bringing in the new year

Good Morning! I think this year has been such a good year for all us book club goers. We have had some great reads and enjoyed great company with one another as well. I love seeing what everyone picks when their turn comes around. I have several favorites from this year, I think my top pick is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. In fact I picked it up again the other day for another go around. The Hunger Games series was also in my favorites catagory. Hmm, So many to choose from, so many more books to read!
For January, we will be meeting on the 13th, the second Thursday of the month, at 8pm at my house. We are going to read Jacob Have I Loved, by Katherine Paterson. Yes, I already read the ending and beginning. But, I wont spoil it for you.
So, let's ring in a new and wonderful year, filled with overflowing possibilities of all it can bring. I hope it finds each one of you healthy, happy, and having fun, and of course reading all kinds of fabulous things!
Until we meet again, Happy Reading!!

sweet stories

Last night we shared beautiful and sweet Christmas stories. This month of book club always warms my heart. I just love to hear what everyone has to share. It gets us all in the mood and feels very festive. Sometimes, it's these stories I remember most during this holiday. The stories were: I knew you would come, Trouble at the Inn, a story from Sister Uctdorf and one about a son secretly doing his father's chores for Christmas. There were two poems. One in the "tune" of twas a night before Christmas- but was called Twas the Night before Jesus Came. The other was a poem thought up by a book nooks mother called, What should I give Jesus. I am so grateful for our little book nook and that we can share our love and talents with one another. That we come together with open hearts and minds and peace unfolds. This book nook has always brought me such joy and I cherish our time together as friends. Merry Christmas, Happy Reading!

December

Yeah for holidays and good stories. That is what we are after for our little nook. This Thursday the 9th at my house at 8pm we are meeting! We are going to have a little bit of food, yumm, and we will be sharing short Christmas stories or poems. I always love the variety that comes with this. There is so many stories to choose from, sad, happy, touching. It's lovely. So until then, happiest of reading to all and to all a good night!

time flies when you're....

So yes, I am so far behind with this blog. Time has just escaped me completely. It has flown by! Where have these last few months gone? Well, I am going to be brief and try to make up for some of this madness. We read The Old Man and The Sea by Ernest Hemmingway. It was short. I confess I googled it and found most of the cliff notes on line. It was an interesting story. I vaguely remember good commentary on it. The old man has a struggle with a giant fish he catches but when he returns there is nothing left to prove he did it. Anyway, it is a good read and can be considered deep....Then, I chose Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay. I loved it. Not everyone did. I think because of the time period and because the children were rounded up it was emotional. Also, not everyone loved the storyline. I have already given my take and speal on this so I wont go into too much more. I liked the history aspect. I liked the connection and passion she showed. Sometimes we all get a little obsessive about things in our life. Now that everyone is mildly caught up....
That takes us into December and Christmastime!!

early bird

for those of you who actually read this blog you get to find out early what we will be reading for november. it is my turn to pick for november and i had a terrible time choosing because there are so many good reads out there. i am checking out sarah's key by tatiana de rosnay. i picked up this book at the store and couldn't put it down until the next day when i was finished. it is both world war 2 and modern day. it is the story of sarah and what happens to her and her family during the jewish round up during that time. it takes place mostly in france which is interesting to get that perspective. this is a fiction book however there are historical elements to it. slightly sad, but i felt peace with the story. it made me feel gratitude for all i am blessed with and the freedoms i have, especially to worship and be as we are. so i hope you enjoy and until then happy reading!!

about now

so right about now you are all wondering when exactly is bookclub going to be?? right?? well, lucky for everyone it is officially this thursday, october 14th at 8pm my house. i think we forgot to go over that detail last time we were all together, but this should work! we are going to be discussing the old man and the sea by ernest hemmingway and it will be a good night. so come enjoy!

taking liberty away!!

on to the next book! our next book discussion will be in october. we have yet to set a date for that, but it will come out shortly. now for the big reveal. it is NOT ladies of liberty! we will thank brenda for not making us read this now. thank you!! (i may check it out later since i did buy it...) even though we were willing to read this lovely book, brenda decided to switch it up for us. instead we are reading: THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY, approximately 127 pages long. i hope you all check out this read and until next time, happy reading!!

