Books Appétit

Book Club at Marianna's

2012-02-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

We had a super time at Marianna's home Thursday night!

She made us a lovely tomato soup, salad and warm soft rolls. Then served us a warm raspberry rhubarb cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

We had a great discussion and were unanimous in our love for the book!

See you next month @ Kristie's home to review Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

February Book Club Info

2012-01-27T22:50:00.006-07:00

Marianne is hosting book club for us!

I loved this book and can't wait to talk about it.

See you Thursday Feb 2nd @ 7:00pm

You will be receiving an email with her address. If you don't get it let me know.

See you there!

January Book Club!

2012-01-27T22:43:00.001-07:00

January was a super fun book club. Stephanie hosted and since we were discussing In the Garden of Beasts she treated us to some delicious German food...

(Love these bottles by the way)

This picture does not do these German chocolate brownies justice --

they were soooo good!

My camera was a little wacky and out of focus but here are the lovely ladies...

Kara, Kristie & Bethany

Shannon, Heidi & Stephanie

We all loved the book. It was nice to read a non-fiction book. We all enjoyed the change of pace from the fiction we usually ready, and decided variety is good.
This book in particular was well written and we all recommend it.

The book isn't all we discussed though

we also discussed

And these...

Thanks so much Stephanie for hosting and Bethany for reviewing!!

See you next month at Marianne's house. I'll send an e-mail out with her address.

2012-01-27T21:43:00.000-07:00

Book Club Christmas Party!!

Shannon, Britney, Robyn, Kara, Heidi, Stephanie, Bethany, Brenda & Kristie

We had such a great time at out Christmas Party.

So sit back and enjoy the pictures!

First let's start off with the food...

We had a lovely spread of goodness as you can see! We grazed all night long.

And now for the close ups of all the goodies:

We held our world famous white elephant exchange...

Who doesn't want a sweatshirt?

Never mind that they protested about the Springville Rec. Center...

A super cute make-up case -- that inspires too!

Josie Grossie made an appearance much to the delight of everyone!

Soooooo sexy!

Shannon rocked the purple pom pom's.

Now one more time with feeling...

Brenda will be prepared come rain or shine!

Kara got this great pair of boots which were promptly stolen by Kristie

Britney was trying to keep Bjorn from stealing her treats!

Next Kara opened this sweet t-shirt! Look how happy she is!

She promptly had that stolen by Bethany. Also please notice that Stephanie's eyes are closed :)

Stephanie is super excited about window clings and even more excited about...

cigarettes?

Perhaps you should talk to your bishop Stephanie...

Just sayin'

2011 was another great year of good books, good food and good friends!

Thanks ladies for making the first Thursday of every month

the best Thursday of every month!

Book Club at Stephanie's

2011-12-31T14:54:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars ladies! It's just about time for the first book club of 2012:

Thursday, January 5th. 7 pm. At Stephanie's

The food will be yummy. And German.

(rsvp via comments or email so I know how many to plan for. thanks!)

A few recipes

2011-12-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here are the recipes from November's book club.

Kale and White Bean Soup with Parmesan

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
6 c. chicken stock
3 c. water
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1 pound kale, chopped
1 pound canned white beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
Saute the onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, and rosemary until the onion becomes soft, about 5 minutes.
Add stock and water (and a parmesan rind if you have it) and bring to a boil.
Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
Add grated parmesan, kale,and beans and simmer for another 10 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.

Pumpkin Fudge
(click on the picture to go to the link)

Salted Pumpkin Caramels
(click on the photo for the link)

These are also on my "Sweets" board on Pinterest

2011-11-22T10:51:00.001-07:00

It's time for the Holly Jolly Christmas Party!!

Thursday, December 1st

7:00PM

Heidi's Home

Bring a dish to share and a white elephant gift

We will play some games, eat some food, and laugh a lot!

Hope to see you there!

Book Club at Britney's

2011-11-05T23:53:00.001-06:00

We had a great time at book club! Britney must have slaved all day to make all this delicious food! Feast you eyes on all the goodness and see what we enjoyed.

Yummy salad and artichoke bites

The cutest salt and pepper shakers ever and a hearty white bean and kale soup

Caramels and pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin fudge and a divine spice cake with buttermilk syrup and warm peaches. And I have to point out that while enjoying the pumpkin fudge I didn't notice the face on the plate and was alarmed as I loaded these pictures to see an eye staring back at me! :)

Now for the highlight of the post. But fist I must explain...

You see we only took two pictures of our lovely members. One picture of half the group and another of the other half. The problem is that one picture was super blurry and in the other one half of us didn't look so hot.

Plus there were cries for photoshop from some women if they didn't look great.

So the result is...

are you ready for it?

First let's start with our beauty queen of a hostess Britney

Isn't she radiant?

Now for the rest of "red hot readers"

And lastly the flappers...

You may be wondering where Shauna and Shannon were.

Well, they dogged us for bigger and better things.

See you next month at the Christmas Party!!

Oh and Christie we miss you!!

Book Club at Brenda's

2011-11-03T09:20:00.000-06:00

Well since November book club it tonight i guess it's high time I posted the pictures from book club in October. Brenda hosted and we enjoyed some great food and conversation! We stayed pretty late and had book club hangovers in the morning. Thanks Brenda!

Stephanie, Shannon, Heidi (back row)
Bethany, Brenda, Kristie, Britney & Bjorn - okay I just love his expression! (front row)

Book Club Next Week!

2011-10-26T08:00:00.001-06:00

Book Club at my house (Britney's) next week!

We'll be reviewing "The History of Love"

Come ready to have some fun and have some food.

Please give me a heads up so I can plan for numbers.

Thanks!

Can't wait to see all of you!

Hope you have a Happy Halloween!!!

Drum Roll Please...

2011-10-07T16:43:00.000-06:00

We are reading...

January:

February:

March:

April:

May:

June:

The list of who is hosting/reviewing is on the sidebar

It's that time of the Month! No, not "that" time...time for Book Club!

2011-09-28T21:23:00.003-06:00

Hey Ladies....looking forward to our monthly meeting and the discussion of another great reading selection! For those of you who can't remember where I live, one word...DUH! For those that will claim they remember and just need a little reminder, firstly...shame on you for fibbing and secondly, I will send you and e-mail. As always, come hungry for yummy delights for the taste buds and even more yummy delights for your noggin as we discuss our read for the month. Can't wait to see everyone! Best...B

My Picks...

2011-09-28T19:21:00.003-06:00

Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2011: Every day Christine wakes up not knowing where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he's obligated to explain their life together on a daily basis--all the result of a mysterious accident that made Christine an amnesiac. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. One morning, she opens it and sees that she's written three unexpected and terrifying words: "Don't trust Ben." Suddenly everything her husband has told her falls under suspicion. What kind of accident caused her condition? Who can she trust? Why is Ben lying to her? And, for the reader: Can Christine’s story be trusted? At the heart of S. J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep is the petrifying question: How can anyone function when they can't even trust themselves? Suspenseful from start to finish, the strength of Watson's writing allows Before I Go to Sleep to transcend the basic premise and present profound questions about memory and identity. One of the best debut literary thrillers in recent years, Before I Go to Sleep deserves to be one of the major blockbusters of the summer. --Miriam Landis

Amazon Best Books of the Month, November 2010: From Laura Hillenbrand, the bestselling author of Seabiscuit, comes Unbroken, the inspiring true story of a man who lived through a series of catastrophes almost too incredible to be believed. In evocative, immediate descriptions, Hillenbrand unfurls the story of Louie Zamperini--a juvenile delinquent-turned-Olympic runner-turned-Army hero. During a routine search mission over the Pacific, Louie’s plane crashed into the ocean, and what happened to him over the next three years of his life is a story that will keep you glued to the pages, eagerly awaiting the next turn in the story and fearing it at the same time. You’ll cheer for the man who somehow maintained his selfhood and humanity despite the monumental degradations he suffered, and you’ll want to share this book with everyone you know. --Juliet Disparte

