What the Bears Know - September 29
At our August 25th meeting, we discussed Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Our group members were big fans of the book, and everyone enjoyed the discussion. Members liked how the author incorporated history and fiction seamlessly, but gave an author note on how she adjusted this story around the real life of Martha Ballard. I brought pumpkin squares to share.
Our next meeting is Monday, September 29th, at 3pm at the LME Library. We will be discussing the book, What the Bears Know, by Steve Searles. Books can be picked up at the library or are also available through our ebook/eaudio resources. The discussion sheets can also be picked up or printed here. Summary: "In this wonderous and eye-opening exploration, Steve Searles, the renowned and respected "Bear Whisperer" of Mammoth Lakes, takes the reader on a journey into the lives of these remarkable creatures and the world we share. In the late 1990s, the town of Mammoth Lakes, California, hired Steve Searles as a hunter to cull half its troublesome bear population. But as he began to prepare for the grim task, the bears soon won him over, and Searles realised there had to be a better way. As Searles shares his remarkable knowledge and we become immersed in the ursine world, you'll never look at bears or nature the same way again. Warm and poignant, and perfect for anyone who has been fascinated by the natural world, What the Bears Know shows that wisdom and fulfillment can come from unexpected places."--
Cookbook Club - March 5th
We had 5 people attend our first cookbook club meeting on January 30th. We read The Mediterranean Dish by Suzy Karadsheh. Everyone brought a different dish so we had a nice variety to taste. Recipes included Very Green Tabbouleh in Lettuce Boats, Savory Roasted Chickpeas, Greek-style Baked Butter Beans, Fasolia with Rice, and Baklava Pumpkin Pie. The pie recipe was from the author's website https://www.themediterraneandish.com/
We discussed how useful we found the cookbook, how the design contributed to successful recipes, and why each recipe was chosen. The group seems to like simple easy-to-find ingredients. They would like to continue meeting every other month. Suggestions for future cookbooks included: Skinnytaste, Pioneer Woman, and an anti-inflammatory diet.
Our next cookbook club will be featuring One by Jamie Oliver. Books can be picked up from the front desk and we plan to meet on March 5th at 6pm. Please bring a dish from the book to share and suggestions for future titles!
Cookbook Club - January 30th 6pm
We have a new book group with 2 meetings set for 2024--the cookbook club! Our first book is the Mediterranean Dish by Suzy Karadsheh. Copies of the book are available at the front desk.
To join:- Pick up the book and try some of its recipes. Cookbooks will be available at least a month before each meeting
- Bring the book and an item made from a recipe in the cookbook to the book club meeting
- We’ll talk about the cookbook, which recipes you made, why you chose them, and how it all went
If you love to cook or eat, this is a great way to check out new recipes--please join us!
January - Thursday Murder Club and February - Black Cake
I noticed I didn't post the January title which was Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. We met yesterday and the book had a lukewarm response. It was definitely quirky and grows on you but the timelines and the murders were difficult for some members to follow. The group felt it should have been named the Thursday Murders Club because there are several murders covered and almost as many suicides. This may sound depressing but again, with quirky British humor it was really rather fun. The discussion sheets where available here and we had Tiramisu for refreshments (just because I've always wanted to make Tiramisu!)
Our February pick is Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. Copies of the book are available at the front desk and discussion sheets are here. Our next meeting is Monday, February 27th at 3pm at the LME Library--hope to see you there!
Black Cake summary: "In this moving debut novel, two estranged siblings must set aside their differences to deal with their mother's death and her hidden past--a journey of discovery that takes them from the Caribbean to London to California and ends with her famous black cake. Charmaine Wilkerson's debut novel is a story of how the inheritance of betrayals, secrets, memories, and even names, can shape relationships and history. Deeply evocative and beautifully written, Black Cake is an extraordinary journey through the life of a family changed forever by the choices of its matriarch"
March 30 - Star of the North
At our February 24th meeting, we discussed To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. We chose this classic novel since many of our members had never read it, and it had been voted as America's Favorite Book via PBS's The Great American Read in 2018. Several members commended that it lived up to its hype and they "couldn't put it down". We had Toll House Cookie Bars and fruit for dessert.
