Horsetooth Mountain across Warren Lake.         Photo by Joe and Frede Grim at JoeandFrede.com.

Book Club April 14, 2010 - Island Grill Book Club Feb. 24, 2012 - Juiced On Imagination Book Club Sept. 15, 2016 - Jaye's House

Senile Denial - Fun Baby Boomer Blog "Baby Boomers living Senior"   http://seniledenial.wordpress.com/

July 2011 Book:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.
From Amazon Exclusive: Jad Abumrad Reviews The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks:
Honestly, I can't imagine a better tale.
A detective story that's at once mythically large and painfully intimate.
Just the simple facts are hard to believe: that in 1951, a poor black woman named Henrietta Lacks dies of cervical cancer, but pieces of the tumor that killed her--taken without her knowledge or consent--live on, first in one lab, then in hundreds, then thousands, then in giant factories churning out polio vaccines, then aboard rocket ships launched into space. The cells from this one tumor would spawn a multi-billion dollar industry and become a foundation of modern science--leading to breakthroughs in gene mapping, cloning and fertility and helping to discover how viruses work and how cancer develops (among a million other things). All of which is to say: the science end of this story is enough to blow one's mind right out of one's face.
But what's truly remarkable about Rebecca Skloot's book is that we also get the rest of the story, the part that could have easily remained hidden had she not spent ten years unearthing it: Who was Henrietta Lacks? How did she live? How she did die? Did her family know that she'd become, in some sense, immortal, and how did that affect them? These are crucial questions, because science should never forget the people who gave it life. And so, what unfolds is not only a reporting tour de force but also a very entertaining account of Henrietta, her ancestors, her cells and the scientists who grew them.
The book ultimately channels its journey of discovery though Henrietta's youngest daughter, Deborah, who never knew her mother, and who dreamt of one day being a scientist.
As Deborah Lacks and Skloot search for answers, we're bounced effortlessly from the tiny tobacco-farming Virginia hamlet of Henrietta's childhood to modern-day Baltimore, where Henrietta's family remains. Along the way, a series of unforgettable juxtapositions: cell culturing bumps into faith healings, cutting edge medicine collides with the dark truth that Henrietta's family can't afford the health insurance to care for diseases their mother's cells have helped to cure.
Rebecca Skloot tells the story with great sensitivity, urgency and, in the end, damn fine writing. I highly recommend this book. --Jad Abumrad

June 2011 Book:
The Postmistress by Kathryn Stockett.
From The Washington Post - Chris Bohjalian
It is, perhaps, the middle third of The Postmistress that is most poignant and authentic and, I believe, gets at the heart of Blake's intention for this novel: the idea that Americans were not paying attention between 1933 and 1941. In this section, Frankie travels on trains across France in 1941 with Jewish refugees trying to reach Spain or Portugal or a boat west to the Americas. Frankie is using a recording technology, Blake admits in an author's note, that wouldn't have been available to her for another two years, but her interviews with the families are profoundly affecting, and the tension is riveting as each visa is checked. The stakes are high for these refugees, and here the novel soars.

May 2011 Book:
The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium Trilogy Series #2) by Stieg Larsson (Mass Market Paperback).
From The Washington Post - Dennis Drabelle
The Girl Who Played with Fire confirms the impression left by Dragon Tattoo. Here is a writer with two skills useful in entertaining readers royally: creating characters who are complex, believable and appealing even when they act against their own best interest; and parceling out information in a consistently enthralling way. The sharp-eyed may catch Larsson leaning on coincidence a bit too often in the new book, but overall his storytelling is so assured that he can get away with these peccadilloes.

April 2011 Book:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy Series #1) by Stieg Larsson (Mass Market Paperback).
From: The New York Times - Michiko Kakutani
Combine the chilly Swedish backdrop and moody psychodrama of a Bergman movie with the grisly pyrotechnics of a serial-killer thriller, then add an angry punk heroine and a down-on-his-luck investigative journalist, and you have the ingredients of Stieg Larsson's first novel�It's Mr. Larsson's two protagonists�Carl Mikael Blomkvist, a reporter filling the role of detective, and his sidekick, Lisbeth Salander, a k a the girl with the dragon tattoo�who make this novel more than your run-of-the-mill mystery: they're both compelling, conflicted, complicated people, idiosyncratic in the extreme.

March 2011 Book:
Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy) [Hardcover] by Ken Follett.
From Amazon.com Review:
Using characters from different countries�Russia, Wales, England, the U.S., and Germany�and from different classes, Follett's first book in the Century trilogy provides a compelling mesh of interactions that push the story forward and allow a panoramic view of WWI's burden on five families. With over 30 hours, this audiobook would be a challenge for any narrator, but John Lee proves a solid and engaging choice. His deep voice moves through the prose smoothly and forcefully; he manipulates his tone, emphasis, and accent to develop vocal personas for the extensive cast of characters, and keeps a solid pace through the dialogue. It's a marathon performance of a mammoth book that will leave listeners eagerly anticipating the next installment. A Dutton hardcover. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

February 2011 Book:
The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven [Paperback] by Sherman Alexie.
From Library Journal:
This work chronicles modern life on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Victor, through whose eyes we view the community, is strongly aware of Native American traditions but wonders whether his ancestors view today's Indians--mired in alcohol, violence, and an almost palpable sense of despair--with sympathy or disgust. In spite of the bleakness of reservation life, the text brims with humor and passion as it juxtaposes ancient customs with such contemporary artifacts as electric guitars and diet Pepsi. The author of two previous poetry collections, Alexie writes with grit and lyricism that perfectly capture the absurdity of a proud, dignified people living in the squalor, struggling to survive in a society they disdain. Highly recommended for all fiction collections. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 5/15/93. - Dan Bogey, Clearfield Cty. P.L. Federation, Curwensville, Pa.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

