End of 2016

Holy smokes, it's been a while since I updated this page, where did the time go?

I'm going to try to list our books since January 2015, will probably need some help.

January 2015...The Princess Bride
February...We were the Mulvaneys
March...Far From the Madding Crowd
April Night Justice...
May...The Little Prince...
June...Enchanted...
July Big Little Lies...
August...A Town called Alice
September 2015...The Poisonwood Bible
October ...The Martian
November....Pope Joan
December...Nothing, I think, our chart has a slash through this month.
January.2016..The Nightingale...Kristin Hannah
February...The Jungle Book...Rudyard Kipling
March....Natural Order...
April...Brooklyn....
May....Live from the Underground
June
July
August
September
October
November The Art of Racing in the Rain...Garth Stein

April '15

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.
.Thanks for your patience ladies. Even though no one is saying WTF out loud I can hear you. .........So we are meeting for lunch this Sunday to discuss "Night Justice". This has been a bit of a bomb as the guy changed his mind and won't open the Donnelly homestead for us (he says it is too wet!?!?) and most of us have had a heck of a time getting hold of the book. However, let's get together and talk about it,( Janice Brown is still leading the discussion?) and those who have read it can tell the others about it. But where are we going to go for lunch? Laurie W did some digging but our first choices are closed. So how about Stokes Inland around 12.30? I'll call and make a reservation.

*May 3..Road trip to see Susanna Kearsley (author of "Mariana") in Kincardine. Who's interested in going? I think it's Nic, Laurie W and myself so far....
*May 19th at the Book Keeper. I was thinking "Love in the time of Cholera", has anyone read it? Any alternate suggestions welcome. I'll confirm with Susan.................
*June 14 -Stratford to see "The Taming of the Shrew". As only Pam, Laurie W, Nicole and myself are going, we should pick a book and meet as usual, that would be the 16th.......Perhaps something very light...........
* Not sure about Kinky Boots, Julie Jenkins, is that date still good?

Jane has asked if we can meet on Mondays. Is everyone okay with that? Remind me to mention it on Sunday.

Hope to see you all on Sunday, please let me know if you are coming so I can reserve.

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Happy New Year ladies,


To recap since the last post-

June '14- The Great Gatsby-F. Scott Fitzgerald-Nicole's house, Nicole led the discussion, I believe we sampled Mojitos.
July- The Bay of Spirits- Farley Mowatt- Helen's house, Helen led the discussion.
August- The Rosie Project by (I don't know and am too lazy to check)-chicken under the bridge, decamped to Helen's house because of very nasty weather.
September- North and South-Elizabeth Gaskell, Paddy Flaherty's, talked about a trip, NYC or Chicago.
October- "The Lost Sisterhood" by _______ Fortier. At John's? Pam joined us this month?
November- "The Cat's Table" by Michael Andaatje. .
December- Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell at Sicily's.

Upcoming-

This month is "The Princess Bride" (the classic tale of true love and high adventure)by William Goldman. The article I read promised a more in depth story than the movie. I'm over halfway finished and I believe the article lied. Seems much the same and there is no Cary Elwes to look at.

For February we'll give "We are the Mulvaneys" by Joyce Carol Oates a go. I've heard a lot about this book. The reviews of it are good.

Would like to do a classic in March, haven't done one since September. We're going to look over a list I copied from Book Riot. Perhaps we can choose something from there. Otherwise I'm leaning towards 'The Three Musketeers' by Alexandre Dumas.

Okay, what do you think about this for April? There is a book I'd like to try and get hold of by a Toronto journalist by the name of Peter Edwards. It's called Night Justice. It is about the Black Donnellys. They are the family that terrorized the area around Lucan then ended up being killed by a posse of locals. There is a homestead up there that you can visit. I checked out the website, it seems rather grizzly, there are fans and all kinds of people interested in the story. I just thought it would be something different for us, read the book, go out for lunch on a Sunday and take a trip out to Lucan and have a peek. We can combine it with anything else we have a fancy for in London.

Then we are at The Book Keeper in May. I believe Pam's going to sort us out for a Shakespeare play in Stratford in June.

None of this is written in stone but at this time of year it's nice to have something to look forward to.

God bless you Julie, we're thinking about you.

Coffee Lodge Book Discussion Group's Top ten books to read in a Lifetime.