One of our members also mentioned the Chillicothe Public Library's Big Read events for Into the Beautiful North. More information on the programming is avaialable at https://www.chillicothepubliclibrary.org/1/nea-big-read-into-the-beautiful-north/. In addition, the Peoria Public Library is doing Peoria Reads 2020 with the book, The Hate U Give. Information about Peoria Reads events can be found at http://www.peoriareads.org/
Here's a summary of the book: "A propulsive and ambitious thriller about a woman trying to rescue her twin sister from captivity in North Korea, and the North Korean citizens with whom she forms an unlikely alliance. Star of the North opens in 1988, when a Korean American teenager is kidnapped from a South Korean beach by North Korean operatives. Twenty-two years later, her brilliant twin sister, Jenna, is still searching for her, and ends up on the radar of the CIA. When evidence that her sister may still be alive in North Korea comes to light, Jenna will do anything possible to rescue her--including undertaking a daring mission into the heart of the regime."
January 27 - Girl Waits With Gun
We also discussed what aspects of life in 1914 we wish had survived, but we had a really hard time recommending anything. (There are a lot of things we are glad are much improved principally women's rights, modern conveniences, end of child labor, and OSHA laws!) We finally decided that public transportation was better then and people were more self sufficient (but that came at a high price). For dessert we had Apple Crumb Tart with Cinnamon Cream and fresh fruit. Overall, we greatly enjoyed this meeting and the book. Many of us will be reading the rest of the series, and we'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
Next meeting December 9th
Our next book club meeting will be on Monday, December 9th at 3pm for our coffee chat. We'll wrap up 2019 and discuss our favorite books we read outside of bookgroup. Please feel free to bring your favorite appetizers and desserts and join us!
November 2019 - Great Alone
At our October book group meeting, we discussed The last castle : the epic story of love, loss, and American royalty in the nation's largest home by Denise Kiernan. Several of the book group members have visited the Biltmore mansion and were able to give first hand impressions of the experience. Most members enjoyed learning more about the Vanderbilt family and the mansion but felt the book focused a bit too much on the family and not enough on the contributions and benefits due to the construction. We had Biltmore's Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce which was excellent! We also spent a few minutes choosing books for next year. Watch for the list to be posted soon!
Book Summary:
"In 1974, a former Vietnam POW, suffering from flashbacks and nightmares, moves his family to Alaska to live off the grid in an attempt to find peace, restoration, and freedom. They will also face dangers, both internally and externally, as they face the ultimate test of the human spirit"-- Lenora Allbright is 13 when her father convinces her mother, Cora, to move from Seattle to Kaneq, AK. It's 1974, and the former Vietnam POW sees a better future away from the noise and nightmares that plague him. Having been left a homestead by a buddy who died in the war, Ernt is secure in his beliefs, but never was a family less prepared for the reality of Alaska, the long, cold winters and isolation. Locals want to help out, especially Lenora's classmate Matthew Walker. Yet the harsh conditions bring out the worst in Ernt, whose paranoia takes over their lives and exacerbates what Leni sees as the toxic relationship between her parents."
Aug 2019 - Sept 2019
February 25 - Almost Sisters
At our January 28th meeting, we discussed the book, Cuckoo's Calling, by Robert Galbraith (pseudonym for J.K. Rowling). This is the first book in the Cormoran Strike series and we enjoyed reading this mystery. We had the traditional English dessert, Sticky Toffee Pudding, during our discussion. Even with the inclement weather, we still had 8 members attend.
A summary of Almost Sisters is below: "With empathy, grace, humor, and piercing insight, the author of gods in Alabama pens a powerful, emotionally resonant novel of the South that confronts the truth about privilege, family, and the distinctions between perception and reality—-the stories we tell ourselves about our origins and who we really are.
Superheroes have always been Leia Birch Briggs' weakness. One tequila-soaked night at a comics convention, the usually level-headed graphic novelist is swept off her barstool by a handsome and anonymous Batman. It turns out the caped crusader has left her with more than just a nice, fuzzy memory. She's having a baby boy—an unexpected but not unhappy development in the thirty-eight year-old's life. But before Leia can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional, Southern family, her step-sister Rachel's marriage implodes. Worse, she learns her beloved ninety-year-old grandmother, Birchie, is losing her mind, and she's been hiding her dementia with the help of Wattie, her best friend since girlhood.
Leia returns to Alabama to put her grandmother's affairs in order, clean out the big Victorian that has been in the Birch family for generations, and tell her family that she's pregnant. Yet just when Leia thinks she's got it all under control, she learns that illness is not the only thing Birchie's been hiding. Tucked in the attic is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War. Its exposure threatens the family's freedom and future, and it will change everything about how Leia sees herself and her sister, her son and his missing father, and the world she thinks she knows."