Amazon Best Books of the Month, May 2011: In the Garden of Beasts is a vivid portrait of Berlin during the first years of Hitler’s reign, brought to life through the stories of two people: William E. Dodd, who in 1933 became America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s regime, and his scandalously carefree daughter, Martha. Ambassador Dodd, an unassuming and scholarly man, is an odd fit among the extravagance of the Nazi elite. His frugality annoys his fellow Americans in the State Department and Dodd’s growing misgivings about Hitler’s ambitions fall on deaf ears among his peers, who are content to “give Hitler everything he wants.” Martha, on the other hand, is mesmerized by the glamorous parties and the high-minded conversation of Berlin’s salon society—and flings herself headlong into numerous affairs with the city’s elite, most notably the head of the Gestapo and a Soviet spy. Both become players in the exhilarating (and terrifying) story of Hitler’s obsession for absolute power, which culminates in the events of one murderous night, later known as “the Night of Long Knives.” The rise of Nazi Germany is a well-chronicled time in history, which makes In the Garden of Beasts all the more remarkable. Erik Larson has crafted a gripping, deeply-intimate narrative with a climax that reads like the best political thriller, where we are stunned with each turn of the page, even though we already know the outcome. --Shane Hansanuwat

my book nominations

2011-09-27T21:45:00.001-06:00

Here are my suggestions for this round of voting....

East of Eden by John Steinbeck

From Goodreads:
"The masterpiece of one of the greatest American writers of all time. East of Eden is an epic tale of good vs. evil with many biblical references and parallels. The story is ultimately that of good's triumph over evil and the human will's ability to make that happen."
I have heard from several people who have read it that they loved it.

Re-nominating from last time.....

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks

From Goodreads:

"When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes we follow the story of the fateful year of 1666, as she and her fellow villagers confront the spread of disease and superstition. As death reaches into every household and villagers turn from prayers to murderous witch-hunting, Anna must find the strength to confront the disintegration of her community and the lure of illicit love. As she struggles to survive and grow, a year of catastrophe becomes instead annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders."

Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged hill country of England, Year of Wonders is a richly detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. Written with stunning emotional intelligence and introducing "an inspiring heroine" (The Wall Street Journal), Brooks blends love and learning, loss and renewal into a spellbinding and unforgettable read. "

AND

My Antonia by Willa Cather

From Goodreads:

"First published in 1918, and set in Nebraska in the late 19th century, this tale of the spirited daughter of a Bohemian immigrant family planning to farm on the untamed land ("not a country at all but the material out of which countries are made") comes to us through the romantic eyes of Jim Burden. He is, at the time of their meeting, newly orphaned and arriving at his grandparents' neighboring farm on the same night her family strikes out to make good in their new country. "

It's Time to Vote Again!!

2011-09-05T12:57:00.000-06:00

It's time to vote once again.

So break out your "to read" lists and make some suggestions.

I'll have the ballots ready to go so we can vote at Brenda's next month.

Oh, and there were a few requests to see Robyn's new tattoo up close so here it is...

September Book Club

2011-09-05T12:47:00.001-06:00

Greeting from Shauna's!

Shauna, Heidi, Shannon, Kristie, Stephaine, Kara & Kara's Mama

A good time was had by all at Book Club Wednesday night. I was so distracted by the food and good conversation that I forgot to take pictures of all the beautiful women. But I did get pictures of the food--I think I may have been hungry! :) And you will be too looking at the photos!

Once again I am requesting recipes!! Shauna you have to help a girl out!

We discussed Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. It got mixed reviews with some thinking it was a sweet book and other not liking it at all.

We missed those of you who weren't there and hope to see you all decked out next month...

at Brenda's house to review Room

See you there!!

August Book Club

2011-09-05T12:27:00.000-06:00

In August Bethany hosted a great book club. We had some amazing food as usual and had a really great discussion about The Forgotten Garden.

We agreed that it was a perfect summer read and we were pretty keen on how the book covered three generations. Although the ending was a bit Hollywood we enjoyed it overall.

Stephanie & Bethany

Britney (with sweet Bjorn) & Shauna

Heidi & Shannon

The food really was delish and I hope some recipes will be posted Bethany!! Especially for that Russian Creme!

Enjoy the pictures and drool away...

INVITE

2011-08-30T22:24:00.004-06:00

Book Club Wednesday night (August 31st) At Shauna's
I'm pretty sure you girls know where I live? (I think you've all been here?)
same time 7:00 pm same place (I never move)
See you then (I hope)

Book Club at Shauna's

2011-08-28T15:47:00.004-06:00

It turns out I have a Tuesday and Thursday class this semester that will be right during book club. Bummer! I was hoping we might be able to make our meeting that will be at my house this month on Wednesday or Friday this week instead of Thursday? Does anyone have a suggestion? Sorry about the late notice but perhaps we can work this whole thing out! Let me know then I'll let you know. Thanks. Shauna

Quick, yet thought-provoking read

2011-07-14T05:02:00.002-06:00

I grabbed Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo to read while we were traveling. I have to admit that the writing isn't anything to rave about, but what Todd's 4-year-old son, Colton has to share is. I found it very interesting. It's also helping me keep that bigger picture perspective and appreciate my kids more.

Has anyone else read it? What did you think?

Book Club at Stephanie's

2011-06-10T12:20:00.001-06:00

Book club was as wonderful as ever! Stephanie made the most delicious dinner! The recipes are in the post below as I am sure most of you have seen. I made all of it for my family and it tasted great. All except the cake which for some reason didn't work for me but I will be trying it again!!

Enjoy the photos and relive the good food! mmmmmm

We had a pretty good discussion about the book. There was some division about the love for this month's book selection, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley. But there were no punches thrown by Shauna this month and Stephanie didn't have to call the police.

Here are the lovely ladies...

And then because were were in front of a fireplace again we had to mix it up a little!

Because after all eeeevery one loves Robyn! (and her new tattoo)

And just for fun check this out!

Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes

2011-06-04T21:34:00.000-06:00

photo via Favorite Family Recipes

Before I forget, here are the links to the recipes I used for dinner on Thursday:

Pork Barbacoa Salad (including rice, beans, dressing, & guacamole) -click HERE-

1-minute salsa -click HERE-

Coconut Tres Leches Cake -click HERE-

Thanks for coming!!

Some Fun with Covers!

2011-06-03T20:11:00.000-06:00

Book Club this thursday: be there or be square!!

2011-05-30T23:05:00.000-06:00

Stephanie's house @ 7:00

We'll have good food.

There'll be good conversation.

I'll even bring out my kids' hand puppets in case anyone feels like putting on an impromptu show.

I'm pretty sure there won't be any dead bodies.

Will you be there?

Book Club At Christie's

2011-05-09T11:05:00.000-06:00

Ah just look at these women! They are all beautiful!

Christie hosted book club one last time before she's off to Germany. Christie we are going to miss you! You are our founder -- and the one who always has great lines to share from the books we read. We all wish you and your family safe travels!

We had a super discussion about Cutting For Stone. We all really enjoyed the book and found that there were so many things to discuss. From family, medical procedures,and ethics to how immigration and geography shape our destiny. I know I always love hearing everyone's perspective.

We had a pot luck for book club this month and everything was perfect. Here is a sampling of the tasty treats we enjoyed:

And of course -- as always -- I failed to get shots of the desserts. We had a lemon cream pie and strawberry shortcake.

Once again here we are -- our shot from above!

Bethany, Kara, Robyn, Heidi, Shannon (w/ baby Bjorn)

Shauna, Christie, Britney

See you next month @Stephanie's for our review of The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

Book Club is Thursday!!

2011-05-02T17:46:00.000-06:00

Book Club is Thursday night

At Christie's Home

7:30 PM

Bring a dish to share

See you there!!