January 2011 Book:
Little Bee by Chris Cleave.
From Amazon.com Review:
Amazon Best of the Month, February 2009: The publishers of Chris Cleave's new novel "don't want to spoil" the story by revealing too much about it, and there's good reason not to tell too much about the plot's pivot point. All you should know going in to Little Bee is that what happens on the beach is brutal, and that it braids the fates of a 16-year-old Nigerian orphan (who calls herself Little Bee) and a well-off British couple--journalists trying to repair their strained marriage with a free holiday--who should have stayed behind their resort's walls. The tide of that event carries Little Bee back to their world, which she claims she couldn't explain to the girls from her village because they'd have no context for its abundance and calm. But she shows us the infinite rifts in a globalized world, where any distance can be crossed in a day--with the right papers--and "no one likes each other, but everyone likes U2." Where you have to give up the safety you'd assumed as your birthright if you decide to save the girl gazing at you through razor wire, left to the wolves of a failing state. --Mari Malcolm --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

January 2011 Book:
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.
From Amazon.com:
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane�s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.
The lieutenant�s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he�d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.
Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.
In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man�s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

January 2011 Book:
The Wrong Mother: A Novel by Sophie Hannah.
From Publishers Weekly:
Starred Review. Sally Thorning, part-time environment rescuer and full-time mother, struggles to maintain her sanity and juggle the overwhelming demands of work and home in this superior psychological mystery from British author Hannah (Little Face). During a week away from her husband and children, Sally has a brief affair. A year later a local headline tragedy�Sally's lover's wife appears to have murdered her six-year-old daughter then committed suicide�reveals that Sally's lover was not who he claimed to be and she needs to find out why. After surviving a shove in front of a bus, Sally re-examines that unwise affair as she plays amateur detective and nearly loses all she values in the process. The story alternates between Sally's confessional and a tight police procedural interspersed with evidence�pages torn from the diary of the alleged daughter-killer. Paced like a ticking time bomb with flawlessly distinct characterization, this is a fiercely fresh and un-put-downable read. 5-city author tour. (Oct.) Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

December 2010 Book:
Dewey, the Library Cat by by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter.
From Publishers Weekly:
One frigid Midwestern winter night in 1988, a ginger kitten was shoved into the after-hours book-return slot at the public library in Spencer, Iowa. And in this tender story, Myron, the library director, tells of the impact the cat, named Dewey Readmore Books, had on the library and its patrons, and on Myron herself. Through her developing relationship with the feline, Myron recounts the economic and social history of Spencer as well as her own success story�despite an alcoholic husband, living on welfare, and health problems ranging from the difficult birth of her daughter, Jodi, to breast cancer. After her divorce, Myron graduated college (the first in her family) and stumbled into a library job. She quickly rose to become director, realizing early on that this was a job she could love for the rest of my life. Dewey, meanwhile, brings disabled children out of their shells, invites businessmen to pet him with one hand while holding the Wall Street Journal with the other, eats rubber bands and becomes a media darling. The book is not only a tribute to a cat�anthropomorphized to a degree that can strain credulity (Dewey plays hide and seek with Myron, can read her thoughts, is mortified by his hair balls)�it's a love letter to libraries. (Sept.) Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

December 2010 Book:
Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.
From Publishers Weekly:
For the first 10 years of her life, Lily Casey Smith, the narrator of this true-life novel by her granddaughter, Walls, lived in a dirt dugout in west Texas. Walls, whose megaselling memoir, The Glass Castle, recalled her own upbringing, writes in what she recalls as Lily's plainspoken voice, whose recital provides plenty of drama and suspense as she ricochets from one challenge to another. Having been educated in fits and starts because of her parents' penury, Lily becomes a teacher at age 15 in a remote frontier town she reaches after a solo 28-day ride. Marriage to a bigamist almost saps her spirit, but later she weds a rancher with whom she shares two children and a strain of plucky resilience. (They sell bootleg liquor during Prohibition, hiding the bottles under a baby's crib.) Lily is a spirited heroine, fiercely outspoken against hypocrisy and prejudice, a rodeo rider and fearless breaker of horses, and a ruthless poker player. Assailed by flash floods, tornados and droughts, Lily never gets far from hardscrabble drudgery in several states�New Mexico, Arizona, Illinois�but hers is one of those heartwarming stories about indomitable women that will always find an audience. (Oct.) Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

December 2010 Book:
Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
From Publishers Weekly Starred Review:
Freelance writer Walls doesn't pull her punches. She opens her memoir by describing looking out the window of her taxi, wondering if she's "overdressed for the evening" and spotting her mother on the sidewalk, "rooting through a Dumpster." Walls's parents�just two of the unforgettable characters in this excellent, unusual book�were a matched pair of eccentrics, and raising four children didn't conventionalize either of them. Her father was a self-taught man, a would-be inventor who could stay longer at a poker table than at most jobs and had "a little bit of a drinking situation," as her mother put it. With a fantastic storytelling knack, Walls describes her artist mom's great gift for rationalizing. Apartment walls so thin they heard all their neighbors? What a bonus�they'd "pick up a little Spanish without even studying." Why feed their pets? They'd be helping them "by not allowing them to become dependent." While Walls's father's version of Christmas presents�walking each child into the Arizona desert at night and letting each one claim a star�was delightful, he wasn't so dear when he stole the kids' hard-earned savings to go on a bender. The Walls children learned to support themselves, eating out of trashcans at school or painting their skin so the holes in their pants didn't show. Buck-toothed Jeannette even tried making her own braces when she heard what orthodontia cost. One by one, each child escaped to New York City. Still, it wasn't long before their parents appeared on their doorsteps. "Why not?" Mom said. "Being homeless is an adventure." Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