Partial List

Angels and Demons- Dan Brown- LN
Anne of Green Gables- Lucy Maude Montomery
Bag of Bones- Stephen King- LN
Brave New World- Aldous Huxley- LW
Flowers in the Attic series- NY
Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- NY
Gone Series-NY
Gone with the Wind- Margaret Mitchell- SH
Hannibal Rising- Thomas Harris- LN
Harry Potter Series- JK Rowling- NY, AJ
Hunger Games- AJ
Interview with the Vampire- Anne Rice- LN
Jane Eyre- Charlotte Bronte- SH, AJ
Les Miserables- Victor Hugo- NY
Mariana- Susanna Kearsley- SH
Mists of Avalon- AJ
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon- LW, SH
Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde- NY, LN
Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen- SH, NY, AJ
Still Alice- Lisa Genova- LW
Sarah's Key- Tatiana de Rosnay- LW
The Color Purple- SH
The Crucible- Arthur Miller-NY
The Giver- AJ
The Glass Castle- Jeanette Walls- LW
The Help- Kathryn Stockett- LW, SH
The Host- AJ
The Hunger- AJ
The Importance of Being Earnest- Oscar Wilde- LN
The Invisible Man- H.G. Wells- LN
The Magnificent Hoax- E. Phillips Oppenheim- LN
The Secret Garden- Kate Morton- LW
The Secret Life of Bees- Kathryn Stockett- SH
The Stand- Stephen King- L
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall- Anne Bronte- NY
The Vampire Lestat- Anne Rice- LN
The Voices of Summer- AJ
Thursdays with Morrie-NY
Time Traveler's Wife-Audrey Niffenegger- LW
To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee- SH
Water for Elephants- Sara Gruen- LW, SH

For Julie

February 11,2014- "The Town that Drowned" by Riel Nason , Janice is leading the discussion at her house, at 6.30 pm.

March 11,'14- Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, 7.00 pm at Exmouth Coffee Lodge, Susan will be leading the discussion.

April 7,'14- The Book Thief by __________, John's Restaurant, 6 pm for dinner, discussion by Laurie N.

May 13,'14- I am Malala by ___________, at the Book Keeper, 7.00 pm. (Not confirmed with Susan Chamberlain but don't imagine there will be a problem.)( Susan H. will lead the discussion unless anyone else would like to do the honours.Carol?)


Below is our book list, I'll try to complete it when I get a chance. Please help fill in the blanks and question marks. Catherine? Thanks.

Jane, Helen and Janice, do you remember when you joined us? Let me know and I can put it in the time line.



Time Line



2006

September-'Pride and Prejudice'- Jane Austen
October-'The Picture of Dorian Grey'- Oscar Wilde
November-'Rebecca'-Daphne DuMaurier
December- 'Tom Jones'- Henry Fielding


2007

January- 'Gone with the Wind'-Margaret Mitchell
February- 'Turn of the Screw'- Henry James
March-'Scarlett Pimpernel'-Baroness Orczy
April-'Gulliver's Travels'-Jonathan Swift
May-
June- 'Jane Eyre'-Charlotte Bronte
July-'My Family and Other Animals'-Gerald Durrell
August-'Birds, Beasts and Relatives', 'Garden of the Gods'-Gerald Durrell
September- 'Emma'-Jane Austen
October-'The Moonstone'-Wilkie Collins
November-'The Rice Mother'-Rani Manicka
December-'A Christmas Carol'-Charles Dickens

2008

January-'Anne of Green Gables'-Lucy Maud Montgomery
February-'The Dwelling Place'-Catherine Cookson
March-'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'-Victor Hugo
April-'To Kill a Mockingbird'-Harper Lee
May-Reading Circle
June-'Watership Down'-Richard Adams
July-'Mamma Mia', the movie
August-'All Creatures Great and Small'-James Herriot
September-'Persuasion'-Jane Austen
October-'The Secret Life of Bees'-Sue Monk Kidd
November-'Clan of the Cave Bear'-Jean Auel
December-'Pillars of the Earth'-Ken Follett

2009

January-'Bootjack Mary, Ahead of her Time'-Bonnie Brantom Stevenson
February-'The Burning Shore'- Wilbur Smith
March- 'Les Miserables'- Victor Hugo
April-'My Sister's Keeper'- Jodi Picoult, I think this is when Jane joined us, not sure though.
May- 'Angels and Demons'- Dan Brown
June-'Water for Elephants'-Sarah Gruen
July- 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'- Khaled Hosseini
August- 'Tuesdays with Morrie'- (watched at the Imperial)-Mitch Albom
September- 'Sense and Sensibility'- Jane Austen
October- 'The Crucible'- Arthur Miller, at John's, Nicole.
November-'Mariana'-Susanna Kearsley, Cl Petrolia, Susan
December-The Wife's Tale- Lori Lansens, Ups and Downs

2010

January-Peyton Place- Grace Metalious-
February- For Whom the Bell Tolls- Ernest Hemingway, John's, Carol
March- Bridget Jones Diary (this book will be like those little bowls of coffee beans in a perfume store, to clear our senses before diving into...)
April- Roots
May- book circle at the new Book Keeper.
June-The Count of Monte Cristo' on Carol's back patio, which had recently been beautified for her daughter's wedding.
July was "Too Close to the Falls".
August saw us on my patio eating and drinking tea party fare, and discussing "Alice in Wonderland".
September- Jane led us in a discussion of "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

This was our 5th Anniversary, clap clap, Leo treated us to a bottle of wine if I remember correctly and Susan at the Book Keeper sent along a gift basket.

