"Enders Game" {by Orson Scott Card} Couples Book Club Idea

Okay, I going to be honest with you.

I'm going to admit that I was secretly REALLY worried about this couples book club meeting.

I was worried that the boys wouldn't "get it."

I was worried they might poke fun at how we do things and how much WE love it.

I was worried that once they got home after book club they'd say, "...and you LIKE going to book club?"

I was worried...

...all for NOTHING!

The boys that were able to come were awesome!! 

They all seemed to enjoy the meeting, the food, the discussion, the games...everything!

 (Especially the food and Nerf guns!)

The meeting went flawlessly,

 All thanks to Bethany and Reece!

The "Enders Game Jeopardy" Game you came up with was genius!

It was SO MUCH FUN to play and I know everybody LOVED the "Daily Doubles!"

(Nerf guns are hard to shoot straight!)

"Goose Girl" {by Shannon Hale} Book Club Ideas

We had a GREAT Book Club on Tuesday as we discussed "Goose Girl" By: Shannon Hale.  We had many differing opinions, views, perspectives and comments which always makes for a juicy Book Club!  When all was said and done I think we all agreed that this book was a really fun retelling of the original Grimm's Fairy Tale filled with a lot of imagination with a touch of magic.

Goose Girl=Sweet

I didn't take many photos of the food because I was too busy eating it!  The IZZE drinks I got seemed like a perfect antidote for a hot summer day...or for my over heated home because the A/C was broken for a couple of hours!

I can't believe my Mom and I BOTH won the quiz prizes!  We each won a different Shannon Hale book! 

Thanks again Mandi for doing such a super job as moderator and delighting us with that FUN quiz about the names of groups of animals since the book kept saying, "a gaggle of geese."

During this quiz we all learned that:

A group of frogs is called an "Army" of frogs

A group of hummingbirds is called a "Charm" of hummingbirds

A group of whales is called a "Gam" of whales

A group of kittens is called a "Kindle" of kittens

&

A group of swans is called a "Wedge" of swans.

Delightful.

I Love you girls and I can't wait until next month at Book Clubs first ever COUPLES BOOK CLUB!

(This should be interesting!)

XoXo,

Kelly

The "original" Goose Girl

As we are getting ready to discuss a favorite of mine, Goose Girl, I thought you might enjoy reading the original fairy tale version. It's interesting to compare and contrast. We might even be discussing that at book club...hmm...

SPOILER ALERT: If you don’t know the story of the Goose Girl and are planning on reading the novel, you may not want to read this tale yet and have the ending all spoiled!

"The Robe" {by Lloyd C Douglas} Book Club Ideas

The Robe Book Club turned out to be a very spiritual, intimate and enlightening discussion.

"Team of Rivals" {by Dorris K Goodwin} Book Club Ideas

Our April Team of Rivals Book Club was a HUGE SUCCESS!! *Snaps* to Kellie and Jillian for a job well done on moderating this undertaking of a book! Your give-a-ways were so much fun, your "moment of silence" at 7:22 was thought provoking, and your PowerPoint and discussion was perfect. I loved every historical moment of it. Thank you to everyone who came and partook in this feast of knowledge and history, it will stay with me for a long time to come.

"A Great & Terrible Beauty" {by Libba Bray} Book Club Ideas

Our last book club for "A Great & Terrible Beauty" By: Libba Bray was a HUGE success!! We had 16 of you lovely ladies show up to discuss our magical, classical, Gothic book... and discuss we did! Karen and Laura did a wonderful job moderating and answering some of our questions and bringing intriguing conversation and questions to all of our minds. Thanks to everyone who helped with food and participated in the discussion!

Deckle Edges Explained

(This is how an old handmade deckle edge book use to look)

 I am in LOVE with books that have a deckle edge.

I may have a compulsion problem.

If I'm perusing the book section at the bookstore and I come across a book with theses pages...

I have to have it.

No questions asked.

No reading the inside dust cover.

No second guessing.

It's already in my cart.

I know the only reason I want it is because I'm drawn to those charming decked edges.

So, I researched into this book phenomenon to find out what it was called (deckle) and why publishers do it.

Here's what I found out:

Definition: The ragged edge of the paper as it comes from the paper making machine is the deckle edge.Deckle edge books are bound with pages that are made to resemble handmade paper by applying a frayed texture to the edges. Deckle edge is an ornamental feature designed to set certain titles apart from books with machine-cut pages.

A deckle edge is the raw end of handmade or machine-made paper. It typically appears as a rough, frayed edge. Many artists and crafters like to keep this look as an artistic embellishment, but the deckle edge is typically cut off when manufactured paper is sold. If the paper has already been machine cut, an artist or crafter may create the deckle edge look by giving the paper a treatment.

*sigh* My heart sings...

