The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

The Locale: Jessica's

The Book: Meet eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce, an aspiring chemist with a passion for poison.


It is the summer of 1950-and a series of inexplicable events has struck Buckshaw, the decaying English mansion that Flavia’s family calls home. A dead bird is found on the doorstep, a postage stamp bizarrely skewered by its beak. Hours later, Flavia finds a man lying in the cucumber patch and watches him as he takes his dying breath. For Flavia, who is both appalled and delighted, life begins in earnest when murder comes to Buckshaw. “I wish I could say I was afraid, but I wasn’t. Quite the contrary. This was by far the most interesting thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life.” 
http://alanbradleyauthor.com/books/the-sweetness-at-the-bottom-of-the-pie/overview/ 

Sarah's Summary:

I think we can all agree that Jessica DOES know how to cook. If she serves us chicken and rice every year she hosts, I think we'll be very happy!

Sorry for the late follow-up to our last meeting. As always, fun discussion and great food:) I think most of us were charmed by Miss Flavia and some of us have even continued on with the series. Thanks for introducing her to us, Jessica! And it was a very special treat to see Tassy!!!!

Our next "meeting" will be at China Delight on December 9th at 6pm. Gina, you missed the discussion here so I'll give a little backup. Lori had a friend who visited Amelia Island (?) and was told by the chef of an exquisite restaurant that we had the best Chinese restaurant in the Southeast in Tallahassee. Yep, China Delight. So we decided to check it out (Lori went and said it was very good) It's the place on Tennessee Street near the bus station! Susan S arrived a little late for our meeting and was a little shocked to hear of our choice- a 90 degree turn from Sage! It's worth a shot. We won't discuss any book in particular, it's a social hour. But please feel free to bring any books you want to pass along to share with the group.

Our next book club meeting will be January 10th at Kristine's house to discuss The Art of Racing in the Rain. Kristine- please send around directions to your house the week before. Next up to present is Tassy. Tassy, get those choices to us at least a week ahead of time, or you'll get an email from Susan;)

I apparently did not put the next book club date in my phone but I think it's around March 21st?? We'll meet at Brandy's to discuss The Martian by Andy Weir. The film was recently released - I am excited to read it even with all of the science!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and I hope everyone can make our December dinner!!

The Vote: Brandy presented...

• Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee     
• Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
• The Martian by Andy Weir     WINS!! 

We'll be meeting at Brandy's on February 21st.

Up Next: Our next "meeting" will be at China Delight on December 9th at 6pm. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein at Kristine's on January 10th.

Next to Present: Tassy

Then: 

• Carmen 
• Susan 
• Brenda 
• Lori 
• Gina 
• Sarah
• Jessica
• Kristine

Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer

The Locale: Susan H's

Jon Krakauer

The Book: From bestselling author Jon Krakauer, a stark, powerful, meticulously reported narrative about a series of sexual assaults at the University of Montana ­— stories that illuminate the human drama behind the national plague of campus rape.  http://www.jonkrakauer.com/missoula


Sarah's Summary:
Thanks, Susan, for hosting us on Sunday. The gumbo was amazing, as was the salad and cheesecake:)

What a discussion!! I think most of us felt the book was thought-provoking, and we certainly had varying opinions and feelings. I think this was the longest discussion we've had on a book in 10 years! With most of us housing teenagers and upcoming sexually active kids, rape and consent is an important discussion to have with both our sons and our daughters. Thankfully, next month's book is a LOT lighter:)

Speaking of next month, Jessica has offered to postpone our meeting until November 15th in hopes that Tassy may feel up to coming. Tassy, there is absolutely NO pressure to come; we just realized we keep planning our meetings the week following your chemo. So we thought if we moved it back you may feel up to joining us after your LAST ONE!

For that meeting we are reading "The Sweetness at the Bottom of Pie" by Allen Bradley.

Kristine brought some great suggestions for our January meeting and after a re-vote, we will be reading "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. We'll be meeting at Kristine's on January 10th.

Susan Saunders will try to reserve a table for our December dinner at Sage for 6pm on December 9th. I hope everyone can make it! Please feel free to bring books you'd like to pass along to a new home.

We voted on letting a new member join- Jolynda Chenicek. Assuming she accepts her bid, she'll join us at Jessica's! This will bring us back to 12 members.

