Saving Ceecee Honeycutt

It was the first meeting of the Reading Btw The Wines book club, this past Monday. We had a good showing considering we are all busy with kids, jobs, sports, life.... Kerri was the organizer/hostess. Not everyone had finished the book so we made sure to not discuss the end and went over the similarities between this book and The Secret Lives of Bees.

1. Abusive father

2. Black nanny mother figure

3. blamed herself for her mother's death



Others thought it reminded them of Steel Magnolias. Sure enough, one review I read, said it was Steel Magnolias meets The Help.

Everyone seemed happy with our first book though it was pointed out that, in the future, we should try to choose books that are in paperback.



Our next meeting will be Sept 28th. We will be discussing the American classic, To Kill A Mockingbird. Ashley will be the hostess so will be choosing the what time and where.

See everyone next month.

Happy Reading,
Marla

The First Meeting of the Second Addition of Reading Between the Wines

Same verse but better than the first....The second coming of Reading Between the Wines has commenced.
Our members are (not that I'll remember your name on introductions)
Marla BRILEY (got that...BRILEY)
Ashley Baxt
Brenda Miele
Stacy Jessen
Teresa Person
Sara Feulner (not Hill)
Kerri McLaughlin (ummm did you change your name or am I assuming)

Please feel free to ask others to join our merry band. We are in no way exclusive.
Our first book, which is due to be read by August 16th, is Kerri's book, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. Second is To Kill a Mockingbird which is Ashley's. Brenda has the third book, Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. Last in our picks of our first, four books is Sara's The Last Child by John Hart.
As requested, other books on the list-
Tinkers
Sara's Key
Private
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
The Elegance of the Hedgehog
One Day
Men and Dogs
Olive Kitteridge
The Dante Club

You can find them all and their reviews on www.goodreads.com . I highly recommend that you sign up here and befriend your fellow RBTW members. All the cool people are doing it.

Last but not least, as Teresa said, the last club fell apart because people quit reading the books. I blame it on all the babies being born but whatever. If you don't read your book...at least start it...you get to buy me a drink at the next meeting. You don't want me to get a DWI so read your books!

Austin Java For Some Shipping News

Hello Everyone,

Can you believe that it has already been six weeks! (well, it will be by next Wed) Our next book discussion will be at Austin Java, on Barton Springs, at 6:45 pm, Wed March 25th. We will be expressing our thoughts and opinions on The Shipping News by Annie Prioux.
Here is the link to the online questions http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/shipping_news1.asp

I hope everyone can make it!

C-ya then,
Marla

Next Book Choices for 2009

(let me preface this with...long but please read all the way through as there are questions for a couple of you)

Last night's bookclub was a first...the first time we had all read the book! It was a good discussion with everyone deciding they really enjoyed this book and Teresa telling us (without giving too much away) that the next volume is even better. So, if you have time, in between our next set of bookclub reads, pick up World Without End by Ken Follet.
Speaking of our next set of books, I have the list! The first book is Teresa's choice (I know she just hostessed but blame it on Amanda because she pulled her name first)

1. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
About this book-
From the get-go, Quoyle is a loser. Not only is he physically unattractive with a "great damp loaf of a body," but he is also not too bright. His father despises him, and his brother constantly taunts him. He drifts from job to job, never able to keep one for more than a few months. He gets married, only to have his wife sell their two daughters to a child pornographer and leave him.

THE SHIPPING NEWS describes Quoyle's psychological and spiritual rebirth. Left with two children to raise after he rescues them, and no job, he returns to Newfoundland, the land of his ancestors. A sometime newspaper reporter, he gets a job reporting on shipping news with a local publication, and becomes a minor celebrity. Gradually he is transformed into a loving father and a valued neighbor.

2. The Woman Who Raised Me. A Memoir by Victoria Rowell (Charlotte)

3. The Hour I First Believe by Wally Lamb (Amy)

4. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (Marla)

5. Angry Housewives Eating Bon-Bons by Lorna Landvik

6. Amanda's book (tbd)

7. She's Coming Undone by Wally Lamb (Andrea)

8. Sara's book (tbd)

Sarah R. and Nathalie still need to get me their book titles. Also, Amy and Andrea, your choices have already been read by at least 2 and maybe 3 of the bookclub members. If you would like to come up with a new title, then great, if not then we will stick with your current choices.

We also decided to have a set date for bookclub. Of course, if the majority of the members cannot make it then we will change it around as we go but, please try to put this on your calendar and try to make it, Wed March 25th. As the day draws closer, I will send out an email with the time and place of Teresa's choosing.

