-worker at a young age around 15. The true story was lost in all the publicity. There was question whether the trial was tainted by her age, her sex or because she was rich.

No definitive answer whether she did or didn't do it. But then what about the hypnosis session at the end of the book? Yet no one is sure if she did it or not.

 Everyone had a great afternoon in Round Top.



Dogs too.  LOL















Thanks to Jan for Hosting and Thanks all of you made it to the meeting. Hope we can do more of this kind of meeting.




The next to choose was Pam. Her book choice is the Wedding Tree by Robin Wells.
Everyone get your book and get to reading.

Next to Choose:  Ed, Jennifer, Kathy, Lisa, Patrick and Sandy, Susan or Suzanne, Barbara, Brenda 

If one of the above is not ready I just go down the list until I find someone who has a book ready to announce at the meeting. So everyone should have a book ready for every meeting. Even Me. LOL

Happy Reading
Until next meeting..... 

2018 11-01 Eleanor Olifant by Gail Honeyman hosted by Gaye Marie

As I was unable to attend our friend Kathy provided me some info from the meeting. But alas no pictures.
Kathy read the book online and at the end there was an interview with the author that she found quite interesting..........but was able to copy and I couldn't find the interview to share. And she was unable to share it with me. We tried.

Everyone who attended and maybe some others might appreciate the authors thought process. Kathy
Thank you to those who were able to make to Gaye's home.  Diana, Jan, Brenda & Kathy. And Thank you Gaye for trying to accommodate everyone.

Kathy felt the discussion showed everyone felt bad for Eleanor and admired her strength to work through what must have been a traumatic childhood.

Kathy liked the way the author showed Eleanor's growth - going from practically being a robot 
(as her way of coping) to starting to embrace her self worth.     Kathy 

Eleanor was blunt and quirky.  She depended on vodka to get through the weekend. Her co-workers laughed and talked about her but no one knew her secrets. The book was a bit on the dark side yet some laughed and some cried and sometimes all at the same time. 

In a review that I read the reviewer compared Eleanor to Sheldon in the TV show "The Big Bang Theory." What do you think?

Thank you Gaye and everyone in attendance.

Jan announced her book choice Alias, Grace by Margaret Atwood. Date and location to TBD.  

Next to Choose:   Ed, Jennifer, Kathy, Lisa, Pam, Patrick,  Sandy, Susan or Suzanne 

Hopefully one of the above will be at the meeting and ready to announce a book!

You slacker Secretary/Photographer
Carla

2018 08-30 SOUP by Jon Gordon hosted by Diana

Well Ladies and Gents
I can't report on the actual meeting since I wasn't there but here's what I know about the book.
Soup by Jon Gordon was a learning book. A book to help inspire. Build your team, your company and even yourself up. Look for the pros not the cons. 
A positive environment is always better and more productive than a negative one.
Everyone that went to this meeting brought a soup to share. I hear they had some tasty soups. Like when do we turn down food. 

I can come back and add to this post once Cheryl and Diana come up for air and give me some insight to the meeting that night. 

Sorry I was a slacker that night and couldn't be there but life happens.

I was able to find out that Gaye announced the next book. Her choice was Eleanor Oliphant by Gail Honeyman. Her meeting is scheduled for October 18th at her home.

Next to Choose:  Ed, Jan, Jennifer, Kathy, Lisa, Pam, Patrick,  Sandy, Susan or Suzanne 

Hopefully one of the above will be at the meeting and ready to announce a book!

That's it for now. Hugs everyone
Your MIA secretary/photographer
Carla

2018 06-21 Warlight by Michael Ondaatje hosted by Denise A.

Fun evening as always with friends who like to read and discuss a book over dinner. Okay so maybe we discuss more than just the book but hey we have to catch up on what everyone has been up to.

Some short notions from the actual meeting.
Denise thought the women in the daughters life were very interesting. She also liked how the author built up the characters.
Brenny liked the book but it was a dark read.
Everyone felt sorry for the kids and how they were damaged.
It was obvious that the Moth and the Mother knew each other prior.

Warlight is about 2 young adults named Rachel and Nathaniel, who were left by their parents in the care of a man they called The Moth that lived in their complex . The parents just leave for Singapore due to work, only the mother doesn't take her travel trunk. What the heck? Who is this man that their parents left them with and where are their parents really?

