Time to VOTE for MARCH2013

Because we had such a close vote last month, I am going to include a few from the last vote. Take a bit of time to read the summaries and vote for what you think you would like to read and discuss! Vote on the right side of the blog.

VOTING CLOSES MARCH 6th, 2013! ((We need to get some time to read))

1. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

One beautiful summer afternoon, Jody Linder receives shocking news: The man convicted of murdering her father is being released from prison and returning to the small town of Rose, Kansas. It has been twenty-three years since that stormy night when her father was shot and killed and her mother disappeared, presumed dead. Neither the protective embrace of Jody’s three uncles nor the safe haven of her grandparents’ ranch could erase the pain caused by Billy Crosby on that catastrophic night.

Now Billy Crosby is free, thanks to the efforts of his son, Collin, a lawyer who has spent most of his life trying to prove his father’s innocence. Despite their long history of carefully avoiding each other in such an insular community, Jody and Collin find that they share an exclusive sense of loss.

As Jody revisits old wounds, startling truths emerge about her family’s tragic past. But even through struggle and hardship, she still dares to hope for a better future—and maybe even love.

(from Barnes and Noble.com)

2. Defending Jacob by William Landay

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

(From Barnes and Noble.com)

3. Me Before You by JoJo Moyes

A New York Times bestseller

They had nothing in common until love gave them everything to lose . . .

Louisa Clark is an ordinary girl living an exceedingly ordinary life—steady boyfriend, close family—who has never been farther afield than their tiny village. She takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life—big deals, extreme sports, worldwide travel—and now he’s pretty sure he cannot live the way he is.

Will is acerbic, moody, bossy—but Lou refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.

A Love Story for this generation, Me Before You brings to life two people who couldn’t have less in common—a heartbreakingly romantic novel that asks, What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart? (barnesandnoble.com)

4. Chore Whore: Adventures of a Celebrity Personal Assistant by Heather H. Howard

I have been used, abused, lied to, and cheated on, blamed, shamed, screamed at, and ridiculed. I've been scammed and damned, had my ass kissed, my reputation dissed, and my face spat on. All in the name of working as a celebrity personal assistant . . . a CHORE WHORE!

After twenty years of working thanklessly for a dozen high-powered Hollywood hotshots, Corki Brown has had enough. She's sick to death of handling elaborate extortion deals, washing groupies' dirty underwear, and having to whip up intimate dinners on no notice for spoiled stars, each with his or her own bizarre dietary demands. And now her ten-year-old son is starting to exhibit some disturbing signs of Tinseltown weirdness. It's time to get out, but escape won't be easy. . . . (barnesandnoble.com)

Check them out... Make a choice...VOTE! 

Happy Reading!

-Alexis

*Night Road* Meeting Success!

February's book, Night Road, was an emotional roller coaster that had us questioning the role of parents and grief. At the meeting, we were joined by my cousin, Alissa, and her daughter. With that... a few members brought their kids to keep them entertained while we discussed and ate. And boy did we EAT! It was delicious. Here are a few pictures from the festivities! 

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

 -Chocolate Chip Cookies-

 -Hot Cheese Dip-

 -Jude's Cheese Quesadillas-

 -Making a Quesadilla...-

 -The Book Inspired Menu-

*Updated Decor*

Here is what our menu consisted of:

1. Mia, Zach and Lexi Cheese Quesadillas

2. Jude's Fruit Salad (fruit salsa)

3. Lexi's Ice Cream From Amour

4. Hot Cheese Dip

5. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Check out the next post to VOTE and get started on your reading for the END of March!

-Happy Reading-

Alexis

February Date!

Hello! Sorry it has been a bit delayed... busy busy busy with school.

We will be meeting for the February Book (Night Road by Kristin Hannah) will be

MARCH 2, 2013

By this date,  I think we will all have had read the book. 

If you are willing to bring a snack to share (that has anything to do with the book) let me know so I can make a fun sign for it!

I am planning on making/having a cheese quesadilla bar. So, that one is taken. I haven't read far enough yet to think of anything else. 

We will meet again at my house at 5:30. Feel free let me know of anything else. 

ALSO!

Because the voting was so close for February, some of those books will be making another appearance on the poll. So, look for the MARCH selection to be coming up soon!

Thanks! Hope to see you here!!

-Alexis

February Book Choice!

Hello!
Sorry this is so delayed, I have been really busy these past few days.

As you can see, the voting was VERY close. This month we will be reading Night Road by Kristin Hannah.

 

I haven't started it yet, but I will be getting to that soon!  

I am curious, because the voting was so close, if we should do the other two books (Defending Jacob and The Scent of Rain and Lightning) for March and April. Let me know your thoughts on Facebook...

*Be sure to take notes on food ideas if you have any while reading and let me know*

Happy Reading!!

-Alexis

*Research and VOTE*

Here are the book choices for FEBRUARY! Please check them out using the links, and then VOTE on the right hand side of the blog.

1. Night Road by Kristin Hannah

For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices. 

To hold on…

To let go..

To forget…

To forgive…

Which road will you take?

                                                            Night Road

For eighteen years, Jude Farraday has put her children’s needs above her own, and it shows—her twins, Mia and Zach—are bright and happy teenagers.  When Lexi Baill moves into their small, close knit community, no one is more welcoming than Jude.  Lexi, a former foster child with a dark past, quickly becomes Mia’s best friend.  Then Zach falls in love with Lexi and the three become inseparable.   

Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm’s way.  It has always been easy— until senior year of high school.  Suddenly she is at a loss.  Nothing feels safe anymore; every time her kids leave the house, she worries about them. 