(To learn a little history about deckle edges check out this discussion bored here and read message 4)

"Like Water For Chocolate" {by Laura Esquivel} Book Club Ideas

I think all of us want to thank Libby for being the epitome of a great moderator on this months book, "Like Water for Chocolate." Several of us liked the book but after Libby enlightened our minds to the many layers this book was hiding beneath its pages many of us left book club loving this book! Thank you Libby for making this book come to life for us!

(P.S. Don't forget to do a blog post on here with some of your notes, they were fantastic!)

Like Water for Chocolate...Did you know?

Check out this interesting little tid bit of information I found about the title of this months book:

The phrase "like water for chocolate" comes from the Spanish 'como agua para chocolate.' This phrase is a common expression in some Spanish-speaking countries and was the inspiration for Laura Esquivel's novel title (the name has a double meaning).

In some Latin American countries, such as Mexico, hot chocolate is made not with milk, but with water instead. Chocolate will only melt to create hot chocolate when the water reaches boiling point. The saying 'like water for chocolate' alludes to this fact. It can be used as a metaphor for describing a state of passion or – sometimes – excitement. It may also be used to refer to anger, such as being 'boiling mad'. Tita, the main character, actually uses the expression in the book when she says 'estoy como agua para chocolate' (I am like water for chocolate) meaning that she is boiling mad.

The Title could also mean that Tita is becoming bitter because chocolate is sweet and water has no taste, so it is literally like water for chocolate. Instead of something sweet she substitutes water for it.

Fondue Book Club Pictures

This years Christmas Book Club was delightful. We had great, yummy fondue and food, a lovely gift exchange where we got to learn some fun facts about each other, and a great book discussion about our read "Fire." Thanks to everyone who helped bring that night together, I had SO much help with food and prepping for the evening, thank you all. Below are some beautiful pictures that Bethany took so we can all remember how special this meeting was, thank you so much Bethany.

Lastly, I want to send a big HUG to all you wonderful women who secretly surprised me by getting me ALL of our 2010 books!!! I was overwhelmed with love and gratitude for having such thoughtful friends. I can't thank you all enough, it was the perfect gift. Thank You Angie for putting it all together, you are such a great example of a true friend and I love you dearly.

Happy Holidays Everyone, I love you all very much!

"Nine Coaches Waiting" {by Mary Stewart} Book Club Ideas

Book Club on Tuesday was perfection. Bethany did a WONDERFUL job moderating our book, "Nine Coaches Waiting" with a PowerPoint presentation that helped to point out the authors use of analogies, symbolism, and patterns throughout the book. It was a perfect compliment to the food that was themed to mimic the French backdrop of the story! The pictures below were graciously taken by Bethany and each photo will make your mouth salivate! Thank you to everyone who came and brought such 'festive' food!

What's in a name? Understanding the title, 'Nine Coaches Waiting'

I was in the middle of the book when out of no where I thought, "I still don't understand why this book is titled Nine Coaches Waiting!!!" (Although, on Page 8 of the book is does attemp to explain.) It was quite frustrating to me that it didn't make sense and so began my 'hunt' to find out any tid bits of information I could on why Mary Stewart titled her book what she did. So, in case any of you were also bewildered as to the title, here is all the information I was able to scrape up after a long 2 HOUR search! (There wasn't much info. but I did manage to get what I needed I think!)

The title, Nine Coaches Waiting, is a quote from a Renaissance play by Cyril Tourneur called "The Revenger's Tragedy." In the play, the coaches are a symbol for the tempting offer of life at the palace extended to a poor girl, and in Nine Coaches Waiting each "coach" is represented by a ride in a car. The title refers to The Revenger's Tragedy, in which a poor girl is seduced by a rich man's servant who promises her unbelievable and absurd wealth - not just one coach waiting to transport her, but nine. Linda is of course a poor woman overawed by the splendours of a noble estate, but the connections are fairly sparse. Stewart uses the quotation in a structural way, dividing the novel into "coaches" rather than parts, each having a journey as a central aspect. Below is the excerpt from The Revenger's Tragedy where the quote was taken...

VINDICI:Oh, think upon the pleasure of the palace: Secured ease and state, the stirring meats, Ready to move out of the dishes, That e'en now quicken when they're eaten, Banquets outdoor by torch-light, musics, sports, Bare-headed vassals that had ne'er the fortune To keep on their own hats (hats were removed as a sign of respect) but let horns were 'em, Nine coaches waiting. (Coaches were popular places for love-making)Hurry, hurry, hurry!
CASTIZA: Ay, to the devil.
VINDICI: [Aside] Ay, to the devil!--To th' duke, by my faith.

Castiza is the only one worrying seriously about the Devil. The rest have their eyes on the court and its pleasures. The Revenger’s Tragedy is disturbing because it reveals an unsettling truth about the true nature of world. It shows us a society for which Christianity provides a convenient frame of reference to remind themselves and us of good and evil, sin and divine punishment, heaven and hell, but it is in truth, a society that pays only lip-service to such concepts and is in love with the pursuit of wealth, pleasure and power to such an extent that in practice Christian teaching and morality are ignored.