There are all kinds of assorted types of people that enter into their lives. One even has Nathaniel help him smuggle greyhounds for a racing business.
As Nathaniel gets older he becomes more curious about their parents disappearance and their part in the war efforts. He tries to piece together the story via his own imagination and information he finds to create a story. The word Warlight suggests a muted or poorly light situation hence the well titled book..

So ends another good evening of friends getting together to share their love of reading and laughing.

At that time Diana announced her book choice called "Soup" by Jon Gordan. 

The next to choose would be..Ed  Gaye  Jan  Jennifer, Kathy, Lisa, Pam, Patrick and Sandy  ... 

Always have a book ready. Never know when we may skip to you. 

Your Secretary/Photographer 

Carla

2018 02-15 Born a Crime by Trevor Noah hosted by Cheryl Fee

It was a beautiful night to sit out on the 4th floor balcony at the Fee home until the wind picked up and it got a little chilly. My picture doesn't do the night view justice but it was there. Cheryl said there's always a breeze which I'm sure is a blessing on the warmer evenings.
Thanks again to Cheryl and Jerry for hosting the book club in their beautiful home. I was actually proud of myself and Sandy we went up the 4 flights of stairs and down was the easier part. Even if we did it 2 flights at a time going up. Woo woo

Cheryl chose this book with the goal of finding some humor and light reading after the last book that didn't end so well. At the same time everyone did Like the last book "We Were Liars". And everyone love Born a Crime too.
Every one's first comment was I thought the Mother was dead. "I mean she took a bullet to the head" and then the next thing you know there she was was. She had faith and a strong will.  I believe Trevor had a way of testing that faith. Everyone admired the Mother and how she taught Trevor to handle life.  Instead of resentment or self pity he found the humor in the situation at hand even with an abusive step father and poverty against him.

Everyone wanted the gaps filled in like

• how'd he get from S. Africa to TV
• how'd he get from the tough crowd to the straight and narrow

There were laughs about how the Mother always said Jesus wants us to to this. Really?!

or The church Stories.

Trevor learned to work the society's system of black, white and colored.

He was colored with his Black African mother and White Swiss Father. Hence the crime. They would have gone to jail if discovered and Noah an orphanage. 

He was colored by complexion but affiliated to the black culture and spoke like 4 languages.
Wow.

Who knew the Township was the ghetto? This book offers diversity, inspiration, humor and knowledge through Trevor's young and growing eyes of South Africa's history.

If you haven't read or finished you should.

Say a prayer or two for a speedy recovery for Deborah. Her dog tripped her and she had to have emergency surgery on her knee but she did have a book ready and I announced at the meeting.............Drum roll...........................

Deborahs book choice is Origin by Dan Brown.

Our next meeting will be April 19th. Hope to see you then. Location to be announced.

Next to choose will be Denise or Diana  Ed  Gaye  Jan  Jennifer, Kathy 

Your Secretary/Photographer 

Carla

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart hosted by Sandy

Wow I just realized I never posted a review of the evening from Sandy's book choice We Were Liars by E. Lockhart and God help me I can't even find my notes of the evening. I do have some pictures in the picture gallery posted. Wow what a slacker I am.  Sorry Sandy.
Cheryl offered up her new home to Sandy to have the meeting and Sandy gratefully accepted. It was a lovely evening and yummy food. There was some lively conversation and as always it spiraled into many other directions. I love our group. 20 years of friendship and a common bond of reading even though a few of us have been slacking in the reading part.
The publisher had hoped that this young adult book would crossover and appeal to the adult reader and I think the publisher won.  Sandy had warned everyone not to read reviews or the cover of the book in fear of a spoilers.  I found where promotional material urged the readers to "just lie" about the ending to avoid spoiling it for everyone. So I'm not sure how much I should write here.

Everyone did love the book except maybe one person and she had a reason but since I can't find my notes I can't tell you why. Geez
The book was told by a young teen named Cadence who tells of her life and times before her 15th summer on the island. That's when the accident happens and she can't remember anything and no one else will disclose what happened. And I won't either.  You'll have to read the book or finish if you didn't already.

It's a book worth reading. Easy read with a twisted, quirky ending.

It's Cheryl's turn to pick! Cheryl's Choice is...... Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. Next meeting will be Thursday, February 15, 2018  at Cheryl's home.

Next to Choose:  Deborah, Denise or Diana  Ed   Gaye  Jan  Jennifer  ... 

Thanks to all for making it a great evening and our 20th year a good one. Here's to another 20. Damn I'll be old.

Your unofficial secretary/photographer 
Carla

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