Happy Holidays and Next Book Club Reading

Thanks to everyone who helped to come decorate our tree yesterday. It was truly a festive evening and the book exchange brought about some great books that may make it to the next club reading lists!

Just a reminder that the book for January is City of Thieves by David Beniof. The date is TBD and we are looking for someone to graciously host this next meeting.

Hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday and looking forward to getting together in the New Year!

xoxo
VanAn

Note from Debbie L: Thanks to Karina and VanAn for hosting a lovely holiday meeting. The tacos and cookies were yummy! Unfortunately, we didn't have enough people finish The Help to have any discussion, but it seemed like there was a positive response from what was read. Best wishes to everyone and see you next year!

December meeting scheduled

Note from Debbie L.: Karen had to bow out of hosting for December, but hopes to host the January meeting. VanAn sent out the email below.

Hi Everyone,

Meredith, Karina and I wanted to combine our tree decorating festivities with book club so we decided to host this month's meeting. While Karen's tradition is cookie decorating ours is tree trimming! We are not leaving out the cookies—for those of you who are inclined, there will be an optional cookie and sweets exchange. Bring a dozen or so of your homemade treats to exchange and share with the rest of the book club members. If you are like me and cannot work your way around a chocolate chip, just bring things for our regular potluck meal.

And let's not forget the books!

The book we selected for this month's discussion is The Help by Kathryn Stockett. For those of you who are new, each December we participate in a book exchange. Everyone brings a used book that they've read and enjoyed for an anonymous "gift exchange." Make sure that it is wrapped and unmarked!

We hope to see you for the festivities! Please RSVP and let us know what you plan to bring so we can plan accordingly.

Details
Sunday, December 19th
6:30 PM
Meredith, Karina, and VanAn's place
1230 Stearns Drive
Los Angeles 90035

VanAn's cell: 310-402-7302

December Meeting: The Help

Hi everyone,

For those of you who weren’t able to make it last night, we had a great discussion around women’s issues (wait—that’s human issues!) and the book Half the Sky. Our next book club will be hosted by Karen Kraft in December, exact date TBD. The next book will be The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

Thanks to everyone who came, and thanks for all the great food, wine and birthday cake!

Debbie W.

Note from Debbie L: For those of you who are new, the annual holiday book club meeting hosted by Karen has two special activities aside from the chatting, eating, occasional clothing swap and book discussion. We ask that you bring a used book (preferably one that you enjoyed reading) wrapped for a "white elephant" exchange. We also decorate cookies that you get to take home with you. Since this gathering will be especially festive and full of things to do, we'll save some time on the choosing of January's book. If you want to plan ahead, we'll be reading City of Thieves by David Beniof.

Also, we wanted to say a fond farewell to one of our members, Sarah Dietl. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to join us for a final meeting before moving to the Bay Area. We will miss you and wish you all the best!

Half the Sky

First, welcome to our new members Christa and Jess who joined us last Sunday!

For the next book club we will be reading Half the Sky by NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF and SHERYL WuDUNN. As some of you may know, Karina is working on an exhibition based on the book which is scheduled to open at the Skirball next fall. We will not only learn more about women's issues in developing nations, but we also help Karina with exhibition themes. Below is a link to an essay which appeared in the NY Times Magazine in August 2009 which is based on the book. Let's make sure that 100% of us at least read the article!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html

Debbie Wolen has generously offered to host the next book club at her house. Date TBD.

Cheers,
VanAn

Literary Destinations: Five Books To Help You Escape

Check out recommendations on NPR

Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais
The Spice Necklace by Ann Vanderhoof
The Lovers by Vendela Vida
Picturing Hemingway's Michigan by Michael Federspiel

August book

Thank you, Pia, for hosting our July book club and welcome to our newest members, Madhavi and Gita!

For the next book club, the group has chosen the thriller, In the Woods by Tana French. Meredith, Karina and I will host and have set the date for Sunday, August 29th at 6 PM. More details to come closer to the date.

Happy reading!

VanAn

As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children, gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled shoes, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a twelve-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox – his partner and closest friend – find themselves investigating a case with chilling links to that long-ago disappearance. Now, with only snippets of buried memories to guide him, Rob has the chance to unravel both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.

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Note: two of the other books that were considered were To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson. I think there were one or two others but the titles are escaping me at the moment.

July meeting reminder

Pia will be hosting book club this Sunday at 7pm.

317 Mesa Road
Santa Monica, CA 90402

She lives downstairs, so once inside the gate, you go down the steps on the left to get to her door.
You can call/email her with any questions/responses.

Hope to see you there!

July meeting at Pia's

So, I guess we've been on a two-month hiatus. Hopefully, that gives everyone more than enough time to finish the book. Pia just sent out a note. If you haven't gotten it:

I would like to host the next book club meeting on Sunday, July 11. Weather will be amazing and we could have it outside. We also have a new addition—not a replacement for Anu. Our new guest is Madhavi (Madd), Anu's super awesome sister!

Please let me know about JULY 11 ASAP. If I don't hear from y'all by next Monday I will go ahead with planning.

Happy Summer!!!

Pia

next book

It's been a while since I've been able to participate, so I don't know what happened last time at Sarah's. After talking to a couple people, I believe that the next book is Unaccustomed Earth: Stories by Jhumpa Lahari, and that Pia will be hosting. We'll find out when that will be, but in the meantime, get and read the book. And hope to see you soon.

April book

Hello Book Clubbers,

Thanks to Debbie W. for hosting another memorable get together! For those of you who couldn't make it, you missed some entertaining naked photos of buff twins (seriously, just ask Karen).

Anyway, the next book selection comes from our holiday book exchange: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson

It sounds great! It is 600 pages, so don't delay. I'll be hosting, actual date tbd. I may have a conflict on March 28 and the following Sunday is Easter, which may be a problem for some. How does April 11 sound?

Thanks,

Sarah

P.S. Karina and Tiffany let me know if this is not the book that you were thinking of. The book I have from the holiday exchange is Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, but I think we were all leaning towards the Steig Larsson one for the next read

february meeting

Not sure if anyone looks at this anymore, but I'll keep updating if I'm able. Debbie Wolen will be hosting the next meeting on February 28. She hasn't confirmed the time yet.

Also, I wanted to suggest the following books which may or may not have been mentioned previously: The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones, The Partly Cloudly Patriot by Sarah Vowell, and Shanghai Girls by Angeleno Lisa See. The Last Chinese Chef was a fun read, learning about Chinese culture and cooking. I guess I'm biased with the Chinese novels. I am in the middle of The Partly Cloudy Patriot which is really funny, smart and educational. I also really enjoyed Vowell's Take the Cannoli: Stories from the New World. I haven't read Shanghai Girls, but it was highly recommended and I checked it out from the library.

Hope to see you all soon.