After getting a little lost on the streets of downtown St. Paul in the rain, I was greeted by the bright lights of Trattoria da Vinci, and a beautifully set table with our friends gathered around it. And the smells! Ah, a little bit of heaven. Garlic, mushrooms, pasta, bread.
Marie had just flown in from Shanghai and was able to join us! What a treat to see her. She has so many stories of her adventures, it's fun to hear about her discoveries. She brought each of us a gift of a silk scarf - hand picked for each of us - perfect! - and also a bookmark. So thoughtful!
Jarby brought along her old schoolmate and sorority sister, Laurie (I hope I'm spelling it right). She was fun to talk to and had shared some thoughts about her own book club and how they do things. Hope to see her again at a future book club. It was great to have Sandy with us, seems like it had been a while since we caught up with her.
I think we mentioned the book in about 4 sentences all night. Not that the book didn't deserve praise, I think everyone enjoyed the book. Louise told me she couldn't get much into it - maybe it was too centered on the high school experience for her. I thought the book was charming and had so many quotable quotes. Jarby pointed out the interesting format of the book, the main character having written his story in letters to some unnamed person. I thought that was a good way to present it. You could read it in small chunks by letter and pick up again easily another time. I plan on seeing the movie, which has just come out in October, as well. It's a book I'll remember for quite some time.
We talked a lot about what we'd all been up to until the food came. Wow, what a mountain of food! The ginormous bowls were literally overflowing with pasta and good stuff. We laughed at the amount of food - we could feed several families out of one bowl! So, we continued talking with full mouths and full stomachs with our neverending pasta dishes. I got the Ravioli Di Funghi Crimini. Artichoke hearts, asparagus tips and portobella mushrooms in sun-dried tomato cream sauce. I can tell you that it was even better on day 2 for lunch! Yum! Rachel and I shared the Tiramisu for a delectable finish to the evening.
Rachel recommended a really interesting sounding book called The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson (Kindle edition only $3.99!).
If anyone has any other recommendations, let us know. I think we were talking about having Book Club next in January at a restaurant that Mike was recommending. In my haze of wine, espresso and tiramisu, I seem to have not registered the name of it.
We've got lots of time to decide on a book and figure out the name of the restaurant, so no worries!
I hope you all enjoyed Halloween and now are on track to a lovely Thanksgiving.
Til next time, Katie
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Dovekeepers
A hot summer night....
I think we were all astounded by the writing of Alice Hoffman's The Dovekeepers. What an amazing book. So well researched and detailed. It was rich with the entwined lives of women, their men, children, mothers and fathers - and even beasts. What are women willing to give up in order to have the man they were "meant to be with?" Can you imagine living off the land when the land is so barren it barely gives scrub plants? How would you cope with searing hot days in the desert sun with little to cover you and shoes that were already worn through? How do you think you would save yourself if you and your newborn were thrust out, rejected and humiliated, into the unforgiving desert? And what about the ultimate question: how would you react when your leader said it's time to die for your God?
We had the mini-series DVD playing in the background while we munched on almonds, olives, cherries and strawberries.
The mini-series was filmed in the 80's at Masada. So we got to see some of the incredible views and the astonishing cliffs of the fortress of Masada. It was interesting to see some of picks of actors - Peter Strauss, Peter O'Toole, Barbara Carrera. Made it easier to picture all the amazing technology that was used back then - the cisterns, the pools, the barracks, and some of the familiar characters.
As the thin crust pizza arrived, we discussed all that was happening in our lives and in the world. We talked about those who couldn't be there to join us, and wished them well. Also, we talked about what books we might want to read next. Jeannie joined us from England once again, and we were very happy to have some of her insights. She gave several suggestions for classic books we might want to read next such as The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, MacBeth, and even Dracula! We will come back and get to this genre soon, I think!
What we settled on, though, as we enjoyed dove bars for dessert, is a book that has been around a while but is only now just being filmed for a major motion picture, out Sept.20 starring Emma Watson and Paul Rudd. It's called Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. A couple of us mentioned it, having noticed lots of quotes and buzz around on the Internet.
From Amazon, "What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood. Charlie is a freshman. And while's he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes to someone of undisclosed name, age, and gender, a stylistic technique that adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness saturating this teen's story."
It should be a quick read at a slim 224 pages.
We are going to meet at Trattoria da Vinci in St. Paul near Louise's place.
Marie is possibly returning in October to US soil? So we're hoping she can take the time to meet with us for book club!
As we get closer, maybe Louise can send out an email with the specific date and time we'll meet in October?
It was great to catch up with everyone! Now we move on to the busy, busy fall. Leaves are already demanding to be kicked and crunched underfoot. Unbelievable.