November 2010 Book:
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
From From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 7�10�Exploring Indian identity, both self and tribal, Alexie's first young adult novel is a semiautobiographical chronicle of Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, a Spokane Indian from Wellpinit, WA. The bright 14-year-old was born with water on the brain, is regularly the target of bullies, and loves to draw. He says, "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats." He expects disaster when he transfers from the reservation school to the rich, white school in Reardan, but soon finds himself making friends with both geeky and popular students and starting on the basketball team. Meeting his old classmates on the court, Junior grapples with questions about what constitutes one's community, identity, and tribe. The daily struggles of reservation life and the tragic deaths of the protagonist's grandmother, dog, and older sister would be all but unbearable without the humor and resilience of spirit with which Junior faces the world. The many characters, on and off the rez, with whom he has dealings are portrayed with compassion and verve, particularly the adults in his extended family. Forney's simple pencil cartoons fit perfectly within the story and reflect the burgeoning artist within Junior. Reluctant readers can even skim the pictures and construct their own story based exclusively on Forney's illustrations. The teen's determination to both improve himself and overcome poverty, despite the handicaps of birth, circumstances, and race, delivers a positive message in a low-key manner. Alexie's tale of self-discovery is a first purchase for all libraries.�Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

November 2010 Book:
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
From Publishers Weekly:
The premise of this facile piece of pop sociology has built-in appeal: little changes can have big effects; when small numbers of people start behaving differently, that behavior can ripple outward until a critical mass or "tipping point" is reached, changing the world. Gladwell's thesis that ideas, products, messages and behaviors "spread just like viruses do" remains a metaphor as he follows the growth of "word-of-mouth epidemics" triggered with the help of three pivotal types. These are Connectors, sociable personalities who bring people together; Mavens, who like to pass along knowledge; and Salesmen, adept at persuading the unenlightened. (Paul Revere, for example, was a Maven and a Connector). Gladwell's applications of his "tipping point" concept to current phenomena--such as the drop in violent crime in New York, the rebirth of Hush Puppies suede shoes as a suburban mall favorite, teenage suicide patterns and the efficiency of small work units--may arouse controversy. For example, many parents may be alarmed at his advice on drugs: since teenagers' experimentation with drugs, including cocaine, seldom leads to hardcore use, he contends, "We have to stop fighting this kind of experimentation. We have to accept it and even embrace it." While it offers a smorgasbord of intriguing snippets summarizing research on topics such as conversational patterns, infants' crib talk, judging other people's character, cheating habits in schoolchildren, memory sharing among families or couples, and the dehumanizing effects of prisons, this volume betrays its roots as a series of articles for the New Yorker, where Gladwell is a staff writer: his trendy material feels bloated and insubstantial in book form. Agent, Tina Bennett of Janklow & Nesbit. Major ad/promo. (Mar.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

October 2010 Book:
The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton.
From Publishers Weekly:
This moving account of writer/photographer Stockton's first year with her pet coyote, Charlie, expands on her popular blog, the Daily Coyote, but newcomers and the authors many fans will find that this memoir offers a complete�if not yet completed�story about love and life in a small Wyoming town. On a cross-country move from San Francisco to New York City in 2005, Stockton fell in love with the beauty of Wyomings Bighorn Mountains and decided to settle there. She found new roots and a new boyfriend, a government trapper whose job was to protect livestock by killing coyotes. When he finds an orphaned coyote pup, barely 10 days old, he gives it to Stockton, beginning an adventure that moves human and animal from a blissful open affection (the authors photos of baby Charlie are as adorable as they are beautifully composed) through a period of reconsideration after Charlie bites her to a breakthrough realization that Charlie needed a much more structured alpha attitude from his owner. Stockton's journey of sharing her life with a wild animal and providing training while respecting Charlies unique nature makes for a fascinating and rewarding read. (Dec.)
Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Amazon.com.

September 2010 Book:
Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo.
From Publishers Weekly:
Merullo, author of the Revere Beach series and Golfing with God, delivers a comic but winningly spiritual road-trip novel. Otto Ringling is a food-book editor and a happily married father of two living in a tony New York suburb. After Otto's North Dakota parents are killed in a car crash, he plans to drive his ebulliently New Age sister, Cecilia, back home to sell the family farm. But when Otto arrives to pick up Cecilia in Paterson, N.J. (where she does tarot readings and past-life regressions), she declares her intention to give her half of the farm to her guru, Volvo Rinpoche, who will set up a retreat there. Cecilia asks Otto to take Rinpoche to North Dakota instead; after a fit of skeptical rage in which he rails internally against his sister's gullibility, he accepts, and the novel is off and running. Merullo takes the reader through the small towns and byways of Midwestern America, which look unexpectedly alluring through Rinpoche's eyes. Well-fed Western secularist Otto is only half-aware that his life might need fixing, and his slow discovery of Rinpoche's nature, and his own, make for a satisfying read. A set piece of Otto's chaotic first meditation session is notably hilarious, and the whole book is breezy and affecting. (Oct.) Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