October- "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" We watched Laurie's copy of the movie at Nicole's. Laurie was mobile enough to join us and Alanna(Catherine's new daughter-in-law)(great boots) joined us as well..
November-Alanna led the discussion of "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott at John's Restaurant.
December-we discussed Kate Morton's "The Forgotten Garden". A nice evening was had by all at Lola's in December as well.

2011
January- was "The Secret Daughter" -Laurie/ Susan

Somewhere in there, Coffee Lodge Finch hosted a book signing by the ladies who wrote the book "Reading between the Wines". Thanks to all who attended and supported the evening. I found them very interesting. Their ideas about travelling together were inspirational.

February- "Annabel" by Kathleen Winter. -Carol
March- Rupert Penry Jones as John Hannay in "The 39 Steps" by John Buchan. Book discussion and movie.-Susan
April- "Room" by Emma Donahue-Laurie
May- book circle at the Book Keeper for the second year.
June-"Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins at Paddy's-Alanna
July-" A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving-Carol
August- "Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford-Laurie
September- " The Help"- Catherine/Alanna
October- "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger-Susan
November- "The Good Daughter" Jane?
December- " The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay

2012

January- "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich (Went over the river see the movie with Katherine Heigl.)
February- "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer at the Exmouth St. Coffee Lodge.....Helen joined us this month I think.
March- "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker, watched the movie at Susan's.
April- discussed favourite children's books
May- "The Dovekeeper" by Alice Munroe (?)at the Book Keeper
June- "The Bishop's Man", on Nicole's patio, Donna.
July
August- "The Slap"
September- "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte.
October- "Salem's Lot" by Stephen King
November- Unbroken", at Catherine's?
December- "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"


2013

January- "Gone Girl",...... welcome to Janice Brown
February- 419
March- "Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence
April- "Angel" by Colleen McCullagh
May- Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
June- "Swiss Family Robinson"
July-"The Mistress of Nothing"
August- "Call the Midwife" by Jennifer Worth, Garden party at Carol's, Bridal shower for Laurie.
- Laurie's wedding
September- The Time Machine" - H.G. Wells, Steampunk Movie and a pizza at Alanna's.
October- ???? 3 day road.........the Joseph Boyden one, we went to listen to the author and Michael Winter at the library after dinner at Ups n Downs. Carol had a gimpy leg. Julie.
November- "The Glass Castle" by Jeanette Walls
December- No book, dinner at Sicily's, welcome Laurie W.

2014

January- "The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared", CL Finch, Laurie N.
February- "The Town that Drowned" Riel Nason, at Janice's.
March- "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon, CL Exmouth, Susan
April- "The Book Thief", John's, Laurie
May- "I am Malala", The Book Keeper.

Anne Bronte

I finally finished the "Tenant", glad I did. I had more left to read than I thought. Really enjoyed it. I read the biography at the end and then looked up some of "Acton Bells" poems. I am not a poetry lover but the way she writes seems like you are listening to her voice. Quite nice. Plan on reading "Agnes Grey" which seems to be on my reader already. Have a great month. See you in October.

Fluctuations

What though the sun had left my sky;
To save me from despair
The blessed moon arose on high,
And shone serenely there.
I watched her, with a tearful gaze,
Rise slowly o'er the hill,
While through the dim horizon's haze
Her light gleamed faint and chill.

I thought such wan and lifeless beams
Could ne'er my heart repay,
For the bright sun's most transient gleams
That cheered me through the day:

But as above that mist's control
She rose, and brighter shone,
I felt her light upon my soul;
But now -- that light is gone!

Thick vapours snatched her from my sight,
And I was darkling left,
All in the cold and gloomy night,
Of light and hope bereft:

Until, methought, a little star
Shone forth with trembling ray,
To cheer me with its light afar --
But that, too, passed away.

Anon, an earthly meteor blazed
The gloomy darkness through;
I smiled, yet trembled while I gazed --
But that soon vanished too!

And darker, drearier fell the night
Upon my spirit then; --
But what is that faint struggling light?
Is it the Moon again?