Tassy is next on the list to present in November- Brandy is behind Tassy. Tassy- do you want us to leapfrog you for now and put you back into rotation when you're feeling up to it? It would mean hosting in February/March.

The Vote: Kristine presented...

• The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein     WINS!! 
• We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver
• Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

We'll be meeting at Kristine's on January 10th.

Up Next: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley at Jessica's on November 15th.

Next to Present: Brandy

Then: 

• Tassy
• Carmen 
• Susan 
• Brenda 
• Lori 
• Gina 
• Sarah
• Jessica
• Kristine

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson

The Locale: Lori's

Erik Larson

The Book: On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era’s great transatlantic “Greyhounds”—the fastest liner then in service—and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack.

Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger’s U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small—hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more—all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history.

It is a story that many of us think we know but don’t, and Erik Larson tells it thrillingly, switching between hunter and hunted while painting a larger portrait of America at the height of the Progressive Era. Full of glamour and suspense, Dead Wake brings to life a cast of evocative characters, from famed Boston bookseller Charles Lauriat to pioneering female architect Theodate Pope to President Woodrow Wilson, a man lost to grief, dreading the widening war but also captivated by the prospect of new love.

Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history. http://eriklarsonbooks.com/the-books/dead-wake/

Susan's Summary: As usual, Lori provided lots of yummy treats, including Root Beer Floats for dessert. Our discussion was lively, and a bit heated when discussing a recent local event, a summer book banning at one of the high schools.

This was the first book we have read that focuses on WWI, and for that reason, it was interesting. The group, however, was mixed on the writing of the author. Some, myself included, felt the book went into too much detail, minutiae. Others felt that it was the details that drew them in and kept their interest in the book.

We are definitely looking forward to the movie version of the other Larson book we have read, The Devil in the White City, starring Leonardo DeCaprio as the serial killer. Super creepy.

The Vote: Jessica, to keep with an October, Halloween, creepy theme, presented...

• The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley    WINS!! 
• Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
• The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Up Next: Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer at Susan H's on October 4th.

Next to Present: Kristine

Then:

• Tassy 
• Brandy 
• Carmen 
• Susan 
• Brenda 
• Lori 
• Gina 
• Sarah

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

The Locale: Sarah's

Paula Hawkins

The Book: Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut. http://paulahawkinsbooks.com/the-girl-on-the-train-by-paula-hawkins/

Sarah's Summary: First, it was AWESOME to see you, Tassy. I'm sure you weren't feeling gorgeous, but you looked it. We were all so glad you could make it to the meeting, and we continue to pray for your recovery.

Brenda and Carmen, we missed you:)

I think everyone liked the book, even though it was no great work of literature. It was fun to read, and the characters, though all a hot mess, were interesting. I really had a fun time reading it, and was quite surprised by the ending! Rachel became more sympathetic to many of us as the story progressed. Still shaking heads over gin & tonic in the can!

We will meet on August 23rd at Lori's to discuss Erik Larsen's Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania.

We voted on some excellent suggestions from Susan H. and chose Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer. Another non-fiction, as Lori pointed out!! We'll decide on a meeting date at Lori's.

Kristine is next to present; she'll send her selections around the week before we meet at Lori's. I thought I'd insert Jessica after Kristine, if that works for you, Jessica?

Tassy's up after that. Tassy, if you want me to take your name off the presenting list for the time being, I can do that. If you want to present books and have us meet at a restaurant, we can do that, too. You probably won't know how you'll be feeling yet so don't feel like you have to make up your mind now. We can totally play it by ear.

The Vote: Susan H. presented... 

• Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf 
• The Mapmakers Daughter by Laurel Corona
• Missoula: Rape and Justice in a College Town by John Krakauer  WINS!! 

Up Next: We will meet on August 23rd at Lori's to discuss Erik Larsen's Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania.