August 2010 Book:
Memory of Running by Ron McClarty.
The Memory of Running is a road novel, the story of one man's journey across America toward personal redemption. It's also a story of families and friendships, a story of mental illness and addiction, a story of Vietnam and AIDS, a story of growing up and growing older, a story of first loves and second chances�in short, a novel that traverses a whole landscape of American themes and preoccupations. Smithson "Smithy" Ide, the protagonist, has all the makings of a classic American antihero. He's a fat slob in a dead-end factory job who drinks too much, a chain-smoking forty-three-year-old loser lumbering toward an early death. He has no friends, no spouse, no lover�just his elderly parents and a head full of painful memories. When unexpected tragedy strikes, these memories (and a few drinks too many) launch Smithy on an improbable cross-country bicycle odyssey.
-- us.penguingroup.com

July 2010 Book:
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.
From Publishers Weekly:
Lamott's ( Operating Instructions ) miscellany of guidance and reflection should appeal to writers struggling with demons large and slight. Among the pearls she offers is to start small, as their father once advised her 10-year-old brother, who was agonizing over a book report on birds: ``Just take it bird by bird.'' Lamott's suggestion on the craft of fiction is down-to-earth: worry about the characters, not the plot. But she's even better on psychological questions. She has learned that writing is more rewarding than publication, but that even writing's rewards may not lead to contentment. As a former ``Leona Helmsley of jealousy,'' she's come to will herself past pettiness and to fight writer's block by living ``as if I am dying.'' She counsels writers to form support groups and wisely observes that, even if your audience is small, ``to have written your version is an honorable thing.'' (Sept.)

June 2010 Book:
An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude by Ann Vanderhoof.
From Publishers Weekly:
With wit and candor, Vanderhoof, who's worked as a magazine and book editor, recounts her sometimes complicated but always enlightening two-year voyage from Toronto to the West Indies and beyond with her husband in their 42-foot sailboat, Receta. As they escape the restraints that have bound them to their desks for years, the pair undergo not just a change in physical appearance (the noticeable weight loss is an unexpected bonus) but also a change in attitude. And although their trip may sound terrific, it's no three-hour tour. Along with sunset cruises and afternoons spent on untouched beaches (where "you can sit and stare at the ocean for hours scarcely seeing another soul"), they encounter "blinding forks of lightning" during a big squall, hailstones during an unpredicted hurricane and other tumultuous events. The book's strength undoubtedly lies in the way local cuisine and agriculture seep into Vanderhoof's tiny galley. While island hopping, she hunts for the freshest mangoes, conch and papayas even if it involves trekking miles through uncharted territory. These long trips are always worth it, as the author befriends Grenadian and Bequian natives, learning how to reproduce scrumptious local fare. Vanderhoof excels in painting a perfect picture of every island as well as filling in the gaps with historic explanations and authentic recipes, saving the book from becoming merely a flashback and steering it in the direction of a potential reference for those wishing to exchange their Bud Lights for a case of Presidentes. Map not seen by PW. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

May 2010 Book:
No one belongs here more than you: Stories by Miranda July.
From Publishers Weekly:
It's a testament to July's artistry that the narrators of this arresting first collection elicit empathy rather than groans. "Making Love in 2003," for example, follows a young woman's dubious trajectory from being the passive, discarded object of her writing professor's attentions to seducing a 14-year-old boy in the special-needs class she teaches, while another young woman enters the sex industry when her girlfriend abandons her, with a surprising effect on the relationship. July's characters over these 16 stories get into similarly extreme situations in their quests to be loved and accepted, and often resort to their fantasy lives when the real world disappoints (which is often): the self-effacing narrator of "The Shared Patio" concocts a touching romance around her epilectic Korean neighbor; the aging single man of "The Sister" weaves an elaborate fantasy around his factory colleague Victor's teenage sister (who doesn't exist) to seduce someone else. July's single emotional register is familiar from her film Me and You and Everyone We Know, but it's a capacious one: wry, wistful, vulnerable, tough and tender, it fully accommodates moments of bleak human reversals. These stories are as immediate and distressing as confessionals. (May) Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

April 2010 Book:
The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.
From Publishers Weekly:
Weir (Innocent Traitor) lends her considerable historical knowledge to the early years of England's famous queen in this absorbing second novel. The tale chronicles the life of Elizabeth I from her early childhood to her coronation, through the final years of her father, Henry VIII, and the brief reigns of her siblings, Edward VI and Queen Mary. Renowned for her "mercurial temperament" and "formidable intelligence," in Weir's account Elizabeth spends her childhood shuttling between royal estates and preparing for life as a "great lady" after she is stripped of her position as successor to the British throne following the execution of her mother, Anne Boleyn. As Elizabeth grows, her progressive views on women's roles, religion, and politics take shape-including her legendary vow never to marry, forged through observation of others' relationships as well as a painful first-hand brush with romance at age fourteen. Weir's Elizabeth is nuanced and enchanting, and the author lends a refreshing perspective to well-known characters and events in British history, such as the fates of her father's six wives and the brief reign of Lady Jane Grey, the subject of her first historical novel. History buffs will enjoy this entertaining look into the rarely explored early life of one of England's most fascinating characters. Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

March 2010 Book:
The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
From Publishers Weekly:
Starred Review. What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it. (Feb.) Copyright � Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

February 2010 Book:
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet.
Synopsis from Booklist:
*Starred Review* Although Tammet is only 27, his autobiography is as fascinating as Benjamin Franklin's and John Stuart Mill's, both of which are, like his, about the growth of a mind. Not that Tammet is a scientist-statesman or philosopher. He is an autistic savant who can perform hefty arithmetical calculations at lightning speed and acquire speaking competency in a previously unknown language in mere days (the latter capability he used to create the Web-based language-learning systems with which he supports himself). More socially competent and independent than the autistic savant famously played by Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man, Tammet shares his peers' strong preferences for routine, peace and quiet, private space, and literalness, as well as aversion to chance occurrences, aural and informational noise, and figurative language (despite his arithmetical gift, he can't do algebra; he reads a lot but never fiction). He learned fellowship very gradually and says he couldn't really acknowledge his eight siblings until he grew up. He also writes some of the clearest prose this side of Hemingway; he tells his story with such concentration, precision, and simplicity that his familial poverty, schooling as a "mainstreamed" student, self-realization as gay, and embracing of Christianity prove as enthralling as they are, ultimately, normal. Ray Olson Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved.