Kind Heaven! increase that silvery gleam,
And bid these clouds depart,
And let her soft celestial beam
Restore my fainting heart!

Acton


Anne Brontë

The Slap, Aug. 14th, BBQ at Catherine's

THE SLAP Very sorry about this, they've messed with the site, no matter how many spaces I try to put in they are not showing up on the post. Will have to make do with periods til I figure it out..................................................................... Christos Tsiolkas was born and grew up in Melbourne and was educated at Blackburn High School and the University of Melbourne where he completed an Arts Degree in 1987. He edited the student newspaper Farrago in 1988......Tsiolkas' first novel, Loaded (1995), was filmed as Head On (1998) by director Ana Kokkinos, starring Alex Dimitriades.[2] In 2006, his novel, Dead Europe, won The Age Book of the Year fiction award. In 2009, his fourth novel, The Slap, won the Commonwealth Writers Prize 2009 for best novel in the South-East Asia and South Pacific area.He is openly gay,and a Richmond Football Club supporter....................................................... Points for discussion................................................................................................................................................................ -As a reviewer points out, despite being set in Australia, this story could just as easily take place in Canada or the US. Do you think this is true? (Foul language thoughout, drug use,one character was doing bongs since age twelve).................................................................................................................................................................. -Do you think that this book is true to life or just sensationalism?(In a review: It’s worth contrasting, for example, the prevalence of drugs in the story with the extant reality in society. I checked after reading the book and only about 10% of the population has tried hard drugs: speed, cocaine, ecstasy, LSD. In The Slap it appears the majority of generation X and all of generation Y are getting into the party players now and again. Personally, I find it difficult to believe that 90% of the population hasn’t tried hard drugs because everyone I know has dabbled to lesser and greater extents.)................................................................................................................................................................. -From a review: "I was totally turned off by the book with the vulgar language and unnecessary adultery. It's almost like the author thought he had to include that to make the book seem more interesting".............................................................................................................................................................. -Melbourne multicultural- ethnicity seems to be part of every description of all characters in the book................everyone looks down on everyone wih a different background from themselves. Aborigines seem to be looked down on by everyone............ mussies,lebos, Australians,wogs.......................................................................................................................................................... -From a review: Aisha stays with Hector because she thinks the two of them look so good as a couple, even though their sex life consists of him ramming himself into her as a painful pseudo rape thing.............. do people actually stay in crappy marriages for this reason?................................................................................................................................................................... -Aisha and Hector talked about there being, men, women and women without children. What do you think?.................................................................................................................................................................... -How necessary is Anouk to the book, what is her role?..................................................................................................................................................................... -Do you have any idea what these mean? ibw'd, bogan, arvo, daggy, lebos, mussie, wog, doona, she slammed the "medways" shut..................................................................................................................................................................... Borrowed discussion points ...................................................................................................................................................................... Suggested discussion points for The Slap • Were Gary and Rosie right to press charges? • What would you have done in Harry’s place? • What role does the shifting point of view play in your experience of the novel? • Which of the characters did you most identify with? • Which of the characters most irked you? • Would you have supported Rosie or Harry if you were in Aisha’s shoes? • Do you think that Aisha and Hector should stay married? • Why did Connie fabricate the story about Hector? • What do you think The Slap says about contemporary Australian life?..................................................................................................................................................................... To what extent do you have to like the characters to enjoy the book? As I’ve said already, I didn’t particularly like many of the characters in the book, but once I got through the rather confusing first chapter I found the book hard to put down and enjoyed the frightening skill of the writer, if not the content of his characters. To what extent do you need a driving plot to enjoy a story? The Slap is not one of those “what’s going to happen next” books, really, and I must confess I’m not really that interested in racy plots so long as the characters are well drawn. The characters seemed to breath on the page and I was transfixed by Tsiolkas’s ability to detail the complexities of men and women who often appeared, upon first impressions, to be fairly two-dimensional............................................................................................................................................................... Which characters did you like the least, and which did you feel most empathy for, and why?...................................................................................................................................................................... The book has been called a condemnation of the middle-class, but the book seemed to be a bit broader in its brushstrokes of condemnation. Is Harry middle-class, is Garry? What defines Australia’s middle-class these days anyway? Is it simply measured by a person’s relative wealth? Are their cultural and educational aspects to this vague, illusory term, or is it purely a material distinction?

Before I forget: March '12- Discussion of favourite books we read as children. April - The Color Purple by Alice Walker May - The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman June- The Bishop's Man by Linden MacIntyre July- The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis August- The Slap Correct me if I'm wrong.

