Nov 2019 – The Woman in the Window by AJ Finn

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What a FANTASTIC meeting ladies!!!  I came home with a huge smile on my face recalling the evening.   When friends new and old come together to discuss books, life and libations are involved wonderful things happen.  :::::beaming:::::::

Thank you Steph for having us in your loving home! We had ‘planned’ to be on the front porch covered in quilts thinking it would be chilly (I’m laughing…it is the SOUTH, yes it’s November…. which is exactly the point – you start out with boots in the morning and end up in flip flops most days it seems – sigh) however muggy and humid (think sweaty) came to pass last night in Atlanta.   Thus we ended up in the wonderful front parlor at Stephs – Oh DARN!!!! I never got to see the kitten lounge with the new feline bebes!!! Wah!

We had so many new members — WELCOME!  I hope you could feel the connections we share in this club.    All book clubs are not created equal  – I’m pretty darn proud of ours.  I shared our story of beginning in 2007 with most of our initial group present last night.   How many stories we’ve shared, how many book club meetings we’ve been a part of, who we miss for various reasons (Love to you Claire!!! ) We are a unique blend of ladies – diveristy is key to having a great group.  Proud of us!

Ok. So.  The author of our book for this month is AJ Finn – who actually is REALLY named Daniel Mallory.  A young pup born in 1979.   For author bio click HERE   

Book Club Questions click HERE 

We all REALLY enjoyed the book.   I listened on audible (which by the way, the narrator was fantastic – sometimes if you get someone wonky reading it takes away from enjoying the book – because all you’re thinking about is ‘Good LORD their voice is irritating….so….. I found myself driving around just to see what happened next!!!!  Twists and turns galore!!!! What you THINK you knew changed in the blink of an eye!!! What I felt towards Anna in the beginning was smashed on the rocks when I learned of the accident.  WOW!!!!  I don’t want to give TOO MUCH away… read the book!

Our November read is The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson.  You can find all our books for the year and past reads under Book List Year in the tab section.  We’ve read some great selections…some not so great.  That’s the joy of book club! You may get something you would have never picked up and think WOW – or YUCK.   Bad with the good makes you enjoy the good even more! Boom.

Ok.  Enough of my morning chatter – I’ve had two cups of french press I need to get going!

Happy Halloween everyone!!!! See you next month!

June 2019 – Sunday Lunch Club by Juliet Ashton

Good Morning World!  What a lovely meeting last night!!

We met at my house La Petite Maison de Joie for Historic College Park Book Club’s June meeting.  Our book was Sunday Lunch Club by Juliet Ashton.   I listened to this on Audible which was quite delightful considering the narrator had an English accent which completely made the book come alive for me!  I’m a sucker for an English accent.

The Beanster aka Judy Bean was the first to arrive at my house.  I was fearful we were the only ones attending then everyone began spilling in!!! We had a very good group for the evening!  There was one other instance when Judy and I were the ‘only’ ones in attendance – remember that Judy ? it was years ago……  we were having book club at one of the local eateries – luckily we had the best wee book club meeting with just the two of us!  Ha! So many cherished memories with our book club which began in 2007 with just a handful of neighbors.  Our first book was Loving Frank.   

I could not find book club questions for this book – sorry girls! There is a list of generic book club questions I recently stumbled upon but could not find them.   Anywho…..  we managed quite nicely I think.   We enjoyed the book for the most part.  It was completely a beach read – with a slow beginning but we were drawn in after we got started.   The theme of the book is about family.  All the craziness that involves each of us and how it’s important to stick with the group which they did nicely through Sunday Lunch Club hence the name.   There were secrets, regrets, loathing and a lot of love swirled in this book.   I really liked the menus at the beginning of each chapter.

For author bio click HERE 

The author writes under several different names including her real name of Bernadette Strachan.

Thank you everyone for bringing delightful nibbles (and the Bischoff from Judy considering you’re a Delta gal!) but especially to Laura Lee for actually using my oven which never EVER gets used!  Because I do not COOK! Those shrimp were divine!

Of course with our local Mayoral race heating up we HAD to go there and get political talk going (my bad actually… he he he).  I hope all the candidates ears are burning! We talked about the good bad and the ugly.    Thanks everyone for putting their two cents in on all the candidates.  Should be an interesting election indeed.  Just hopeful the most ethical, honest, and bright (we know who that is now don’t we – giggling) gets elected!

Thanks again everyone for coming to our meeting last night.   I just love book club…. don’t you?

