November 2016 Recap

artist's rendering of Bookclub at Kim's

Dear Bookclub,
A lavish night at Kim's for our November gathering was appreciated by a nice sized group although we missed each and every absent member. Nestled around a beautifully appointed dining room table, book discussion was brisk as the book's promise of thought and debate did not go un-examined. Politely dismissing a couple of members who had not quite finished Ian McEwan's, "The Children Act", the discussion continued with varying interpretations and fact versification that should not be revealed to the incomplete reader. What a great read!

Kim's recommendations for an upcoming selection:

1.  "Eleanor and Hitch"   (Susan Quinn)
2.  "Commonwealth"  (Ann Patchett)
3.  "The Underground Railroad" (Colson Whitehead) *chosen

“Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.” So begins Henry James' "The Portrait of a Lady", to be discussed at the December 17th holiday tea, steeping in literary pastoral on the path to divining the adventure and motivation that is Isabel. I hope you are enjoying your undertaking of this read. Much is written about this novel, which I noticed with the seemingly never-ending preface and introductions in my edition; please enjoy this insightful 2012 New Yorker article by Anthony Lane:

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/09/03/out-of-the-frame

Happy reading and sipping,
LK

November 2016 Bookclub News

Mission Trails Sunrise by Jimichu Photography, "The Reader"

Dear Bookclub,

This has been a very hard month. Unfathomable. Layered upon many other difficult months from our members' lives, it seems that the uncharted waters stretch all around us. Faith and friendship have proven to be powerful. I appreciate our group so very much.

Our gathering at Martha's for the October meeting was small and restorative (and more of the month was yet to come). "The Dream Life of Astronauts" may as well have been a handbook on keeping lizards; that's how deep that discussion was. It actually is a fine set of short stories, but we meandered. Martha and Dave shared some neat tales of autocross and Porsche passion, Ben's band "Red 40 and the Last Groovement" releasing an album..not usual book talk but memorable!

Martha's hard-to-chose list for an upcoming selection:

"Etta and Otto and Russel and James" by Emma Hooper
"The Art Forger: A Novel" by B. A. Shapiro *chosen
"The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character and Achievement" by David Brooks
"Thinking Fast and Slow" by Daniel Kahneman

Up next is Ian McEwan's "The Children Act". Please RSVP to Kim for the November 17 meeting.

Happy reading,
LK

October 2016 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Palm Springs was our little oasis for a very magical weekend. The La Quinta Resort endeared us: ripe for exploring, very accommodating as a backdrop to good conversations, hospitable as a dining and drinking haven, tolerant of our rambunctious enthusiasm and a placeholder for sweet memories.

 Missing our fellow members, the little sisterhood represented spent a good deal of time planning future events and certainly made no certain plans! We want more and we want everyone :)

Adobe Grill

Morgan's in the Desert

 Sunnylands, the former Annenberg winter home turned retreat, provided a stimulating entrance for our imaginations into the world of high powered meetings.

 In the foundation's own words: "Sunnylands convenes global leaders and prominent experts for retreats and meetings that result in meaningful outcomes."

 The significance and history, very recent actually, was jaw-dropping. We did pick up our jaws and tested them, chattering again for 48 more hours. A gorgeous setting for continued good work set our appreciation off the charts.

Next up: Patrick Ryan's "The Dream Life of Astronauts", a refreshing read as a collection of short stories.

Please enjoy Maureen Corrigan's review from mid-summer on Fresh Air:

http://www.npr.org/2016/07/13/485842485/the-dream-life-of-astronauts-is-a-journey-to-emotional-deep-space

Hope to see you at Martha's on Tuesday October 18!
Happy reading,
LK
  

September 2016 Bookclub Recap

Dear Bookclub,
The Widow entertained us as promised, channeling the most amazing hostess, Lynn T., whose pouring arm must be rested and back in shape now, more than week later.

Treating us to a delicious variety of bubbly, Lynn also indulged us with savory goodies to complement the stems of golden delight. A fabulous favorite:

https://food52.com/recipes/8010-fig-and-blue-cheese-savouries

"The Widow Clicquot" was beloved by our readers. Tilar Mazzeo's crafting of Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin's journey creating a champagne empire was so easy to down and appreciate.

Lynn recommended for an upcoming selection:

1) "Everybody's Fool" by Richard Russo  (a close second!)
2) "Interference" by Amélie Antoine
3) "The Man Without a Shadow" by Joyce Carol Oates
4) "All the Winters After" by Seré  Alverson *chosen


Up next: the desert!
Up next - a Tuesday meeting in October: 10/18/2016 to discuss "The Dream Life of Astronauts" by Patrick Ryan.

