"Clockwork Angel" {by Cassandra Clare} Book Club Ideas

The English inspired Feast!
-Thank You Robin for bringing that oh so good Shephard's Pie!!

Angie's perfect "Pimm's" Lemonade & Shaleases indulgent Chocolate trifle!

We are but Dust and Shadows... "Clockwork Angel" {by Cassandra Clare" Book Review

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CLOCKWORK ANGEL

Author: Cassandra Clare

# of Pages: 479

Year Published: 2010

Publisher: Simon and Shuster

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Summary: 

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Timesbestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them...

Our Rating...

INFERNAL BOOK! {Q&A with Cassandra Clare}

I was poking around Cassandra Clare's website the other day and I ran across some interesting tid bits of information in her Q&A section about our current book, "The Infernal Devices: The Clockwork Angel" and I thought I would share theses fun tid bits with you.

Book Club Ideas for: Pride & Prejudice {by Jane Austen}

First of all let me say I'm sorry for posting these pictures so late but like everyone else I know, I've been sick and out of commission!  Second, let me warn you right now that there are a LOT of pictures for you to look through so make sure you are comfortable now before you start scrolling down to check them out.  Third, I want to thank Bethany for providing the majority of these beautiful pictures. She always captures the magic of our book club evenings! And last, I need to thank Robin for filling is as the Blogger for TWO months in a row now!  You did a fabulous job with the blog post so THANK YOU!!



Review of "Pride and Prejudice" {by Jane Austen}

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Pride and Prejudice


Author: Jane Austen

# of Pages: 435

Year Published: 1813

Publisher: Many publishers

Genre: Classic

Summary:

When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships,gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life.

Our Star Rating...

Pride & Prejudice Character Quiz!

I've been so wrapped up in reading Pride and Prejudice recently that I've began to wonder which of the girls I am most like.
I found several P&P character quizzes online and after taking about 10 of them I found one I liked best.
 If you would like to take the quiz yourself to see who you are most like then click HERE.
It's fun and please remember to leave a comment on the blog to tell me which character you ended up with!

Have Fun.

Pride & Prejudice, which edition will you choose?

Here are just 6 editions that I found in one section of Barnes & Noble.
(I found at least 2 others in other sections of the store.)
I can see how someone would get confused as to which edition one to purchase so let's chat about shall we?

There are dozens and dozens of different Pride and Prejudice editions out there to choose from so how do you know which one is best for you?

Below are two of the editions I've personally purchased and been very happy with.

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" {by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows} Book Review

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Author: Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

# of Pages: 274

Year Published: 2008

Publisher: The Dial Press

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….

As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.

Our Star Rating...

"The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society" {by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows} Book Club Ideas




We had a delightful book club discussion on one of our new all time favorite books,
"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society!"
*Sigh*, I still think we should try to take a book club excursion to Guernsey island...
...any takers?

2010 Book Club Picture Recap {...Memories}

 2010 was a book club year FULL of wonderful books and memories.

Take a look through a years worth of pictures and enjoy reminiscing our past reads and drool over all the foods we've been lucky enough to taste! (Don't forget to check out the new 'Recipes' tab on the blog.)

I can't wait to kick off 2011's Book Club with, "Pride & Prejudice" on February 1st and I hope you've enjoyed your Book Klubber experience thus far!

"Sarah: Women of Genisis" {by Orson Scott Card} Book Club Ideas

This picture represents our December book club at a glance

We kept with book club traditional and had Chocolate and Cheese Fondue
(Thanks again to Mindy May and Libby for preparing it!!)

"Sarah: Women of Genesis" {by Orson Scott Card} Book Review

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Sarah: Women of Genesis

Author: Orson Scott Card

# of Pages: 390

Year Published: 2000

Publisher: Bookcraft

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:

Sarai was a child of ten years, wise for her age but not yet a woman, when she first met Abram. He appeared before her in her father's house, filthy from the desert, tired and thirsty. But as the dirt of travel was washed from his body, the sight of him filled her heart. And when Abram promises Sarai to return in ten years to take her for his wife, her fate was sealed.

Abram kept his promise, and Sarai kept hers they were wed, and so joined the royal house of Ur with the high priesthood of the Hebrews. So began a lifetime of great joy together, and greater peril: and with the blessing of their God, a great nation would be built around the core of their love.

Bestselling author Orson Scott Card uses his fertile imagination, and uncanny insight into human nature, to tell the story of a unique woman--one who is beautiful, tough, smart, and resourceful in an era when women had little power, and are scarce in the historical record. Sarah, child of the desert, wife of Abraham, takes on vivid reality as a woman desirable to kings, a devoted wife, and a faithful follower of the God of Abraham, chosen to experience an incomparable miracle.

Our Star Rating...