Recent Books:
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Cassandra Morris.
Book: A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel.
Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
Book: Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs.
Book: Look me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison.
Book: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci.
Book: The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William Young.





Past Books and Meetings
First Meeting: February 16, 1999, at Lisa's house.
March 1999:  Midwives   by Chris Bohjalian, March 16, 1999 at Terri's.
April 1999:  1000 White Women  by John Grisham, April 20, 1999 at Jonie's. (Columbine happened this day.)
May 1999:   Memoirs of a Geisha   by Arthur Golden, May 21, 1999 at Japanese restaurant.
Book suggested by Jaye.
June 1999:   Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood  by Rebecca Wells, June 15, 1999 at CooperSmiths.
Book suggested by Laurie.
July 1999:   Tender at the Bone   by Ruth Reichl, July 27, 1999 at Linden's.
August 1999:  Where the Heart Is  by Billie Letts, August 17 at Bisetti's.
September 1999:   Honk and Holler OpeningSoon   by Billie Letts, September 22, 1999 at Amigo's.
October 1999:   Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone   by J.K. Rowlin October 13, 1999 at The Moot House.
November 1999:   Snow Falling on Cedars   by David Guterson, November 16, 1999 at Red Lobster.
December 1999:   Member's choice,   December 15, 1999 at Barnes and Noble.
January 2000:   Tuesdays with Morrie  by Mitch Albom, January 19, 2000 at FiddleSticks.
February 2000:   Welcome to the World, Baby Girl!  by Fannie Flagg, Feb.16, 2000 at Lisa's. Our 1st Anniversary
March 2000:  Cider House Rules  by John Irving, March 22, 2000, at Jaye's.
April 2000:   The Funnies   by Robert Lennon, April 19, 2000, at FiddleStick's.
May 2000:   Gap Creek   by Robert Morgan, May 17, 2000, at Fiddlestick's.
June 2000:   Duane's Depressed  by Larry McMurtry, June 21, 2000, at Fiddlestick's.
July 2000:   The Dork of Cork  by Chet Raymo, July 25, 2000 at Fiddlestick's.
August 2000:   Bedford Square  by Anne Perry, August 20, 2000 at Fiddlesticks.
Book suggested by Terri.
September 2000:   Buster Midnight's Cafe   by Sandra Dallas, September 20, 2000 at Mary Kay's.
Book suggested by Lisa.
October 2000:   She Flew the Coop  by Michael Lee West, October 18, 2000 at Terri's. (Fiddlesticks is now closed at 6pm).
Book suggested by Laurie.
November 2000:   Open House  by Elizabeth Berg, November 21, 2000 at Laurie's.
December 2000: no meeting
January 2001:   The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love  by Jill Conner Browne, January 17, 2001, at Barnes and Noble.
Book suggested by Mary Kay.
February 2001:   House of Sand and Fog  by Andre Dubus III, February 21, 2001, at Village Inn. Our 2nd Anniversary
Book suggested by Terri.
March 2001:  The Red Tent  by Anita Diamant, March 21, 2001, at Village Inn.
Book suggested by Lisa.
April 2001:  Scarlet Feather   by Maeve Binchy, April 18, 2001, at Cafe Terrace.
Book suggested by Jaye.
May 2001:   Big Stone Gap   by Adriana Trigiani, May 16, 2001, at Cafe Terrace.
Book suggested by Laurie.
June 2001:  The Bonesetter's Daughter  by Amy Tan, June 20, 2001, at Laurie's.
Book suggested by Laurie.
July-August 2001:  ... And Ladies of the Club  by Helen Hooven Santmyer,
July, 2001, at Village Inn; August, 2001, at Mary Kay's mountain cabin. (didn't happen)
Book suggested by Jaye.
September 2001:   Stolen Lives  by Malika Oufkir, September 25, 2001, at Kuppa Koffee.
Book suggested by Jaye.
October 2001:   Plain Truth  by Jodi Picoult, October 16, 2001, at ...
Book suggested by Lisa.
November 2001:  No meeting.
December 2001:  No meeting.
January 2002:  January 24, 2002, at Village Inn.
February 2002:  February 21, 2002, at the new IHOP, but due to blizzard, at Jaye's house. Our 3rd Anniversary
March 2002:  Coming Attractions  by Fannie Flagg, also titled: Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man by Fannie Flagg, March 21, 2002, at Austin's.
April 2002:  Reader's choice for April, April 25, 2002, at Moxie Java.
May 2002:   Strange Fits of Passion  by Anita Shreve. No May meeting due to graduations.
Book suggested by Terri.
June 2002:   Sea Glass  by Anita Shreve. June 8, 2002, matinee, Movie of Ya Ya Secrets of the Divine Sisterhood.
Book suggested by Laurie.
Also:  Breakfast at McCoy's, June 25, 2002.
July 2002:   Book exchange. July 16, 2002, at Maggie McCullough's Bread Shop.
August 2002:   Book exchange. August 6, 2002, at Austin's Grill.
September 2002:   The Lovely Bones  by Alice Sebold. September 21, 2002, meeting, dinner, and overnight at Mary Kay's house. It was great -- thanks Mary Kay, thanks Joe!
Book suggested by Terri.
Also:  Movie: The Bangor Sisters, Sat., September 28, 2002.
October 2002:   The Samuri's Garden  by Gail Tsukiyama. Weds., October 23, 2002, at Moxie Java.
Book suggested by Mary Kay.
November 2002:   Book exchange.   No meeting.
December 2002:   Book exchange.   No meeting.
January 2003:   Book exchange.   Tuesday, January 21, 2003, at Mulligan's on Harmony.