December 3rd has been chosen by Lynne H. for our Holiday Party - please mark your calendars!

Happy reading,
LK

September 2016 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
I've just started Clicquot and when the bottle's drained, I'll open up the book. I wish! I have started the book and the twinge to pop a cork keeps floating to the conscious mind from my very focused noggin.

"Veuve", the French word for widow, and not some champagne term as I'd always surmised, "Clicquot, the family that started the French champagne house, and "Ponsardin", Madame's family name all come together to become "Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin", the amazing champagne enterprise that still rules today. Tilar Mazzeo skillfully turned out a powerful biography of the entrepreneur extraordinaire, Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin with the "Widow Clicquot". This romp through the world of wine-making, the French Revolution, and the challenges of a young widow in a position to change champagne and its culture forever, makes for a delightful read.

Here is a heads up on the book recommendations for our next selection from Lynn T. :

1) "Everybody's Fool" by Richard Russo
2) "Interference" by Amélie Antoine
3) "The Man Without a Shadow" by Joyce Carol Oates
4) "All the Winters After" by Seré  Alverson

I took a quick peek at the descriptions and they all look enticing - a great list. Nice to check them out ahead of time to make voting a more thoughtful action when we meet. Please do some research and think of what you'd like to read. Good luck!

Wouldn't it be grand if this came through Montelena next Thursday evening?  Hope you can be there at Lynn T.'s (please RSVP)!

Cheers and happy reading indeed,
LK

August 2016 Recap

Dear Bookclub,
A perfect summer night on The Veranda, with an attentive waiter, made for a truly lovely bookclub evening. Despite dwindling light and a long table hindering conversation between those distantly separated, book discussions and administrative tasks were successfully executed. Quindlan's book, read by most all, was well-received with the appreciation of the social commentary of the era. I'd mentioned an enlightening interview of Anna Q. with Diane Rehm:

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2016-03-28/anna-quindlen-millers-valley


Sue channeled Lynne's suggestions (we missed you Lynne!!) and presented the following:
"Go Set a Watchman" Harper Lee
"The Children Act" Ian McEwan *chosen
"Before the Fall" Noah Hawley

Please brainstorm for a December selection and send me your ideas.
Also, please remember to put October 18 on your calendar at Martha's - this meeting will be a Tuesday instead of a Thursday.

Up next: "The Widow Clicquot" by Tilar Mazzeo; it will be a merry time at Lynn T's on September 15!

Cheers to reading,
LK

Augusst 2016 Bookclub News

Cheat Lake

Dear Bookclub,
Fifty years ago, my cousins and I dangled our legs through huge black rubber tubes and zigzagged  through murky waters back and forth across Cheat Lake in West Virginia. A creepy delight, we knew our kicking legs towered above a drowned valley and the idea of a church, homes, etc. stilled by the waters fueled our frenzy to find the dock by their summer cabin and sun above the water. That was the extent of my ten-year-old's understanding of the lake and I never considered it again until Anna Quindlen's "Miller's Valley". Prompted to consider its origin, the lake was indeed created by the 1926 construction of a dam by the West Penn Power Company.  http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/1109     Still creepy.

Hardly creepy are the characters Quindlen created in the realm of a 1960's-to-present family saga. Looking forward to discussing the personalities and situations with our group this Thursday at The Veranda, 7 pm.

Happy summer reading,
LK

Birthday Blog

Dearest Friends,
What an amazing surprise yesterday's 'bookclub' meeting turned out to be! Between the bookends entitled 'bookclub1' and 'bookclub2' reside volumes of the most dear friends ever. My heart and soul are still beaming - thank you Terry for masterminding and hosting the beautiful luncheon and thanks to all for coming and celebrating a very memorable 60th birthday party!

 

 "Dressing it up"......

Terrie G., Lori, and Ginger, we missed you!!

Many thanks for the darling, new addition to my secret garden..... Happy reading!
Still astounded and much love,
LK

 Nestled in the secret shade

impervious to fears of night

the garden girl reads endlessly

imagined scenes take flight.

July 2016 Bookclub Recap

Dear Bookclub,
Kate created a relaxed haven for our group to discuss the harsh realities of the French Resistance during WWII via Kristin Hannah's "The Nightingale". Attempting to draw us into the wartime deprivations with bread and jam, she failed miserably as Kate's delectable provisions still make this mouth water with the reminisce:

Amazing bread and jam

a ration

  


Well-received, "The Nightingale" prompted us to recall other WWII books we have read, comparing and contrasting, amazed at the endless views and variety of literature that's been created. Discussion included observations about the believability of surviving some of the brutality described; (yes, that is the remarkable resilience that makes the story, but how many times can one's head crack), repetitive phrases and descriptions, the vehicle of having an unnamed sister traveling from Oregon to Paris to tell the story, the observation that a HUGE explanatory chunk of such sister's life in US was missing and an overall satisfaction in having read the book. Personally, the mysteries were apparent but I enjoyed the history of the resistance and I did weep at the end.

