April Book Club Meeting

April Book Club Meeting

Host: Carol

Book: This I Believe, edited by Jay Allison and Dan Sediman

Response of Book Club Members: This book of essays written by remarkable people (both famous and unfamous) is an uplifting nonfiction work. Each person writes an essay on what they personally believe in from their own personal experiences of living. Every one at the meeting had a favorite essay to discuss. Below are some of my personal favorite quotes from this book. This is the second book in this series. The first book was created in the late '40 by Edward R. Murrow and three of his associates.

"I believe that freedom is contagious."

Harold Hongju Keu

"Jazz is the sound of God laughing. And I believe in it."

Colleen Shaddox

"I believe in the power of love to transform. I believe in the power of love to heal."

Jackie Lantry

March Book Club Meeting

March Book Club Meeting

Host: Joann

Book: The Last Promise

Response of Book Club Members: Everyone thought that this was a nice change of pace book. Call it a love story or a romance but call it a scenic journey thru one of the most beautiful regions of Italy. The author, Richard Paul Evans, divides his time between his home in Tuscony in Italy and his home in Park City, Utah. He wrote a love story with a happy ending that makes you want to book a trip to Italy to see the places he describes in the book.

Joann's Personal Opinion: Sometimes in February while you are waiting for spring and warm weather to arrive you need to take a break from the dark depressing books and just chill out with a light travel novel.

Joann's Cold Pasta Salad

Joann's Cold Pasta Salad

Cook in salted water half a box of pasta.

While pasta cooks to a la dente stage steam some veggies and then stop the cooking by plunging veggies in cold water.

Place veggies in bowl with some freshly grated carrots, sliced red onions, sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped basil.

Drain cooked pasta and add to bowl.

Pour a good amount of Wishbone Italian Dressing over mixture in bowl, stir, then marinate in fridge overnight.

Next day restir pasta and add a little more Wishbone Italian Dressing along with freshly grated pepper and salt and about 8 drops of Tobasco Sauce. Lastly add grated fresh mozzarella cheese to the pasta mixture.

Turn out pasta salad onto a nice platter and decorate with whole basil leaves.

Enjoy.

February Book Club Meeting

Host: Cindy

Book: Little Bee, by Chris Cleave

Response of Book Club Members: Most club members liked the book at the beginning but disliked it more and more as they went along because of two plot problems: first, the brutal scenes depicted in the book and second, because some actions of the various characters seemed unbelievable. Others found that they intensely disliked some of the characters.

Joann's Personal Opinion: Don't read this book unless you have a strong stomach and can take brutality. This book should come with a warning on the cover: Not For The Faint Of Heart.

January Book Club Meeting

January Book Club Meeting

Host: Teresa

**

Book: Isaac's Storm, by Erik Larson

**

Response of Book Club Members: Most book club members found this to be a difficult book to read. The author's writing style turned a lot of people off although the subject was interesting. This nonfiction book dealt with data collected about the worst hurricane to ever make landfall on the United State. This was the hurricane that destroyed the city of Galveston, Texas over 100 years ago.

December Book Club Meeting

December Book Club Meeting

Host: Pat

Book: The Immoveable Feast, by John Baxter

Response of the Book Club Members: This easy read memoir by John Baxter of his many years living in Paris and hosting for his wife's family the special Christmas dinner he prepared from appetizer to dessert. This easy read gave each member a chance to discuss what they like to eat for Christmas. It also gave everyone who loves Paris a chance to take a virtual trip to Paris during the Christmas holidays. A very enjoyable read.

November Book Club Meeting

November Book Club Meeting

Host: Maura

Book: Still Alice, by Lisa Genova

Response of the Book Club Members: This is a fiction book that has dealing with Alzheimer's in a family as its central theme. The book club members found the book enlightening but very depressing. No one wants to think of themselves or a family member losing their memory and their ability to function. Put this book under the category of read once but not a second time. Too depressing.