April Book Club @ Kara's

2011-05-02T13:10:00.001-06:00

Better late than never right?

Kara hosted in April and made the most delicious pasta with asparagus! i mean REALLY! It was sooo good. Kara I really hope you post the recipe because I want to make this - especially since the weather is finally feeling a bit like spring salad weather instead of hot soup weather.

The salad was wonderful too! What I don't have a picture of is the deadly bread. There is a shot of a slice of the killer bread in the next shot however.

The reason teh bread was so deadly is that when Bethany went to cut the loaf the crispy crust was a little slippery and the knife slid off the bread and sliced open Bethany's finger. While Bethany was getting first aid help from Kara I picked up the knife to slice the bread and what should happen!? Yep, the knife slid and sliced through my finger as well. So I too had to go see nurse Kara for some help.

Finally Kara pushed us all aside and said "let me do it you wimps!"

And then we all had nicely sliced bread.

Whew!

We also had super tasty peanut butter brownies and lemon bars.

We had a great discussion about The Boy in Striped Pajamas. I would say that the general consensus was that the book could have been much better. We thought it was weak on driving home the horror of the holocaust and the main character was too immature and unrealistic.

Finally here we are fashionable and having a great time!

We'll see you Thursday at Christie's @ 7:30!!

May 5th's Book Club

2011-04-28T22:07:00.000-06:00

I am hoping that one of you lovely ladies would be willing to host book club for me on May 5th. I am not able to do it. I know that several of you aren't able to, but I am hoping one of you can. So sorry it is such short notice. Thank so much.
Mariana

And you thought YOU had a wait a long time for these pics?

2011-04-19T21:50:00.008-06:00

Well, we had to wait even longer in line to get them!

Let's just say all of those pictured above weren't quite strong enough to stand for that long without food. Because Mr. Zusak was so nice and personable and took such a long time with each of his die-hard fans, we concluded that the library could have funded his visit by simply selling some refreshments.

He was offered a couple A& Ws, as you can see,

along with Brick Oven pizza (which smelled SO good) that he didn't even touch. Maybe he was too nice to eat in front of us. Or maybe in his time zone, it was the middle of the night, and he wasn't starving like us.

Dear Kara,

Here's to love,

colours

and

BOOKS. . .

Marcus Zusak

Dear Christie,

Thank you! (smiley face balloon)

Here's to accordions and books...

Markus Zusak

If I hadn't been so hungry and tired, I could've thought to have said something clever like, "If you were serious about moving here, I know of a cute, little place for sale with a nice view of the mountains." I could've also mentioned that I was moving to GERMANY! Oh, well.

We decided that Shauna got the best entry of all.

I think hers says:

Dear Shauna,

Thanks for leaving. The rest of us had pizza. No--seriously, thanks for coming.

Marcus Zusak

2011-04-05T22:06:00.000-06:00

Book Club is Thursday Night (the 7th)

Kara's house - 7:00

We are reviewing The Boy in Stripped Pajamas.

See you there!

RSVP

Problems not so Problematic

2011-03-29T14:27:00.003-06:00

According to New York Times Best Seller Markus Zusak, he doesn't have a high IQ or a great imagination. "I try to do the simple things well....I just have a lot of problems."

With no written speech in hand, a great sense of humor, and fun Australian accent, 35-year-old Zusak candidly shared stories about problems he's had with his big brother, his writing, and becoming an author.

"I don't usually confess this sort of thing, but I feel like I can tell this audience anything."

The audience he felt so at ease with filled the Provo City Library ballroom, a much bigger audience than the one that "turned up" for his first book reading in western Australia. "Nobody turned up. That wasn't the worst part. The librarian still made me read to her."

The local librarians and other fans who "turned up" for Zusak Saturday, made him feel welcome enough that he greeted them by saying, "I'd like to move here!" After seeing "everyone plugged into something" while traveling 36 hours to Provo, "it made it that much more worthwhile to come just to see books in your laps."

When Zusak's first book, The Underdog, came out in 1999, he didn't want to invite family to his book launch. "I didn't want them there. I didn't want them to see that no one else was there." So, he recruited his rugby team who was more drawn to the box of beer than his box of books, and asked, "Can we come out every Thursday?"

Since the time a woman told him she liked his book, but his reading of it was atrocious, he hasn't read from his own works to an audience.

Saturday was a different story.

"This audience is so receptive," he said, grabbing for one of his books he never dreamed would reach so many. Reading from a chapter called "Confessions," his voice started wavering a bit towards the end.

When thinking about trying to sell this book, The Book Thief, to people, he imagined a conversation about it going something like this:

You've got to read this book. It's so good.
Really? What's it about?
WW II...Nazi Germany...death...
Oh.
Oh, yeah, and it's 576 pages long.

Even though this seemed problematic, Zusak said he went for it anyway because of a story his mom told him. While growing up in Sydney, Australia, his family would gather 'round their kitchen table listening about his mom's life in Munich, Germany, and his dad's in Austria. She'd tell how she saw a teenage boy who nobody liked in the town giving a piece of bread to an emaciated old Jew walking by. When a Nazi soldier saw this, he snatched the bread and threw it away. Then, he whipped the boy. "This story is why I wrote The Book Thief," and if no one else would have ever read it, he said he would have written it anyway.

Zusak's dad's stories also interested him. He was in Hitler Youth because he had to be. "'This is boring,'" he thought, and so he threw rocks in the river instead. "Then, the letters started showing up...I was always interested in opposites, like fire and ice." His parents would tell of going down into bunkers and coming out to find ice on the ground and fire in the sky.

As far as problems Zusak has encountered with his actual writing, he told about characters or points of view not working out quite right. But,"when you hear that voice in your head, you just go for it," he explained. This "voice" is what whispered the last line of the book to Zusak, "I am haunted by humans." By making his narrator slightly vulnerable, he was able to solve his problem of death being too comic-book like. This also introduced the unexpected, one of the essentials of a good story, he said.

He told of an Olympic swimmer who had that same voice inside his head tell him to "go (faster) now" earlier in a race thanhe'd planned. He listened and won the gold.

Just like Olympians put in their time, "If you want to be a writer, it has to be #1 or #2 for you," he advised.

Coming from someone who re-wrote the first 80 pages of The Book Thief 150-200 times, he's someone who's willing to put in the time required to be ready for those flashes of inspiration. "It's like waiting for a wild animal to come out of a hole. Put your hand in, and it'll bite. It takes patience to wait for it to come out. It's all about trial and error, spending time."

For someone who encountered a few problems during his humble beginnings as a writer, Zusak has no problem now getting hundreds of fans to line up for hours, waiting for his photo and a signature. Their only problem? Forgetting to bring their "paint tins" and "eskees."

Stay tuned for pics. and more on that story.

Book Club @ Kristie's House!

2011-03-21T14:06:00.001-06:00

Sorry for being late getting these photos up. Shauna has been calling me everyday begging me to get them up. so with our further ado...

Lets start with the good eats!

As you can see the food was wonderful. I know Britney has already made a plea for recipes so I will second that plea here. It all tasted so great. And I was too busy eating my banana cake to take a picture of it -- you'll just have to take my word for it -- it was yummy!

Here are the lovely ladies of Books Appetit (one seems to appear more than the others?!? CAn you guess who the photo hog is?

Shannon, Bethany, Brenda & Mariana

Stephanie, Kristie & Shannon

Christy, Shannon, Shauna & Kara

Shannon, Britney & Heidi

Now we have another guessing game

Who sat in the gum?

hmmmmmmm

See you all in a few weeks @ Kara's!!

Calling All Cooks!!!