In Nine Coaches Waiting when Miss Martin first meets Leon de Valmy she has the thought,

"Then I told myself sharply not to be a fool. This was the result of Daddy's intriguing build-up and my own damned romantic imagination. Just because the man looked like Milton's ruined archangel and chose to appear in the hall like the Demon King through a trap door, it didn't necessarily mean that I had to smell sulphur."

Through out the book Miss Martin continues to compare Leon de Valmy to the 'Demon King' which I believe is in parallel with the plot to The Revenger's Tragedy...how interesting! Leon represents the pursuit of wealth, pleasure, power and immorality! He is indeed the Demon King!

Nine Coaches Waiting in Ladies Home Journal, 1958

The table of contents page above has a little biography of Mary Stewart. It says that in her spare time she "directs college plays and exercises race horses." Her passion for drama makes sense, but exercising race horses? So crazy glamorous!

Many of Mary Stewart's novels were condensed and published in women's magazines around the time of that the novels were first published. Through this sort of think is done infrequently now, back in the day it was a fairly common way to publicize a new book by a well-known author. The image above is the illustration by Harry Anderson that accompanied the condensation of Nine Coaches Waiting in the September 1958 issue of Ladies Home Journal. Sorry the quality isn't great -- the microfilm was black and white and a bit fuzzy. But it's a lovely picture. It must depict the scene when Linda is in Madame de Valmy's room trying on the ballgown she'd made. Raoul finds her there and they have a nice little interlude. ;)

I pushed away from him at last, both hands against his chest. "But Raoul, why?"

"What d'you mean why?"

"Why me? Your father called me 'Jane Eyre,' and he wasn't far wrong. And you--you could have anyone. So ... why?"

"Do you want to know why?" His hands turned me around to face the mirror again, holding me back against him. I could feel his heart hammering against my shoulder blade. His eyes met mind in the glass. "You don't have to be humble, ma belle. That's why."

*Sigh*

If you haven't already started this classic tale, "Nine Coaches Waiting," DON'T WAIT ANY LONGER!!! This book is a hybrid mix between Rebecca and Jane Eyre for me and I'm loving every page more than the last one! Let's admit it, summers over, the kiddos are back in school, so there's no excuse for you to not find the time read this little gem!

Happy Reading!

"Friday Night Knitting Club" {by Kate Jacobs} Book Club Ideas

Our June Book Club started out like any other. Ladies starting to arrive at 7:00, too many treats and snacks in the kitchen to tempt and nibble on, and gathering around my living room coffee table to get ready to discuss the book of the month. But what these ladies didn't know was that Kellie Hall and I had secretly planned a surprise! We found out that on Kate Jacob's website (the author of the book we were reading) you could request to have Kate call into your book club! SO FUN! So Kellie Hall sent in the request but then we waiting for a week and heard nothing. Sad. Then, at the last second, an hour before book club started we got an email saying that Kate would try to call my house around 8:00!! Sweet!

Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales

I have perused the Grimm's fairy tales in order to come up with a list of 15 tales for us to read as a book club. The tales are super short. I decided to choose a good chunk of stories that most of us think we know, and some lesser known stories.

1. Cinderella
2. Rapunzel
3. The Sleeping Beauty a.k.a. Briar Rose
4. Snow-White & Rose-Red
5. Snow-White and the Seven Dwarfs
6. The Frog Prince
7. Rumpelstiltskin
8. Hansel and Gretel
9. The Golden Goose
10. Little Red Riding Hood
11. The Worn-out Dancing Shoes a.k.a. The Shoes Which Were Danced to Pieces
12. The Twelve Brothers
13. The Three Little Men in the Wood(s)
14. The Fisherman and His Wife
15. The Jew Among Thorns a.k.a. The Jew in the Brambles

Sarah's Quilt...the best part of the book was the food!!! ;)

"Sarah's Quilt" yielded quite a mixed review from the Book.Klubber group! It seemed as though half the group loved every page and voted it a 5 star book while the other half of the group bit their lip and thought, "Well, it was okay..." and would vote it a three star book! I know this sounds a bit funny of me to say, but I actually liked the fact that there were mixed reviews! It seems to liven up the conversation and bring new facts and feelings to the table when debates and thoughts differ. And for anyone who still hasn't read the original book, "These is my words,"don't worry about this review because the first book is the kind that will blow you away with romance, adventure, and a character that you fall in love with.


{The group of ladies whom I love}

{I was so happy Sara stopped by!}

Overall I thought that book club was FUN and a great girls night out! Thank you Mindy for doing such a wonderful job as 'Moderator,' you came up with some really incitful questions and I'd love to hear from anyone who wants to leave a comment about what their overall thoughts were about book club or Sarah's Quilt!