December Book

Caroline Rowe will be hosting for December, and the book she has chosen is "The Wednesday Letters," by Jason F. Wright.


"Their story begins with one letter on their wedding night, a letter from the groom, promising to write his bride every week-for as long they both shall live.

Thirty-nine years later, Jack and Laurel Cooper die in each other's arms. And when their grown children return to the family B&B to arrange the funeral, they discover thousands of letters.

The letters they read tell of surprising joys and sorrows. They also hint at a shocking family secret-and ultimately force the children to confront a life-changing moment of truth . . ."

A Fiery Night

Our meeting on Friday night was a lot of fun! We met at El Pariaso Mexican Restaurant, and completely stuffed ourselves with chips and salsa and everything else delicious and spicy! The conversation was great too! We had a great time bashing Cashore's attitude toward marriage and children, but at the same time enjoying her story-telling and characters. Most of us had also read her second book in the series, "Fire."

Those who came were: Maryanne Wight, Audrey Sisco, Caroline Rowe, Carrie Howell, and myself. Thanks for the great night out, ladies!!!

November's Meeting

Book: "Graceling" by Kristin Cashore
Date: Friday, December 3rd, @ 8:00 pm
Location: El Pariaso Mexican Restaurant, on 112th and 19th

November Book

Our book for November is "Graceling," by Kristin Cashore, hosted by Amy Germer. Here is the synopsis:


If you had the power to kill with your bare hands, what would you do with it?

"Graceling" takes readers inside the world of Katsa, a warrior-girl in her late teens with one blue eye and one green eye. This gives her haunting beauty, but also marks her as a Graceling. Gracelings are beings with special talents—swimming, storytelling, dancing. Katsa's Grace is considered more useful: her ability to fight (and kill, if she wanted to) is unequaled in the seven kingdoms. Forced to act as a henchman for a manipulative king, Katsa channels her guilt by forming a secret council of like-minded citizens who carry out secret missions to promote justice over cruelty and abuses of power.

Combining elements of fantasy and romance, Cashore skillfully portrays the confusion, discovery, and angst that smart, strong-willed girls experience as they creep toward adulthood. Katsa wrestles with questions of freedom, truth, and knowing when to rely on a friend for help. This is no small task for an angry girl who had eschewed friendships (with the exception of one cousin that she trusts) for her more ready skills of self-reliance, hunting, and fighting. Katsa also comes to know the real power of her Grace and the nature of Graces in general: they are not always what they appear to be.

Graceling is the first book in a series, and Kristin Cashore’s first work of fiction. It sets up a vivid world with engaging characters that readers will certainly look forward to following beyond the last chapter of this book."

Sarah's Key

We had a fabulous time at Maryanne's house talking about "Sarah's Key!" There were a lot of deep and significant topics and parts from the book. I think all of us who read it were touched in some way, and received a better appreciation for those who suffered persecution and worse during WWII. If you haven't read it yet, READ IT!

Those in attendance were Maryanne Wight, Caroline Rowe, Frances Collinwood, Amy Germer, and myself. Thanks ladies!!

October Meeting

Book: "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana deRosnay
Date: Thursday, October 28th, 8:00 pm
Location: Maryanne Wight's house

October Book

Maryanne Wight will be hosting for October, and she has selected to read "Sarah's Key," by Tatiana de Rosnay. Here is a synopsis:


"Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.

Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode."

September Meeting

Thanks to everyone who came to our meeting this month! We met at the Mongolian Grill, and enjoyed deep conversation over heaping plates of noodles. I was so excited to be able to talk about "Mockingjay," and it didn't disappoint! This was such an amazing series of books, and it was wonderful to be able to talk about what we took from it.

Those in attendance were JoLyn Thompson, Caroline Rowe, Audrey Sisco, Carrie Howell, Susie Larson, and myself. Thanks for the great time, Ladies!!!

September Book

Our book for September is "Mockingjay," by Suzanne Collins, the much anticipated conclusion to the "Hunger Games" trilogy. Here is a synopsis:


"Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.


It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans -- except Katniss.


The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay -- no matter what the personal cost. "

August Meeting

Book: "The Cinderella Pact" by Sarah Strohmeyer
Date: Thursday, September 2nd @ 8:30 pm
Location: Audrey Sisco's house

August Book

The book we will be reading for August is "The Cinderella Pact," by Sarah Strohmeyer. I just recently finished it myself and had a lot of fun reading it!