2011-03-18T18:15:00.000-06:00

There have been several delicious bookclubs I have attended recently and I am hoping that the cooks from said bookclubs would be willing to share a few recipes. I'm remembering something banana-cake-y and something white-chocolate-bread-pudding-y, some great pasta salads, some amazing green salads, perhaps a chocolate cheesecake, and several delicious goodies from the Christmas party. So, if you are one of the cooks holding out, please hold out no longer and try to be more giving and sharing. :)

Please????

And the winner is...

2011-03-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

Here are the vote getters from last night -- and when we will be reading them:

May -- Cutting for Stone

June -- The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag

August -- The Forgotten Garden

September -- Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

October -- Room

November -- The History of Love

Jane Eyre!!

2011-03-03T23:17:00.000-07:00

Here is the trailer for our next field trip!!

It opens Mach 11th - let's make some plans!

Another...

2011-03-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

This one was suggested by my sister-in-law Symonie. She said it is supposed to be a great book club book. It looks interesting and is on a lot of "best of fiction" lists.

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

Shauna's Suggestions...

2011-03-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Death of the Heart, a story of adolescent love and the betrayal of innocence, is perhaps Elizabeth Bowen's best-known book. When sixteen-year-old Portia, recently orphaned, arrives in London and falls for an attractive cad--a seemingly carefree young man who is as much an outsider in the sophisticated and politely treacherous world of 1930s drawing rooms as she is--their collision threatens to shatter the carefully built illusions of everyone around them. As she deftly and delicately exposes the cruelty that lurks behind the polished surfaces of conventional society, Bowen reveals herself as a masterful novelist who combines a sharp sense of humor with a devastating gift for divining human motivations.

In this contemporary, Victorian-style novel Charles Smithson, a nineteenth-century gentleman with glimmerings of twentieth-century perceptions, falls in love with enigmatic Sarah Woodruff, who has been jilted by a French lover.

Of all John Fowles' novels The French Lieutenant's Woman received the most universal acclaim and today holds a very special place in the canon of post-war English literature. From the god-like stance of the nineteenth-century novelist that he both assumes and gently mocks, to the last detail of dress, idiom and manners, his book is an immaculate recreation of Victorian England.

Not only is it the epic love story of two people of insight and imagination seeking escape from the cant and tyranny of their age, 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' is also a brilliantly sustained allegory of the decline of the twentieth-century passion for freedom.

Brenda's Suggestion...

2011-03-01T22:34:00.000-07:00

BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.

PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.

Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.

Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.

Kristie's Suggestions...

2011-03-01T22:28:00.000-07:00

After the grisly murder of his entire family, a toddler wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own. (307 pages).

A strange terror coiled in the shadows behind the brooding elegance of the huge chateau. It lay there like some dark and twisted thing waiting, watching, ready to strike. Was it only chance encounter than had brought Linda Martin to Chateau Valmy? Or was it something planned? The lovely young English governess did not know. She only knew something was wrong and that she was afraid. Now she could not even trust the man she loved. For Raoul Valmy was one of them linked by blood and name to the dark secrets of the Valmy past. (352 pages)

Book Club is Thursday!!

2011-02-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

Book Club is at Kristie's house Thursday night at 7:00.

She sent out an e-mail with directions to her house. If you didn't get the e-mail reply here and we'll make sure to get the info to you.

Oh & be sure to RSVP so she can plan food and post your book club picks... if you want to you can send me your choices and I'll post them for you.

See you Thursday!!!

my book nominations

2011-02-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

First, let me say I second all of Heidi's choices, but I figured I better come up with at least ONE on my own since she stole all of her choices from my "to read" list. :)

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

SYNOPSIS:

Leo Gursky is trying to survive a little bit longer, tapping his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he's still alive, drawing attention to himself at the milk counter of Starbucks. But life wasn't always like this: sixty years ago, in the Polish village where he was born, Leo fell in love and wrote a book. And although he doesn't know it, that book also survived: it crossed oceans and generations, and changed lives." Fourteen-year-old Alma was named after a character in that book. She has her hands full keeping track of her little brother Bird (who thinks he might be the Messiah) and taking copious notes in her book, How to Survive in the Wild Volume Three. But when a mysterious letter arrives in the mail she undertakes an adventure to find her namesake and save her family.

FYI -- In case you're interested, Nicole Krauss is the spouse of Jonathan Foer, author of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

One more from me...

2011-02-16T13:20:00.000-07:00

A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel—an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home.

Marion and Shiva Stone are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance, bound together by a preternatural connection and a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. Yet it will be love, not politics—their passion for the same woman—that will tear them apart and force Marion, fresh out of medical school, to flee his homeland. He makes his way to America, finding refuge in his work as an intern at an underfunded, overcrowded New York City hospital. When the past catches up to him—nearly destroying him—Marion must entrust his life to the two men he thought he trusted least in the world: the surgeon father who abandoned him and the brother who betrayed him.

An unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy, and curious beauty of the work of healing others.

2011-02-16T13:16:00.002-07:00

I'll start us out with some suggestions...

A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913. She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book --- a beautiful volume of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own. On her twenty-first birthday they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and with very little to go on, "Nell" sets out on a journey to England to try to trace her story, to fi nd her real identity. Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell's death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. At Cliff Cottage, on the grounds of Blackhurst Manor, Cassandra discovers the forgotten garden of the book's title and is able to unlock the secrets of the beautiful book of fairy tales. (645 pages)

Steel Magnolias meets The Help in this Southern debut novel sparkling with humor, heart, and feminine wisdom

Twelve-year-old CeeCee Honeycutt is in trouble. For years, she has been the caretaker of her psychotic mother, Camille-the tiara-toting, lipstick-smeared laughingstock of an entire town-a woman trapped in her long-ago moment of glory as the 1951 Vidalia Onion Queen. But when Camille is hit by a truck and killed, CeeCee is left to fend for herself. To the rescue comes her previously unknown great-aunt, Tootie Caldwell.

In her vintage Packard convertible, Tootie whisks CeeCee away to Savannah's perfumed world of prosperity and Southern eccentricity, a world that seems to be run entirely by women. From the exotic Miz Thelma Rae Goodpepper, who bathes in her backyard bathtub and uses garden slugs as her secret weapons, to Tootie's all-knowing housekeeper, Oletta Jones, to Violene Hobbs, who entertains a local police officer in her canary-yellow peignoir, the women of Gaston Street keep CeeCee entertained and enthralled for an entire summer.

Laugh-out-loud funny and deeply touching, Beth Hoffman's sparkling debut is, as Kristin Hannah says, "packed full of Southern charm, strong women, wacky humor, and good old-fashioned heart." It is a novel that explores the indomitable strengths of female friendship and gives us the story of a young girl who loses one mother and finds many others. (320 pages)

When an infected bolt of cloth carries plague from London to an isolated mountain village, a housemaid named Anna Frith emerges as an unlikely heroine and healer. Through Anna's eyes, we follow the story of the plague year, 1666, as her fellow villagers make an extraordinary choice. Convinced by a visionary young minister, they elect to quarantine themselves within the village boundaries to arrest the spread of the disease. But as death reaches into every household, faith frays. When villagers turn from prayers and herbal cures to sorcery and murderous witch-hunting, Anna must confront the deaths of family, the disintegration of her community, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit love. As she struggles to survive, a year of plague becomes, instead, annus mirabilis, a "year of wonders." Inspired by the true story of Eyam, a village in the rugged mountain spine of England. Year of Wonders is a detailed evocation of a singular moment in history. (308 pages)

Choices... Choices... Choices...

2011-02-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

It's time to select new books!!!

Post your choices and we'll vote next time.

Book Club at Shannon's House

2011-02-11T11:53:00.001-07:00

We had another fantastic book club!!

Thanks Shannon so much for the delish food! It was wonderful!

Now we ARE expecting Shannon to post some of these recipes!! Especially for this absolutely melt in your mouth delicious white chocolate bread pudding! I mean it was to die for!!

There just maybe a mob at your door demanding the recipe soon.