Special thanks to my sweet wee Scottish Terriers for being so good!! Pip, Cricket and Bumble are the cutest.

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Dec 2018 – First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen

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I have to apologize to the book club gals!! I put the incorrect address on the evite for book club last night! Yikes!  I inadvertently put Amy’s address instead of Angie’s! There’s a first for everything.  Thankfully they both live on the same street!

Thanks to Angie for hosting our end of year book club meeting!  It’s also a  white elephant gift exchange (or Dirty Santa gifts some call it).   Our December book is by Sarah Addison Allen called First Frost.  I try to choose a holiday themed book for December.  Sarah also wrote Garden Spell which Angie said is delightful.  First Frost reminded me of the movie Practical Magic just a wee bit.  I love the aspect of people creating magical affects through cooking, or organizing or… cutting hair?  Thanks to Angie for our special cookie cake reading “Merry Chirstmas HCPBC!’ so sweet!  And to our dear Kelly who actually baked the recipe for the special bread – it was divine!!

For author bio click HERE 

We enjoyed the book very much.  It was in the vein of women and communities coming together – their relationships and the magical world Sarah Addison Allen creates is wonderful as it unfolds before you as you read.

We nibbled and sipped hard cider as we went through book club discussion questions.   We gathered for our white elephant gift exchange – with a few gifts being stolen as laughter ensued.  We’ve been doing this meeting once a month since 2007 when we began our book club.  There were just a few of us when I decided to begin our adventures.   Many of us are in multiple book clubs – because yes we love to read.   Some are definitely more strict than ours – some even are an excuse to get together and just drink and talk!  Ours is somewhere in between those two extremes.   Many have come and gone through the years.   One thing remains – a small group of gals who love to read, discuss, giggle, be serious, drink (a given) and gather as friends in our quaint historic district just SW of Atlanta.   Some meetings are more intense than others.  Most are just enjoyable as we discuss and go along the paths of discussion where the subject matter takes us.

See you in 2019!!!  Cheers!!!

 

Sept 2018 – Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

Reading brings to light people places events and things we would never cross paths with in our lives.  We were completely delighted with Beneath A Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan.   I’ve never associated WWII and Hitler with Italy – our eyes have been opened!

Mark Sullivan brings to light Pino Lella’s experiences and choices during WWII.   It’s completely captivating through and through.   Highly recommend reading.  I have found several photos of Pino being that this is based on a true story – there are wonderful photographs out there!

We gathered in my home for September, La Petite Maison de Joie (the Little House of Joy lovingly named by dear friend Sherry Gaines).   Delightful evening ladies. Truly.  I look forward to book club every month and what it brings out in discussions.  We each bring our own unique perspective to every meeting.  And that my friends…. is the entire point! If we were all the same how very boring it would be!!!

For author bio click MARK SULLIVAN 

I came across a video from Wagner College and a group called High Society – Very interesting…  Click HERE to view

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April 2018 – Hidden Light of Northern Fires – Daren Wang

A massive thank you to author Daren Wang for joining our meeting to discuss his first novel The Hidden Light of Northern Fires!  A very special thanks to Laura Lee Gentry for opening her lovely home (you are like super girl – truly) and to Jake Rothschild (of Jakes Ice Cream fame) for catering our event through Jakes Good Foods.  Delish! A few of my favorite nibbles from the evening were the Devlish Eggs, chicken salad, and the pimento cheese! Completely yummy!

We opened up the meeting to others thus invited neighborhood peeps to join us as well.   We wanted to share Daren Wang and his book with as many as possible!

Daren Wang lives n Decatur Ga.   He grew up in Town Line NY – where the inspiration for this book began!  For a peek into this town click HERE  Daren explains how his childhood home, being a barn in Town Line NY is how he ended up with this incredible slice of history and first novel – click HERE for informative video with Daren Wang 

I think I can completely speak on everyone’s behalf – what a magical evening as we sat listening, asking questions with Daren Wang! A huge shout out to Wendy for trying to get Tyler Perry’s attention to produce a movie of the book! Come on Mr. Perry!  A great project for you! #TylerPerryMakeThisAMovie

Question for all our readers — if you were in this time pre-civil war – and posed with hiding a runaway slave — would you?  I can say I would do ‘whatever’ it took to get someone to safety!  #TylerPerryMakeThisAMovie

And YES! I of course videotaped most of the discussion —  please forgive the giggles on my end and wavering of the iphone —  I was trying to have a sip of wine every now and then.  Guilty am I.  Ahem.  For the video that you can see on YOUTUBE CLICK HERE! Turn it up!

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