April 17: The Hunger Games

Six of us met at Leann's to discuss The Hunger Games. I'm pleased to report no one left hungry, and the odds were ever in our favor.

I'm afraid my report must be abbreviated, because I arrived late, and I had already had some dinner. I partook in the lovely green salad (spinach, perhaps?). I believe there was soup, bread, and pasta salad as well. What did not escape my notice was dessert: Lisa made dessert kabobs with angel food cake and fruit. Yummy, visually interesting, and healthy. I couldn't let that stand and brought some cupcakes to share.

They told me they had talked about the book before I got there, and I guess I believe them. We talked some more, and it was as I had guessed - everyone liked the book. We talked mostly about the differences between the book and the movie and succeeded in convincing Darla and Lisa, the only attendees who had not seen it already, that they should.

As we were parting, we realized we had not discussed our next meeting. So here's what we've got from our original schedule:

Next Meeting
Where: ?
When: May 8
What: The Shack by William Paul Young

March 13 - Our Kind of Traitor

Karen hosted 8 of us for our discussion of Out Kind of Traitor by John LeCarre. There were many dishes inspired by the English/Russian characters of the book: Stilton cheeses, pea soup and borscht, "Russian" black bread, trifle. The salad, carrot cake, and coconut pie were also well-appreciated! The champagne was not, only because we never got to it; Newcastle brown ale and copious wine did the trick.

So the food was, as usual, fabulous; the book, alas, was not. It was uniformly disliked! A thriller with no thrills and characters that left us without sympathy for or interest in them. Oh well! It seems most all of us slogged through it to the end.

We discussed at some length our choice for our next meeting: The Count of Monte Cristo. While most of us are interested in pursuing the classics, a book that is over 800 pages abridged gave us pause. Let's face it, it's just not realistic. So we started tossing out other books (as well as discussing the reading of the classics themselves). At some point we diverged and started talking about the Hunger Games movie that is coming out, how we should see it as a group but not everyone had read it, and voila! A solution that most sounded interested in: let's read The Hunger Games for April!  It may not be a classic, but sure is a cultural phenomenon. And afterward we can go see the movie.

Next Meeting
Where: Leann's
When: April 10
What: The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

February 21 - In Other Rooms, Other Wonders

Mary Beth hosted a group of nine of us for February meeting to discuss Daniyal Mueenuddin's collection of short stories, In Other Rooms, Other Wonders. Happily, Becky was able to join us. Yay, Becky!

Mary Beth made wonderful stuffed shells (let's hear it for home ec, the source of the recipe!). Nancy B. brought a gorgeous green salad and Lisa made a middle-eastern-inspired orzo salad. Leann's homemade bread rounded out dinner, and we had three sources of dessert: Karen's middle-eastern selection, Darla's cupcakes, and cookies baked by my dear husband. I'm afraid I lost track of the drinks and appetizers and perhaps more, so please forgive me any lacunae.

We had a lively discussion of the book, no doubt because everyone found something lacking in it! (Seems books we dislike generate much more discussion than those we do.) The depiction of life in Pakistan was not a positive one, particularly in the way poor women are treated, so it was a hard read. Heather spent three years in Pakistan as a kid, so she was able to give us a more positive perspective on life there, thank goodness. Also, Karen had gone to hear the author speak at Dartmouth (he's an alum), and she was able to tell us more about him and what he's writing now.

Thanks, Mary Beth, for hosting a fun evening!

Next Meeting
Where: Karen's
When: March 13
What: Our Kind of Traitor by John LeCarre

January 10 - A Discovery of Witches

Seven of us gathered at Susan's beautiful home for yummy soups, book talk, and ... kittens! We got to meet Susan's two pint-sized prowlers, who added an extra touch of magic to the evening.

Susan's soups were great. Owing to the fact that I am a bear of little brain and several days have passed, all I can recall is that vegetarian one was a curry soup (which I had and it was fabulous) and the non-veggie soup had kale in it (I hear lots of "mmmm" coming from the folks who had it). I also know we had great appetizers, a delicious home-made couscous salad, and two types of cake for dessert. What's not to like?