Next to Present: Jessica (switched with Kristine)

Then:

• Kristine
• Tassy 
• Brandy 
• Carmen 
• Susan 
• Brenda
• Lori
• Gina
• Sarah

Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim

The Locale: Gina's

The Book: Moments after Lisbeth is born, she’s taken from her mother and handed over to an enslaved wet nurse, Mattie, a young mother separated from her own infant son in order to care for her tiny charge. Thus begins an intense relationship that will shape both of their lives for decades to come. Though Lisbeth leads a life of privilege, she finds nothing but loneliness in the company of her overwhelmed mother and her distant, slave-owning father. As she grows older, Mattie becomes more like family to Lisbeth than her own kin and the girl’s visits to the slaves’ quarters—and their lively and loving community—bring them closer together than ever. But can two women in such disparate circumstances form a bond like theirs without consequence? This deeply moving tale of unlikely love traces the journey of these very different women as each searches for freedom and dignity. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22319275-yellow-crocus

Laila Ibrahim

Sarah's Summary: We had a great book club yesterday- Thanks, Gina! The Hoppin' John, corn casserole and apple, chocolate chip, walnut cake were all amazing. Thanks for a fun meeting. Overall, the Yellow Crocus was well received. It certainly didn't make anyone's top ten list, but it was an easy book and enjoyable. An interesting glimpse into the life of a plantation daughter and wet nurse. It was suggested that we find a book on the underground railroad sometime in the future. I, for one, would certainly like to learn more about how it worked.

Erik Larson's Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania won overwhelmingly for our meeting at Lori's. And so, we move on to WWI. We will pick a meeting time at our next meeting.

Sadly, we say goodbye to a long-timer as Yeline makes the move to Orlando at the end of the month. You certainly will be missed! I will think of you every time I make your incredible flan. Yeline was responsible for some great book suggestions: A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Hangman's Daughter and The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, among others. I think you joined in 2008! I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you, Yeline. You are more than welcome to join our meetings while you are in Tallahassee for committee meetings and session!

I will be hosting our next gathering on June 14th to discuss The Girl on the Train. I'll send out a reminder the week before. Susan H. is on deck to present our next selections, and Kristine is after Susan.

The Vote: Lori presented...

• Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson  WINS!! 
• In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides
• The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal by David McCullough

Up Next: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins @ Sarah's on June 14th

Next to Present: Susan H.

Then: 

• Jessica
• Kristine
• Tassy
• Brandy
• Carmen
• Susan
• Brenda

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

The Locale: Brenda's

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Daniel James Brown

The Book: The Boys in the Boat celebrates the 1936 U.S. men’s Olympic eight-oar rowing team—nine working class boys who stormed the rowing world, transformed the sport, and galvanized the attention of millions of Americans.

The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers from the American West, the boys took on and defeated successive echelons of privilege and power. They vanquished the sons of bankers and senators rowing for elite eastern universities. They defeated the sons of British aristocrats rowing for Oxford and Cambridge. And finally, in an extraordinary race in Berlin they stunned the Aryan sons of the Nazi state as they rowed for gold in front of Adolf Hitler. http://www.danieljamesbrown.com/books/the-boys-in-the-boat/#.VYCUqWAqceM

Sarah's Summary: We had a great meeting last weekend- we missed Susan and Yeline and I hope everyone can make the next meeting at Gina's on May 3rd to discuss Yellow Crocus! (Gina, don't forget to send around your address) The food, as always Brenda, was amazing. Strawberry cake rounded out the meal of chicken puffs, hummus, fruit and Greek salad. Waiting on those recipes;) I believe everyone enjoyed the book, I know I did. Joe (and all of this row-mates, really) was certainly resilient - more resilient than we are!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading the race sequences in particular and have recommended this book to many. As I read it, I thought it would make a great movie. According to Wikipedia, which means it's The Truth, The Weinstein Company acquired the film rights to the story in 2011. Film director Kenneth Branagh is set to helm the film and Donna Gigliotti is producing the film. I do love Kenneth Branagh!

The Vote: It was a close vote for our next selection (mainly because we managed to count a tie out of 11 votes!!) but The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins will be our book following Yellow Crocus. We'll meet at my house on June 14th. I inadvertently took Lori's spot so she'll present her selections at that meeting, and Susan Schwartz will follow. 

Sarah presented...

• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins      WINS!! 
• The First Wife by Erica Spindler 
• Crash & Burn by Lisa Gardner 

Up Next: Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim at Gina's on May 3rd.

Next to Present: Lori

Then:

• Jessica
• Kristine
• Tassy
• Brandy
• Carmen
• Susan
• Brenda

Bright Shards of Someplace Else by Monica McFawn

The Locale: Susan S.'

