First of all, it was buy one, get one free pizza night. Music to the ears (and gurgling tummy!) So, we paired up and ordered our favorites from the great choices:
Margherita Pizza (Roasted tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil)
Italian Pizza (Spicy sausage, pepperoni, red onion, cracked green olives, mozzarella, rustic tomato sauce)
South Seas Pizza (Shrimp, pit ham, pineapple, fresh basil)
Greek Pizza (House-made Gyro meat, kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, red onion, feta cheese)
(Sorry, is that making you hungry again?)
Marie kept us supplied (paired) with plenty of wine to go with our meal. She also provided appetizers including bruschetta paired with 3 different toppings along with a large platter of garlic shrimp skewers. Thank you so much, Marie, for being such a great hostess!
Speaking of pairings, we ended up with 2 different books this time around! Same title, different authors!
So, unfortunately, that little snafu made it tough to talk about the book. The book that was intended was by Morag Joss, a Scottish author now living in London. This book was about 3 lives that intersect after a horrible bridge collapse in the Scottish highlands. It was mysterious, a little creepy, a bit dark and morbid, as well, with a bit of a bright ending for 1 of our main characters. I enjoyed the book, although it was strange that the author changed from 3rd person to 1st person at times, which made it a little difficult to follow at times, and know who was being written about during certain passages.
The other book by Dan Chaon was a book of short stories that sounds a bit dark as well - loneliness, disintegration of family, loss of growth, finding strength to continue. I took the book out of Sandy's hands and will let her know what I think! I enjoy short stories, so will give this one a shot.
We all enjoyed great conversation as the crowd ramped up for dinner. We knew we were in it for the long haul, so really dug in to the appetizers and wine while the long lines dissipated.
We closed down Pairings, taking it right down to their closing time, I think someone slammed and locked the door on our asses as we headed out. (Just kidding, they were very gracious!)
Loved having Jeannie with us from England, and just about everyone showed up.
Next time, we will read Elizabeth Gilbert's (author of Eat, Pray, Love) The Signature of All Things.
Briefly, it's about (from Amazon):
"... an enthralling story of love, adventure and discovery. Spanning much of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the novel follows the fortunes of the extraordinary Whittaker family as led by the enterprising Henry Whittaker—a poor-born Englishman who makes a great fortune in the South American quinine trade, eventually becoming the richest man in Philadelphia. Born in 1800, Henry’s brilliant daughter, Alma (who inherits both her father’s money and his mind), ultimately becomes a botanist of considerable gifts herself. As Alma’s research takes her deeper into the mysteries of evolution, she falls in love with a man named Ambrose Pike who makes incomparable paintings of orchids and who draws her in the exact opposite direction—into the realm of the spiritual, the divine, and the magical. Alma is a clear-minded scientist; Ambrose a utopian artist—but what unites this unlikely couple is a desperate need to understand the workings of this world and the mechanisms behind all life.
Exquisitely researched and told at a galloping pace, The Signature of All Things soars across the globe—from London to Peru to Philadelphia to Tahiti to Amsterdam, and beyond. Along the way, the story is peopled with unforgettable characters: missionaries, abolitionists, adventurers, astronomers, sea captains, geniuses, and the quite mad."
I hope everyone enjoys the book!
I will host the next gathering either mid-September or early October as I will be out of town the end of September.
See you then! And happy reading.
Katie
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