coming up

Well, Thursday's discussion of Star Girl was a smashing hit. Just Kidding, kind of. I think we all read this short story by Jerry Spinelli. It was about a quirky girl who was home schooled and decides to try high school out. There is a boy, Leo, who does like her, however, she is a bit odd and draws so much attention that he can't make up his mind whether or not to truly be with her. Since it's either/or situation he is stuck....This alone made the group think he was a coward and didn't actually deserve to be with a girl who was so orginal. It was also recognized this was a small town where no one wanted to stand out much which can be hard if it's you that everyone is talking about. This book made some recollect high school in a not so wonderful way. Which really, who loves high school games anyway. The real grown up world is much better ya? It also made us wonder what happens next. There is a sequel. Which I read. But I am not allowed to comment on. just yet...Overall, this book was a nice hit. I think it makes you look at how you treat others in general. Maybe we can be a little kinder, nicer, understanding of others. Or maybe we could look for ways to reach out to others in a way that isn't so obvious. I liked this read and hope you all did too!

almost there

september is here and we are just about ready for our star girl discussion. that will be september 16th at 8pm at my house. that is the correct time and place for this month. yes, i finally read it. i ran it pretty close but it is done. it is a short read, got it done in a day. it's my understanding that there is a sequel to this and i would be very curious to know how that one turns out. i will give further commentary on this one after our nook meets! so until then happy reading since we are almost there!

mockingjay

so for any fans following this little booknook blog, i am going to swiftly comment on mockingjay. the third book in the series hunger games. i got it on tuesday, like a good little follower and normally i would have had it finished tuesday as well but things happen...also, i didn't want it to end even though i sat in the store and read the ending before i purchased it! i really have to say i enjoyed this book and loved the series. it comes together. it is sad and happy and it made me think about choices we make and consequences. i can't give away endings, but it is what i wanted and slightly expected. it keeps you going to the last page and still i'd like more. so that is a very criptic overview of mockingjay. a very good read indeed...

not so fast....

so i wanted to make sure and confuse everyone thoroughly for book club. i am making too many twists and turns here and it's not even a book! just trying to schedule a time to discuss one! so, we are NOT having a book club discussion this month. there are a lot of conflicts with other nights thus, we are holding off for august. however, we will be back for september second thursdsay at 8pm at my house. the book will be star girl.so hopefully that is all settled up! then for october we will discuss ladies of liberty. that puts me picking a book for november. i think i actually have one in mind so you'll have to check back later to find out! until then and as usual happy reading!!

a new date and time

for anyone who is checking in-we are moving the august discussion date to august 19th. which is the third thursday of this month. up for discussion at this time will still be star girl. so until then thanks for your support and happy reading!

extra! extra!

i wanted to post a quick update on our bookworm Teri. She has indeed had her little bundle of joy adelaide! how exciting and sweet this is! congratulations!!!

and then there was even more

i have our next couple of books ready to roll so let's check it out:
on the second thursday of august which is the 12th we will meet at my house and discuss
Star Girl- it has a big picture of a star and a stick figure girl on the cover, byJerry Spinelli. (picked by emily)

then for september brenda has chosen Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts. I don't have a time for that one but i wanted to get the book out there.

that's the news for now, have a lovely evening and as always, Happy Reading!!

guac and more

thursday was an excellent night for bookclub! marie brought in homemade quacamole that was fab and the book condi was great to discuss. i think it was agreed by all that she is a remarkable intellectual person. condoleezza is very smart and talented. i had no idea she played the piano, was into ice skating, loved football soooo much, was engaged-but never married, worked in the white house, was very knowledgable on russian history/politics/cold war and so influencial in that area, she is well educated and taught and still teaches at standford. i am impressed by all that she accomplished in her life and her place in the world and i believe most of us were in agreement. i think of the road blocks that could potentially have been stronger- her being african american and from the deep south, but her parents saw to it that she could rise above any situation. i think that is a lesson we all can use regardless of who or where we come from. that there is always potential for growth for wanting something better in your life. her parents sheltered her in a way, but through that she gained a different education. not right or wrong or better or worse. as a parent i understand the part that wants more for your child and respect that. as a member of society sometimes you can make better of your life because of your own personality and sometimes you hold your own self back. i wonder what condoleezza would have been like if her family hadn't guided or directed her life.
alright, i suppose my thoughts are rambling thoughts. but i enjoyed the discussion and the questions it brought to my mind!

this thursday

a couple of announcements to pass along...here we go!!! item one-tamie one of our members had a baby boy this last week, thatcher. it's a strong possibility i spelled that wrong. okay and item two-just a quick reminder that our book club is meeting this thursday the 15th at my house at 8pm. we are reading condi: the condoleeza rice story. so if you haven't read it yet there is still time. or yes you can google her and find out fun facts. so until then happy reading/fact finding!!