On a hot summer’s night her worst fears come true. One decision will change the course of their lives.  In the blink of an eye, the Farraday family will be torn apart and Lexi will lose everything.  In the years that follow, each must face the consequences of that single night and find a way to forget…or the courage to forgive.

Vivid, universal, and emotionally complex, NIGHT ROAD raises profound questions about motherhood, identity, love, and forgiveness.  It is a luminous, heartbreaking novel that captures both the exquisite pain of loss and the stunning power of hope.  This is Kristin Hannah at her very best, telling an unforgettable story about the longing for family, the resilience of the human heart, and the courage it takes to forgive the people we love.

(from Barnes and Noble.com)

2. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

 One beautiful summer afternoon, Jody Linder receives shocking news: The man convicted of murdering her father is being released from prison and returning to the small town of Rose, Kansas. It has been twenty-three years since that stormy night when her father was shot and killed and her mother disappeared, presumed dead. Neither the protective embrace of Jody’s three uncles nor the safe haven of her grandparents’ ranch could erase the pain caused by Billy Crosby on that catastrophic night.

Now Billy Crosby is free, thanks to the efforts of his son, Collin, a lawyer who has spent most of his life trying to prove his father’s innocence. Despite their long history of carefully avoiding each other in such an insular community, Jody and Collin find that they share an exclusive sense of loss.

As Jody revisits old wounds, startling truths emerge about her family’s tragic past. But even through struggle and hardship, she still dares to hope for a better future—and maybe even love.

(from Barnes and Noble.com)

3. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

The debut of a stunning new voice in fiction— a novel both heartbreaking and transcendent

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

M. L. Stedman’s mesmerizing, beautifully written novel seduces us into accommodating Isabel’s decision to keep this “gift from God.” And we are swept into a story about extraordinarily compelling characters seeking to find their North Star in a world where there is no right answer, where justice for one person is another’s tragic loss.

The Light Between Oceans is exquisite and unforgettable, a deeply moving novel.

(from Barnes and Noble.com)

4. Defending Jacob by William Landay

Andy Barber has been an assistant district attorney in his suburban Massachusetts county for more than twenty years. He is respected in his community, tenacious in the courtroom, and happy at home with his wife, Laurie, and son, Jacob. But when a shocking crime shatters their New England town, Andy is blindsided by what happens next: His fourteen-year-old son is charged with the murder of a fellow student.

Every parental instinct Andy has rallies to protect his boy. Jacob insists that he is innocent, and Andy believes him. Andy must. He’s his father. But as damning facts and shocking revelations surface, as a marriage threatens to crumble and the trial intensifies, as the crisis reveals how little a father knows about his son, Andy will face a trial of his own—between loyalty and justice, between truth and allegation, between a past he’s tried to bury and a future he cannot conceive.

Award-winning author William Landay has written the consummate novel of an embattled family in crisis—a suspenseful, character-driven mystery that is also a spellbinding tale of guilt, betrayal, and the terrifying speed at which our lives can spin out of control.

(From Barnes and Noble.com)

Make your choice and VOTE! :) 

Thanks! Once the vote is over, I will spread the word on the choice and set a date! Happy reading!

-Alexis

First Meeting SUCCESS!

Well... we had our FIRST meeting EVER tonight! I am happy to say that we had a fabulous turnout! Before I show pictures and explain what we did, I wanted to say that it was so wonderful to spend time with these ladies, talk about the book and life. I am so excited for next month!

((I have been prepping for this day for a while... and with no pinterest help about a Gone Girl MENU, I had to be creative!))

Here are some pictures and captions. Enjoy! Maybe we will see YOU next time! :)

The Book of Choice and the PRIZE!

-The Bar- Beer Tasting

-Command Post- Breakfast Bar

 -The Bar- popcorn snack

-The Bar- pub mix

       -The Bar- peanuts

 -Anniversary Dinner- Lobster Cakes

 -Shawna Kelly's Casserole for Nick-

 *Book Club Banner*

 *Beer Tasting...*

 *Fun times had by all!*

 *Liz Tasting* (the big cup of beer is all of our NASTY leftovers hehe)

 *Liz did the BEST on the quiz! She won a small mp3 player and perfume*

 Beer Tasting=fun but disgusting!

 Not Impressed...

*Our Journals for our FIRST meeting*

To all of those who came, thank you! To those far away, wish you were here... To those who just couldn't make it this time, see you in February!

Next post will have the links to vote for the new February book! Be sure to VOTE!!!

-Alexis

*Things to Look Forward To*

Here are a few things that I have found and have decided would be FUN to incorporate into our book club.

1. No Cell Phone basket: I think this sounds like a great way to have us 'unplug' and get to know each other. Of course they will be in eye sight in case of emergency. We will be having so much FUN, you won't miss it.

2. Book Quiz: I saw this on a sight where everyone pitches in a dollar and the host (me) uses the money to buy a fun little gift. The person who does BEST on the quiz will get the prize! (if there is a tie, we will draw for it) The gift may differ, but a Barnes and Noble gift card for the next book may be perfect!

3. I am going to have journals for everyone to take home after the first meeting. If you can't be here for the first meeting, let me know. I want to make sure you get your journal before the next meeting. It will have a few tips, discussion ideas, etc. inside to guide us.

4. I am starting a binder. The binder will have different things for the book like the quiz, questions, author information, etc. This can always be used as a reference. I have everything electronic too, so I can add it to the blog for other people to enjoy or be inspired.

5. Just a few other fun things that I have in store...

-Alexis