Kiva

When we met at Christmas I suggested that we look into making a loan through the organisation "Kiva". A small amount of our money( $10 or $15 from each of us) can make a huge difference to someone in another part of the world trying to better their lives.

Here is a link.....


http://www.kiva.org/about/how

(the little cartoon explains it briefly)

Let's talk about this when we meet, just thought if you read about this ahead of time it would take less time to organise it.

Cheers.

Changes

Hey Ladies,

Quite a few changes since the last time I posted on here. One of us became a bride and a new home owner, one a 2nd time mom, one a grandmother, and one an expecting grandmother. Congrats to all you lovely ladies...I've been in hospital a few times but am doing really well and very possibly won't need any more of the type of procedure I've been getting.

Welcome to Darlene, Helen and Annette. Lovely to have you along, fresh blood and all.

This what we've been reading.

November- "The Good Daughter" ?? Is that right?
December- " The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay

2012

January- "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich (Went over the river see the movie with Katherine Heigl)
February- "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer at the Exmouth St. Coffee Lodge
March- "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

I've enjoyed most of the books we've read recently but feel somewhat uncomfortable that we are leaving our roots far behind. I'd really like to start going back to some of the classics........North and South by Elizabeth Gaskill, Jamaica Inn by Daphne DuMaurier, Narnia. So perhaps we'll get our teeth into something meaty every 3rd book or so. Wouldn't hurt to finish off the two Jane Austins that we didn't tackle either. ..Anyway, bring your ideas to our next meeting and we'll sort it out.

So March 13th, my house, 6 pm. Bring a few bucks for pizza, and a side salad, dessert or drink. I think the original plan was for a full blown Southern themed pot luck but that went by the way side when we realised that the planned weekend date was ST Patrick's Day. So anything themey would be great but not expected as it is a weeknight.

Til then y'all...

Summer and wedding

Updated Book List

2006

September-'Pride and Prejudice'- Jane Austen
October-'The Picture of Dorian Grey'- Oscar Wilde
November-'Rebecca'-Daphne DuMaurier
December- 'Tom Jones'- Henry Fielding


2007

January- 'Gone with the Wind'-Margaret Mitchell
February- 'Turn of the Screw'- Henry James
March-'Scarlett Pimpernel'-Baroness Orczy
April-'Gulliver's Travels'-Jonathan Swift
May-
June- 'Jane Eyre'-Charlotte Bronte
July-'My Family and Other Animals'-Gerald Durrell
August-'Birds, Beasts and Relatives', 'Garden of the Gods'-Gerald Durrell
September- 'Emma'-Jane Austen
October-'The Moonstone'-Wilkie Collins
November-'The Rice Mother'-Rani Manicka
December-'A Christmas Carol'-Charles Dickens

2008

January-'Anne of Green Gables'-Lucy Maud Montgomery
February-'The Dwelling Place'-Catherine Cookson
March-'The Hunchback of Notre Dame'-Victor Hugo
April-'To Kill a Mockingbird'-Harper Lee
May-Reading Circle
June-'Watership Down'-Richard Adams
July-'Mamma Mia', the movie
August-'All Creatures Great and Small'-James Herriot
September-'Persuasion'-Jane Austen
October-'The Secret Life of Bees'-Sue Monk Kidd
November-'Clan of the Cave Bear'-Jean Auel
December-'Pillars of the Earth'-Ken Follett

2009

January-'Bootjack Mary, Ahead of her Time'-Bonnie Brantom Stevenson
February-'The Burning Shore'- Wilbur Smith
March- 'Les Miserables'- Victor Hugo
April-'My Sister's Keeper'- Jodi Picoult
May- 'Angels and Demons'- Dan Brown
June-'Water for Elephants'-Sarah Gruen
July- 'A Thousand Splendid Suns'- Khaled Hosseini
August- 'Tuesdays with Morrie'- (watched at the Imperial)-Mitch Albom
September- 'Sense and Sensibility'- Jane Austen
October- 'The Crucible'- Arthur Miller
November-'Mariana'-Susanna Kearsley
December-The Wife's Tale- Lori Lansens

2010

January-Peyton Place- Grace Metalious-
February- For Whom the Bell Tolls- Ernest Hemingway
March- Bridget Jones Diary (this book will be like those little bowls of coffee beans in a perfume store, to clear our senses before diving into...)
April- Roots
May- book circle at the new Book Keeper.
June-The Count of Monte Cristo' on Carol's back patio, which had recently been beautified for her daughter's wedding.
July was "Too Close to the Falls".
August saw us on my patio eating and drinking tea party fare, and discussing "Alice in Wonderland".
September- Jane led us in a discussion of "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

This was our 5th Anniversary, clap clap, Leo treated us to a bottle of wine if I remember correctly and Susan at the Book Keeper sent along a gift basket.