The book, for one, although I believe the group was 50-50 on liking vs. not liking so much. It was definitely long ("wordy" was mentioned), having seemingly fallen victim to the state of editing in book publishing these days (i.e., there's not enough of it). Those of us who liked it are really looking forward to book 2 in the trilogy, the rest are off the hook.

There were many other topics and books discussed, including Susan's musing out loud about needing to think of a dance routine to contribute to an upcoming family wedding. Truly a fun evening, thanks Susan!

Next Meeting
Where: Becky's
When: January 14
What: In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin

December 13 - The Coffins of Little Hope

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!

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

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!

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

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

• 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.

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

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."

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?

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.

December 8 - The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise

Nancy hosted a happy group of 9 for our (very short) discussion of The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise. We welcomed new member Susan and had a cornucopia of foodstuffs. Mary Beth made a fabulous asparagus salad with feta cheese and mandarin oranges, and Karen supplied us with a Christmas almond cake for dessert (as well as bruchetta as an appetizer). We had cauliflower soup, taco soup, french bread, dinner rolls, fruit salad, Becky's guacamole, Darla's pickled asparagus, Susan's delicious cheeses. Please forgive me for anyone and anything I've left out, it was all great.

The Yankee swap was much anticipated. Try as I might, I couldn't egg people on to grab other's stuff. It's too much fun to open a present, I think, and it was all nice stuff. Plus Lisa drew #1 and picked something she loved, so we all knew it was fruitless to snatch that gift. We decided that next year we should do a white elephant Yankee swap.

Almost everyone had read at least part of the book and at liked it. We appreciated that parts of it are laugh-out-loud funny. Darla said it reminded her of a fairy tale.

We immediately turned to the discussion of other books and other things, including what to read next. Because there was interest in more than one book, we chose for the next 3 meetings!

Next Meeting
Where: Mary Beth's
When: Thursday, January 20

Next Books
January: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
February:  Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
March: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

October 26 - So Cold the River

Four of us gathered at Becky's to discuss our creepy October read, So Cold the River by Michael Koryta. Becky had wonderful clam chowder and winter squash soup, which was rounded off with bread and salad and was topped off with cookies. Thanks, Darla, for the home-made ginger snaps! It was all yummy.

Lisa sent her book report through Darla. Everyone said they liked it and thought it suitably spooky for Halloween, the writing reminiscent of Stephen King. I had some gripes with the book (where was the editor?), which brought out a few other dislikes as well (the main character was whiny and stupid, and why all the fuss about the train early on?). 

We discussed lots of other stuff and other books, of course. I'm afraid I didn't write them down, so if you've got a recommendation, do chime in. I finished one book I talked about last time, Room by Emma Donoghue, and LOVED it. There was some interest in reading it for a Book Soup meeting, but given its premise, we decided it was more suited to bleak winter than the holidays.

Speaking of which, our next meeting will be out holiday meeting, and we think we've identified a nice read for it. We didn't discuss doing a Yankee Swap, but it is a Book Soup holiday tradition, so I will assume we will do it unless the populace says no.

Next Meeting

When: Wednesday, December 8 (alternate: Thursday, December 9)

Where: Nancy's, of course!

What: The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart

Also: Please bring a wrapped gift worth no more than $10 suitable for swapping

September 28 - The Owl Killers

Six of us met at Darla's for our discussion of The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland. Darla was well-prepared with yummy crock-pot offerings to warm us (a potato soup and a chicken-kielbasa-sauerkraut soup). Karen supplied a beautiful spinach salad, Becky brought a delicious egg dish, I went all-out with rolls, and Lisa and Leann rounded off the meal with desserts (cupcakes and cookies, respectively). Thanks, all!

We had an interesting discussion even though only two of us had finished the book. Set in the Middle Ages and featuring a community of women determined to make it on their own, we talked about the limits of what women could accomplish at that time. The book also had lots of scary elements, which made it appropriate for this time of year.

Speaking of scary, we chose a ghost story for our October meeting. Read on for details.