Andrée de Jongh
 

Most important, the novel leads the reader to learn of the actions of true life heros. "The Nightingale" is based upon an amazing woman, Andrée de Jongh:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1566506/Andree-de-Jongh.html

Hannah was inspired by the 19-year-old Belgian woman, whose story she came upon while researching for another of her novels. Interview with Kristin Hannah here:

http://www.bookweb.org/news/qa-kristin-hannah-author-february%E2%80%99s-1-indie-next-list-pick

Kate's suggestions for our October read were so interesting; please check them out:

"Brain on Fire" Susannah Cahalan
"This Must Be the Place" Maggie O'Farrell
"The Heavenly Table" Donald Ray Pollack
"The Dream Life of Astronauts" Patrick Ryan *chosen

 Next up: Anna Quindlen's "Miller Valley" at Lynne H.'s

Happy Reading!
LK

June 2016 Recap/July 2016 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
June's gathering at Diane's described in her own words:

"Book club was small but mighty:  Sue Dohren, Barb Gaeto, Karen Ferrette and myself.
Barb and Karen had finished the book and I was 25% into it.  I like it a lot and Sue and I encouraged full discussion by Barb and Karen who also liked the book.  Great characters, and very much Isabelle Allende “formula” spirits influenced."

Just in case those absent, myself included, missed being at Diane's, here's a culinary glance.....

Karen kindly sent pictures and reported on the titles suggested:

"The Widow Cliquot"  by Tilar J Mazzeo    *chosen

"The Dinner" by Rosecrans Baldwin

"LaRose" by Louise Erdrich  (revisited)

Recently, Ann Patchett was asked by Parade magazine to make a list of 75 great books from the last 75 years to commemorate Parade's 75 anniversary.:

http://parade.com/485659/annpatchett/the-75-best-books-of-the-past-75-years/

Hesitant to declare such a list with the potential to open up the debate of what was chosen and what was omitted, Patchett did indeed comply and produced a wonderful list, printable here:

http://parade.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/AnnPatchett75BestBooks.pdf

Interesting to peruse and perhaps inspirational in choosing your next read!

 Next up: "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah to be discussed on July 21 at Kate's.


Hope to see you there!
Happy reading,
LK

June 2016 Bookclub News

Dear Bookclub,
Hopefully you are deep into your enjoyment of "The Japanese Lover" and yet lucid enough to not be on your way to Diane's for bookclub tonight. Our June meeting is next week, June 23. Please RSVP to Diane.

Isabel Allende, intriguing as her work, has given a charming interview, published in The Independent. I urge you to spend a few minutes and feel her glow:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/isabel-allende-the-japanese-fiction-comes-from-the-womb-not-the-brain-book-review-a6733596.html

Heading to Boston next Thursday, to visit my parents, I will miss the sure-to-be-fantastic evening at Diane's. Will be thinking of you all; have fun and ......

Happy summer reading,
LK

May 2016 Bookclub Recap

Dear Bookclub,
Combinations and permutations make for new and interesting ideas and experiences. Like the variety of different authors and genres, the variety in our attendance stimulates and fuels the bookclub personality that 'are we'. Last night's gathering at Barb's nurtured a discussion unlike any other given that only one of our five had finished the book, one had not read it, three were deep into the woodsy pages; that book kept on giving and giving as conversation developed a labyrinth of ideas and concepts. This without any revelation of the mysteries. While feasting on Barb's luscious cheeses and salads, promises were made to discuss again when the readers had all journeyed to the end. Certainly tantalizing to any who have not considered the read, take on the web of characters and be prepared to be entertained and provoked.

Three great suggestions from Barb:

"LaRose" Louise Erdrich 

Barb presenting

"Trauma Shame and the Power of Love" Christopher Pelloski

Martha pondering our choices

"Miller Valley" Anna Quindlen *chosen

Karen with the chosen one

 

 

 

 

 

Lynn T!!

** Please note that Martha will be hosting in October and we'll be meeting on Tuesday instead of Thursday on that third week of the month: October 18 instead of October 20... in your calendars now please :)

Martha's gorgeous "High Tea" hat, which she did indeed wear to Barb's!

 Next up - "The Japanese Lover" by Isabel Allende.

Happy Reading,
LK