See you all next time,
Katie
I think we were all astounded by the writing of Alice Hoffman's The Dovekeepers. What an amazing book. So well researched and detailed. It was rich with the entwined lives of women, their men, children, mothers and fathers - and even beasts. What are women willing to give up in order to have the man they were "meant to be with?" Can you imagine living off the land when the land is so barren it barely gives scrub plants? How would you cope with searing hot days in the desert sun with little to cover you and shoes that were already worn through? How do you think you would save yourself if you and your newborn were thrust out, rejected and humiliated, into the unforgiving desert? And what about the ultimate question: how would you react when your leader said it's time to die for your God?
We had the mini-series DVD playing in the background while we munched on almonds, olives, cherries and strawberries.
The mini-series was filmed in the 80's at Masada. So we got to see some of the incredible views and the astonishing cliffs of the fortress of Masada. It was interesting to see some of picks of actors - Peter Strauss, Peter O'Toole, Barbara Carrera. Made it easier to picture all the amazing technology that was used back then - the cisterns, the pools, the barracks, and some of the familiar characters.
As the thin crust pizza arrived, we discussed all that was happening in our lives and in the world. We talked about those who couldn't be there to join us, and wished them well. Also, we talked about what books we might want to read next. Jeannie joined us from England once again, and we were very happy to have some of her insights. She gave several suggestions for classic books we might want to read next such as The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, MacBeth, and even Dracula! We will come back and get to this genre soon, I think!
What we settled on, though, as we enjoyed dove bars for dessert, is a book that has been around a while but is only now just being filmed for a major motion picture, out Sept.20 starring Emma Watson and Paul Rudd. It's called Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. A couple of us mentioned it, having noticed lots of quotes and buzz around on the Internet.
From Amazon, "What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood. Charlie is a freshman. And while's he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. He's a wallflower--shy and introspective, and intelligent beyond his years, if not very savvy in the social arts. We learn about Charlie through the letters he writes to someone of undisclosed name, age, and gender, a stylistic technique that adds to the heart-wrenching earnestness saturating this teen's story."
It should be a quick read at a slim 224 pages.
We are going to meet at Trattoria da Vinci in St. Paul near Louise's place.
Marie is possibly returning in October to US soil? So we're hoping she can take the time to meet with us for book club!
As we get closer, maybe Louise can send out an email with the specific date and time we'll meet in October?
It was great to catch up with everyone! Now we move on to the busy, busy fall. Leaves are already demanding to be kicked and crunched underfoot. Unbelievable.
See you all next time,
Katie
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Masada
Hi Everyone!
I hope your summer has been going spectacularly. As it's winding down, we are finding time here and there (hopefully!) to read our next selection, The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.
I am really enjoying the book. I think it's very well written and emotional at times. The biblical era descriptions are fascinating (ex. "I was a shell, a beetle, a shock of flesh stitched through with demon thread.")
Reminder to put on your calendar:
Wednesday evening August 29, 6:30 PM - Katie's House
I might change to our local wine bar as my son's school open house is the same evening and I will be rushing home from that. If I do change locations, I will give plenty of notice and directions.
Looking forward to seeing everyone as the summer winds down.
Katie
Monday, July 16, 2012
Time to Choose a Book!
Well, we've succeeded in sending Marie off to Shanghai armed with some goodies and ready to have a grand adventure! We hope to be kept in the loop through Marie's newly begun China blog.
Thanks so much, Jarby, for hosting. Your home is looking very beautiful with all your new "developments"! Love the new living room furniture and the family room fireplace. Gorgeous! The appetizers were lovely and was enchanted by the "hanging wine" on the deck.
It is time to choose a book for our next gathering. I've been searching through my lists of what I've been wanting to read next and I have 2 suggestions. I'd LOVE to hear from everybody about what they'd like to read next, as well! Please reply either to this post or the e-mail that accompanies it with any suggestions you'd like to add to the mix.
1) Shanghai Girls by Lisa See - for obvious reasons!
In 1937 Shanghai—the Paris of Asia—twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree—until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth. To repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseparable best friends, the sisters also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are—Shanghai girls.
2) The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.
In 70 C.E., nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman’s novel is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to Masada by a different path. Yael’s mother died in childbirth, and her father, an expert assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker’s wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her young grandsons, rendered mute by what they have witnessed. Aziza is a warrior’s daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and an expert marksman who finds passion with a fellow soldier. Shirah, born in Alexandria, is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets—about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.
Look forward to hearing from everyone. If you like, I can host the next gathering. Katie
Thanks so much, Jarby, for hosting. Your home is looking very beautiful with all your new "developments"! Love the new living room furniture and the family room fireplace. Gorgeous! The appetizers were lovely and was enchanted by the "hanging wine" on the deck.
It is time to choose a book for our next gathering. I've been searching through my lists of what I've been wanting to read next and I have 2 suggestions. I'd LOVE to hear from everybody about what they'd like to read next, as well! Please reply either to this post or the e-mail that accompanies it with any suggestions you'd like to add to the mix.