October- "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" We watched Laurie's copy of the movie at Nicole's. Laurie was mobile enough to join us and Alanna(Catherine's new daughter-in-law)(great boots) joined us as well..
November-Alanna led the discussion of "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott at John's Restaurant.
December-we discussed Kate Morton's "The Forgotten Garden". A nice evening was had by all at Lola's in December as well.

2011
January- was "The Secret Daughter" -Laurie/ Susan

Somewhere in there, Coffee Lodge Finch hosted a book signing by the ladies who wrote the book "Reading between the Wines". Thanks to all who attended and supported the evening. I found them very interesting. Their ideas about travelling together were inspirational.

February- "Annabel" by Kathleen Winter. -Carol
March- Rupert Penry Jones as John Hannay in "The 39 Steps" by John Buchan. Book discussion and movie.-Susan
April- "Room" by Emma Donahue-Laurie
May- book circle at the Book Keeper for the second year.
June-"Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins at Paddy's-Alanna
July-" A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving-Carol
August- "Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford-Laurie
September- " The Help"- Catherine/Alanna
October- "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger-Susan
November- "The Good Daughter" ?? not sure about this one.
December- " The Power of One" by Bryce Courtenay

2012

January- "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich (Went over the river see the movie with Katherine Heigl.
February- "The Host" by Stephenie Meyer at the Exmouth St. Coffee Lodge
March- "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker

Welcome Summer

Hi all,

Just a reminder that we are meeting at The Book Keeper on Wednesday, May 18th at 7.00pm. The book to be read was Uncle Tom's Cabin. If anyone actually read it, they can tell us all about it. This just goes to show that the person suggesting the book should read it first, before suggesting it. That way they won't be inflicting torture on the rest of the group should the book be awful.......So bring a book to talk about, or we can just relax, drink Susan Chamberlain's wonderful Coffee Lodge coffee and chat about books......Susan said in an email,"I will open the store just for you and will be here if you need my 2 cents, or a coffee or whatever."

Here is the website Laurie was talking about to make your own photobooks.
http://www.blurb.com/

See you on Wednesday.

Susan

Happy Valentine's Day

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Hello everyone, it's been a while, last June, since anything was written here. I had hoped the Facebook page would replace this, as it is more convenient but it hasn't been of much use.

Here is a recap-

You ladies did a book circle at the new Book Keeper in May '10 while I was in Jamaica. That went really well. Perhaps we should do it again?.......In June we discussed 'The Count of Monte Cristo' on Carol's back patio, which had recently been beautified for her daughter's wedding. .......July was "Too Close to the Falls". I have absolutely no recollection of where we met for this one. Help.......August saw us on my patio eating and drinking tea party fare, and discussing "Alice in Wonderland". ......In September Jane led us in a discussion of "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This was our 5th Anniversary, clap clap, Leo treated us to a bottle of wine if I remember correctly and Susan at the Book Keeper sent along a gift basket...... "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" was read in October. We watched Laurie's copy of the movie at Nicole's. Laurie was mobile enough to join us and Alanna(Catherine's new daughter-in-law)(great boots) joined us as well.......Alanna led the discussion of "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott at John's Restaurant in November and we discussed Kate Morton's "The Forgotten Garden" in December. A nice evening was had by all at Limbo's in December as well......January '11 was "The Secret Daughter" , Janes friend Jan and Laurie's new job.

Somewhere in there, Coffee Lodge Finch hosted a book signing by the ladies who wrote the book "Reading between the Wines". Thanks to all who attended and supported the evening. I found them very interesting. Their ideas about travelling together were inspirational and will hopefully give Nicole and myself some great incentive for our May trip. For those of you who haven't read this book, the book club members who are along for the ride, are referred to as 'hostages'. FYI.

So this month, February, we will be discussing "Annabel" by Kathleen Winter. At John's, dinner at 6, discussion at 7. Instead of "Reading Between the Wines", any book we would put together would have to be called, Reading Between the Bites (or chewing)

March will see us at my house for pizza and "The 39 Steps". We'll discuss the book and watch Rupert Penry Jones do his thing as John Hannay.

So ladies, feel free to comment, fill in any blanks and correct any boo boos. See you on Tuesday, not Monday, that's Valentine's Day. Have a good one.

Why you should resist the lure of book clubs.