Gourmet Green Salad Recipe

Gourmet Green Salad
10-12 cups mixed greens
1-3 heads romaine hearts
1-2 Granny Smith apples (or pears) cut in small slices
Craisins
Feta or Gorgonzola cheese (I used Feta)
1 lb bacon cooked and chopped coarsely
Sugared Pecans
Croutons

Sugared Pecans: **(see note below)

1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

Place nuts and sugar in small skillet. Cook over medium high heat until sugar starts to dissolve. Stir the entire time. The sugar will darken and coat the nuts. It only takes about 10 minutes or so. Remove from heat and spread on cookie sheet to cool.

Dressing:

1/4 c. red onion, chopped fine or grated
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1 cup sugar
1-2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons salt
ground pepper to taste
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped fine or grated
2 cups Canola Oil

Combine all ingredients except oil in a blender or food processor and blend well. While processing, slowly add canola oil and blend well. This will keep in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. If dressing really thickens up in the fridge, just heat in the microwave briefly to thin.

Dress salad immediately before serving.

Karen’s Notes on her salad:

Make the dressing the day before so the flavors can blend
**Sugared pecans: I used 1 cup pecans and about ¼ cup sugar because they’re my favorite
I used 2 Granny Smith apples & left the skin on.
I used Feta cheese. The Gorgonzola is tasty but pretty strong & not always to everyone’s liking.
I only used half of the dressing to cover the amount of greens I served at Book Club.
To save time, I fried up the bacon, chopped it and also made the sugared pecans the day before.

"Interview with the Vampire" {by Anne Rice} Book Review

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Interview with the Vampire

Author: Anne Rice

# of Pages: 343

Year Published: 1976

Publisher: Knopf

Genre: Fantasy

Summary:

In the now-classic novel Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice refreshed the archetypal vampire myth for a late-20th-century audience. The story is ostensibly a simple one: having suffered a tremendous personal loss, an 18th-century Louisiana plantation owner named Louis Pointe du Lac descends into an alcoholic stupor. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, a charismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be his fledgling. The two prey on innocents, give their "dark gift" to a young girl, and seek out others of their kind (notably the ancient vampire Armand) in Paris. But a summary of this story bypasses the central attractions of the novel. First and foremost, the method Rice chose to tell her tale--with Louis' first-person confession to a skeptical boy--transformed the vampire from a hideous predator into a highly sympathetic, seductive, and all-too-human figure. Second, by entering the experience of an immortal character, one raised with a deep Catholic faith, Rice was able to explore profound philosophical concerns--the nature of evil, the reality of death, and the limits of human perception--in ways not possible from the perspective of a more finite narrator.

Our Rating...

"Interview with the Vampire" {by Anne Rice} Book Club Ideas

We may not have rating "Interview with a Vampire" with very high reviews but that doesn't mean we didn't LOVE playing up the VAMPIRE theme of the book in every way possible way!

See for yourself...

"Interview with the Vampire" {by Anne Rice} Movie Pictures

I thought it would be fun to post some of the photos from the Interview with the Vampire movie while your reading along. That way, you can envision yourself sandwiched in between Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise while your finishing you reading.
(No... Just me?)

Christian Slater plays "The Boy" who interviews Louis (Brad Pitt)

The ENTIRE Vampire Chronicles, in case you were wondering

Vampire Chronicles is a series of 10, count them, 10 novels by Anne Rice that revolves around the fictional character Lestat, a French nobleman made into a vampire in the 18th century.

When I started reading "Interview with the Vampire" I only knew of the first three books (Interview with the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, and Queen of the Damned), but after doing a little research discovered that this series has been going on for 34 years!

The picture above shows ALL the books in the series in the correct order if you are interested in reading through the entire chronicles but I warn you, that mean you would be reading over 4232 pages of vampire lore and history!

Are you up to the task?

(Maybe I'll read them over the course of the next 34 years, that's fair right?)

"Mockingjay" {by Suzanne Collins} Book Review

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Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

# of Pages: 400

Year Published: 2010

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Genre: Young Adult

Summary:

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans--except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay--no matter what the personal cost.

Our Rating...

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay" {by Suzanne Collins} Book Club Ideas

I love this international cover for Mockingjay!
It WAS in my power point to show you all but...
...I hate technologyy

Mockingjay Playlist

Mockingjay Playlist

By: Kelly Dearth

1. MAD WORLD- By: Gary Jules
2. HORSE AND I-By: Bat for Lashes
3. IF I DIE YOUNG-By: The Band Perry
4. FRAGILE-By: Kerli
5. RANGERS-By: A Fine Frenzy
6. HEARTBREAK WARFARE-By: John Mayer
7. FEAR-By: One Republic
8. GET OUT ALIVE-By: Three days Grace
9. THIS IS WAR-By: 30 Seconds to mars
10. CHAOS- By: Mute Math
11. STILL HERE-By: The Perishers
12. FLY AWAY-By: Poe
13. THE LANGUAGE FT LATEEF THE TRUTH SPEAKER-By: Stateless
14. STILL ALIVE-By: Lisa Miskovsky
15. PALE- By: Within Temptation
16. HUMAN-By: Civil Twilight
17. NO ONES EVER GONNA LOVE YOU-By: Band of Horses
18. FIX YOU-By: Coldplay
19. THE HANGING TREE-By: Suzanne Collins