Eight of us gathered at my place for cauliflower soup, chocolate chili, white elephant Yankee swap, and oh yes, to talk about a book!
The company was wonderful, the contributions of appetizers and desserts fabulous. The book, well, let's just say you can't win them all; there was little love for The Coffins of Little Hope.
I believe our Yankee swap was a success. People in this group have very nice white elephants hanging around their houses! There was some envy and swapping, I'm happy to report, although no one took the bow and arrow set I opened. Hmm.
Next Meeting
Where: Susan graciously offered to host
When: January 10
What: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Happy holidays and best wishes for the new year!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
November 8 - The Little Friend
Six of us gathered as Lisa's to discuss The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. There were deviled eggs, two wonderful soups, warm biscuits, blueberry pie... Absolutely delicious, one and all. We had a good and wide-ranging discussion of the book and it's southern-ness, with a general agreement that it was quite good and proved the adage "you can't judge a book by its cover" (or it's title either, in this case).
Next month - Yankee Swap!! We thought a white elephant Yankee Swap might be just the thing this year. So bring something you already own wrapped and ready to swap.
When: December 13
Where: Nancy's
What: The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert
Next month - Yankee Swap!! We thought a white elephant Yankee Swap might be just the thing this year. So bring something you already own wrapped and ready to swap.
When: December 13
Where: Nancy's
What: The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
October 18 - The Picture of Dorian Gray
Seven of us gathered at Darla's for our rescheduled discussion of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. We were greeted at the table by a parade of little reading rubber duckies, favors Lisa found. Thanks, Lisa!
Darla served her famous potato cheese soup and also a new and delicious creation, creamy tortellini soup. (She even provided those attending with copies of the recipes; above and beyond!) The table was rounded out with a lovely fall veggie casserole by Lisa and an antipasto salad by Karen. Dessert was a virtual cornucopia of treats — Susan's apple crisp and vanilla ice cream, Leaan's Boston cream pie, and Becky's fruit were topped off by some great maple cookies that Darla and Lisa baked before the rest of us arrived.
Although we occasionally got distracted, we did discuss the book quite a bit. Susan knew the most about Oscar Wilde and filled us in on the place of the novel, his only one, in his work and life. I, for one, did not know the book had eventually landed him and jail and contributed to his death. Pretty amazing. Oh, and we all hated the character of Lord Henry.
Lisa offered to host our next meeting, which is November 8, to discuss The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. See you then!
Although we occasionally got distracted, we did discuss the book quite a bit. Susan knew the most about Oscar Wilde and filled us in on the place of the novel, his only one, in his work and life. I, for one, did not know the book had eventually landed him and jail and contributed to his death. Pretty amazing. Oh, and we all hated the character of Lord Henry.
Lisa offered to host our next meeting, which is November 8, to discuss The Little Friend by Donna Tartt. See you then!
Friday, September 16, 2011
September 14
We had a large and lively group at Nancy's for our post-summer-vacation meeting. Folks brought lots of delicious appetizers, beverages, and desserts to augment the spinach lasagna. Thanks, everyone!
After a bit of discussion, we actually were able to choose a regular meeting time and books to read until next summer. Way to go, guys!
Our regular meeting time will be the 2nd Tuesday of the month.
Below is a list of dates and books.(Please, if I got something wrong, do let me know. My scribble was hard to read. Also, if we'd like to rearrange some, we can do that.) Darla offered to host for October. All we'll need to decide as we go along is who will host next!
Schedule
October 11: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde at Darla's
November 8: The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
December 13: The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert
January 10: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
February 14: In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
March 13: Our Kind of Traitor by John LeCarre
April 10: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
May 8: The Shack by William Paul Young
June 12: Night by Elie Wiesel
And suggested summer reading: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
After a bit of discussion, we actually were able to choose a regular meeting time and books to read until next summer. Way to go, guys!
Our regular meeting time will be the 2nd Tuesday of the month.
Below is a list of dates and books.(Please, if I got something wrong, do let me know. My scribble was hard to read. Also, if we'd like to rearrange some, we can do that.) Darla offered to host for October. All we'll need to decide as we go along is who will host next!
Schedule
October 11: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde at Darla's
November 8: The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
December 13: The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schaffert
January 10: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
February 14: In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
March 13: Our Kind of Traitor by John LeCarre
April 10: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
May 8: The Shack by William Paul Young
June 12: Night by Elie Wiesel
And suggested summer reading: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Thursday, June 30, 2011
June 27 - Half-Broke Horses
We had a very small gathering at Karen's to discuss Jeanette Walls' Half-Broke Horses. It was salad night: Heather brought a fresh green salad right from her garden, Leann brought a pasta salad, and Karen had a tortalini salad for us, as well as a fabulous fruit tart for dessert. (I managed to drag some brie along, to double up on what Karen already had.)