We all loved Major Pettigrew and since we discussed the book being made into a movie I thought I'd share Helen Simonson's answer to a question about just that...

If your book were to become a movie, who would you like to see star in it?
"My family have been joking that it often takes so long to make a movie that maybe Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) will be old enough to play the Major. I’m keeping quiet on casting, but I do think the Major is a great chance for a mature actor to play a wonderful romantic lead, and any movie made of the book would also offer strong, central roles for under-represented South Asian actors."

You can read more from her interview here

Book club is so great because of the women who are in it

so with our further ado...

Kristie & Britney

Here is the picture you have been waiting for...

Drumroll please...

The couple of the night... Robyn & Brenda.

Ok, so I'll offer a little explanation. Brenda & Robyn were on the couch ready for their picture to be taken, & the way they were sitting (one on the arm of the couch the other leaning in) looked just like they were posing for an engagement photo. There was a little teasing and next thing we know they are on the floor making a bona fide engagement portrait -- in front of the fire and everything! It is almost Valentines Day after all!

Needless to say there was some serious laughing. I could hardly see through my tears to take the picture. I love these girls!

Heidi, Kara & Iris

Bethany & Shannon

Kaley, Stephanie & Stella

We had a grand time and can't wait for book club in March at Kristie's house where we will review Mocking Jay -- see you there!

Happy Valentines Day!

2011-02-01T10:30:00.000-07:00

Book Club is Thursday night (7:00) at Shannon's house!!

Please let us know if your coming so Shannon can make plans. Can't wait to see all of you to discuss...

"The real pleasure of this book derives not from its village conventions but from its beautiful little love story, which is told with skill and humor" -- Alexander McCall Smith

Recipes

2011-01-12T21:14:00.001-07:00

Here are the recipes from book club...

Creamy Tomato Soup

Recipe by Our Best Bites,
note: modified from original posting. Don't panic, I made it better!

1 T reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes, or olive oil
1 C chopped onion
¾ C shredded carrot
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2/3 C sliced su n-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14oz) can chicken broth (I added more because it was too thick)
3 oz reduced fat cream cheese
optional: 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Optional: Parmesan cheese and fresh basil for garnish

1. Place oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic, and cook for 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring often.

2. Add sun-dried tomatoes, canned tomatoes, chicken broth, sugar, salt, pepper, oregano and basil. (If you're adding red pepper flakes, add them now)
3. Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Cover pan and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Remove from heat. Place soup in a blender (do this in 2 batches if necessary). Add cream cheese. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape, but place a paper towel over opening in blender lid to avoid spills. Process for a few minutes until smooth. You could also add cream cheese directly to the pot and use an immersion blender to combine.

5. Add additional salt and pepper to taste and then divide soup among bowls. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese and a fresh basil leaf if desired.

Turkey Tea Sandwiches

Recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Scallion cream cheese:

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup minced scallions (white and green parts)
Pinch kosher salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Sandwiches:

1 loaf dense raisin-nut bread, -- I used a cranberry bread and whole-grain nut bread
8 thin slices fresh or smoked turkey breast

For the scallion cream cheese, combine the cream cheese, scallions and the salt and pepper in an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Do not whip.

Remove the crust from the bread. Lay out the slices of bread and spread them all with a thin layer of scallion cream cheese. Place a single layer of turkey on half the slices, cutting the edges to fit the bread. Top with the other slices of bread, cream cheese side down. Lay the sandwiches on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper, cover with damp paper towels and wrap the sheet with plastic. Refrigerate until the cream cheese is cold and firm. Place the sandwiches on a cutting board and, with a very sharp knife cut each in half crosswise, and then cut each half diagonally to make small triangles. Serve chilled.

January Book Club

2011-01-10T14:18:00.001-07:00

Book Club was at my house this month. Thanks ladies for braving the cold temperatures and making it a great night.

Unfortunately not everyone read the book -- OK, only Kara read the book -- but there were several of us that came super close to finishing. This seems to happen with the book we read over the holidays. We usually pick a longer book because we think we will have more time to read -- but really I think we have less.

Kara brought up some great points and told us about the metaphors though out the book. She also brought a copy of a painting discussed in the book. Thanks Kara for all you work.

We had homemade tomato soup and tea sandwiches...

and chocolate cheesecake...

Just for fun we took a quiz about some of the past books we have read. Kara was the big winner -- remembering the most! I am pretty sure Brenda was the "idiot" ha ha!

Britney & Robyn

Kristie & Christie

The always photographed together Shannon & Bethany

Brenda, Heidi, Kara & our current mascot Iris

We'll see you all next month at Shannon house to review Major Pettegrew's Last Stand

Another list...

2011-01-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the list the editors at Amazon picked for the best Fiction in 2010:

Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War
by Karl Marlantes

Freedom: A Novel (Oprah's Book Club)
by Jonathan Franzen

To the End of the Land
by David Grossman

The Imperfectionists: A Novel
by Tom Rachman

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: A Novel
by Helen Simonson

One Day (Vintage Contemporaries Original)
by David Nicholls

The Hand That First Held Mine
by Maggie O'Farrell

Skippy Dies: A Novel
by Paul Murray

The Lonely Polygamist: A Novel
by Brady Udall

Memory Wall: Stories
by Anthony Doerr

Book Club Thursday!

2011-01-03T11:30:00.001-07:00

Could there be a better way to start the new year? I don't think so!

Book club is Thursday night @ 7:00 -- my house.

I can't wait to see all of you and and enjoy some good food and discuss The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Please let me know if you are coming so I can plan the menu - thanks & see you Thursday.

Favorites...

2011-01-01T18:37:00.001-07:00

Here is a list from Reading Group Guides of their favorites for 2010.

Best of List: New Favorites

31 Hours by Masha Hamilton
American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Labor Day by Joyce Maynard
The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
Oxygen by Carol Cassella
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Perfection by Julie Metz
The Photographer by Didier Lefèvre and Emmanuel Guibert
Rainwater by Sandra Brown
A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
The Rest of Her Life by Laura Moriarty
Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
Testimony by Anita Shreve
The Weight of Silence by Heather Gudenkauf

Maybe we should should vote on some of these next time?

The Best White Elephant Ever!

2010-12-21T19:13:00.001-07:00

"Mom, can you tell the lady who gave you this thank you?!"

When Myles got it out and saw that it was brand new, he asked me if we should give it to my grandma for Christmas. I considered, but the girls seriously objected.

I thought it was especially fun to post on our blog since we all happened to be reading at the time.

We can't wait to try out the hand waxing station it came with, as well.

So, thanks, Shannon. Great choice!

Christmas Par-tay

2010-12-03T22:55:00.002-07:00

The Christmas party was a hit again this year. Thanks so much Shauna for hosting! We loved the "bow game" where we had to watch Shauna like a hawk to see where she put her bow (on her body) -- we had to follow her lead or we were out. Kristie was the big winner & Shannon was the big looser.

First the food... and this isn't even all of it!

And now for the lovely ladies...

( I do have to apologize for the blurry photos - I blame Shauna and her near dark conditions) ha!

Kristie & Brenda

Christie & Kara

Bethany & Shannon

Robyn & Britney

Shauna & Heidi (wow is my head so much bigger than Shauna's)

And now for the white elephant exchange.

It was a blast! One of the best for sure!

Brenda with her ear plugs, sleeping mask and some sort of foot spray(?)

Britney will be whipping up some new maternity clothes with her handy dandy Sew Quick hand-held sewing machine!!

Shannon got the coveted (by Kara) K-Mart watch

Here is Shauna with her soon to be stolen earrings.

Christie was just in love with her monkey socks -- can't you tell?

Not to be left out of the monkey mayhem Kristie got some hot pajamas. So hot in fact that I took them home!

Ooohhh what is it?

One hot photo of Britney's husband!!

The secret was that under that picture was really this print...