new month, new book

i think we are all in agreement when we say, "we love the hunger games!!" the next and last installment of the series comes out in august. i know i am counting down. this was a great read. great storylines and a page turner to the end. i want to know what happens to katniss and district 12 and the uprising and i love her as a strong female character and what she stands for. i think she is the perfect mockingjay. i would normally go into quotes but as no one reads this anyway i'll spare you all.......
our next read is Condi: the Condoleezza Rice Story by Antonia Felix. It will be the third thursday in July at 8pm at my house. So until then, Happy Reading!

obsessed

okay so i finished the first book and moved onto the second in the series of the hunger games. it is official. i am obsessed. this book choice is excellent and i couldn't put it down! to prove my point i got the second one yesterday and stayed up until 2:30 this morning reading. yes, you saw that correctly. nuts probably. worth it absolutely! okay, happy reading to all!

Hungry?

For June we are going to read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I am not sure what it is really about but Laura picked it and has heard good things about it. We will meet at my house on June 10th, 8pm. We are having some sort of food this time so that should entice you. Now, until then Happy Reading! and enjoy the day it is beautiful out!!

this and that

This month we discussed Tallgrass. To those that read it, it was well recieved. There was good discussion on Colorado being at the center location of the story. Also, the mystery of who did it? Now, being an ending reader first, I could have told you that!! I liked to hear about the history of the time period. This book took place WWII era and it always fascinating for me to hear about. The book centers on one family and their lives and the lives of the Japanese who come to live in the camps nearby. The town has division because the Japanese live there and "they are responsible for the war." Yet, they are Americans taken from California. In today's world we discussed that this would likely not happen because of the politically correct society and rights of others. However, there is a lot going on with Arizona right now and Teri drove through it!! I will go ahead and finish up by saying it was a great topic to discuss and a good book choice. Well liked and a even a former member of the group wrote and said she liked it too. Nicely done. Until next time, Happy Reading!

springtime

"'Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today; And give us not to think so far away As the uncertain harvest; keep us here All simply in the springing of the year.'
-- Robert Frost"

book for June

We have another book ready to go. For the meeting in June we are going to read "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. Picked by Laura our newest member. This meeting will be the second Thursday in June at house at 8pm. So there is lots to read and more to come. Have a great night. And still Happy Reading!!!!!

chosen review

As I was not able to attend "The Chosen" review, I asked Brenda to take some notes. Correct me if I'm wrong or you want to add anything here. I think we all enjoyed the book overall. Certain parts however were not hits within this read. The baseball scene which starts us off was not welcomed by all wished it would go away. Others loved it and thought it set a tone for the book and established relationships between the boys. Other points mentioned were how the fathers interacted with their sons. Danny's not really speaking and Reuven's much more vocal. I don't believe Danny was bitter about this because in the end he seems to have peace over his situation. Reuben thought this to be ridiculous that they didn't speak. I found it fascinating. I think it's real life. Sometimes though we are here and present we really aren't. As parents or our parents or in other capacities/callings/friendships. Onward we move..Some thought the chosen meant Reuven, some thought it was the brother and some thought it was Danny. I am in agreement on it being Danny. The story is told through the voice of Reuven, but it is always centered and focused on Danny. My final comments are that I loved this book. I loved the history, the simple story, the friendship, and the interesting dynamics of their religion. So there is my 2 cents worth. Have a great day, and happy reading!!

next read is....

I hear that our book group meeting went well. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend so Teri took over hosting duties and did a smashing job! Thank you so much!! I will report on that meeting in a few days once I get the full scoop. Our next read is called Tall Grass by Sandra Dallas. Which will be back on our regular night of the Second Thursday in May, at my house, at 8pm mountain time. I have not read this one yet, but I always look forward to the upcoming read. So until then, happy reading!!

the joys of a reader

“He that loves a book will never want a faithful friend, a wholesome counselor, a cheerful companion, an effectual comforter. By study, by reading, by thinking, one may innocently divert and pleasantly entertain himself, as in all weathers, as in all fortunes.”
- Barrow"

newbie

I should also make mention we have a new member to our lovely book nook. A shout out welcome to Laura. She just moved here and we are glad to have you with us!!! Okay so have a great night and Happy Reading!