1) Shanghai Girls by Lisa See - for obvious reasons!
In 1937 Shanghai—the Paris of Asia—twenty-one-year-old Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, are having the time of their lives. Both are beautiful, modern, and carefree—until the day their father tells them that he has gambled away their wealth. To repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseparable best friends, the sisters also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terrible sacrifices, face impossible choices, and confront a devastating, life-changing secret, but through it all the two heroines of this astounding new novel hold fast to who they are—Shanghai girls.
2) The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman.
In 70 C.E., nine hundred Jews held out for months against armies of Romans on Masada, a mountain in the Judean desert. According to the ancient historian Josephus, two women and five children survived. Based on this tragic and iconic event, Hoffman’s novel is a spellbinding tale of four extraordinarily bold, resourceful, and sensuous women, each of whom has come to Masada by a different path. Yael’s mother died in childbirth, and her father, an expert assassin, never forgave her for that death. Revka, a village baker’s wife, watched the horrifically brutal murder of her daughter by Roman soldiers; she brings to Masada her young grandsons, rendered mute by what they have witnessed. Aziza is a warrior’s daughter, raised as a boy, a fearless rider and an expert marksman who finds passion with a fellow soldier. Shirah, born in Alexandria, is wise in the ways of ancient magic and medicine, a woman with uncanny insight and power. The lives of these four complex and fiercely independent women intersect in the desperate days of the siege. All are dovekeepers, and all are also keeping secrets—about who they are, where they come from, who fathered them, and whom they love.
Look forward to hearing from everyone. If you like, I can host the next gathering. Katie
Saturday, June 16, 2012
....Been a long time! Didn't realize how long.....
Fellow Book Readers,
It's been since January that we've had an update on Book Club! The year is half over for goodness sake!
Well, we've been busier than the blog would indicate, haven't we?
Since reading Then Again by Diane Keaton, we've read two other books and are yet to determine our next choice.
To check off our reading list:
11/22/63 by Stephen King. Consensus on this book was - a big thumb's up! Enjoyable reading by the prolific Mr. King.
Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb. Consensus on this book was - enjoyable read, even though it's one in a long series. Nice job by Ms. Nora Roberts. (pseudonym uncovered by Jarby.)
Next up, we plan on giving Marie a great sendoff in her new adventure to China. I couldn't believe it when she said she was moving there for 6 months! We all envy her chance to move in new circles and gain so many new life adventures.
有一个美妙之旅
(Have a wonderful trip)
We will meet at Jarby's the 28th for some Chinese appetizers, drinks and cheer! Can't wait to see everyone again.
Feel free to bring some ideas for our next book, I'm ready for some summer reading. How about you?
Katie
Sunday, January 15, 2012
January Book Club.....Then Again
Then Again....maybe not so much. The general consensus on this book was that it only skimmed the surface of Ms. Keaton's life and didn't dive in and give any of the details that would convince us that Diane Keaton was a passionate, interesting person.
We were so glad that almost everyone made it! We missed Janet, and of course, Amy. Sandy joined us after returning from her world travels. Nice to catch up!
Marie served a wonderful seafood lasagna that included shrimp and scallops in a lovely white sauce. The fresh salad was wonderful with feta dotting the top. And dessert, as usual, was fantastic - fresh fruit and berries with a luscious sauce and a slushy frozen surprise. Wine and conversation flowed.
We decided that we'll be reading Stephen King's novel 11/22/63. The hardcover is 849 pages, but let's not let that intimidate us! It is available from amazon for $17.49 for prime members and the kindle version is available with AUDIO AND VIDEO for $16.99.
Half.com has some gently used copies for as cheap as $14.99.
Rachel will coordinate the next meeting. Looking forward to our next gathering likely sometime before Easter, giving us plenty of time to dig in to this one.
Thank you, Marie, for a very lovely evening.
See you all soon. Keep warm!
Happy Reading,
Katie
We were so glad that almost everyone made it! We missed Janet, and of course, Amy. Sandy joined us after returning from her world travels. Nice to catch up!
Marie served a wonderful seafood lasagna that included shrimp and scallops in a lovely white sauce. The fresh salad was wonderful with feta dotting the top. And dessert, as usual, was fantastic - fresh fruit and berries with a luscious sauce and a slushy frozen surprise. Wine and conversation flowed.
We decided that we'll be reading Stephen King's novel 11/22/63. The hardcover is 849 pages, but let's not let that intimidate us! It is available from amazon for $17.49 for prime members and the kindle version is available with AUDIO AND VIDEO for $16.99.
Half.com has some gently used copies for as cheap as $14.99.
Rachel will coordinate the next meeting. Looking forward to our next gathering likely sometime before Easter, giving us plenty of time to dig in to this one.
Thank you, Marie, for a very lovely evening.
See you all soon. Keep warm!
Happy Reading,
Katie
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