Everyone seemed to really like the book (that includes folks who read it but didn't make the meeting). We spent a lot of time trying to remember Walls' earlier book, The Glass Castle, and connecting the two, since Half-Broke Horses is a fictionalized memoir of her maternal grandmother. What a remarkable character Lily Casey was!
Next Meeting
Everyone seemed to really like the book (that includes folks who read it but didn't make the meeting). We spent a lot of time trying to remember Walls' earlier book, The Glass Castle, and connecting the two, since Half-Broke Horses is a fictionalized memoir of her maternal grandmother. What a remarkable character Lily Casey was!
Next Meeting
- When and Where: There is no next meeting set. We plan take the summer off and reconnoiter in September. In August, I will send out a message to set up a date and place.
- What: Come prepared to present a book to the group you think we should read. We think it's a good idea to pick books for the next six meetings or so.
- ALSO: How about picking a regular day each month to meet (like the third Tuesday, for instance)? That way people can plan ahead.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
May 24, Revenge of the Radioactive Lady
Seven of us gathered at Leann's for our discussion of The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady. Leann served a delicious risotto that was rounded out by bread, salad, wonderful appetizers, and 2 desserts! Karen made a fabulous lemon torte, and our hostess provided sinful cupcakes. I think we were all stuffed and happy. As usual, please forgive any lapses regarding food on my part. This time I'll blame it on my blood sugar.
The book got mixed reviews. I believe everyone in attendance finished it. I liked Mary Beth's assessment: it was like a bad soap opera; the plot was ridiculous but you wanted to see what happened. Heather read the whole thing while trapped on a plane and really enjoyed the author's use of language and turns of phrase. We wanted to know: what happened to the neighborhood after the son contaminated it with radioactivity??
Next Meeting
When: Monday, June 27
Where: Karen's
What: Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
The book got mixed reviews. I believe everyone in attendance finished it. I liked Mary Beth's assessment: it was like a bad soap opera; the plot was ridiculous but you wanted to see what happened. Heather read the whole thing while trapped on a plane and really enjoyed the author's use of language and turns of phrase. We wanted to know: what happened to the neighborhood after the son contaminated it with radioactivity??
Next Meeting
When: Monday, June 27
Where: Karen's
What: Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April 12, Cutting for Stone
Lisa hosted a group of seven for our discussion of Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. Lisa went all out and made an Ethiopian vegetable soup (which was to die for). Mary Beth brought a fabulous spinach salad, Leann brought her home-made cole slaw, Darla made darling deviled eggs (sorry, couldn't resist the semi-alliteration, but they were good, made with local eggs), Becky brought roasted veggies (mmm), and Heather brought strawberry shortcake makings. Oh, and I brought some French bread and a local maple goat cheese from the Co-op that was a hit. We didn't actually construct shortcakes, because Lisa baked a maple pudding cake that Lisa called a "lush" cake (we had lots of fun with that one). She served it with strawberries, so we took advantage of Heather's contribution in that way.
We were unanimous about the book: everybody loved it. There was some disagreement about whether it was easy or hard to tell who the father was, but that was a minor issue. We all agreed that even though it was a long book, it was a fast read. (Becky said of the length, "I didn't even notice!")
Next Meeting
Where: Leann's
When: Tuesday, May 24
What: The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French
NOTE: Four of us own this book already and will be willing to lend it out. Give a shout if you can't find a copy.
Lisa generously supplied links to for the fabulous recipes she made for us:
Maple pudding cake
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Maple-Pudding-Cake-233996
Berbere (Ethiopian spice mix)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ethiopian-Spice-Mix-Berbere-104015
Ethiopian vegetable stew
http://ethiopianrecipes.net/yetakelt-wet-spicy-mixed-vegetable-stew/
Lisa says about "Niter Kebbeh," one of the stew ingredients, "I substituted 1/4 stick of butter that I cooked down, to separate, like ghee."
We were unanimous about the book: everybody loved it. There was some disagreement about whether it was easy or hard to tell who the father was, but that was a minor issue. We all agreed that even though it was a long book, it was a fast read. (Becky said of the length, "I didn't even notice!")