February 2003:   Book exchange.   Tuesday, February 25, 2003, at Mulligan's (bar section) on Harmony. Our 4th Anniversary
March 2003:   The Secret Life of Bees  by Sue Monk Kidd. Tues., March 25, 2003, at Moxie Java.
We enjoyed visits from Debra and Kelly.  Book suggested by Lisa.
April 2003:   The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency  by Pearl Abraham. Tues., April 22, 2003, at Braun's Bar and Grill.
Book suggested by Lisa.
May 2003:   The Romance Reader  by Alexander McCall Smith. No May meeting due to school year ending.
Book suggested by Debra.
June 5, 2003:   Crow Lake  by Mary Lawson. Thursday, June 5, 2003, at Lisa's new house.
Book suggested by Mary Kay.
June 24, 2003:   Crow Lake  by Mary Lawson. Tuesday, June 24, 2003, at Laurie's house.
Drink tasting and spa -- thanks Laurie and Steve!
At the meeting were Lisa, Mary Kay, Kelly, Terri, Debra, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book suggested by Mary Kay.
July 2003:   Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons  by Lorna Landvik. No July meeting due to summer.
Book suggested by Laurie.
August 2003:     Reader's choice.   No August meeting due to summer.
Setember 2003:   The Dive From Clausen's Pier  by Ann Packer. Tues., September 23, 2003, at the Macaroni Grill.
At the meeting were Lisa, Mary Kay, Terri, Debra, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book suggested by Laurie.
October 2003:   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time  by Mark Haddon. Tues., October 21, 2003, at Laurie's house.
At the meeting were Lisa, Mary Kay, Terri, Kelly, Laurie, and Jaye.
Thanks Laurie and Steve, for the great wine tasting!
Book suggested by Lisa.
November 2003:   The Five People You Meet in Heaven  by Mitch Albom. Friday, November 21, 2003, at The Texas Roadhouse.
At the meeting were Lisa, Terri, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book suggested by Lisa.
December 2003:     Reader's choice.   No December meeting due to Christmas and holidays.
January 2004:   The Time Traveler's Wife  by Audrey Niffenegger. Saturday, January 31, at the Bear Rock Cafe, then to see the movie, "Calendar Girls."
At the meeting were Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book suggested by Lisa.
February 2004:   Da Vinci Code  by Dan Brown. Wednesday, February 18, at the Bear Rock Cafe.
At the meeting were Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, Kelly, and Jaye. Our 5th Anniversary
Book suggested by Debra.
March 2004:   Take Me With You:  A Round-the-World Journey to Invite a Stranger Home  by Brad Newsham. Wednesday, March 10, at Lisa's house, knitting group meeting, taught by Mary Kay.
At the meeting were Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, Kelly, and Jaye.
Book suggested by Laurie.
April 2004:   Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague  by Geraldine Brooks. Wednesday, April 14, at the Hu Hot for dinner.
At the meeting were Lisa, Terri, Laurie, and Jaye, plus Mandy and Katie.
Book suggested by Lisa.
May 2004:     Reader's choice.   No May meeting due to graduations.
June 2004:     Reader's choice. No June meeting due to summer.
July 2004:     Reader's choice. No July meeting due to summer.
August 2004:    Book exchange.   Thursday, August 5, at the Rio in Old Town, then to the Farmer's Market.
At the meeting were Lisa, Terri, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
September 2004:    Reader's choice. No meeting.
October 2004:    Reader's choice. No meeting.
November 2004:    Book exchange. Thursday, November 18, at the "House on the Hill" charity tour.
At the meeting were Mary Kay, Jaye, and Laurie.
December 2004:    Book exchange. Tuesday, November 14, at Laurie's house for soup, salad, bread, desert, and gift exchange.
At the meeting were Lisa, Laurie, Jaye, Terri, and Mary Kay, plus visits from Steve and Dani.
January 2005:    Book exchange. Thursday, January 20, at Terri's house for chocolate fondue, cheese, and desert.
At the meeting were Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, Lisa, and Jaye.
February 2005:   The Prize Winner  by Terry Ryan, Suze Orman, Betsy Ryan (Afterword). Saturday, February 19, at Miss Attie's for high tea.
At the meeting were Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Lisa. Our 6th Anniversary
Book suggested by Mary Kay.
March 2005:    Reader's choice. No meeting.
April 2005:    Reader's choice. Saturday, April 16, 2005, at the Nonesuch Theater in Old Town (at the old Bas Bleu location) for a showing of the play "Nunsense."
At the meeting were Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Lisa.
May 2005:    Reader's choice. No meeting.
June 2005:    Reader's choice. No meeting.
July 2005:    Reader's choice. Tuesday, July 26 at Moxie Java.
At the meeting were Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, Jaye, and Lisa.
August 2005:  The Kite Runner  by Khaled Hosseini. Wednesday, August 31, at Panera Bread.
At the meeting were Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, Jaye, and Lisa.
June 2006:  Reader's choice.   Thursday, June 8, at Terri's house.
At the meeting were Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, Jaye, and Lisa. Our 7th Anniversary