Happy Reading!
Marla

Eat...Pray...Love...over Italian with a little wine

Sara, Sheri, Charlotte and I met at Mandola's Italian restaurant, located in The Triangle apartments. We finally made it even though my gmap directions put me up near Anderson Ln and Charlotte's GPS steered her in the wrong direction. Regrets -for Amanda, Amy and Theresa. We missed you ladies.
The book was well liked up through the "Eat" portion. After that some of us felt that she got a bit too internal. Really, how many times can you "find yourself" in one book? After reading this book you should be able to answer questions like- Prayer and meditation are both things that can be learned and importantly improved. In India, Gilbert learns a stoic, ascetic mediation technique. In Bali, she learns an approach based on smiling. Do you think the two can be synergistic? Or is Ketut Liyer right when he describes them as "same-same"?
Well, I don't know about all that but I was smiling when I had my very yummy vegetable soup and delicious bread and that sure made me feel good all over.
Sara told us her mother's bookclub (which is obviously much bigger than ours) has both young and mature members. The more mature (never call a woman "old") really enjoyed the book while the younger members felt Gilbert spent too much time talking about herself. I guess since the book is about her adventures she has to talk about herself but I think they mean she talks about how she felt too often and less about what she was experiencing.
Beyond the book, we caught up on Sara's wedding, Sheri's new house and me possibly having found a new(new to me, at least) house. The food was good and we were all amazed at the number of restaurants in that area. We are thinking Galaxy Cafe next time! But, that will be Theresa's decision because we will be reviewing her book, next.
Next meeting come prepared to discuss (at least for a few moments) Pillars of the Earth.

Sushi and The Last Season

This reflection on our last book club meeting has been a few weeks in coming. Workouts, travel and sleep got in the way.
We missed everyone that could not make it. I know Charlotte was very disappointed. She told me she really enjoyed the book.
Amy, I hope you are feeling better and that you will be able to make it to the next book club discussion. That way we can personally congratulate you on the soon to be expansion to the family. (I saw your post that it will only be expanding by one. Congrats on that)
Of those that did make the book discussion dinner, Amanda (hostess and consumer of all things sushi), Teresa and Sheri we had a good time visiting and trying new foods. Actually, Sheri and Teresa settled for a very safe stir fry dinner while I did my best to pick sushi that did not involve eel or egg. If I was unsure...I gave it to Amanda (Thanks for being there for me, Amanda!)
The consensus on the book was, that it was a good pick. If you have not read it, you should. Don't buy it....I'll let you borrow mine. It is a true story but it is so full of adventure and real life drama that it makes you think of the saying, "truth is stranger than fiction".
I have a hard time liking the main character due to his zealot style attitude towards the environment but he is a great ranger and he never lets his attitude affect how he responds to the hikers and campers he meets. After reading this book you find a new respect for the outback rangers and you lose a little respect for the hierarchical attitude of the Parks and Wildlife Service. I never would have put them in the same category as a large corporation or "big business" but after reading this book, that is exactly where I would place them.
Thanks to Amanda for suggesting this thought provoking read.
Our next get together will have to wait till sometime in October. Sara is hostessing and that will be the next time she is in Austin. The book, for that discussion, will be Eat...Pray...Love. I'd suggest you get through that one and start The Pillars of the Earth. It is a great read but really long. If we all make it through it then we might suggest meeting at the end of Nov to discuss it.
Whew...now I am done filling your inbox and your calendar.

Happy reading everyone!

Marla

Happiness is good friends and lettuce wraps (in that order)

I was so happy to get a chance to see everyone last night. It is not often that I take the time to sit down with good friends so I am always thankful when I do.
We discovered our shared love of lettuce wraps...yummmm. Maybe we will try Pei Wei next time I get to choose and we will have a lettuce wrap comparison.
We discovered you must ask specifically if the scallops are fried because they don't always tell you.
We also discovered it is nice to end up with too much money for the bill rather than not enough (like when we were in college).
We all got our fortune cookies at the end and I believe Nedra's was the best with it's "spend time with friends" quote. It really summed up the evening. I don't remember what it said, exactly, so here is one I like- Happiness is time spent with a friend and looking foward to sharing time with them again.
I'm looking fwd to the next time when we will be discussing- The Last Season, Eric Blehm. Charlotte has already read this and gave it props so I'm looking fwd to picking it up.
Last but not least, Happy Birthday (almost) to Amanda. Her bday is next week. Many..many more, Sweetie!


Happy Reading,
Marla