If you would like to print one out for yourself just go here.

Now back to the white elephants...

Robyn received an onion, some garlic and...

Hannah Montana Crest -- who wouldn't want that I ask!?

And finally Shannon got to shakin' her gourd -- if you know what I mean.

Thanks everyone for such a fun night! And thanks again to Shauna for hosting. These little treats were our parting favor. They were filled with goodies. Now Don't forget to read The Idiot for next month or Shauna will expect her favor back.

See you next year!!

(January 7th to be exact)

2010-12-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Yep!!

We will be having our traditional white elephant gift exchange!

Can't wait to see you all on Thursday!

2010-11-14T12:52:00.000-07:00

Our Christmas party will be held on December 2nd @7:00

Shauna would like everyone RSVP and post what they are bringing -- or at least to say whether your dish is sweet or savory so she knows what to plan for.

Oh & she wants you to read The Idiot for some holiday cheer! :)

See you in a few weeks!

Book Club at Brenda's

2010-11-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! Book club was so much fun! Great food, good discussion, and some serious laughing. Thanks Brenda for hosting!

Here are some photos of the delish cuisine...

Dessert was so yummy we had to have a slice of each choice! I have to say the Key Lime pie was my favorite!! Soooooo good!

I really wish that Britney was leaning forward but she remains as prim and proper as always.

Britney & Kristie

Bethany, Heidi & Shannon

Brenda & Robyn

Book Club Tonight!!

2010-11-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

Book Club is tonight!

Brenda's house @7:00pm

See you there!!

(Brenda will be e-mailing directions in case you need a refresher)

October Recipes

2010-11-08T14:13:00.006-07:00

Before we meet again, I figured I better post these!

Southwest Chili

I made it up, so no real recipe here.
Pretty much ground beef cooked with onions and chili powder, added to black beans I cooked, green peppers, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder and salt to taste.
Simmer for a long time.
Add some frozen corn.
People seemed to like trying the cottage cheese on top for variety. We also had cheese and/or cilantro.

Thanks to Ann for sharing her

Perfectly Sweet and Moist Corn Muffins

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup sugar

2-3 Tbl. honey for extra sweetness, if desired (optional)

1 can creamed corn

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350*. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. In another bowl mix well eggs, oil, sugar and corn. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour into prepared 9x11 pan or 18 lined cupcake cups. Bake for about 22 minutes.

Broiled Zucchini

Thinly slice zucchini and coat with olive oil. Broil one side, flip, sprinkle with salt and Parmesan cheese. Broil 'til golden brown.

Lemon Tea

Sorry, no recipe here, either. Just water, honey, lemon, and lemon zest.

Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 c sugar

1 c Karo syrup

1 1/2 cubes butter

1 1/2 c cream

2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar and syrup and bring to boil. Gradually add butter and cream three times alternated. Stir to a softball stage (cook longer if you want caramels to wrap and eat as candy instead of caramel sauce). Add vanilla. Enjoy!

Ginger Snaps

1 c sugar

3/4 c shortening

1/4 c molasses

1 egg

2 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp ginger

Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and molasses. Sift dry ingredients and add. Roll balls into fresh ginger mixed with sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet @ 375 for 8-15 min., depending on desired snappiness.

We served them warm with pumpkin ice cream sandwiched between two of them.

We like to freeze cookie dough logs wrapped in waxed paper and then sealed in a plastic bag for fresh cookies whenever needed :)

October Meeting at Christie's House

2010-10-31T23:35:00.000-06:00

Christie hosted another great book club! She made us wonderful food that was perfect for the rainy night that is was. Fall is here!!

I loved this lemon tea! Just like Alice did!

Mmmm mmm good! What I didn't get a picture of was the other dessert... ice cream sandwich cookies made with the best soft ginger cookies! Recipe please!!

We had a really great discussion about Early Onset Alzheimer's, a truly tragic disease. I really enjoyed the comments from everyone and their perspectives.

My camera was acting (and still is) a little weird and the photos I took of everyone were overexposed. I made them black and white so we don't all look like vampires! Sorry!

We missed those of you who weren't there and look forward to seeing you next month at Brenda's. Don't forget we are meeting the second Thursday in November (the 11th) to review The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

More Printable Book Plates

2010-10-06T22:07:00.000-06:00

For these printable book plates go here. I think they are beautiful!

Book Club!

2010-10-05T19:56:00.000-06:00

Book Club is Thursday Night 7:00 at Christie's home.

See you there!

Free Printable Bookplates

2010-09-10T08:41:00.002-06:00

Aren't these book plates great! I was reading one of my favorite blogs this morning and saw them. Click here to go to the link where you can print them for free!

Book Club At Bethany's

2010-09-09T16:03:00.002-06:00

Bethany was the perfect hostess who provided us with some tasty treats. We had sparkling pink lemonade, Cesar salad, sweet crunch grapes and...

delicious chicken salad croissant sandwiches!

(They were so good I had to sneak in the kitchen and have seconds.)

Then to top it all off we had strawberry shortcake -- it was the best. Bethany made the pound cake from scratch and it was PERFECT! Bethany, I do hope that the recipe will be posted soon because I have a rumbly in my tummy for some more!

We had a great time! Thanks Bethany for having us!

(Oh & I have to apologize for the photos this month they are all pretty blurry -- I am not sure what happened!)

Bethany & Mariana

Heidi & Kristie

Christie, Anne, Kara

Shannon & Brenda Sue

We can't wait to see everyone next month at Christie's to review Still Alice!!

Book Club Tomorrow Night!!

2010-09-01T12:49:00.000-06:00

Book Club tomorrow night @ Bethany's!!

7:00 pm

Be there or be square!

(Bethany would you mind e-mailing your address? Thanks!)

Book Club at Stephanie's

2010-08-08T17:25:00.001-06:00

Stephanie hosted book club this month and she treated us to some amazing food. Unfortunately I was so distracted by the goodness that I forgot to take pictures!! So Brenda grabbed my camera and snapped a few photos of all the empty dishes...

We had pasta with a choice of three sauces (marinara, Alfredo & pesto) -- most of us put all three on our pasta. There was a beautiful salad, watermelon and crostini topped with tomatoes and basil.

Brenda did manage to grab a picture of a plate and one of dessert -- mmmm

Shauna led us in a great discussion about Jane Eyre and shared some of her favorite passages from the book. We also voted on books (see post below) and we had a hard time choosing from so many great books.

Thanks so much to both Stephanie and Shauna for such a great night. As always we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly!

Christie, Shauna & Stephanie

Shannon, Heidi & Bethany

Brenda Sue & Shauna

Robyn & Rebecca

And finally we have Kara, and our newest member sweet baby Iris.

We'll see you next month at Bethany's house where we will discuss Cold Comfort Farm.

READING LIST

2010-08-05T23:55:00.001-06:00

Get you list ready to take to the bookstore -- here is what we are reading...

October -- Still Alice by Lisa Genova
   Hosted by Christie and reviewed by Heidi

November -- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
   Hosted by Brenda and reviewed by Bethany

December -- PARTY!!
   Hosted by Shauna

January -- The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
   Hosted by Heidi and reviewed by Kara

February -- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
   Hosted by Shannon and reviewed by Britney

March -- Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins
   Hosted by Kristie and reviewed by Brenda

April -- Little Bee by Chris Cleave
   Hosted by Kara and reviewed by Robyn

May -- The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
   Hosted by Robyn and reviewed by Shannon

Robyn's Picks

2010-08-02T22:24:00.000-06:00

WE DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU TOO MUCH ABOUT THIS BOOK.It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.Nevertheless, you need to know something, so we will just say this:It is extremely funny, but the African beach scene is horrific.The story starts there, but the book doesn't.And it's what happens afterward that is most important.Once you have read it, you'll want to tell everyone about it. When you do, please don't tell them what happens either. The magic is in how it unfolds...