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Below is an article by Adam Sternbergh from the Reader's Digest. I think he's an ass but some of his points are interesting. There is a place online to debate the pros and cons of book clubs, I found a wonderful rebuttal from a lady that you would really like. It is copied at the end of this article......Enjoy....-S-




Reading is arguably the second most intimate human activity, and, as with the first most intimate human activity, there are people who will try to convince you it's better done in groups. These groups are called book clubs. I am in one. Maybe you are too. If so,here's why we've both made a terrible mistake.

In theory, there's much to recommend book clubs. They encourage reading. They enrich authors who, as you may have heard, are not particulary in the business of being enriched these days. They spur socializing, usually face to face-another valuable and endangered activity. The public book club- most notably, Oprah's or CBC's Canada Reads- has become an essential economic engine for the publishing industry. And the book club remains appealing to anyone who,like me, romanticizes long arguments over sonnets in smoky coffee houses. So it's not surprsing that our collective interest in book clubs is growing, even as our interest in reading shrinks.

As I mentioned, I am in a book club. It has four other members, all of whom I respect and who represent a spectrum of literary tastes. Our selections have ranged from 'Thomas Bernhard's 'The Loser' to Martin Amis's 'Money' to Peter Benchley's 'Jaws'. And like every book club, we do our book-club thing. We shuffle our schedules, We gather. We drink wine. We eat cheese. And we talk about the chosen book for a few obligatory minutes before we move on to the part of the club I think most of us really look forward to - which is not talking about the book.

You might contend that your club is different, that it has unsealed your eyes to new and exotic authors, and that you have great Risling-fuelled, soul-enriching debates that linger long into the night. That may be so. I don't doubt or begrudge you. But I should suggest that this fascination with book clubs-forming them, joining them, even chronicling them- is both antithetical to the enjoyment of reading and perfectly in keeping with our modern conviction that nothing is worth doing if it isn't immediately shared. Maybe it's posting photos of the family vacation on Facebook, or "tweeting" the details of your morning latte, or uploading a video of your wedding boogie to You Tube.

Now, I love a good wedding boogie,. But to suggest that the experienc of reading 'The House of Mirth" (a recent, well-received selection by my own book club) is intrinsically enhanced by subsequently talking about reading 'The House of Mirth" is to inply that reading 'The House of Mirth' is an experience that can be, and needs to be, enhanced. And I think most anyone who's ever read a book and loved it understands that's simply not true. If you read 'Moby Dick' while sailing the world alone, you would not enjoy it more.

Which brings us back to the intimacy of reading. Consider something even as silly and modest as this article: I'm in your head right now. You have graciously allowed me to slip inside the private sphere of your consciousness, if only for a few minutes. This is very different from how we experience any other kind of art: No matter how much you enjoy a painting or revel in a a symphony, there's not a sense that the painter has hijacked your eyes or the composer has hijacked your ears.

The writer, though, hijacks your thoughts. ('Hello,Hello! I'm making you say that right now.) The experience of reading so closely mimics the process of consciousness that it attains a unique level of artistic intimacy. Great art permeates the barrier of consciousness; reading obliterates it. It literally happens inside you. How's that for intimaty?

So if reading-in this sense of pleasurable invasion- is a sexual experience, then the book club is the equivalent of a locker room. It's the place where we gather to swap and compare notes after the fact, clumsily recounting the deed in a way that can't help but undermine and cheapen the very experience we've gathered to celebrate. Sure, it can be a fun way to burn off the occasional weeknight, but no one's going to mistake it for the act itself. And as we learn eventually, certain eperiences are better when you don't blabbing about them afterwards.

Was it good for you? Then that should be more than enough.

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Date: June 01, 2010
Name: Anne Thompson
Comments:
I was truly saddened, when I read Adam Sternbergh's article, "Between the Sheets- Why You Should Resist the Lure of Book Clubs", in the May 2010 RD. He has completely missed the point of the joy of discussing what you have learned in reading various books; seeing new perspectives from other people's input and sharing a love of reading. When he further likened a book club to the usual male preoccupations of "intimate relations" and locker rooms, it completely finished the article for me, as he has completely missed the point. When love is taken out of the equation, it leaves the starkness of the mechanics; which applies from reading to sex.
Quite frankly, I was really glad that he is not in my book club, which is an absolute delight, and a source of extremely insightful discussion.
His article reminded me of the interchange in the movie version of The Jane Austen Book Club, where one character states: "Men don't do book clubs; women want to share, but men hoard what they read, if they crack open a book at all..men, they pontificate, they keep monologuing and we can't get a word in edgewise..."
Essentially, the quality of your book club is predicated on the quality of its members...
Therefore, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that men don't do book clubs.

Hi Ladies,

Hope you had a great time at the Book Keeper. We had a great time in Jamaica, was great to get away and relax.