March 26 - Beartown
At our February 26th meeting we had 9 members present and discussed the book Open Season by C.J. Box. Everyone liked the book and felt it was a very good start of the series. It was highly rated as a fun read by the group but there were a few criticisms. The story centered around Joe Pickett, Wyoming game warden and a case that involves the murder, deceit and the endangered species act. Most criticism focused on the stereotypes of characters and the negative portrayal of almost all the women in the book. I personally felt that actions of Marybeth (Joe's wife) in the key confrontation were completely out of character for anyone who had ever lived in a remote area. Anyway, it was a lively discussion and we had grapes and nanaimo bars for treats.
Beartown summary: "From the New York Times bestselling author comes a poignant, charming novel about a forgotten town fractured by scandal, and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything. Winning a junior ice hockey championship might not mean a lot to the average person, but it means everything to the residents of Beartown, a community slowly being eaten alive by unemployment and the surrounding wilderness. A victory like this would draw national attention to the ailing town: it could attract government funding and an influx of talented athletes who would choose Beartown over the big nearby cities. At first, it seems like the team might have a shot at fulfilling the dreams of their entire town. But one night at a drunken celebration following a key win, something happens between Kevin and the general manager's daughter--and the next day everything seems to have changed. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected. With so much riding on the success of the team, the line between loyalty and betrayal becomes difficult to discern. At last, it falls to one young man to find the courage to speak the truth that it seems no one else wants to hear. Fredrik Backman knows that we are forever shaped by the places we call home, and in this emotionally powerful, sweetly insightful story, he explores what can happen when we carry the heavy weight of other people's dreams on our shoulders."
February 26 - Open Season by C.J. Box
Our next meeting will be Monday, February 26th at 3pm at the LME Library. We will be reading the book, Open Season by C.J. Box. Copies of the book are available at the front desk and discussion sheets are available for pickup or online.
Summary for Open Season:
As Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett races against time to save an endangered species, he finds himself plunged into a deadly mystery that soon threatens his family and the life he loves.
Book that Matters Most - September 25
At our August 28th meeting, we discussed Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin. Most members really liked the book even though the lifestyle of the very rich was completely foreign to us. We've read several of Melanie Benjamin's books and we love how she incorporates historical facts with fiction. We tried out the new chairs in the Turner Room extension but we'll be moving our next discussion to the new meeting room. For refreshments, we had fresh fruit and healthy flourless fudge brownies.
Summary: "An enthralling novel about love, loss, secrets, friendship, and the healing power of literature, by the bestselling author of The Knitting Circle. Ava's twenty-five-year marriage has fallen apart, and her two grown children are pursuing their own lives outside of the country. Ava joins a book group, not only for her love of reading but also out of sheer desperation for companionship. The group's goal throughout the year is for each member to present the book that matters most to them. Ava rediscovers a mysterious book from her childhood--one that helped her through the traumas of the untimely deaths of her sister and mother. Alternating with Ava's story is that of her troubled daughter Maggie, who, living in Paris, descends into a destructive relationship with an older man. Ava's mission to find that book and its enigmatic author takes her on a quest that unravels the secrets of her past and offers her and Maggie the chance to remake their lives."
August 28th - Swans of Fifth Avenue
Wow--time is sure flying by this year! We just finished discussing Grunt by Mary Roach last week and we had a great time. Some readers had a hard time getting through the book and felt the first part dragged a bit. However, it picked up after the first few chapters and made a very entertaining read. the author did a great job balancing some of the dry research with humorous comments and we all learned a lot. Who knew that the military had to redesign the crash test dummies they use because their vehicles usually sustain damage from below rather than from the front or side? That maggots can be used in wound debriding but even the medical community can't get past the ick factor? That the military has designed a "chicken gun" to test bird impacts on planes? These topics and more make for interesting reading! Our refreshments for the group included Low Fat Zucchini Lemon Bread and Chocolate Zucchini Bread.
Summary: Of all the glamorous stars of New York high society, none blazes brighter than Babe Paley and her friends, the alluring socialite Swans. But beneath this elegantly composed exterior dwells a passionate woman, desperately longing for true love and connection. Enter Truman Capote. Through Babe, Truman gains unparalleled access to the scandal and gossip of Babe's powerful circle. Babe never imagines the destruction Truman will leave in his wake-- even when the stories aren't his to tell.
July 31 - Grunt by Mary Roach
At our June 26th meeting, we had a great discussion regarding John Scalzi's book, Lock In. Some readers felt overwhelmed by the technology but others felt the book addressed all kinds of issues pertinent to today's society (people with disabilities, gender identity, treatment of the Navajo, government subsides in medical research, accommodation issues, discrimination, and community culture to name a few). It also had great character development and an interesting mystery too! For our refreshments, we had coconut oil chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookie bars with buttercream frosting and our famous cheese ball dip.