making sure

Hello all! I am just making sure it's pretty clear what is going on for the month of April. We are currently reading "The Chosen" by Chiam Potok. The meeting time is the Third Thursday April 15th at 8pm at Teri's house. I love this read so I can't wait for the discussion!! LOL L

on to Guernsey

Last night we discussed the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I believe we all loved it and felt drawn to the story and characters within. They were made to be believable, likable, witty, and real. We liked the letter format it was written in, though hesitation from one who read "dear mr. henshaw" (and did not enjoy those letters), and me who had to start it about 20 times so I could understand who these people were! Some thought perhaps a little more romance was needed. Isola was well liked with her quirky ways as was Juliet. We thought she was so tender to help with Kit and take on that mother role. Her sensitivity towards the town and her efforts to make them friends were tenderhearted. We liked Elizabeth who was ever present. Eben and Amelia. We loved the town, the feel, the possibility that these people could be real. It was interesting to find that the author's niece was the one to finish the book. We wondered about editing and how that all played out.
Some favorite quotes:
Isola "I liked to die where I stood"
Juliet "She was showing me her treasures, Sophie-her eyes did not leave my face once. We were both so solemn, and I, for once, didn't start crying"
Juliet "Dawsey's barn is exceedingly clean. He also stacks his hay beautifully. I believe I am becoming pathetic"
Thanks for checking in to the Guernsey. Next month (April) we will be checking out "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok. Don't forget it will be held at Teri's house on the 15th, which is the third Thursday, just to confuse everyone!! Until then, Happy Reading!

the group

Well, hello again! Today I am going to go over just a handful of things discussed and not discussed at last nights meeting. So, we have decided to keep the night the second Thursday of the month unless another major activity conflicts with that night. We have changed nights around before, but this time works for the majority so it stays. As leader of our little book nook, I do have the right however, to change when needed.
Okay, moving on...I am going to skip the describing names as I have previously done. I thought it was going to be "so cute" but, now I am annoyed. There are going to be conflicting t's and so on, so those that were the first to be put on the blog with your names like that, you are pretty special! But now you will be revealed. Sweet S-Season, Terrific T-Teri, and Amazing A-Andrea, LOL L-me so there you go. We had a couple of new ladies join us last night, Emily and Tamie. Welcome. To the rest of our fab group, I will give a shout out to you also, Brenda, and Marie both long timers like me only longer, Terri, Andrea, Season, sometimes Barb, and sometimes Jessica who picked a book that was long and crazy and I am probably the only one who moronically finished it. I believe that is it. Welcome to all and to all a good night!
Just kidding, I have chosen to be sole commentator and publisher of blog snippets, however, feel free to make comments, pass along info, or if you would like something specific added let me know! This will just keep things a little more organized.
Thanks for all the input!

until then....

So, I wanted to send out a reminder for our next meeting which is..... this Thursday at the home of-LOL L at 8pm. I am looking forward to reviewing this book. I loved it! It felt like a friend, a comfort, and was a joy to read and re-read. In a few days the full review will be out so you can decide for yourself if you would check it out. Until then, happy reading!!

interesting finds

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers."
— Charles W. Eliot

More to Come

We are currently checking out The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society to read at the March madness meeting. Personally Picked by "Terrific T". Then, we have "Amazing A" up next with the book, "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok. This check out will be discussed for our April gathering. On a side note, while I have your attention.....On the bookshelf is a list of books that our group has read, is currently reading, and will likely read. Skim through to check it out!
Happy Reading!!

the pages

the pages flip flip through my mind
dancing, whirling-
according to design.
reaching out to emotions within-
beckoning.
and calls me to dream.
"lol l"

Letters for Emily

Welcome to the newly formed Book Nook! A group dedicated to trying new and good reads. We meet once a month and take on the good, the bad, and the entertaining in the literary world. We have been going strong for a few years, but this is our first venture to the web. Now, you can of course, check up regularly to see what was liked or disliked at our gatherings. Sometimes, the discussion lasts a few minutes and sometimes all night. I suppose that depends on what book it was. Last night we discussed Letters for Emily, chosen by "Sweet S". It was a light read and good choice. We all agreed we liked the letters written by the grandfather to the little girl Emily, and the Bee letter was good one! I also think most of us thought that we wouldn't be able to figure out the riddles unless it was about your own family. I wont spoil too much here even though I am an ending reader first. (I know-a crazy thing! However, I can't help myself or stop doing it!) So,I encourage you to leave a message or add comments. Thanks for checking in!
Our next check out is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Enjoy!!