Book Twenty-One

June 1, 2012 @ Anne's

The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin

  

Summer, rhubarb pie, vegetables and good friends: it makes us happy!

 

Anne, the hostess extraordinaire, fluffing what appears to be croutons!

Anne and Cory: happiness personified!

In keeping with the book's expert advice,  we decided it was best to be ourselves in order to be happy.  Each of us counted on our fellow Literary Spirits to define us, and what follows is who we are (in alphabetical order, because that's how I roll, yo):



Be Anne:  Sophisticated, Fun, Spitfire/supportive, Successfully professional, Courageous

Be Carol:  Honest (in actions and words), Earthiness/funny/grounded, Diligently dedicated, Mother (and not just to her own children), Thoughtful

Be Cora Lee:  Accepting of others, Caretaker/problem solver, Teacher/clarity of expression, Perceptive, Leader/Amazing

Be Cory:  Wise, Beautiful, Soul-blossoming rose, Perceptive, Risk-taking/adventurous

Be Jackie:  Wickedly funny, Controlled, Intelligent, Loyal, Fierce sense of integrity

Be Sally:  Adventurous, Serene, Sister/problem solver/caretaker, Deep pool, Family/fun/great big spirit

Be Stacey:  Gorgeous, Good, Mature/intergenerational relationships, Motivated, Balanced, Professional

Yes, we did resort to a thesaurus!

Sally, sitting serenely.  Beautiful!

It was definitely dark before the party broke up.

Hey!  Why is Anne's gun pointing at Cory?  And why is Jackie's arm serving as an antler for Sally?  And why, for the love of all that's holy, is Cora Lee acting normal?

Our next meeting:

Jackie's House

Sunday, July 1, 2012 (brunch!)

1:00 p.m.

50 Shades of Grey, by E.L. James

(gulp!)

Book Twenty

April 6, 2012 @ the Cowfish (the back, back room)

11/22/63, by Stephen King

So many ways to absorb this novel: CD, hardcopy, Kindle, phone ....

Anchovies?  Personally, I'd rather have poundcake.

Detail of the Cowfish ceiling - in the spirit of "going back in time."

All seven of us!  And we were all in the literary spirit.  What's not to love?

Our next meeting:

Anne's House

Friday, June 1, 2012
6:00 p.m.

The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin

Book Nineteen

February 24, 2012 @ Cora Lee's

Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

Some read the first volume while others read the complete edition. 
This book certainly sparked conversation!

Yummy cream cheese dip, brought by Carol.

Yummy warm bread supplied by Cora Lee.

Six of seven  ...  ready to delve into the next selection!

Our next meeting:

Stacey's House
Friday, April 6, 2012
6:00 p.m.

11/22/63, by Stephen King



Book Eighteen

January 20, 2012 @ Carol's

The Sandalwood Tree, by Elle Newmark

A tale of forbidden love, entwined with the end of an era and the creation of Pakistan.  Juicy!

Cora Lee, joining in the conversation.

Who knew peanut butter and raisin cookies could be so delectable?

Carol's collection of local photography.

Carol, embracing her C.O.L. status (Cat On Lap).

Cocoa was the beneficiary of much attention, and enjoyed every minute.

Cory and Sally, intrigued by the possible choices for our next book!

Five of seven!

Our next meeting:

Cora Lee's House
Friday, February 24, 2012
6:00 p.m.

Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi

....to be followed in March by

11/22/63, by Stephen King

Let's get to reading!

Book Seventeen

December 09, 2011 @ Jackie's

A Redbird Christmas, by Fannie Flagg

Gathering around the groaning board - 'tis the season!

Black bean chowder with yogurt/cilantro relish!  Click here for the recipe!

And delicious southern (just keeping with the flavor of the book, y'all, 'cause that's how we roll, yo)

Key-Lime pie for dessert - check out the book for the recipe.



REAL fruitcake, compliments of Jack!  Contact Jack for the recipe.  And contact Sally for the recipe for the yummy appetizers and contact Cora Lee to learn more about her decadent home-made eggnog custard!  And ask Cory about her secret tomato soup (in honor of Oswald Tomatosoup Campbell?) and be sure to find out from Anne where she shops for bread and delicious dip!  And don't forget to request the inside scoop from the Napa Valley wineries without whom our wine intake would be severely hampered.

A tad simplistic, but a sweet story - perfect for the holidays!

All seven Literary Spirits: God bless us, every one.

Our next meeting:

Carol's House
Friday, January 20, 2012
6:00 p.m.

The Sandalwood Tree, by Elle Newmark

Two links resulting from the Book Sixteen discussion

So!  For those interested, here are a few links to the Saint John's Bible that we talked about at the latest Book Club:

http://wjon.com/nbcs-today-show-features-st-johns-bible-video/

More information can be found here:  http://www.saintjohnsbible.org/

Enjoy!

Book Sixteen

November 4, 2011 @ Cora Lee's

The Name of the Rose, by Umberto Eco

Borrowed (and at the last minute, copied) from the library!  Unfortunately, the Netflix movie was cracked and we were unable to watch it, so we'll have to catch Sean Connery another time.  Curse you, Netflix!

Yummy crackers and prosciutto cheese wheel thingies!  Prosciutto is Italian, right?

Delicious green pea salad from Mr. D's.  A delicious accompaniment to the pizza!

We love the ambiance of a November fire!

Four of seven joined in great conversation that included the comment,
"Only I can sleep with that celibate man!"

Our next meeting:

Jackie's House

Friday, December 9, 2011

6:00 p.m.

A Redbird Christmas, by Fannie Flagg