Sounds like we lost Heather. Too bad we didn't get a chance to wish her well in person before she left.

Here's a note from Carol regarding Monday night.

Hi Susan,
We decided on June 14th at my house for 6 PM. I will provide the main course and drinks (not sure what yet) and if everyone could bring a salad OR a dessert that would work out well. I guess if anyone has any allergies/dislikes it would be nice to know. Other than that, looking forward to a nice evening on the back deck. Talk to you soon- Carol

See you Monday.

Book Circle

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Hey ladies,

Glenn and I have decided to run away to Jamaica this Friday for a week. I will have to miss the book circle on Monday night. The first book club night I have missed, ever, I think.

We were going to discuss the books each of us were reading. Then I thought we could each talk about our favourite hero or heroine in literature and why we admired them. I'm sure you will find lots more to talk about when you have exhausted these topics.

The ladies at the Book keeper are hoping that you will browse around and have a good look at their new store.

I'm not sure if they will have the coffee going. You might want to bring a drink with you if you think you will want one.

7 pm. at the new location of the Book Keeper. They are opening the store just for our book club.

Have a lovely time.

Regards, Susan

Info from April meeting

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From Laurie,

I looked up that book,

http://www.amazon.ca/Bluest-Eye-Toni-Morrison/dp/0452282195/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271122706&sr=8-3

it might me a bit dark I haven't got to those parts of the book yet.

"Then Alice ( This is the name of a book Laurie?)

http://www.amazon.ca/Host-Novel-Stephenie-Meyer/dp/0316068047/ref=pd_ys_iyr124

and "Elementary, my Dear Watson"

http://www.amazon.ca/Penguin-Classics-Adventures-Memoirs-Sherlock/dp/0140437711/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271124349&sr=1-4
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From Carol

Hi Susan,
The book is "Too close to the Falls" by Catherine Gildiner. Thanks- Carol

Upcoming in May

May 3rd @ 7 pm.


Book Circle at the Book Keeper's new location.

Once again, Coffee Lodge teams up with the Book Keeper! The 'Coffee Lodge Book Discussion Group' will hold their May discussion at the Book Keeper's new location at Northgate Plaza.

At this meeting we will not be discussing one book, we will each talk about our favourite books and heroines or heros. .....This will be a perfect time for anyone interested in joining the group to come and see what we are all about and to get a good look at the new Book Keeper which has comfy seating and Coffee Lodge fair trade coffee on tap.

Upcoming books

March 8th

"Bridget Jones's Diary" by Helen Fielding

A dazzling urban satire of modern human relations? -An ironic, tragic insight into the demise of the nuclear family? -Or the confused ramblings of a pissed thirty-something?

Coffee Lodge Finch- 7 pm.

Helen Fielding says about 'Pride and Prejudice'- "This is my favorite book of all time. I pinched the plot for my novel Bridget Jones's Diary. I also came as near as I could to stealing its hero, Mr. Darcy, by turning him into Bridget's Mark Darcy. (I thought both plot and leading man had been well market-researched over a number of centuries, and that Jane Austen wouldn't mind. Anyway, she's dead.) Austen wrote about the minutiae of women's lives in a way that is funny and dazzlingly accurate, giving you insights into what was going on in the social world without your even realizing you're getting an incredible history lesson."

I watched a very silly movie a while back, called "St. Trinians" something or other. It was a remake of the old British movies about a girl's boarding school. Anyway I watched it as Colin Firth was in it. Stupid movie but found some bits which were interesting. They played up Colin Firth's part somewhat. The dog in the movie was called Mr. Darcy. In a trivia contest, one of the questions was 'What was the title of the book originally called 'First Impressions"? There was a scene in which Colin Firth falls into a fountain and walks toward the camera soaking wet exactly like the scene in Pride and Prejudice. ..........


April 12th

"Roots" by Alex Haley

"My fondest hope is that `Roots` may start black, white, brown, red,
yellow people digging back for their own roots." -Alex Haley

@John's Restaurant, 6 pm. for dinner, 7 pm. for discussion.


Totally unrelated info which may or may not be of interest.
Ravishing Reds:
-Most red wines do best in a glass with a big bowl that concentrates the aroma as you swirl the wine.
-That old advice about serving reds at 'room temp' was born in the days of drafty medieval castles, not today's centrally heated homes. You should serve red wine at about 17 C(63F).
What to buy:
-2007 Inniskillin Wines Cabernet Merlot-Ontario
-2007 Rosemount Estate Diamond Label Shiraz - Australia
-2007 Wente Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon -California
-2007 Catena Malbec -Argentina
-2008 Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir-Ontario