Here is the synopsis:

"Nola Devlin has a secret identity. By day she is an overweight, frumpy, and overlooked editor at Sass! (the "celebrity magazine with an edge!"), but by night she slips behind her keyboard and into her alter-ego: Belinda Apple. Belinda is thin, gorgeous, British and the author of a trendy advice column- she is, in effect, the latest Carrie Bradshaw. Not even Nola's two best friends or her self-absorbed sister (who worships Belinda as the "sister she never had") know her secret.
When "Belinda" jots off a column about how easy it is to lose weight, Nola is shocked when her best friends take her own lies to heart and urge her to follow Belinda's weight loss program. Since Nola can't reveal herself as the real Belinda Apple, she bites the bullet and joins her friends in making the "Cinderella Pact"- a last ditch attempt to lose weight (again!) and transform their lives for good.

But as the pounds come off, things don't turn out the way the three friends expect. Their journey of self-discovery leads to the return of an old love and the unmasking of new problems. Meanwhile, Nola finds herself torn between two different men as she stomps out fires caused by her deception as Belinda Apple and falls in love with the man who just might be her prince - or the rat in coachman's clothing."

The Secret Meeting

Thanks to those who came to our meeting on Thursday night! We watched "The Secret Garden" at my house, and enjoyed way too many goodies for our good!

Those in attendance were Sarah Williams, Audrey Sisco, JoLyn Thompson, Caroline Rowe, and myself.

July's Meeting

Book: "The Secret Garden"
When: Thursday, August 5th at 8:00 pm
Location: Heather's house

We will be meeting this Thursday to watch "The Secret Garden" at my house. Please bring a treat to share!

July Book

Hello Ladies!

After taking a month's hiatus, I figured it was time to get back to reading!!!

For July we will be reading the classic "The Secret Garden," by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I have always wanted to read it, but just never got around to it. If the Hallmark movie interpretation is very accurate, I expect it to be a wonderful story. Plus I bet a number of you have already read it!!

Here is a synopsis for those of us who haven't:

"Mistress Mary is quite contrary until she helps her garden grow. Along the way,
she manages to cure her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as imperious as
she. These two are sullen little peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor
on the Yorkshire moors of England, until a locked-up garden captures their
imaginations and puts the blush of a wild rose in their cheeks; "It was the
sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine. The high walls
which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of roses which were so
thick, that they matted together.... 'No wonder it is still,' Mary whispered. 'I
am the first person who has spoken here for ten years.'" As new life sprouts
from the earth, Mary and Colin's sour natures begin to sweeten. For anyone who
has ever felt afraid to live and love, The Secret Garden's portrayal of
reawakening spirits will thrill and rejuvenate. Frances Hodgson Burnett creates
characters so strong and distinct, young readers continue to identify with them
even 85 years after they were conceived."

May Meeting

Book: "Mrs. Mike" by Benedict and Nancy Freedman
Date: Thursday, May 27th at 8:00 pm
Location: Heidi Barker's house


We will be watching an old production of "Mrs. Mike" in Heidi Barker's theater room! Please bring a treat to share!!

April Meeting

Book: "The Friday Night Knitting Club" by Kate Jacobs
Date: Friday, April 30th, at 7:00 pm
Location: Brooklyn Brothers Pizza


For our April meeting, we will meet on next Friday, April 30th at 7:00 pm at Brooklyn Brothers Pizza in downtown Everett, across the street from the hockey rink (on Hewitt). I was recently introduced to this place by my new employer and coworkers. Let me tell you, it's one you won't want to miss! They have authentic Brooklyn-style pizzas and cheesy breadsticks to die for!! (Eric will be very jealous, maybe I won't tell!)


Please let me know if you want to attend. It is definitely one we'll want to carpool for, especially for the limited parking.

April Book

Our book for April will be "The Friday Night Knitting Club," by Kate Jacobs.

Here is a brief synopsis:

"Juggling the demands of her yarn shop and single-handedly raising a teenage daughter has made Georgia Walker grateful for her Friday Night Knitting Club. Her friends are happy to escape their lives too, even for just a few hours. But when Georgia's ex suddenly reappears, demanding a role in their daughter's life, her whole world is shattered.

Luckily, Georgia's friends are there, sharing their own tales of intimacy, heartbreak, and miracle making. And when the unthinkable happens, these women will discover that what they've created isn't just a knitting club: it's a sisterhood."

Want some pie with that?