Next Meeting
Where: Leann's
When: Tuesday, May 24
What: The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French
NOTE: Four of us own this book already and will be willing to lend it out. Give a shout if you can't find a copy.
Lisa generously supplied links to for the fabulous recipes she made for us:
Maple pudding cake
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Maple-Pudding-Cake-233996
Berbere (Ethiopian spice mix)
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ethiopian-Spice-Mix-Berbere-104015
Ethiopian vegetable stew
http://ethiopianrecipes.net/yetakelt-wet-spicy-mixed-vegetable-stew/
Lisa says about "Niter Kebbeh," one of the stew ingredients, "I substituted 1/4 stick of butter that I cooked down, to separate, like ghee."
Saturday, February 26, 2011
February 24 - Unbroken
Heather hosted a group of 7 of us for a shark-themed discussion of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. Heather had two round tables adjacent to one another like the two rafts in the book, with a mouthful of water and a piece of chocolate at each place and stuffed sharks as decoration. Nice touches!
Heather served ravioli with a delicious yogurt-based sauce, which was complemented by Leann's beautiful green salad and Nancy B.'s yummy roasted veggies. Karen made 1940's gumdrop cookies, and I believe it was Mary Beth who made lemon/fruit squares. I'm sure there was more; please forgive me for what I left out!
Everyone like the book a lot, even Becky, to whom it gave nightmares. We mused about what we would have done (most of us thought we'd have eaten the chocolate too), and guessed we might not have survived it all like Louie did.
Next Meeting
What: Cutting for Stone
Where: Lisa's (as long as she's up to it)
When: Not yet decided - does Tuesday April 12 work?
Heather served ravioli with a delicious yogurt-based sauce, which was complemented by Leann's beautiful green salad and Nancy B.'s yummy roasted veggies. Karen made 1940's gumdrop cookies, and I believe it was Mary Beth who made lemon/fruit squares. I'm sure there was more; please forgive me for what I left out!
Everyone like the book a lot, even Becky, to whom it gave nightmares. We mused about what we would have done (most of us thought we'd have eaten the chocolate too), and guessed we might not have survived it all like Louie did.
Next Meeting
What: Cutting for Stone
Where: Lisa's (as long as she's up to it)
When: Not yet decided - does Tuesday April 12 work?
Friday, January 21, 2011
January 20 - Cleopatra
Seven of us met at Mary Beth's for an evening of Egyptian delights and to discuss the book Cleopatra. This had to be the most thematic book group ever. Thanks to Heather, there were lots of adornments to be had (Mary Beth's combo of a belly dancer's hip scarf with jingling coins and a beaded head dress was my favorite.)
We welcomed new member Nancy Bates, who brought a delicious Tuscan salad. Mary Beth provided potato cheddar soup, and Heather brought happy lamb stew (the lamb had led a happy life in Maine before landing in Heather's freezer). Leann brought rolls, I brought hummus, but Susan's stuffed grape leaves, toasted pita, and herbed feta cheese were amazing. I have to say the happy lamb was delicious too, wonderful spices.
After some preliminary chatting we did talk about Cleopatra just about the whole time. We were aided by the Elizabeth Taylor movie version playing on the TV, thanks to a timely trip to the library by Mary Beth. There were varying reactions to the book, from it being too much a history book to its straying too far from fact. Some of the descriptions were just too good not to read out loud, like that of Marc Antony's legs. (Please someone, remind me of the exact phrase; it was priceless.)
Next Meeting
What: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Where: ??
When: ??
How about we meet Thursday, February 24? (That's 5 weeks.) And we need a hostess.
We welcomed new member Nancy Bates, who brought a delicious Tuscan salad. Mary Beth provided potato cheddar soup, and Heather brought happy lamb stew (the lamb had led a happy life in Maine before landing in Heather's freezer). Leann brought rolls, I brought hummus, but Susan's stuffed grape leaves, toasted pita, and herbed feta cheese were amazing. I have to say the happy lamb was delicious too, wonderful spices.
After some preliminary chatting we did talk about Cleopatra just about the whole time. We were aided by the Elizabeth Taylor movie version playing on the TV, thanks to a timely trip to the library by Mary Beth. There were varying reactions to the book, from it being too much a history book to its straying too far from fact. Some of the descriptions were just too good not to read out loud, like that of Marc Antony's legs. (Please someone, remind me of the exact phrase; it was priceless.)
Next Meeting
What: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Where: ??
When: ??
How about we meet Thursday, February 24? (That's 5 weeks.) And we need a hostess.
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