The literary sensation of the year, a book that redefines both family and narrative for the twenty-first century. A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is the moving memoir of a college senior who, in the space of five weeks, loses both of his parents to cancer and inherits his eight-year-old brother. Here is an exhilarating debut that manages to be simultaneously hilarious and wildly inventive as well as a deeply heartfelt story of the love that holds a family together.

"It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born."

As civilization swiftly crumbles into a primal landscape of predators and prey, two people flee in search of sanctuary. FBI agent Brad Wolgast is a good man haunted by what he’s done in the line of duty. Six-year-old orphan Amy Harper Bellafonte is a refugee from the doomed scientific project that has triggered apocalypse. He is determined to protect her from the horror set loose by her captors. But for Amy, escaping the bloody fallout is only the beginning of a much longer odyssey—spanning miles and decades—towards the time and place where she must finish what should never have begun.

With The Passage, award-winning author Justin Cronin has written both a relentlessly suspenseful adventure and an epic chronicle of human endurance in the face of unprecedented catastrophe and unimaginable danger. Its inventive storytelling, masterful prose, and depth of human insight mark it as a crucial and transcendent work of modern fiction.

Shannon's Picks

2010-08-02T22:19:00.000-06:00

When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.

But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

2010-08-02T10:08:00.000-06:00

On the Design Sponge blog today they showcased some really great ways to store/display books. It it making me want to redo my bookshelves -- maybe I should try organizing them by color?!

Being that you are also book lovers you should check out the post here.

Turtle in Paradise

2010-08-01T20:43:00.003-06:00

We got to meet author Jennifer Holm at Provo City Library's book fair. She was very personable and fun! Robyn really enjoyed her book "Our May Amelia." For our club, I'd like to pitch her "Turtle in Paradise." It looks like a cute book that would be good to read during a short/busy month.

Turtle in Paradise

by Jennifer L. Holm

nspired by family stories, two-time Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Holm beautifully blends family lore with America's past in this charming gem of a novel, rich in historical detail, humor, and the unique flavors of Key West.

Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met.

Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways.

from jenniferholm.com

Book Choices

2010-08-01T20:03:00.000-06:00

##1: Ella Minnow Pea

by Mark Dunn

In Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn transports readers to the imaginary island of Nollop, named for Nevin Nollop, inventor of the pangram (a sentence using all letters of the alphabet) "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." It is an idyllic place, free from technological innovations like television and computers, where Nollopians devote themselves to the liberal arts and especially to the cultivation of language. But when letters begin to fall from the monument they are then banned from using those letters either in written or spoken language -- punishable even by death. And as further letters begin to fall, Ella Minnow Pea and her family, along with the rest of community, are forced to live under linguistic siege. Books are destroyed. Newspapers shut down. Citizens are publicly flogged, placed in stocks, their property confiscated and their lives ruined, all for slips of the tongue. But with the help of Nate Warren, a researcher living in South Carolina, the islanders decide to fight back, vowing to create a pangram even shorter and therefore more dazzling than the one for which Nollop has been elevated to divine status. The only question is: can they do it before all is lost?

This is a quick read. The best part is that it is written as a series of letters so even the author of the book has to construct his thoughts leaving out the "fallen" letters. It's slightly amusing and though provoking.

#2: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

by Jacqueline Kelly

This is considered a children's book, but I love it.

If you are all too tired of reading juvenile literature, that's fine, but I thought I'd put it out there.

Growing up with six brothers in rural Texas in 1899, 12-year-old Callie realizes that her aversion to needlework and cooking disappoints her mother. Still, she prefers to spend her time exploring the river, observing animals, and keeping notes on what she sees. Callie’s growing interest in nature creates a bond with her previously distant grandfather, an amateur naturalist of some distinction. After they discover an unknown species of vetch, he attempts to have it officially recognized. This process creates a dramatic focus for the novel, though really the main story here is Callie’s gradual self-discovery as revealed in her vivid first-person narrative. By the end, she is equally aware of her growing desire to become a scientist and of societal expectations that make her dream seem nearly impossible. Interwoven with the scientific theme are threads of daily life in a large family—the bonds with siblings, the conversations overheard, the unspoken understandings and misunderstandings—all told with wry humor and a sharp eye for details that bring the characters and the setting to life.

This is another quick read and a very fun read. She is quite the character. Loved it.

#3: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

by Helen Simonson

from the author:

ou are about to travel to Edgecombe St. Mary, a small village in the English countryside filled with rolling hills, thatched cottages, and a cast of characters both hilariously original and as familiar as the members of your own family. Among them is Major Ernest Pettigrew (retired), the unlikely hero of Helen Simonson's wondrous debut. Wry, courtly, opinionated, and completely endearing, Major Pettigrew is one of the most indelible characters in contemporary fiction, and from the very first page of this remarkable novel he will steal your heart.
The Major leads a quiet life valuing the proper things that Englishmen have lived by for generations: honor, duty, decorum, and a properly brewed cup of tea. But then his brother's death sparks an unexpected friendship with Mrs. Jasmina Ali, the Pakistani shopkeeper from the village. Drawn together by their shared love of literature and the loss of their respective spouses, the Major and Mrs. Ali soon find their friendship blossoming into something more. But village society insists on embracing him as the quintessential local and her as the permanent foreigner. Can their relationship survive the risks one takes when pursuing happiness in the face of culture and tradition?
I should add that I hope you’ll find the book funny and that you’ll enjoy the Major’s values and character. I believe he might remind us all that the world is what we make of it.

I haven't read this yet, but I would like to. It looks sweet and charming, and funny.

Book Choices

2010-07-20T20:36:00.015-06:00

The Idiot by Dostoevsky

After spending several years in a sanatorium recovering from an illness that caused him to lose his memory and a bitlity to reason, Prince Myshkin arrives in St Petersburg and is at once confronted with the stark realities of life in the Russian capital- from greed, murder and nihilism to passion, vanity and love. Mocked for his childlike naivety yet valued for his openness and understanding, Prince Myshkin finds himself entangled with two women in a position he cannot bring himself to resolve....

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Persuasion narrates the emotional journey of its protagonist Anne Elliot, who chances upon Captain Wentworth, a suitor she was persuaded to reject seven years earlier, and is made to reflect on her past decisions and contemplate her marital future......

By Immaculee Ilibagixa,

Immaculee Ilibagixa grew up in a country she loved, surrounded by a family she chiriched. But in 1994 her idyllic world was ripped apart as Rwanda descended into a bloddy genocide. Immaculee's family was brutally murdered during a killing spree that lasted three months and claimed the lives of nearly a million Rwandans. Incredibly, Immaculee survived the slaughter. Flor 91 days, she and seven other women huddled silently together in the cramped bathroom of a local pastor while hundreds of machete-wielding killers hunted for them. It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of deatha and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. She emerged from her bathroom hideout having discovered the meaning of truly unconditional love-a love so strong she was able to seek out and forgive her family's killers. The triumphant story of this remarkable young woman's journey through the darkness of genocide will inspire anyone whose life has been touched by fear, suffering and loss.

Some of the books I would like to read.....See you in August

Reading

2010-07-19T21:25:00.001-06:00

Lezlie Evans, the author of this cute book (and sister to a good friend of ours) will be reading at the Barnes & Noble in Orem on the 24th and the Orem Library on the 29th if you want to bring your kids and check it out. I think they would have fun hearing her read. Here is a link to an article about her from the Salt Lake Tribune.

Here are Three Suggestions...