October 25, 2007: Texas Roadhouse: Jaye, Laurie, Mary Kay, Terri, and Lisa. Our 8th Anniversary
Book: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.
December 5, 2007: The Chocolate Cafe: Terri, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.
January 9, 2008: The Stonehouse Grille: Laurie, Mary Kay, Jaye, Lisa, and Terri.
Book: The Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney.
Book: The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls.
Book: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett.
February 13, 2008: Lulu's Asian Bistro: Laurie, Mary Kay, Jaye, Lisa, and Terri. Our 9th Anniversary
Book: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.
March 12, 2008: The Rustic Oven: Jaye, Mary Kay, and Terri.
Book: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.
Book: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory.
Book: The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory.
April 23, 2008: The Island Grill: Terri, Lisa, and Mary Kay.
Book: The Faraday Girls: A Novel by Monica McInerney.
Book: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.
Book: The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs.
May 28, 2008: The Island Grill: Terri, Lisa, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: Christ The Lord: Out of Egypt by Anne Rice.
June 25, 2008: The Island Grill: Terri, Lisa, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.
July 30, 2008: The Island Grill: Terri, Lisa, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: These is my Words, The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy E. Turner.
October 1, 2008: Cafe Vino: Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner.
November 19, 2008: Cafe Vino: Terri, Lisa, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: Happy For No Reason by Marci Shimoff.
December 17, 2008: Zquilla: Terri, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran.
Book: Tallgrass by Sandra Dallas.
January 21, 2009: Island Grill: Mary Kay, Terri, Laurie, and Lisa.
Book: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.
March 5, 2009: The Rio: Terri, Lisa, Mary Kay, and Laurie. Our 10th Anniversary!
Book: The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie.
April 15, 2009: Island Grill: Terri, Lisa, Mary Kay, Jaye, and Laurie.
Book: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.
May 20, 2009: Harmony Grill: Terri, Lisa, Mary Kay, Jaye, and Laurie.
Book: Any Bitter Thing by Monica Wood.
June 17, 2009: The Crown Club: Terri, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William Young.
August 13, 2009: The Crown Club: Terri, Lisa, Mary Kay, Jaye, and Laurie.
Book: I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci.
September, 2009: No meeting.
Book: Look me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison.
October 21, 2009: Jaye's house: Jaye, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay.
Book: Running with Scissors: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs.
November 18, 2009: Island Grill: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay.
Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
December 16, 2009: Old Town at the Rustic Oven: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland, Indiana by Haven Kimmel.
January 20, 2010: The Island Grill: Terri, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Cassandra Morris.
February 17, 2010: Dominic's: Terri, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye. Our 11th Anniversary
Book: Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant by Daniel Tammet.
March, 2010: : No meeting.
Book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
April 14, 2010: : The Island Grill: Lisa, Terri, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir.
May 19, 2010: : The Island Grill: Terri, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: No one belongs here more than you. Stories by Miranda July by Miranda July.
June 16, 2010: : Rio's on the patio: Terri, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude by Ann Vanderhoof.
August 18, 2010: : Austin's on Harmony: Terri, Lisa, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: Memory of Running by Ron McClarty.
September 22, 2010: : Meeting skipped.
Book: Breakfast with Buddha by Roland Merullo.
October 20, 2010: Pueblo Viejo Mexican Restaurant: Terri, Lisa, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: The Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton.
November, 2010: No meeting.
Book: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.
Book: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.
December 1, 2010: Enzio's Italian Restaurant: Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: Dewey, the Library Cat by Vicki Myron and Bret Witter.
Book: Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
Book: Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls.
January 16, 2011: Cafe Athens: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: Little Bee by Chris Cleave.
Book: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.
February 16, 2011: Cafe Athens: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: Little Bee by Chris Cleave.
Book: Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.
March 20, 2011:
Book: Fall of Giants (The Century Trilogy) [Hardcover] by Ken Follett.
April 20, 2011: Island Grill: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy Series #1) by Stieg Larsson (Mass Market Paperback).
May 20, 2011: Mandy's Bridal Shower on May 14 at Jaye's condo.
Book: The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium Trilogy Series #2) by Stieg Larsson.
June 15, 2011: Fort Collins Brewery, new restaurant Gravity Ten Twenty: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: The Postmistress by Kathryn Stockett.
August 17, 2011: Fort Collins Brewery, new restaurant Gravity Ten Twenty: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye.
Book: Nothing But Blue Skies by Doris Powers.
Book: Going Home to Glory by David Eisenhower, with Julie Nixon Eisenhower.
September 29, 2011: Fort Collins Brewery, new restaurant Gravity Ten Twenty: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Mary Kay, and Jaye (visit by Laurie and Jan).
Book: Buried in the Heart by M.E. Harrington.
Book: Birkebeiner by by Jeff Foltz.
October, 2011: No meeting.
Book: An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin.
Book: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf.
