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