2010-07-15T15:28:00.000-06:00

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer:

Paris, 1937. Andras Lévi, a Hungarian Jewish architecture student, arrives from Budapest with a scholarship, a single suitcase, and a mysterious letter he has promised to deliver to C. Morgenstern on the rue de Sévigné. As he becomes involved with the letter’s recipient, his elder brother takes up medical studies in Modena, their younger brother leaves school for the stage—and Europe’s unfolding tragedy sends each of their lives into terrifying uncertainty. From the Hungarian village of Konyár to the grand opera houses of Budapest and Paris, from the lonely chill of Andras’s garret to the enduring passion he discovers on the rue de Sévigné, from the despair of a Carpathian winter to an unimaginable life in forced labor camps and beyond, The Invisible Bridge tells the unforgettable story of brothers bound by history and love, of a marriage tested by disaster, of a Jewish family’s struggle against annihilation, and of the dangerous power of art in a time of war.

Looking For Alaska by John Green:

British Fantasy Award for Top Ten (2006), A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year (2005)

Miles Halter is fascinated by famous last words - and tired of his safe life at home. He leaves for boarding school to seek what the dying poet Francois Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps." Much awaits Miles at Culver Creek, including Alaska Young. Clever, funny, screwed-up, and dead sexy, Alaska will pull Miles into her labyrinth and catapult him into the Great Perhaps.

Looking for Alaska brilliantly chronicles the indelible impact one life can have on another. A stunning debut, it marks John Green's arrival as an important new voice in contemporary fiction.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch--and there's always a catch--is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.

It's voting time!

2010-07-10T22:15:00.002-06:00

So are you enjoying Jane Eyre? I loved it and had to watch the BBC/ Masterpiece Theater adaptation again. I know most of you have seen it too -- it sure makes for a great afternoon!

We get to select new books at next month's meeting!

So what have you read that you want all of us to read and discuss?

What is on your "to read" list?

Post your recommendations so we can have a good list to choose from -- I can't wait to dive into some new books!

Finally! (Sorry Shauna ;)

2010-06-24T15:45:00.003-06:00

I know I promised to post this recipe a loooooonnnng time ago, so I apologize (especially to Shauna who has asked me for it more than once...)

Chocolate Pecan Marshmallow Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

16-18 large marshmallows

Icing:

6 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

1/4 cup milk

1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Approximately 36 pecan halves

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milkand vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking sodaand salt; beat into creamed mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350degrees for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile cut marshmallows in half. Press a marshmallowhalf, cut side down, onto each cookie. Return to the oven for 2 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

For icing: combine butter, cocoa and milk in a saucepan. Bring to aboil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Cool slightly. Transfer to a small mixing bowl. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla; beat well. Spread over the cooled cookies. Top each with a pecan half.

This recipe came from Country Living Magazine.

Hope you all enjoy!

June Book Club

2010-06-17T16:00:00.002-06:00

Here are some photos of June's meeting...

We met in my backyard and enjoyed some grilled burgers will loads of toppings.

Kara, Shannon & Stephanie

Kristie & Robyn

Shauna & Rebecca

Britney, Christie & Heidi

To go along with her review of When You Reach Me Christie had us play a few rounds of $20,000 Pyramid. It was so much fun!

Shannon & Britney ended up being our winners and Shannon almost had a heart attack in the process.

We talked long into the night. I had a great time -- thanks for coming everyone & making it such a great night!

**See you in August 5th at Stephanie's house is discuss Jane Eyre!**

Book Club Tomorrow Night!!

2010-06-02T10:26:00.000-06:00

Book club is tomorrow night at my house. We will be reviewing Ida B. & When You Reach Me.

Can you let me know if you are planning to attend so I can plan for food. Also I am very intrigued with Christie's post yesterday hmmmmm

It will be fun!

See you there!

Get Ready Ladies!

2010-06-01T22:33:00.001-06:00

Book Club At Robyn's

2010-05-07T10:20:00.003-06:00

We had such a good time at book club last night!

Rebecca led the discussion and we discussed who our favorite characters were, racism, motherhood and friendship. We even discussed casting options for the movie. Everyone loved the book and as you can imagine with Rebecca as our leader we laughed a lot.

Robyn prepared the most amazing feast for us.

Behold...

This salad was divine! Doesn't that squash make your mouth water? And in case you wanted a bit more of that wonderful squash (which I did)...

She made two delicious pasta dishes

mmmm artichokes!

Sweet potato gnochi. Oh my was this good!

Bread made from a Pioneer Woman recipe

It all was heavenly! Thanks Robyn for all the work you did to provide such a wonderful spread!

Now for everyones favorite part....

Shauna, Kara & Krisite

Shannon & Bethany

Britney & Robyn

Then there are the two nerds Rebecca & Heidi

Britney took about 100 pictures of us and I promised to post a few. So against my better judgement and my fat face here they are....

Enough already!

We had a super de duper time & can't wait until next month!!

Book Club is Thursday!!

2010-05-04T11:29:00.000-06:00

Don't forget book club Thursday night at 7:00. Robyn will be hosting and will e-mail directions to her home.

Rebecca says she will have some hard hitting questions and Britney promises to speak in a southern accent all night.

Can't wait!

See you there!

More Photos

2010-04-09T19:25:00.004-06:00

Here are a few additional (to Britney's) pictures I took before my camera died...

Britney made the most delicious spread. And as alway I am keeping my fingers crossed that the recipes will be posted!!

Mmmmmmmmm. I adore chocolate and caramel!

Here we had some skewered rabbits and some not so great brownies.

As a little April Fool's Day joke Britney loaded these puppies with salt. I loved Shaunas reaction the best. She simply yelled out "Whoha!! Sweet AND salty" Ha! Ha! I still laugh when I think about it.

Here are the good one teaspoon of salt brownies.

Kristie & Stephanie

Robyn & Bethany

Kara & Christie

Somehow I didn't end up with pictures of the ladies on the couch (me, Shauna & Shannon) I'll do better next time!

And now for a few of my very favorite photos of the night.

What would cause Brenda to make this face...

And then Britney to make this one...

Could it be this little present Brenda left Bert?

Hmmmm

The world may never know.

(Actually Britney was trying not to laugh while she watched everyone eat her salty brownies & the picture of Brenda is what she looked like when she discovered what that little devil was up to.)

I had a great time and can't wait for next time!!!

The Help
At Robyn's

A night of hunger and a few games

2010-04-09T11:19:00.003-06:00

It was a great night.

Kristie lead a great review of the book (thanks Kristie!)

I love the tie in to the story from Greek Mythology -- very cool.

Thanks to Heidi and her never-ending cleverness,

we even had a little game to get things really rolling.

Here's the set up...

No one is quite sure of what is about to take place.

Aw.....simple pleasantries before the blood bath.

Let the games begin.

Maybe Heidi has a few better pictures, but it happened so fast that this is the only one of the actual action.

If you remember Brenda swooped low and fast and gathered an armful of supplies, while Kara took the risk of being picked off and went in for the remainder of the goods.

Brenda looks a little too happy (and comfortable) to be sporting that knife.

[I think it is safe to say that I wouldn't want to be in the arena with her.] :)

Christie was quite proud of her acquisition of the bow.

Little did we know she had every intention of using it right away.

[By the way,....this has to be one of my favorite pictures of all time!!!!!]

Thanks for coming. We had a great time.

P.S. I'm sorry about the salty brownies -- mostly.

Score!

2010-04-02T08:59:00.002-06:00

The girls were ecstatic to find this treasure awaiting them this morning. They couldn't believe I got this from book club, and kept wanting to know who shot the farthest and got the most points. "Did Kara even shoot it?" (Maybe because you're pregnant, they didn't think you should be acting like a warrior).

Carly to Macy: You be the girl. The girl Indians stay home and cook and clean the boys' clothes. I get to go out and go hunting. I can be the boy because back then, the boys had long hair. They didn't have scissors back then to cut their hair, and they thought it looked nicer.

They bring me drinks from the lake and cobs of corn as I type.

Carly: Mom, you can't be the Mom because back then, they didn't have computers.

I'm being called for a feast, so I'll sign off now. Thanks for the yummy food, great discussion, and fun time, as always!