November 3, 2011: Lillian's and the Island Grill: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
December 2, 2011: Book club were guest speakers in Mandy's CSU Literature class (Jaye, Terri, Mary Kay); also, Austin's in Old Town: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.
January, 2012: No meeting.
Book: The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers by Harry Bernstein.
February 24, 2012 (our 13th year!) Austin's in Old Town and then a fun painting class at Juiced on Imagination with Julie: Lisa, Terri, Laurie, Jaye, and Mary Kay.
Book: That Woman: The Life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor by Anne Sebba.
March, 2012: No meeting.
Book: The Paris Wife: A Novel by Paula McLain.
April 19, 2012: Restaurant 415: Lisa, Jaye, Terri, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: The Bungalow: A Novel by Sarah Jio.
May, 2012: No meeting.
Book: Nothing Daunted by Dorothy Wickenden.
June 1, 2012: Lunch at Restaurant 415: Jaye, Terri, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: The Talk Funny Girl by Roland Merullo.
June 18, 2012: JLFC Garden Tour and French Market: Lisa, Jaye, Terri, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
July 27, 2012: Breakfast at Snooze: Lisa, Jaye, Terri, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: Wild (From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail) by Cheryl Strayed.
August: No meeting.
Book: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
September, 2012: No meeting.
Book: Fall of Giants by Ken Follett.
October 17, 2012: Island Grill: Lisa, Jaye, Terri, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie.
November, 2012: no meeting.
Book: Dear Life b by Alice Munro.
December 6, 2012: Austin's Old Town: Jaye, Terri, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom.
January 10, 2013: Restaurant 415: Jaye, Terri, Laurie, Lisa, and Mary Kay.
Book: The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski.
February 5, 2013: Hilton Spring Creek Grill: Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: Bossypants by Tina Fey.
March 7, 2013: Restaurant 415: Terri, Lisa, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: Still Alice by Lisa Genova.
April, 2013: No meeting.
Book (same as May 2013): A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy.
May 2, 2013: Restaurant 415: Terri, Lisa, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy.
July 25, 2013: Restaurant 415: Terri, Lisa, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce.
Book: Orphan Train: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline.
August, 2013: No meeting.
Book: Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos.
September 19, 2013: Restaurant 415: Terri, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: Benediction by Kent Haruf.
October 10, 2013: Island Grill: Terri, Lisa, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: The Dinner by Herman Koch.
November 14, 2013: El Monte:
Book: Full Body Burden by Kristen Iversen.
December 2013: No meeting.
Book:True Sisters by Sandra Dallas.
January 2014: No meeting.
Book: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.
February 6, 2014: East Moon on Harmony Road: Terri, Lisa, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: S. by Doug Dorst & J. J. Abrams.
March 25, 2014: Rustic Oven: Mary Kay, Lisa, Jaye, Terri, and Laurie.
Book: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
April 24, 2014: The Social: Mary Kay, Lisa, Jaye, Terri, and Laurie.
Book: Still Life with Bread Crumbs: A Novel by Anna Quindlen.
May 2014: No meeting.
Book: Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.
June 5, 2014: Island Grill:
Book: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garc�a M�rquez.
July, 2014: No meeting.
Book: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin.
August, 2014: No meeting.
Book: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion.
September, 2014: No meeting.
Book: The Vacationers by Emma Straub.
October 9, 2014: East Moon: Mary Kay, Terri, Jaye, Lisa, and Laurie.
Book: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer.
November, 2014: No meeting.
Book: Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof.
December, 2014: No meeting.
Book: The Summer Wind by Mary Alice Monroe.
January, 2015: No meeting.
Book: The Dovekeepers: A Novel by by Alice Hoffman.
February 5, 2015: at the Blue Agave: Jaye, Mary Kay, Laurie, Lisa, Terri.
Book: Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project by Jack Mayer.
March 2015: No meeting.
Book: Fallen Women by Sandra Dallas.
April 21, 2015: Mainline: Jaye, Mary Kay, Laurie, Lisa, Terri.
Book: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.
May 2015: No meeting.
Book: The Goldfinch: A Novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction) by Donna Tartt.
June 16, 2015: Blue Agave Grill, birthday lunch: Jaye, Mary Kay, Laurie, Terri.
Book: Ordinary Grace: A Novel by William Kent Krueger.
July 14, 2015: Austin's in Old Town: Mary Kay, Laurie, Lisa, Terri.
Book: Someone Else's Fairytale by E.M. Tippetts.
August, 2015: No meeting.
Book: What She Left Behind by Donna Tartt.
September, 2015: No meeting.
Book: The Mind Readers (The Mind Readers Series) by Lori Brighton.
October 1, 2015: RARE in Old Town: Terri, Lisa, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler.
November, 2015: No meeting.
Book: X by Sue Grafton.
December 3, 2015: Austin's in Old Town to see the holiday lights: Terri, Lisa, Jaye, Laurie, and Mary Kay.
Book: Significant Others by Armistead Maupin.
January, 2016: No meeting.
Book: A Doubter's Almanac: A Novel by Ethan Canin.
February, 2016: No meeting.
Book: All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders.
March 3, 2016: ? at Bar Louie: Terri, Mary Kay, Laurie, and Jaye.
Book: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.
April, 2016: No meeting.
Book: The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer.
May, 2016: at Laurie's house - retirement party: Laurie, Terri, Jaye, Mary Kay, Lisa.
Book: The Crown by Kiera Cass.
September 15, 2016: at Jaye's house - farewell book club for Jaye: Laurie, Terri, Jaye, Mary Kay, Lisa.
Book: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts I & II by J. K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne.
May, 2017: at The Moot House: Laurie, Terri, Mary Kay, Lisa.
Book: Evicted by Matthew Desmond.