Summary: 'Grunt' tackles the science behind some of a soldier's most challenging adversaries-- panic, exhaustion, heat, noise-- and introduces us to the scientists who seek to conquer them.
May 22 - House of Silk
At our April 24th meeting, we discussed Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert. Some of our group members liked the book and others did not. Those that did liked the ideas of ways to incorporate creativity and beauty into our everyday lives. Those that did not felt that the book was "for younger people." Personally, I think that people can experience "big magic" at any age. For refreshments, we had fruit and Raspberry-Rhurbarb Slab Pie.
Summary: For the first time in its one-hundred-and-twenty-five-year history, the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate has authorized a new Sherlock Holmes novel.
Once again, THE GAME'S AFOOT...
London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap - a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place.
Almost unwillingly, Holmes and Watson find themselves being drawn ever deeper into an international conspiracy connected to the teeming criminal underworld of Boston, the gaslit streets of London, opium dens and much, much more. And as they dig, they begin to hear the whispered phrase-the House of Silk-a mysterious entity that connects the highest levels of government to the deepest depths of criminality. Holmes begins to fear that he has uncovered a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society.
April 24-Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
At our March 27th meeting we discussed the book, Suspect by Robert Crais. Many members like the mystery genre and felt this was a good selection for the group. Refreshments included: Sticky garlic noodles in wonton cups (wonton wrappers baked in muffin cups for 10 mins at 375) and Churro creme brulee bars. Several in the group were interested in reading the second Scott & Maggie mystery, Promise.
Summary: "Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert's books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the "strange jewels" that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy."
March 27 - Suspect
At our February 27th meeting, we discussed Founding Mothers by Cokie Roberts. Most of the readers liked the subject but felt the chronological arrangement of the book made it difficult and confusing. We had Martha Washington's candies and Abigail Adam's Indian Pudding for refreshments.
Summary: Struggling to reclaim his career after the devastating murder of his partner eight months earlier, LAPD cop Max Kent is teamed with a traumatized military canine named Maggie who assists Max in an effort to track down his late partner's killer.
February 2017 - Founding Mothers
At our January 30th meeting, we discussed Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. Almost all our readers absolutely loved the book. The fact that it was based on real people and instances only heightened the interest of most of the readers. Discussion centered on surviving World War II and whether this could happen again. Refreshments included coconut washboard cookies and Sernik Babci (Polish cheesecake).
Summary: Founding Mothers is an intimate and illuminating look at the fervently patriotic and passionate women whose tireless pursuits on behalf of their families -- and their country -- proved just as crucial to the forging of a new nation as the rebellion that established it. While much has been written about the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, battled the British, and framed the Constitution, the wives, mothers, sisters, and daughters they left behind have been little noticed by history. Roberts brings us the women who fought the Revolution as valiantly as the men, often defending their very doorsteps. While the men went off to war or to Congress, the women managed their businesses, raised their children, provided them with political advice, and made it possible for the men to do what they did. The behind-the-scenes influence of these women -- and their sometimes very public activities -- was intelligent and pervasive. Drawing upon personal correspondence, private journals, and even favored recipes, Roberts reveals the often surprising stories of these fascinating women, bringing to life the everyday trials and extraordinary triumphs of individuals like Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, Deborah Read Franklin, Eliza Pinckney, Catherine Littlefield Green, Esther DeBerdt Reed, and Martha Washington -- proving that without our exemplary women, the new country might never have survived. Social history at its best, Founding Mothers unveils the drive, determination, creative insight, and passion of the other patriots, the women who raised our nation. Roberts proves beyond a doubt that like every generation of American women that has followed, the founding mothers used the unique gifts of their gender -- courage, pluck, sadness, joy, energy, grace, sensitivity, and humor -- to do what women do best, put one foot in front of the other in remarkable circumstances and carry on.
December 12th Coffee Chat
At our November 28 bookgroup, we discussed All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Several members of our group loved the book, but others thought that moving back and forth in the timeline was distracting. Overall, we felt it was a good pick but a bit too literary for our tastes. We had Peach Dump Cake with ice cream.
The group also finished picking our titles for next year:
January 30
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Kelly, Martha Hall
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February 27
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Roberts, Cokie
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March 27
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Crais, Robert
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April 24
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Gilbert, Elizabeth
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May 22
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Horowitz, Anthony
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June 26
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Scalzi, John
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July 31
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Roach, Mary
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August 28
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Benjamin, Melanie
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September 25
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Hood,
Ann
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October 30
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Kiernan, Denise
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November 27
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Hannah, Kristin
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December 11th @ 3pm —Coffee Chat about your
favorite books of 2017
& get our new list for 2018
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