Bright Shards of Someplace Else & Monica McFawn

The Book: In these eleven kaleidoscopic stories, Monica McFawn traces the combustive, hilarious, and profound effects that occur when people misread the minds of others. The characters—an array of artists, scientists, songwriters, nannies, horse trainers, and poets—often try to pin down another’s point of view, only to find that their own worldview is far from fixed. A young boy reduces his nanny’s phone bill with a call, then convinces her he can solve her other problems. A poetry professor becomes entangled in the investigation of murdered student. In the final story, an aging lyricist reconnects with a renowned singer to write an album in the Appalachian Mountains, only to be interrupted by his drug-addicted son and a mythical story of recovery. By turns exuberant and philosophical adroit, Bright Shards of Someplace Else reminds us of both the limits of empathy and its absolute necessity. (http://www.monicamcfawn.com)

The Vote: Gina presented...

• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman 
• Yellow Crocus by Laila Ibrahim     WINS!! 

Up Next: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown at Brenda's on April 12th.

Next to Present: Lori

Then: Gina

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa

The Locale: Yeline's

The Housekeeper and the Professor

Yōko Ogawa

The Book: He is a brilliant math Professor with a peculiar problem--ever since a traumatic head injury, he has lived with only eighty minutes of short-term memory. She is an astute young Housekeeper, with a ten-year-old son, who is hired to care for him. And every morning, as the Professor and the Housekeeper are introduced to each other anew, a strange and beautiful relationship blossoms between them. Though he cannot hold memories for long (his brain is like a tape that begins to erase itself every eighty minutes), the Professor’s mind is still alive with elegant equations from the past. And the numbers, in all of their articulate order, reveal a sheltering and poetic world to both the Housekeeper and her young son. The Professor is capable of discovering connections between the simplest of quantities--like the Housekeeper’s shoe size--and the universe at large, drawing their lives ever closer and more profoundly together, even as his memory slips away. The Housekeeper and the Professor is an enchanting story about what it means to live in the present, and about the curious equations that can create a family. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3181564-the-housekeeper-and-the-professor

Sarah's Summary: Yeline- thank you so much for a wonderful, fun book club. As always, the food and company were perfect.

Welcome to our newest members, Kristine and Jessica. We are thrilled that you were able to join us yesterday and look forward to sharing many books over the years with you. For the first time in a long time we were all present!

As a summary, we are meeting on March 8th at Susan S's house to discuss Bright Shards of Someplace Else by Monica McFawn and on April 12th to discuss Brenda's choice, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown. We may meet at my house for Brenda's book club, depending on the schedule for the Word of the South Festival happening at Cascade's Park that weekend. Once a schedule is publicized, we can discuss if we want to make it a book club/field trip (I live 1/2 mile from Cascade's). We can probably firm it up at our March meeting.

I think I have this correct- Susan please confirm. We are mixing up the order for hosting as Lori mentioned she will likely ask us to vote on some more non-fiction books. Gina will prepare selections for us to vote on at our March meeting.

After that, I forget where we left it- are Susan H. and I going to host and then are we going to put in Jessica & Kristine??

The Vote: Brenda presented... 

• A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life by James Bowen
• Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing 
• The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown WINS!! 

Up Next: Bright Shards of Someplace Else by Monica McFawn at Susan S.'s on March 8th.

Next to Present: Gina

Then: Lori

The Children Act by Ian McEwan

The Locale:  Brandy's

The Children Act

Ian McEwan

The Book: Fiona Maye is a leading High Court judge, presiding over cases in the family court. She is renowned for her fierce intelligence, exactitude and sensitivity. But her professional success belies private sorrow and domestic strife. There is the lingering regret of her childlessness, and now, her marriage of thirty years is in crisis. At the same time, she is called on to try an urgent case: for religious reasons, a beautiful seventeen-year-old boy, Adam, is refusing the medical treatment that could save his life, and his devout parents share his wishes. Time is running out. Should the secular court overrule sincerely held faith? In the course of reaching a decision Fiona visits Adam in hospital - an encounter which stirs long-buried feelings in her and powerful new emotions in the boy. Her judgment has momentous consequences for them both.  http://www.ianmcewan.com/bib/books/childrenact.html 

The Vote: Susan presented...

• Bright Shards of Someplace Else by Monica McFawn WINS!! 
• A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor 
• Family Furnishings: Selected Stories, 1995 - 2014 by Alice Munro

Up Next: February 8th @ Yeline's to discuss Carmen's Book, The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa

Next to Present: Brenda

Then:

• Gina 
• Lori 
• Sarah 
• Susan H. 
• Tassy 
• Yeline 
• Brandy 
• Carmen
• Susan 
• Kristine