Next Meeting
Where: Becky's
When: Tuesday, October 26
What: So Cold the River by Michael Koryta

August 19 - Fingerprints of God

Four of us gathered at Leann's for our -- good! -- discussion of Fingerprints of God by Barbara Bradley Haggerty. What was fascinating to me was that, while everybody found parts of interest, there were varying reactions overall. I found the author's spiritual crisis compelling, but not everybody else did. And of course the discussion segued into all kinds of other things, serious and not-so-serious.

And the food was fabulous, as usual. Leann had mac & cheese, tuna salad, and her "man salad" - a bean salad we ladies found very yummy, so I question the name. We also had two blueberry desserts - a cake from Karen and a tart from Lisa.

Next Meeting

What: The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland
When: Tuesday, September 28
Where: Well...

Darla, you were nominated in abstentia, and Lisa volunteered as back up. However, she's having surgery on the 9th and will be in a cast...

June 24 - Flowers in the Attic

Six of us gathered at Heather's house and petting zoo (two goats, a dog, a cat, two birds, and a beehive) to discuss Flowers in the Attic, a book many had read as teenagers. Heather had great food read for us - aside from cheeses and crackers and fruit, she made bacon-wrapped water chestnuts for appetizers; "butter chick" (two variations on an Indian dish, butter chicken and butter chickpeas) for the main course; and powdered donuts for dessert! (If you've read Flowers in the Attic, you'll know why.) Sushi and salads rounded out the meal, not to mention the white wine sangria. Thanks, Heather!

We had an interesting discussion of the book, which had many creepy aspects, but was a real product of its time. Written in 1979, it took a classical romance novel approach to rape, making it a prelude to love. We all agreed that wouldn't fly any more (thank goodness!).

After lots of laughter and a visit with the goats, we called it a night.

Next Meeting
Where: Leann's
When: Thursday, July 29
What: Fingerprints of God by Barbara Bradley Haggerty

May 18: The Dream of Perpetual Motion

Five of us gathered at Darla's for our discussion of The Dream of Perpetual Motion by Dexter Palmer. Our menu was Cinco de Mayo-inspired with a touch of Greek thrown in...Lisa's flan was fabulous! (And so were her brownies, not to mention Darla's Margaritas!)

The book was...a challenge. Only our intrepid hostess managed to finish it for the meeting, and those of us still working through it were not universally admiring. It's not bad to have a challenge now and then, we all agreed.

Of course talking about our designated book led to talking about all things bookish, in particular Darla's fondness for book blogs, some of which she showed to us on her laptop.

Below are lists that Karen, who was our scribe for the evening, created from our discussion and show-and-tell:

Websites:
She's Too Fond of Books...And it has addled her brain
http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com/

Jen's Book Thoughts
http://jensbookthoughts.blogspot.com/

Hot Guys Reading Books
http://hotguysreadingbooks.tumblr.com/

Reading on the Subway
http://readingonthesubway.net/

Authors/Books:
Louise Penny
http://www.louisepenny.com/

Kate Shugak mystery series by Dana Stabenow
http://www.stabenow.com/

Jo Nesbo
http://www.jonesbo.com/

Future book group field trip:
The world famous booktown Hay-on-Wye
http://www.hay-on-wye.co.uk/

Next Meeting:
Where:  Heather's house
When: TBD
What: Fingerprints of God: In Search of the Science of Spirituality by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
http://barbarabradleyhagerty.com 

April 13 - The Help

Mary Beth hosted seven of us for a for our discussion of The Help. It was a lovely gathering with a potato soup and a chili provided by Mary Beth, both of which were delicious. Lisa's artichoke dip appetizer was a big hit, and Darla graced us with a carrot cake from King Arthur flour for dessert.

Everyone loved the book, and we had an interesting discussion about what it means to have maids raising children and taking care of other intimate details of life, among other many, many of things -- a few book related, most not (and some of which will remain unmentioned, Heather).

Next Meeting

When: Tuesday, May 18

Where: Darla's

What: The Dream of Perpetual Motionby Dexter Palmer