Our March meeting for book club was great!

We met at my house, where we discussed "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society," by Mary Ann Shaffer. We also endulged in enough pie to feed an entire Literary Society!

Those who attended were: JoLyn Thompson, Carrie Howell, Maryanne Wight, Audrey Sisco, and myself. Thanks for such a great night, Ladies!!

March Meeting

Date: Friday, March 26th, at 8:00 pm
Location: Heather's house

We will be enjoying pie while discussing "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society."

March Book

For March I chose a book that I have heard great reviews of. I am really excited to read it. It sounds both touching and entertaining. It is "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society," by Mary Ann Shaffer. I tried to find an official synopsis for you, but it was only about one sentance long, so I resorted to copying a synopsis written by a reader posted on Amazon.




"During World War II, the Germans occupied Guernsey in the Channel Islands, so close to France that, apparently, you could see cars on the highway on a clear day. The Germans built heavy fortifications against the islanders, built a concentration camp on Guernsey, and Guernsey's children were evacuated to England.

Juliet Ashton is an author looking for her next great idea, when she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams, who lives on Guernsey, about Charles Lamb, to whose works he was introduced through the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. The Society came to be in an unusual fashion: one evening after curfew, on their way home, some of its members were stopped by German soldiers, and Elizabeth McKenna had to make something up on the spot. Over time, the members got together whenever they could to talk about what they'd read. That's how Isola, for example, became addicted to Wuthering Heights.

Juliet lives in a London that was decimated by war; her apartment by the Thames has been lost, as well as all of her books (as you can imagine, horrifying). But her career as a writer is going well, and she has a potential love interest: the handsome and rich Mark. But Juliet's life changes as she receives more and more letters from the Guernsey Islanders, and she decides that she just might have to pay them a visit."

Correction....

We will be meeting this Friday, March 5th instead to see "Dear John." Same time and everything else!

February's Meeting

Book: "Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks
Date: Thursday, March 4th, 7:05 pm
Location: Everett Mall Cinema


We will be going to the 7:05 pm showing of "Dear John" at the Everett Mall Cinemas. We will try to meet out front of the theater at 6:45.

Please let me know if you plan on coming so we know how many seats to save!

February's Book

The book we will be reading for February is Nicholas Sparks' book "Dear John." There is also a movie coming out based on the book which we are hoping to see at the end of the month for our meeting.

Here is a synopsis:

"An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter reads...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life."

Tasty Thai

Saturday night was our book club meeting for "Princess Academy." It was a real treat in more ways than one. Not only was the food and conversation great, we also had the opportunity to get to know our newest member, Melissa Espin! Welcome to Book Club!

Those in attendance were: Audrey Sisco, Caroline Rowe, Carrie Howell, Anne Bodily, Melissa Espin, JoLyn Thompson, and myself. Thanks for a great time, Ladies!

January Meeting

Book: "Princess Academy" by Shannon Hale
Host: Audrey Sisco
Date: Friday, January 29th at 8:00 pm
Location: 24 Star Thai (Lynnwood)

Directions
From I-5 take Exit 183 and turn east onto 164th Street SW.
Pass thru the traffic lights at 13th Ave W and turn right into
Hill Top Plaza.

24 STAR THAI
1120 164th ST SW. B1
LYNNWOOD, 98087
425.742.9155

Pizza and Politics

Our meeting at Alfy's was a lot of fun! Thanks to everyone who came! We had a great time eating pizza and sipping Dr. Pepper.....ah, the indulgence!! The discussion was also great. It seemed that everyone had something to say about "The Christmas Sweater," or Glenn Beck himself. Some interesting conversations followed....both religious and political. It's a good thing we're all such good friends at the end of the day! :)

Those in attendance were: Carrie Howell, Caroline Rowe, Audrey Sisco, JoLyn Thompson, Laura Schilaty, and myself.

December Book's Meeting

Book: "The Christmas Sweater," by Glenn Beck
Date: Thursday, January 7th, at 7:00 pm
Location: Alfy's Pizza


We will be meeting at Alfy's for a night of pizza and book-talk! Audrey has donated two coupons that we can use for the evening. They are "buy one, get one free," so we can either get two or four pizzas, depending on how many are interested. Let me know by that evening if you want in on it, so we can make out a plan!

See you all Thursday!

January Book

For January, we will be reading "Princess Academy," by Shannon Hale. Here is a brief synopsis:


"Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.

Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates."