Dear Book Clubbers,
Wednesday’s meeting to discuss The Art of Racing in the Rain was small, but successful. The book received a rating of 3.5. It was certainly a lighter read than some of our recent choices, and everyone seemed to enjoy that break. Thank you, Joan hosting us.
Next up is the big summer meeting on Wednesday, July 18th. Remember that we are doing the much-anticipated “Hemingway Duo” at Jackie’s house. The two books are The Paris Wife by Paula McLain about Hemingway’s time in Paris and his own book, A Moveable Feast about the same time frame. Jackie is recommending that the books be read in the above order. Since this is one of our “big food” nights, we will be beginning the meeting at 6:15 PM. In the next few weeks, Jackie and I will be setting up an online way to let her know if you are coming and what you plan to bring. This will allow people to see what is still needed and avoid duplication of items. It may be fun to try to pull a little taste of France into our eats! Details on how to sign up will follow, but anyone who doesn’t want to try the online way can call Jackie, and she will sign you up. We will need to pick our first fall book at this meeting so please come prepared to suggest any must reads you have stumbled on this year. With the expanded format, this is also a great meeting to invite potential new members to attend.
I will be working with Linda to determine the date of this year’s big classic, Atlas Shrugged. In the past, we have met sometime in mid to late August.
The medical update included the word that Jen’s knee replacement earlier this week went well. Jackie will let us know when Jen gets home from rehab. She has already expressed boredom and will likely be thrilled to have visits from us. Polly continues to make steady progress. Carol walked into the meeting like nothing ever happened!
Wanted to give a big shout out to Elizabeth for finishing her first ever half marathon today! Woohoo…way to go! Her kids told me, “Mommy won her race!” and no matter where she placed, this accomplishment is certainly a personal victory. In other sports news, Jill and I are doing the Ride for Red to raise money for the Southwestern Chapter of the American Red Cross on June 16th. Anyone who would like to donate to that organization can get cash or a check (made out to the American Red Cross) to Jill or me by June 14th.
Grace asked me to pass on that we are all invited to “stop by here and see our three areas of beautiful primroses. Just stop anytime when out walking or jogging and go down the stairs at the side of the house and walk over to the patio, down the steps to the creek and look into the woods. We are glad to share plants. All that you see came from one plant!”
I think that is all for now. Please forgive me if I forgot anything. Happy Memorial Day.
Jan
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
April 2012
Dear Book Clubbers,
Last week’s meeting at Lorraine’s featuring Remarkable
Creatures was a tremendous success.
The book was well liked, receiving a 3.75 overall rating. Talk of the book was lively, and our
new plan to have the discussion be sustained by the input of all, seemed to
work well. Thanks to all who
contributed goodies and especially to Lorraine for being our hostess and to
Jill for acting as discussion “steerer”.
Stayed tuned for details about a summer field trip to do a bit of our
own fossil hunting locally…bonnets and gloves optional.
Our next gathering is scheduled for 7 PM on
Wednesday, May 23rd at Joan’s to discuss The Art of Racing in the
Rain by Garth Stein. Appetizer
volunteers are Marilyn and Sue P, desserts are Jackie and Shirley, and Beth and
Grace will bring some wine to add to the unopened bottles from the last
meeting. Please let Joan know if
you are coming. Remember that an
accurate head count allows the hostess to plan for seating; so don’t forget to
inform if you will be attending.
We set July 18th as the date for the
summer meeting. Plan to gather on
Jackie’s deck to discuss what we have been affectionately referring to all year
as the Hemingway Duo, The Paris Wife by Paula McLain about his time in
Paris, and A Moveable Feast, Ernie’s own account of that same
period. The US paperback release
of The Paris Wife has been delayed yet again, but we decided to forge
ahead anyway in the hopes that since the hardcover can be obtained for not much
more ($15 on Amazon) than a trade paperback and is available in audio and
e-book formats, we should all be able to get the job done. Jackie strongly recommended that the
order is important and that The Paris Wife should be read first. Because this is a “big food” event, we
may experiment with a new method of signing up via a web site called
mysignup.com. This may turn out to
be a great way for the Craneridge Caring Tree to function when there are
specific tasks to be accounted for when someone is in need of help.
In other neighborhood news, Kathryn asked us to
please note that the new Craneridge website is found at:
The board is seeking some input via a survey that you can find and easily complete on that site. Please remember that the annual meeting is at Willie’s (Kissing Bridge) on Saturday, May 12th and the Earth Day work party is Saturday, May 19th. I believe both events begin at 10 AM.
The board is seeking some input via a survey that you can find and easily complete on that site. Please remember that the annual meeting is at Willie’s (Kissing Bridge) on Saturday, May 12th and the Earth Day work party is Saturday, May 19th. I believe both events begin at 10 AM.
Finally, Marty suggested considering giving the
website www.betterworldbooks.com
a try the next time you buy a book.
They have new and used books at reasonable prices and your purchases
trigger donations of other books to those in need.
I think that is most of what transpired… Jan
Saturday, March 24, 2012
March 2012 Newsletter
Hello Book Clubbers,
This would have been in your hands a week ago, but this amazing weather we’ve been having has forced me outside to enjoy it. I hope you have been doing the same.
The meeting on the 14th to discuss A Fierce Radiance brought with it a range of ratings and some great discussion. I think we experienced a first that night when Grace & Jennifer AGREED on their ratings! Overall, the group gave the book a 3.4 but that was from a range of 2 to 4.5. Everyone agreed that the history of Penicillin (and the government and drug company involvement) was fascinating, but it was the characters and story line that left some people flat, unfortunately. One person commented that Belfler’s City of Light was a far better story – so if you’re looking for another historical novel to add to your collection, check this one out. Many thanks to Marty for leading the discussion and to Grace for opening her home to the group!
Looking forward to the next few meetings, here’s what the calendar looks like:
April 18 at Loraine's
Book: Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
Desserts: Jennifer (Key Lime Pie?) & Grace
Appetizers: Jackie & Elisabeth
Wine: Terry, Natalie, Marty, Kathryn, and…. ??
(can we get one more volunteer?)
We’re going to try something NEW at this meeting – we’re ALL going to lead the discussion that night. How will we do that, you ask? I (Jill) will help facilitate the discussion amongst the group, but this time everyone should bring a question with them to pose to the rest of us! Your “question” could be: something remarkable from the book, a reference to another book (or author or life experience), or just a random thought or idea that came from reading the story. At past meetings, for example, our members have brought up the idea of alternate realities for the characters (Frankenstein), the use of Japanese poetry in the author’s writing style (Jacob deZoet), and Shakespearian references (Hunger Games)… we all bring a unique perspective to the meetings – let’s capitalize on them!
May 16 or 23 at Joan’s
Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Desserts & Appetizers & Wine: Will decide in April (or volunteer via e-mail)
The group voted to “mix it up” a bit (moving away from historical fiction for a month) by choosing “the dog book” for May.
June/July The Summer Party!
On Jacqueline’s deck
Books: The Hemingway Duo
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
A Movable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
It looks like McLain’s book will be out in paperback on March 28th (Amazon & Barnes & Noble say so, though I have seen contradictory reports of February 2013). We’ll have to see what happens. It is available on Kindle/eReader and Audiobooks, so maybe we can talk about the need for paperback at the next meeting.
August The “Big” Book at Linda’s
Book: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
So that’s where we are for now. More to come on the book selection for September and then we start all over again for planning for 2013. Wow! Time feels like it’s flying.
After the discussion of the book and business, we got some updates on the health of our members. It was so nice to hear the positive progress that most are making. We look forward to further updates and hope for a speedy recoveries for all.
That’s all for now. Happy Spring to all! Hope you’re enjoying the wonderful weather with a good book.
Cheers!
Jill
P.S. Don't forget to RSVP to Loraine if you'll be at the meeting in April!
This would have been in your hands a week ago, but this amazing weather we’ve been having has forced me outside to enjoy it. I hope you have been doing the same.
The meeting on the 14th to discuss A Fierce Radiance brought with it a range of ratings and some great discussion. I think we experienced a first that night when Grace & Jennifer AGREED on their ratings! Overall, the group gave the book a 3.4 but that was from a range of 2 to 4.5. Everyone agreed that the history of Penicillin (and the government and drug company involvement) was fascinating, but it was the characters and story line that left some people flat, unfortunately. One person commented that Belfler’s City of Light was a far better story – so if you’re looking for another historical novel to add to your collection, check this one out. Many thanks to Marty for leading the discussion and to Grace for opening her home to the group!
Looking forward to the next few meetings, here’s what the calendar looks like:
April 18 at Loraine's
Book: Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
Desserts: Jennifer (Key Lime Pie?) & Grace
Appetizers: Jackie & Elisabeth
Wine: Terry, Natalie, Marty, Kathryn, and…. ??
(can we get one more volunteer?)
We’re going to try something NEW at this meeting – we’re ALL going to lead the discussion that night. How will we do that, you ask? I (Jill) will help facilitate the discussion amongst the group, but this time everyone should bring a question with them to pose to the rest of us! Your “question” could be: something remarkable from the book, a reference to another book (or author or life experience), or just a random thought or idea that came from reading the story. At past meetings, for example, our members have brought up the idea of alternate realities for the characters (Frankenstein), the use of Japanese poetry in the author’s writing style (Jacob deZoet), and Shakespearian references (Hunger Games)… we all bring a unique perspective to the meetings – let’s capitalize on them!
May 16 or 23 at Joan’s
Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Desserts & Appetizers & Wine: Will decide in April (or volunteer via e-mail)
The group voted to “mix it up” a bit (moving away from historical fiction for a month) by choosing “the dog book” for May.
June/July The Summer Party!
On Jacqueline’s deck
Books: The Hemingway Duo
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
A Movable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
It looks like McLain’s book will be out in paperback on March 28th (Amazon & Barnes & Noble say so, though I have seen contradictory reports of February 2013). We’ll have to see what happens. It is available on Kindle/eReader and Audiobooks, so maybe we can talk about the need for paperback at the next meeting.
August The “Big” Book at Linda’s
Book: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
So that’s where we are for now. More to come on the book selection for September and then we start all over again for planning for 2013. Wow! Time feels like it’s flying.
After the discussion of the book and business, we got some updates on the health of our members. It was so nice to hear the positive progress that most are making. We look forward to further updates and hope for a speedy recoveries for all.
That’s all for now. Happy Spring to all! Hope you’re enjoying the wonderful weather with a good book.
Cheers!
Jill
P.S. Don't forget to RSVP to Loraine if you'll be at the meeting in April!
Monday, February 20, 2012
February 2012
Dear Book Clubbers,
Wednesday’s meeting to discuss The Hunger Games was big fun. We decided to rate the book on a different scale, not comparing it to our usual selections based on how it stacked up to To Kill a Mockingbird, for example. Looking at it as young adult fiction and its readability, we ended up giving it a 3.7. As usual, disparate opinions gave rise to good discussion. Kathryn did a great job of bringing out some interesting points as well as explaining why this book appeals to teenagers. She also pointed out how The Hunger Games trilogy could be employed to spark students’ interest in more classic works, including Shakespeare, Lord of the Flies, etc. As a special treat, we got to hear Jackie read her prize-winning short story and discuss the inspiration and the work that went into it. Thank you for sharing, Jackie. We are all so PROUD of YOU.
Our next meeting will be held at 7 PM on Wednesday, March 14th at Grace’s. The book is A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer (author of City of Light). Please let Grace know if you are coming. The discussion will be led by Marty. Snack volunteers for the evening are Marty, Terry and Kathryn for appetizers, Ina and Jill for desserts, and Liz, Jackie, Karla and Natalie for wine.
Since Wednesday, I have been able to pinpoint our April book and location. The date will be Wednesday, April 18th as we discussed. Loraine Sherman will host. The book selection will be Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. At this time, we are looking for a volunteer to lead the discussion that night. Please reach me if you are willing to do that. We will pin down snack people at the March meeting.
Much of our business meeting revolved around all the medical stuff going on with our members and neighbors. As difficult as all these health set backs are for our friends and neighbors, at least we have the CRBC Caring Tree to kick into gear and provide some multidimensional support. As always, if you know of someone in Craneridge who needs this sort of help, contact Jennifer to get the “tree” shaking.
Man, I hope that is everything. Well, there was some more good news, but best to ask Katie about that when you see her. I won’t see you all in March since we will be taking a little car ride down south to see all our kids and grandkids. Enjoy discussing A Fierce Radiance and have a glass of wine for me.
Read on,
Jan
Wednesday’s meeting to discuss The Hunger Games was big fun. We decided to rate the book on a different scale, not comparing it to our usual selections based on how it stacked up to To Kill a Mockingbird, for example. Looking at it as young adult fiction and its readability, we ended up giving it a 3.7. As usual, disparate opinions gave rise to good discussion. Kathryn did a great job of bringing out some interesting points as well as explaining why this book appeals to teenagers. She also pointed out how The Hunger Games trilogy could be employed to spark students’ interest in more classic works, including Shakespeare, Lord of the Flies, etc. As a special treat, we got to hear Jackie read her prize-winning short story and discuss the inspiration and the work that went into it. Thank you for sharing, Jackie. We are all so PROUD of YOU.
Our next meeting will be held at 7 PM on Wednesday, March 14th at Grace’s. The book is A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer (author of City of Light). Please let Grace know if you are coming. The discussion will be led by Marty. Snack volunteers for the evening are Marty, Terry and Kathryn for appetizers, Ina and Jill for desserts, and Liz, Jackie, Karla and Natalie for wine.
Since Wednesday, I have been able to pinpoint our April book and location. The date will be Wednesday, April 18th as we discussed. Loraine Sherman will host. The book selection will be Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. At this time, we are looking for a volunteer to lead the discussion that night. Please reach me if you are willing to do that. We will pin down snack people at the March meeting.
Much of our business meeting revolved around all the medical stuff going on with our members and neighbors. As difficult as all these health set backs are for our friends and neighbors, at least we have the CRBC Caring Tree to kick into gear and provide some multidimensional support. As always, if you know of someone in Craneridge who needs this sort of help, contact Jennifer to get the “tree” shaking.
Man, I hope that is everything. Well, there was some more good news, but best to ask Katie about that when you see her. I won’t see you all in March since we will be taking a little car ride down south to see all our kids and grandkids. Enjoy discussing A Fierce Radiance and have a glass of wine for me.
Read on,
Jan
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Happy New Year!
Dear Book Clubbers,
This week’s meeting to discuss Cutting for Stone was a major success. The book received a relatively high average rating of 4.35! Elizabeth and Karla did an amazing job of keeping the discussion lively, and Terry was a superb hostess. On top of the great chat and food, we also had a lot of laughs, reflecting how comfortable with one another we’ve become. Thanks to everyone who brought goodies, but especially to Terry, Karla and Elizabeth.
In keeping with our plan to do a book a month (with the understanding that everyone may not be able to read all the selections), our next meeting will be at 7 PM on Wednesday, February 15th at my house. The book is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Kathryn will lead the discussion. Appetizer volunteers are Elizabeth, Karla and Jill. Desserts are Kathryn and Jen. Marty, Linda, Pam and Jen will bring wine. This book is a quick and engaging read. Please do not get turned off by the fiendish sounding plot summary. It really is quite good. Let me know if you are attending.
Following that we will meet on March 14th to discuss A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer at Grace’s. Marty will lead the discussion.
We voted on our long classic read and ended up with Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Linda will once again lead this meeting, but the date is still to be determined.
In other news, we all cheered for Jackie’s great showing in the recently concluded Buffalo News short story contest. When she is in attendance next month, Jackie will read us her story, and we will briefly discuss it and congratulate her in person.
Unfortunately neighbor and former club member, Ann Britain, was recently in a very serious car accident just after concluding rehab for extensive back surgery.
We seem to be in a bit of a spin regarding getting volunteers to host. Many have said that it is easier to do this if they don’t have to also lead the discussion. If you feel your home is too small to hold our group, please consider partnering up with someone else by offering to moderate. A few members have also asked me to clarify that it is all of our responsibilities to call the hostess a couple days prior to the meeting to let her know that we will be attending so that she can prepare accordingly. The rare exception to this is when we are having a more involved gathering and we pass around a food sign up sheet ahead of time.
Hope the long overdue arrival of the snow has you enjoying our winter paradise, perhaps doing a winter sport or curled up by the fire with a good book.
Jan
This week’s meeting to discuss Cutting for Stone was a major success. The book received a relatively high average rating of 4.35! Elizabeth and Karla did an amazing job of keeping the discussion lively, and Terry was a superb hostess. On top of the great chat and food, we also had a lot of laughs, reflecting how comfortable with one another we’ve become. Thanks to everyone who brought goodies, but especially to Terry, Karla and Elizabeth.
In keeping with our plan to do a book a month (with the understanding that everyone may not be able to read all the selections), our next meeting will be at 7 PM on Wednesday, February 15th at my house. The book is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Kathryn will lead the discussion. Appetizer volunteers are Elizabeth, Karla and Jill. Desserts are Kathryn and Jen. Marty, Linda, Pam and Jen will bring wine. This book is a quick and engaging read. Please do not get turned off by the fiendish sounding plot summary. It really is quite good. Let me know if you are attending.
Following that we will meet on March 14th to discuss A Fierce Radiance by Lauren Belfer at Grace’s. Marty will lead the discussion.
We voted on our long classic read and ended up with Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Linda will once again lead this meeting, but the date is still to be determined.
In other news, we all cheered for Jackie’s great showing in the recently concluded Buffalo News short story contest. When she is in attendance next month, Jackie will read us her story, and we will briefly discuss it and congratulate her in person.
Unfortunately neighbor and former club member, Ann Britain, was recently in a very serious car accident just after concluding rehab for extensive back surgery.
We seem to be in a bit of a spin regarding getting volunteers to host. Many have said that it is easier to do this if they don’t have to also lead the discussion. If you feel your home is too small to hold our group, please consider partnering up with someone else by offering to moderate. A few members have also asked me to clarify that it is all of our responsibilities to call the hostess a couple days prior to the meeting to let her know that we will be attending so that she can prepare accordingly. The rare exception to this is when we are having a more involved gathering and we pass around a food sign up sheet ahead of time.
Hope the long overdue arrival of the snow has you enjoying our winter paradise, perhaps doing a winter sport or curled up by the fire with a good book.
Jan
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Year-End 2011
Dear Book Clubbers,
Whew, I would say that our co-ed meeting was a great one. Although Catch 22 only scored between a 2.5 and 3, the variation in how people felt about the book and Chris’s well-prepared questions made for a fantastic discussion. Apparently, if everyone in the group loves a book, there is less to disagree on…therefore less discussion. I think we have discovered a reading group paradox. Shall we name it the CRBC Catch 22? Anyway, thanks to everyone who helped with food, drinks and clean up. A special shout out to Chris for his thorough job in leading the discussion and to Paul B who showed up to help me Wednesday afternoon.
In a close vote for next year’s co-ed book, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand was selected. This book has been high on the bestseller lists for a year now. Yes, it is another WWII book, but completely different in every way.
First up in 2012 is Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, which is supposed to be an excellent read. The meeting is now scheduled for Terry’s home at 7 PM on Wednesday, January 11th. Appetizer volunteers are Kathryn, Jen and Grace. Sue, Ina, Linda and Pam will bring wine. While scribbling notes, I wrote Marion under desserts and then the word “dessert” where I was supposed to fill in the second volunteer. Hopefully, this mystery person remembers who they are. See? We are lost without Jill there to check my work!
The February (2/15) book is The Hunger Games. Please don’t get turned off by reading a synopsis of this very popular young adult/adult book. It is really, really good and should be a nice quick read for everyone. We need a volunteer to host that night as well as for the March meeting.
In one final note, it has been brought to my attention by several people that we always seem to run out of white wine and have leftover red at the meetings. Since we seem to mostly drink white (and I can bring some reds that didn’t get consumed last Wednesday), let’s concentrate on bringing whites to Terri’s. We’ll have to work on our ratio for the future. Incidentally, something like 17 or 18 bottles of wine went out in the recycling bin on Thursday AM. Good for us!
Have great holidays! I hope the gift of time with friends and family, good health and some excellent reads come your way this season.
Jan
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
October's Meeting
Dear Book Clubbers,
Wednesday’s meeting at Jill’s to discuss Frankenstein was a tremendous success. We rated the book a 3.65 overall, with those attending somewhat falling mainly into two groups: those who enjoyed Mary Shelley’s writing style and those who found it verbose and bombastic. As usual, this disparity of opinion gave rise to some great discussion, as did Jill’s thorough research and preparation. Karla proposed a totally different interpretation of the book which had us all really thinking and some even contemplating a second read with her hypothesis in mind. Fascinating stuff. Many thanks to Jill and all who brought stuff to the evening.
Our next meeting is at 6:30 on Wednesday, November 30th at our house. This is the co-ed meeting so we will shoot for everyone bringing something in the way of a substantial appetizer or dessert since we try to make this a decent finger food dinner for those attending. Wine is always good too. The book is Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and Chris Strong will be leading the discussion. A sheet was passed around Wednesday night. If you signed up for something, that serves as your RSVP. If not, please e-mail me or call to let me know what you want to bring. I am having rotator cuff surgery on November 8th, so Rob may be reaching out for some set up and tear down help once we know how I am doing. Please refer to the newsletter from September 8th or to the blog to view the books being considered for the 2012 co-ed selection. Of course, the guys are always welcome to add their own suggestions to the mix.
Other upcoming events include the Craneridge Family Halloween Party on Saturday, October 29th. The plan is to meet at the mail center at 5 PM for a parade around the neighborhood followed by pizza, games and crafts at the pool shelter. All are welcome…those with kids, those without, grandparents, etc. Just please try to sign the sheet at the mail center so that the organizers have a rough head count.
On Halloween night (10/31), Rob and I will again open our home for anyone to stop in. Make it the last stop with your kids and come in for warming beverages and snacks. If you don’t get any trick or treaters at your house and just want to come to our house to see kids there or simply hang out, come with a snack or beverage to share anytime after 6 PM. Please pass the word on to other neighbors who aren’t in book club. All are welcome.
Katherine Orrange requested that those of us on Facebook “friend” the Craneridge Association. The board is hoping this can become a viable way to get communications out to people in a pinch.
The Daffodil Bulb Planting event that was scheduled for 10/15 got a little washed out. Contact Shirley Skinner ASAP if you can help out planting bulbs in common areas around the neighborhood and around your own home.
Beth Roy has a bread maker that is free to a good home. The appliance is in great condition. Beth has just gotten into doing all her bread dough prep with her own hands and would love to see someone take advantage of this modern convenience…and get it out of her way.
The Craneridge Holiday party is pretty definitely set for December 3rd at the Hearth Restaurant in Chaffee. Save the date and stay tuned for further details.
We chose the next two books and the next three dates for 2012. Remember we are going to try scheduling meetings monthly to get more books read with the caveat that many of us will sometimes skip a book because it either didn’t grab us or we didn’t have time for it. This is something we decided at the selection night to try. Let’s see how it works for the beginning of the year. We will attempt to vary our book selections so that any lengthier reads are followed by short books whenever possible. The upcoming dates include:
January 11th – Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese – Elizabeth Strong’s house
February 15th – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – hostess to be determined
March 14th – book to be determined – Terri’s house
I think that is all the news and business. Seems there was a lot to say this month. Don’t forget that if you have general announcements, you can send them out directly to our members and eliminate me as the middleman who isn’t always timely in getting to things :)!
Read on,
Jan
Wednesday’s meeting at Jill’s to discuss Frankenstein was a tremendous success. We rated the book a 3.65 overall, with those attending somewhat falling mainly into two groups: those who enjoyed Mary Shelley’s writing style and those who found it verbose and bombastic. As usual, this disparity of opinion gave rise to some great discussion, as did Jill’s thorough research and preparation. Karla proposed a totally different interpretation of the book which had us all really thinking and some even contemplating a second read with her hypothesis in mind. Fascinating stuff. Many thanks to Jill and all who brought stuff to the evening.
Our next meeting is at 6:30 on Wednesday, November 30th at our house. This is the co-ed meeting so we will shoot for everyone bringing something in the way of a substantial appetizer or dessert since we try to make this a decent finger food dinner for those attending. Wine is always good too. The book is Catch-22 by Joseph Heller and Chris Strong will be leading the discussion. A sheet was passed around Wednesday night. If you signed up for something, that serves as your RSVP. If not, please e-mail me or call to let me know what you want to bring. I am having rotator cuff surgery on November 8th, so Rob may be reaching out for some set up and tear down help once we know how I am doing. Please refer to the newsletter from September 8th or to the blog to view the books being considered for the 2012 co-ed selection. Of course, the guys are always welcome to add their own suggestions to the mix.
Other upcoming events include the Craneridge Family Halloween Party on Saturday, October 29th. The plan is to meet at the mail center at 5 PM for a parade around the neighborhood followed by pizza, games and crafts at the pool shelter. All are welcome…those with kids, those without, grandparents, etc. Just please try to sign the sheet at the mail center so that the organizers have a rough head count.
On Halloween night (10/31), Rob and I will again open our home for anyone to stop in. Make it the last stop with your kids and come in for warming beverages and snacks. If you don’t get any trick or treaters at your house and just want to come to our house to see kids there or simply hang out, come with a snack or beverage to share anytime after 6 PM. Please pass the word on to other neighbors who aren’t in book club. All are welcome.
Katherine Orrange requested that those of us on Facebook “friend” the Craneridge Association. The board is hoping this can become a viable way to get communications out to people in a pinch.
The Daffodil Bulb Planting event that was scheduled for 10/15 got a little washed out. Contact Shirley Skinner ASAP if you can help out planting bulbs in common areas around the neighborhood and around your own home.
Beth Roy has a bread maker that is free to a good home. The appliance is in great condition. Beth has just gotten into doing all her bread dough prep with her own hands and would love to see someone take advantage of this modern convenience…and get it out of her way.
The Craneridge Holiday party is pretty definitely set for December 3rd at the Hearth Restaurant in Chaffee. Save the date and stay tuned for further details.
We chose the next two books and the next three dates for 2012. Remember we are going to try scheduling meetings monthly to get more books read with the caveat that many of us will sometimes skip a book because it either didn’t grab us or we didn’t have time for it. This is something we decided at the selection night to try. Let’s see how it works for the beginning of the year. We will attempt to vary our book selections so that any lengthier reads are followed by short books whenever possible. The upcoming dates include:
January 11th – Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese – Elizabeth Strong’s house
February 15th – The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – hostess to be determined
March 14th – book to be determined – Terri’s house
I think that is all the news and business. Seems there was a lot to say this month. Don’t forget that if you have general announcements, you can send them out directly to our members and eliminate me as the middleman who isn’t always timely in getting to things :)!
Read on,
Jan
Monday, September 26, 2011
September's meeting
Dear Book Clubbers,
Last week’s meeting at Marilyn’s to discuss The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet was a small, but spirited gathering. Although there were only eight of us, Jen led a great discussion of this interesting book depicting a historical period and region that we had not experienced through previous club selections. I think the overall rating was somewhere around a 3.5, with most of us glad that we had read it. One thing we all seemed to agree on was that David Mitchell was a tremendously skilled writer, weaving a well-crafted story. Thanks go out to Marilyn and Jen for doing such a great job.
The next meeting is at 7 PM on Wednesday, October 19th at Jill’s. The selection is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Jill has promised to do some side reading to enlighten us on the author herself, so it promises to be a very intriguing meeting. Please let Jill know if you will be attending. Because everyone who was at Marilyn’s brought something, we did not pick snack and wine volunteers for the October meeting. Please consider offering to bring something when you call Jill. It would be great if she could hear from people willing to bring food and wine ASAP so that she doesn’t have to figure those logistics out at the last minute.
Because of the small group and the close proximity to the book selection night, there wasn’t really any new business. One interesting suggestion did arise out of our discussion of Jacob, however. As we chatted about the book, most of us seemed to have a specific question that we wanted to ask the group. In some cases it was a part we didn’t quite understand or something that we just wanted to hear the others’ opinions about. The observation was made that one way we could ease the burden on the moderator and also make the discussions more meaningful to all of us, would be to have each of us consider, while reading, what they might like to ask the group. The intent wouldn’t be to go around the room and systematically address those questions, but rather just to have additional input beyond the moderator’s perspective to broaden the range of our discussion. Worth a try, right?
That’s all for now. Hope everyone is enjoying these great fall days!
Jan
Last week’s meeting at Marilyn’s to discuss The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet was a small, but spirited gathering. Although there were only eight of us, Jen led a great discussion of this interesting book depicting a historical period and region that we had not experienced through previous club selections. I think the overall rating was somewhere around a 3.5, with most of us glad that we had read it. One thing we all seemed to agree on was that David Mitchell was a tremendously skilled writer, weaving a well-crafted story. Thanks go out to Marilyn and Jen for doing such a great job.
The next meeting is at 7 PM on Wednesday, October 19th at Jill’s. The selection is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Jill has promised to do some side reading to enlighten us on the author herself, so it promises to be a very intriguing meeting. Please let Jill know if you will be attending. Because everyone who was at Marilyn’s brought something, we did not pick snack and wine volunteers for the October meeting. Please consider offering to bring something when you call Jill. It would be great if she could hear from people willing to bring food and wine ASAP so that she doesn’t have to figure those logistics out at the last minute.
Because of the small group and the close proximity to the book selection night, there wasn’t really any new business. One interesting suggestion did arise out of our discussion of Jacob, however. As we chatted about the book, most of us seemed to have a specific question that we wanted to ask the group. In some cases it was a part we didn’t quite understand or something that we just wanted to hear the others’ opinions about. The observation was made that one way we could ease the burden on the moderator and also make the discussions more meaningful to all of us, would be to have each of us consider, while reading, what they might like to ask the group. The intent wouldn’t be to go around the room and systematically address those questions, but rather just to have additional input beyond the moderator’s perspective to broaden the range of our discussion. Worth a try, right?
That’s all for now. Hope everyone is enjoying these great fall days!
Jan
Friday, September 09, 2011
Planning Meeting: A Recap
Dear Book Clubbers,
Last night’s book selection meeting was a huge success. Barb did a fantastic job of accommodating all of us even though it was too cold for the deck. Thanks, Barb. Appreciation also goes out to all who pitched in and brought yummies to the meeting and to those unable to attend who still took the time to send ideas along.
In new business, I pointed out that there is a drop box for paper recycling (every thing but cardboard) that is accessible 24/7 at the Colden Elementary School. The volume of paper collected there somehow benefits the school a bit. Grace added that there is a similar green and yellow box at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. Jill mentioned that there is a drop site for returnables at the Colden Fire Hall with those proceeds going to a local Boy Scout troop. Please consider making your green efforts also help a local cause.
Stay tuned for a direct e-mail from Ina detailing some upcoming quilt shows and the liquidation sale of a fellow crafter’s inventory of fabric and beads. Marion’s sewing machine is still available. Jennifer advised us to stay alert next Thursday, September 15th, as there will be local painters setting up their easels to capture some Craneridge scenery on canvas. How cool is that?
Lots of wonderful books were proposed last night. We also included the two selections we didn’t get to last year, Sense and Sensibility and Left to Tell, in the voting process.
Click here to see the full list of 2012 suggestions.
Last night we decided to try to shoot for one meeting a month after finishing out the fall on our usual schedule. The suggestion was made and welcomed that we at least try for one book a month. Obviously, not everybody can always read every selection, but the thinking was that this would allow us to get more books in. If something doesn’t appeal to you or you don’t have time, you can skip one knowing another discussion is just around the corner. In the next few weeks, I would appreciate hearing from those of you who have conflicts on a particular week of the month (i.e. the first Wednesday of the month), so that we can evaluate if having a consistent meeting week is worth attempting.
Speaking just of around the corner, we will meet at Marilyn’s at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 21st to discuss The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Volunteers are: Jill and Kathryn for apps; Barb and me for desserts; and Carol, Terri, Jackie, Ina, Grace and Jen for wine. If you are able to attend, please call Marilyn.
After that, we will meet at Jill’s on Wednesday, October 19th to discuss Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Should be a great read to do around Halloween, and Jill has promised to educate us on the life of a woman writer during a time when there weren’t a lot of them!
The co-ed meeting will likely be November 30th, but your hosts (Rob and I) reserve the right to change that depending on what our Thanksgiving plans become. We will let you know as soon as the date is firm. The book is Catch-22 and hopefully, Chris Strong remembers that he is leading the discussion.
I hope those of you who weren’t able to make it last night will be as excited about our choices for the coming year as the rest of us are! See you in two weeks.
Jan
Last night’s book selection meeting was a huge success. Barb did a fantastic job of accommodating all of us even though it was too cold for the deck. Thanks, Barb. Appreciation also goes out to all who pitched in and brought yummies to the meeting and to those unable to attend who still took the time to send ideas along.
In new business, I pointed out that there is a drop box for paper recycling (every thing but cardboard) that is accessible 24/7 at the Colden Elementary School. The volume of paper collected there somehow benefits the school a bit. Grace added that there is a similar green and yellow box at Bertrand Chaffee Hospital. Jill mentioned that there is a drop site for returnables at the Colden Fire Hall with those proceeds going to a local Boy Scout troop. Please consider making your green efforts also help a local cause.
Stay tuned for a direct e-mail from Ina detailing some upcoming quilt shows and the liquidation sale of a fellow crafter’s inventory of fabric and beads. Marion’s sewing machine is still available. Jennifer advised us to stay alert next Thursday, September 15th, as there will be local painters setting up their easels to capture some Craneridge scenery on canvas. How cool is that?
Lots of wonderful books were proposed last night. We also included the two selections we didn’t get to last year, Sense and Sensibility and Left to Tell, in the voting process.
Click here to see the full list of 2012 suggestions.
Last night we decided to try to shoot for one meeting a month after finishing out the fall on our usual schedule. The suggestion was made and welcomed that we at least try for one book a month. Obviously, not everybody can always read every selection, but the thinking was that this would allow us to get more books in. If something doesn’t appeal to you or you don’t have time, you can skip one knowing another discussion is just around the corner. In the next few weeks, I would appreciate hearing from those of you who have conflicts on a particular week of the month (i.e. the first Wednesday of the month), so that we can evaluate if having a consistent meeting week is worth attempting.
Speaking just of around the corner, we will meet at Marilyn’s at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 21st to discuss The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet. Volunteers are: Jill and Kathryn for apps; Barb and me for desserts; and Carol, Terri, Jackie, Ina, Grace and Jen for wine. If you are able to attend, please call Marilyn.
After that, we will meet at Jill’s on Wednesday, October 19th to discuss Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. Should be a great read to do around Halloween, and Jill has promised to educate us on the life of a woman writer during a time when there weren’t a lot of them!
The co-ed meeting will likely be November 30th, but your hosts (Rob and I) reserve the right to change that depending on what our Thanksgiving plans become. We will let you know as soon as the date is firm. The book is Catch-22 and hopefully, Chris Strong remembers that he is leading the discussion.
I hope those of you who weren’t able to make it last night will be as excited about our choices for the coming year as the rest of us are! See you in two weeks.
Jan
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Planning for 2012
Hello Book Clubbers,
I am sure we are all trying to fully enjoy these last few weeks of summer. As the days become shorter and the mornings become crisper, it is time to plan our year of reading choices. The selection meeting for 2011-2012 is at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 7th at Barb Reed’s. Please call her if you are able to attend. I don’t recall (and neither does Jill) that we picked snack and wine volunteers for that night, so please let Barb know if you can bring something.
I am super hopeful that we will have an excellent turnout with lots of great book ideas that night. Remember that our club’s success is a reflection of all of our input. We need everybody to pitch in with suggestions for books (or ideas for improvements for that matter) so that we can have a great year ahead.
In case this is your first selection night or you forgot how it goes…members bring suggestions for one or two books that they think the club would enjoy reading and discussing. (If you have a question regarding whether the club has already read a particular book, you can view our entire past on the blog) We will go around the room and give a brief description of our proposals. Please also bring something physical representing your suggestion. This can be the book itself, a printed review (from Amazon for example) or even just a sheet of paper with the title, author and brief synopsis. These items will then be laid out at Barb’s, and we will vote by putting chips on the ones we would each like to read. The top vote getters will become our choice list for the coming year. As we go around the room, we will also try to identify possible picks that might make good suggestions for the 2012 co-ed meeting that we will then propose for the guys to choose from at this year’s gathering.
You may also bring any books that you have finished and are willing to part with for our used book swap.
Even if you have been thinking about it all summer and still don’t feel that you have a good book to propose, we still would like you there to help make our selections. I can’t stress enough that the involvement of as many members as possible best assures good choices that we are all excited to read. This meeting is also an excellent time to put forth any other ideas you have regarding our club.
That’s it for now. Feel free to call or e-mail me with any questions or confusions.
Jan
I am sure we are all trying to fully enjoy these last few weeks of summer. As the days become shorter and the mornings become crisper, it is time to plan our year of reading choices. The selection meeting for 2011-2012 is at 7 PM on Wednesday, September 7th at Barb Reed’s. Please call her if you are able to attend. I don’t recall (and neither does Jill) that we picked snack and wine volunteers for that night, so please let Barb know if you can bring something.
I am super hopeful that we will have an excellent turnout with lots of great book ideas that night. Remember that our club’s success is a reflection of all of our input. We need everybody to pitch in with suggestions for books (or ideas for improvements for that matter) so that we can have a great year ahead.
In case this is your first selection night or you forgot how it goes…members bring suggestions for one or two books that they think the club would enjoy reading and discussing. (If you have a question regarding whether the club has already read a particular book, you can view our entire past on the blog) We will go around the room and give a brief description of our proposals. Please also bring something physical representing your suggestion. This can be the book itself, a printed review (from Amazon for example) or even just a sheet of paper with the title, author and brief synopsis. These items will then be laid out at Barb’s, and we will vote by putting chips on the ones we would each like to read. The top vote getters will become our choice list for the coming year. As we go around the room, we will also try to identify possible picks that might make good suggestions for the 2012 co-ed meeting that we will then propose for the guys to choose from at this year’s gathering.
You may also bring any books that you have finished and are willing to part with for our used book swap.
Even if you have been thinking about it all summer and still don’t feel that you have a good book to propose, we still would like you there to help make our selections. I can’t stress enough that the involvement of as many members as possible best assures good choices that we are all excited to read. This meeting is also an excellent time to put forth any other ideas you have regarding our club.
That’s it for now. Feel free to call or e-mail me with any questions or confusions.
Jan
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
July's Meeting
Dear Book Clubbers,
We had a spectacular summer night for our gathering last week on Jen’s deck to discuss The Forgotten Garden. Jen did her usual super job of hostessing, making room for all of us as well as for the goodies everyone brought. Jill led a lively discussion of what most agreed was a perfect choice for a summer read. Overall we rated the book 3.7 and the evening 5.0! Thanks again to Jen and Jill and a round of applause for the feast and fellowship we all put together.
Our next meeting, for the brave and ambitious tackling War and Peace, will be at 7 PM at Linda’s on August 17th. Please contact Linda to let her know that you are coming. We also need some snack and wine volunteers for that evening.
After that we will have our yearly selection meeting on Wednesday, September 7th at Barb’s. Start time is 7 PM, and we are hoping it will still be warm enough to be out on her deck that night. Remember our choices for the year depend on your valued input at this meeting. Bring one or two suggestions and please be prepared to give a brief summary to the group. In addition, please bring the book itself, a review or summary from the Internet, or at least a piece of paper with the title and author that we can lay out for the voting. This will also be our book exchange night, so plan on bringing any books that you wish to trade away. We will need snack and wine volunteers for that night. Sorry that we forgot to do that last week. I am thinking that if we expect a healthy turn out, we should aim for 5 appetizers, 3 desserts and wine. Please call Barb to let her know that you will be attending and to volunteer if possible. We are really hoping for a bumper crop of good choices for the upcoming year, so please be a contributing part of this process.
Two weeks later, on September 21st, we will gather at Marilyn’s to discuss The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. This book has been on our list for a long time and I think we are all eager to finally see what it is about. We are told that it looks hefty, but reads quickly. We have 2 months at this point…assuming you have finished War and Peace (ha, ha!). The current Amazon price for this book in paperback is $9.28 if anyone wants me to order a copy for her.
I think that is all for now. In the process of discussing our first book for the fall, I heard some other intriguing suggestions during the meeting and after. I look forward to hearing more about those at the selection meeting and enthusiastically anticipate that we can come up with a blockbuster reading list for 2011-2012.
Stay cool by reading…
Jan
We had a spectacular summer night for our gathering last week on Jen’s deck to discuss The Forgotten Garden. Jen did her usual super job of hostessing, making room for all of us as well as for the goodies everyone brought. Jill led a lively discussion of what most agreed was a perfect choice for a summer read. Overall we rated the book 3.7 and the evening 5.0! Thanks again to Jen and Jill and a round of applause for the feast and fellowship we all put together.
Our next meeting, for the brave and ambitious tackling War and Peace, will be at 7 PM at Linda’s on August 17th. Please contact Linda to let her know that you are coming. We also need some snack and wine volunteers for that evening.
After that we will have our yearly selection meeting on Wednesday, September 7th at Barb’s. Start time is 7 PM, and we are hoping it will still be warm enough to be out on her deck that night. Remember our choices for the year depend on your valued input at this meeting. Bring one or two suggestions and please be prepared to give a brief summary to the group. In addition, please bring the book itself, a review or summary from the Internet, or at least a piece of paper with the title and author that we can lay out for the voting. This will also be our book exchange night, so plan on bringing any books that you wish to trade away. We will need snack and wine volunteers for that night. Sorry that we forgot to do that last week. I am thinking that if we expect a healthy turn out, we should aim for 5 appetizers, 3 desserts and wine. Please call Barb to let her know that you will be attending and to volunteer if possible. We are really hoping for a bumper crop of good choices for the upcoming year, so please be a contributing part of this process.
Two weeks later, on September 21st, we will gather at Marilyn’s to discuss The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. This book has been on our list for a long time and I think we are all eager to finally see what it is about. We are told that it looks hefty, but reads quickly. We have 2 months at this point…assuming you have finished War and Peace (ha, ha!). The current Amazon price for this book in paperback is $9.28 if anyone wants me to order a copy for her.
I think that is all for now. In the process of discussing our first book for the fall, I heard some other intriguing suggestions during the meeting and after. I look forward to hearing more about those at the selection meeting and enthusiastically anticipate that we can come up with a blockbuster reading list for 2011-2012.
Stay cool by reading…
Jan
Monday, July 25, 2011
Mark your calendars
Hello all!
In case you're filling your calendars the rest of your summer (and into fall) - here are some important Wednesday nights to keep in mind:
August 17th - Discussion of Tolstoy's War & Peace at Linda's
September 7th - 2012 Selection Meeting at Barb's - Bring your reading wish list with you (the more books the better)!!
September 21st - Book Club meeting to discuss 1000 Autumns of Jacob de Zoet at Marilyn's
In case you're filling your calendars the rest of your summer (and into fall) - here are some important Wednesday nights to keep in mind:
August 17th - Discussion of Tolstoy's War & Peace at Linda's
September 7th - 2012 Selection Meeting at Barb's - Bring your reading wish list with you (the more books the better)!!
September 21st - Book Club meeting to discuss 1000 Autumns of Jacob de Zoet at Marilyn's
Thursday, June 02, 2011
May's Meeting
Dear Book Clubbers,
Last week’s discussion of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks proved very interesting. Ina did a super job of hostessing and leading what ended up being a lively discussion. Ratings were all over the board, with an average of 3.7ish, but as usual, the wide disparity of opinions kept things hopping. Thanks Ina!
In an effort to lighten things up for the summer meeting (July 20th), we chose The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. Follow this Amazon link to read more about it. It is described as a little Secret Garden like, part mystery, a little love story, with a fairy tale tone about it. Sounds very readable, but it is a little longish, so get cracking. We will meet on Jennifer’s deck at our usual 6:30 PM summer meeting time. We will all bring a substantial appetizer, wine or dessert to share so that we can make a meal out of this gathering. If you signed up on the food sheet last week, you need contact Jen only if you cannot make it after all. Those who weren’t there should RSVP to her to find out what you should bring. I can order the paperback on Amazon for $8.55 for anyone who needs a copy.
For those who are tackling War and Peace, don’t forget that August 17th is going to come up fast now that summer is here.
In other announcements, Barb is organizing a water aerobics class at the pool this summer. Anyone interested should meet at the pool on Tuesday, June 7th at 10:00 AM. Call Barb if you have questions.
Ina handed out the schedule for the “4th Fridays at the Tri-Main” featuring open galleries and artists studios. Upcoming Friday dates are June 24, July 22 and August 26. Refer to the link in last month’s newsletter or talk to Ina for details. Ina is also involved in Whisker Fest 2011, a two-day event on July 30-31 at the Hayloft in the Grove in East Aurora to benefit the Buffalo Paws and Claws Animal Shelter. Go to www.bpcanimalrescue.com for info about the organization and this event.
Most importantly, don’t forget to attend the Craneridge budget vote meeting on Saturday, June 18th at 10 AM at the pool shelter. If you cannot be there in person, be sure to hand in an absentee ballot.
We decided that in addition to getting announcements for the business meeting to me ahead of time, it would make things easier if I also got a little e-mail blurb with details so that I didn’t have to remember all the facts when I compose this newsletter. We will try to limit these coming events blurbs to items directly involving our members or the Craneridge community.
We have been missing some of you the last couple of months and hope to see a bunch of people back at the summer meeting.
Jan
Last week’s discussion of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks proved very interesting. Ina did a super job of hostessing and leading what ended up being a lively discussion. Ratings were all over the board, with an average of 3.7ish, but as usual, the wide disparity of opinions kept things hopping. Thanks Ina!
In an effort to lighten things up for the summer meeting (July 20th), we chose The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. Follow this Amazon link to read more about it. It is described as a little Secret Garden like, part mystery, a little love story, with a fairy tale tone about it. Sounds very readable, but it is a little longish, so get cracking. We will meet on Jennifer’s deck at our usual 6:30 PM summer meeting time. We will all bring a substantial appetizer, wine or dessert to share so that we can make a meal out of this gathering. If you signed up on the food sheet last week, you need contact Jen only if you cannot make it after all. Those who weren’t there should RSVP to her to find out what you should bring. I can order the paperback on Amazon for $8.55 for anyone who needs a copy.
For those who are tackling War and Peace, don’t forget that August 17th is going to come up fast now that summer is here.
In other announcements, Barb is organizing a water aerobics class at the pool this summer. Anyone interested should meet at the pool on Tuesday, June 7th at 10:00 AM. Call Barb if you have questions.
Ina handed out the schedule for the “4th Fridays at the Tri-Main” featuring open galleries and artists studios. Upcoming Friday dates are June 24, July 22 and August 26. Refer to the link in last month’s newsletter or talk to Ina for details. Ina is also involved in Whisker Fest 2011, a two-day event on July 30-31 at the Hayloft in the Grove in East Aurora to benefit the Buffalo Paws and Claws Animal Shelter. Go to www.bpcanimalrescue.com for info about the organization and this event.
Most importantly, don’t forget to attend the Craneridge budget vote meeting on Saturday, June 18th at 10 AM at the pool shelter. If you cannot be there in person, be sure to hand in an absentee ballot.
We decided that in addition to getting announcements for the business meeting to me ahead of time, it would make things easier if I also got a little e-mail blurb with details so that I didn’t have to remember all the facts when I compose this newsletter. We will try to limit these coming events blurbs to items directly involving our members or the Craneridge community.
We have been missing some of you the last couple of months and hope to see a bunch of people back at the summer meeting.
Jan
Friday, April 22, 2011
Dear Book Clubbers,
Wednesday’s meeting to discuss Sarah’s Key was a great time. Although the book obviously dealt with a very difficult subject, we rated it 4 stars across the board. All in attendance got a tremendous amount out of reading it. I think it missed getting 4.5 or 5 stars only because we seem to have become more discerning in our rating system! Sue K. did a terrific job leading the discussion and being our hostess. Thanks Sue!
Our next book is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. We will meet at 7 PM at Ina’s on Wednesday, May 25th. Snack volunteers for that night are Sue K, Sue P and Shirley for appetizers, Beth for dessert, Linda for red wine and Marilyn and Jen for white wine. If anyone wants me to order a book for them, the paperback is currently $8.24 on Amazon.
At that meeting, we will discuss what to read for our summer meeting in July. We are looking for a somewhat lighter or unusual selection. There are a few Buffalo area memoirs under consideration, which may be interesting, especially if we can snag one of the authors. Keep your thinking caps on for something to fit the bill for the summer.
The long classic effort of War and Peace is all set for Linda’s house on August 17th. For those of you who want advice on which translation to read, many of us are tackling the one by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. The paperback edition is available for $12.24 at Amazon and the Kindle edition recently dropped to $8.99.
For new business, we have upcoming event announcements for two of the artistic members of our group. Look for a separate e-mail forwarded by me regarding Emily’s long awaited return to a dancing performance after her broken foot. Ina’s unique creations are on exhibit as part of the Fiber Arts Incentive at the Impact Artists Gallery through April 30th. In addition, beginning this Friday, April 22 and on the 4th Friday of every month until Dec. 23,.2011 there will be open galleries and studios throughout the building so you can meet working artists, sign up for workshops, and attend special events. The hours for this are 4 to 8 pm. Admission and parking are free. Go to http://impactartist.wordpress.com/category/fiber-art/ or contact Ina for more information on the gallery’s location and the exhibit hours.
In addition Terry reminded us that the Craneridge Caring Tree is not just about lending tangible support by cooking meals, running errands, etc. for community members who are in need of help. We should remember that emotional support and companionship are also helpful for people who are confined to their homes or facing a difficult time. Please consider a gift of your time and company when you hear of someone who might enjoy it. If you would like further details about this thread of our discussion, contact Terry.
Guess that’s the scoop for the moment except to say that I was thrilled to be back after having had to miss a couple meetings in a row.
Jan
Saturday, March 05, 2011
March 2011
Hi Book Clubbers,
Terry made us all feel welcome at our meeting Wednesday night and Jackie did a great job of leading the discussion. "A Reliable Wife" got a rating of 2.9. Ratings ranged from 2 to 5 so you can imaging it was a very good discussion. Those giving it higher ratings convinced us it was well written and carried a message. Those giving it lower points, felt it was "supersexed" (Liz's word) and dark.
"Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay was chosen for the April 13th meeting at Sue Kellner's. Please call her if you are coming. Liz, Jackie, and Terry will bring appetizers. Carla, Grace, and Kathryn are signed up for wine and Marion will bring a dessert. We agreed that with our crowd, appetizers are more popular.
Tolstoy's "War and Peace" was chosen for our long read. This meeting is set for August 17th at Linda Hoffman's. We felt that "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Laks" by Rebecca Skoot should be the choice for our next meeting. (May/June?)
News from our members:
Jennifer Parsons had foot surgery this week and seems to be covered for most needs but might enjoy some company during her long healing process.
John Reed is coming along well after his foot surgery and may be driving soon but we all know that the caregiver suffers as much as the patient so Barb may need a few kinds words or calls.
Terry and Eric will host a St. Patrick's Day Party on March 19th at 7:00. We are all invited. Please bring a substantial appetizaer or a dessert and a beverage of your choice. Sounds like fun!
Loraine sent posters annoucing that the Silver Foxes Program at the Orchard Park Presbyterian Church will beging again in March. Poster is at the Mail Center telling of the programs. Some of us have attended and really enjoyed both the food and the program.
Jan, thanks for all you did to prepare for these meetings. We hope you can attend the next meeting and get us all straightened. out. We miss you. Also looking forward to all who have not made our winter meetings joining us in April.
Grace
Sunday, January 23, 2011
January 2011
Hello Book Clubbers,
It's currently 6-degrees outside (with a windchill of -10), so it seems like a good time to send a recap about the meeting from Wednesday night. Despite the wintry weather, we had a very nice turn-out last week.
The original plan for the evening was to split the group into two, but when it came to a vote, unanimously, everyone wanted to stick together. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet had us thinking about child-rearing practices/philosophies, race relations, comparing wars of the past with those of today, and much more. From my perspective, it seemed like everyone had a chance to participate as much as they wanted - I hope I correct. Overall, the group gave it a 4.2 rating. Many thanks to Joan for hosting as well as facilitating the discussion along with Jennifer.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, March 2nd, 7pm at Terri Twichell's house when we will be reading A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Volunteers for the night (and I hope I got these right, please correct me if I'm wrong) are:
Appetizers: Jennifer Parsons & Sue Payne
Desserts: Kathryn Orrange & Sue Kellner
Wine: Barb Reed & Lorraine Sherman
Please remember to RSVP to Terry if you will attend.
Finally, some announcements from the evening -
* Zumba is happening at the Colden Senior Center on Mondays & Wednesdays at 5pm with Deni Chambers. Cost is approximately $7-8 per session. All are welcome.
* The movie adaptation of Water for Elephants is coming out in April 2011, staring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon.
That's all for now. Hope you're enjoying a nice warm day, maybe snuggled up with a good book.
Happy reading!
Jill
It's currently 6-degrees outside (with a windchill of -10), so it seems like a good time to send a recap about the meeting from Wednesday night. Despite the wintry weather, we had a very nice turn-out last week.
The original plan for the evening was to split the group into two, but when it came to a vote, unanimously, everyone wanted to stick together. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet had us thinking about child-rearing practices/philosophies, race relations, comparing wars of the past with those of today, and much more. From my perspective, it seemed like everyone had a chance to participate as much as they wanted - I hope I correct. Overall, the group gave it a 4.2 rating. Many thanks to Joan for hosting as well as facilitating the discussion along with Jennifer.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, March 2nd, 7pm at Terri Twichell's house when we will be reading A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick. Volunteers for the night (and I hope I got these right, please correct me if I'm wrong) are:
Appetizers: Jennifer Parsons & Sue Payne
Desserts: Kathryn Orrange & Sue Kellner
Wine: Barb Reed & Lorraine Sherman
Please remember to RSVP to Terry if you will attend.
Finally, some announcements from the evening -
* Zumba is happening at the Colden Senior Center on Mondays & Wednesdays at 5pm with Deni Chambers. Cost is approximately $7-8 per session. All are welcome.
* The movie adaptation of Water for Elephants is coming out in April 2011, staring Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon.
That's all for now. Hope you're enjoying a nice warm day, maybe snuggled up with a good book.
Happy reading!
Jill
Thursday, December 30, 2010
December Recap
Dear Book Clubbers,
Hope you all had nice holidays. This is just a quick note to remind you that we are having a “almost purely social” gathering at Polly Emhke’s house a week from today at 7 PM on Thursday, January 6th. Please note that this is a THURSDAY NIGHT and RSVP to Polly.
In the interest of simplifying the food situation, I have made the following executive decision. If your name begins with Bartholomy through Reed (first 2/3rds), please bring an appetizer to the gathering. If you are Rinaldi through Wells, please bring a dessert. When you call Polly to RSVP, please let her know what you are bringing, so that she can tell you if someone is already bringing that exact thing. Also, those who can readily bring a bottle of wine can let Polly know at that time.
We will have a brief business meeting to finalize the long classic book choice for 2011 and to add a few more books to our list. Please bring ideas that may have come up over the holiday book shopping season.
Our meeting to discuss The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is at Joan’s on Wednesday, January 19th. This book is a quick and enjoyable read, so everyone should be able to get it in between now and then. Remember this is the night we are going to split the discussion portion of the meeting into two groups. I am not sure whether we have two moderators that have volunteered. I am hoping that Jill remembers!
Hope to see you all next Thursday. In the meantime, Happy New Year!
Jan
Saturday, October 23, 2010
October Meeting Recap
Dear Book Clubbers,
Last week’s meeting to discuss Three Cups of Tea at Jackie’s house was…SCARY! Just kidding. We had a great discussion about the book and the Halloween decorations were a real treat. The consensus was that although the story of Greg Mortenson and all he has accomplished is very inspiring, the actual writing absolutely stunk. The overall rating ended up being a 2.7. Those of us who are attending the lecture at UB on November 10th are anxious to see if he is as good as we have heard in person. Anyone who gets tickets is welcome to contact Jackie regarding car-pooling.
The next meeting is on Wednesday, December 1st at my house. We will gather at 6:30 PM for substantial appetizers (you should be able to have it be dinner). The book is River Horse by William Least Heat-Moon. Please show your guys the list of possible choices for next year’s co-ed meeting that we came up with at the selection night. I feel that we could use some more prospects to vote on and hope that some suggestions will materialize by 12/1. If you didn’t sign up to bring something at the last meeting, please contact me to find out what we could still use.
We decided to have a purely social meeting after the holidays on Thursday, January 6th at Polly’s house. Well OK, we are not totally serious about the “purely social” part. We definitely need some more book ideas for the coming year. Of the ones that made the top 3 or 4 in the selection process, there is a lot of non-fiction and not any books that make sense for a lighter summer read. Remember, our choices are only as good as your input. We will briefly discuss what people can bring at the co-ed night, but more book ideas are much needed. Incidentally, we thought we’d make this a Thursday meeting just to mix things up.
On Wednesday, January 19th, we will meet at Joan’s to discuss The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Since we expect that to be a popular read and since Joan’s house has two levels, we thought we’d try our experiment of splitting the discussion into two smaller groups for this meeting. Of course we will be all together for the social and business portions of the night.
In other news, Ina asked about interest in a cookie exchange this year. Since people seemed up for it, I am assuming she will let us know when it will be. Also stay tuned as Terry may organize some sort of wine tasting event in the future.
In a separate e-mail, you will get a list of addresses and phone numbers of the members who are reasonably active in book club. I apologize in advance for any mistakes or omissions. It is a very hard list to maintain since people attend sporadically and are not present to correct any misinformation I have. If something is wrong with your listing in this document, let me know and I will correct it in the next version.
That’s all for now. Thanks again to Jackie for opening her wonderfully decorated home to us and for doing such a great job leading our discussion.
Jan
Last week’s meeting to discuss Three Cups of Tea at Jackie’s house was…SCARY! Just kidding. We had a great discussion about the book and the Halloween decorations were a real treat. The consensus was that although the story of Greg Mortenson and all he has accomplished is very inspiring, the actual writing absolutely stunk. The overall rating ended up being a 2.7. Those of us who are attending the lecture at UB on November 10th are anxious to see if he is as good as we have heard in person. Anyone who gets tickets is welcome to contact Jackie regarding car-pooling.
The next meeting is on Wednesday, December 1st at my house. We will gather at 6:30 PM for substantial appetizers (you should be able to have it be dinner). The book is River Horse by William Least Heat-Moon. Please show your guys the list of possible choices for next year’s co-ed meeting that we came up with at the selection night. I feel that we could use some more prospects to vote on and hope that some suggestions will materialize by 12/1. If you didn’t sign up to bring something at the last meeting, please contact me to find out what we could still use.
We decided to have a purely social meeting after the holidays on Thursday, January 6th at Polly’s house. Well OK, we are not totally serious about the “purely social” part. We definitely need some more book ideas for the coming year. Of the ones that made the top 3 or 4 in the selection process, there is a lot of non-fiction and not any books that make sense for a lighter summer read. Remember, our choices are only as good as your input. We will briefly discuss what people can bring at the co-ed night, but more book ideas are much needed. Incidentally, we thought we’d make this a Thursday meeting just to mix things up.
On Wednesday, January 19th, we will meet at Joan’s to discuss The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Since we expect that to be a popular read and since Joan’s house has two levels, we thought we’d try our experiment of splitting the discussion into two smaller groups for this meeting. Of course we will be all together for the social and business portions of the night.
In other news, Ina asked about interest in a cookie exchange this year. Since people seemed up for it, I am assuming she will let us know when it will be. Also stay tuned as Terry may organize some sort of wine tasting event in the future.
In a separate e-mail, you will get a list of addresses and phone numbers of the members who are reasonably active in book club. I apologize in advance for any mistakes or omissions. It is a very hard list to maintain since people attend sporadically and are not present to correct any misinformation I have. If something is wrong with your listing in this document, let me know and I will correct it in the next version.
That’s all for now. Thanks again to Jackie for opening her wonderfully decorated home to us and for doing such a great job leading our discussion.
Jan
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Selection Meeting Recap
Dear Book Clubbers,
Wednesday’s book selection meeting was moderately successful. Although attendance was good, it could have been better. We did come up with some good clear cut choices and a couple of books to put on our proposal list for the co-ed meeting. We elected to not choose the entire year’s worth of books since we didn’t have tons of suggestions and wanted to let those not in attendance have some say in the choices. More about that later.
We also used the opportunity to further brainstorm regarding ways to enhance the quality of our book discussions for the future. The changes we implemented at Grace’s in August were universally thought to be beneficial. To recap they were:
1. Begin meetings at 7 PM. Have everyone sitting down and ready to discuss book at 7:30 PM sharp.
2. Continue to rate books, but keep comments about rationale for rating to the very minimum, saving more involved insights and discussion points for the body of the discussion.
3. Conduct the business portion of meeting after book discussion. Funnel all announcements and news items through Jan (or substitute leader) to keep the items organized and quick.
From there we went on to discuss other ways to improve our efficiency and depth of discussion. While there was initial enthusiasm for “let’s try to make a good thing even better,” there was also a sense of “why change what has been working for years” as we got down to the actual details of making changes. Although it is a little tough for me to reconstruct the conversation, the following ideas seem to be things that the members present wanted to try in the upcoming year.
1. Consider a couple of purely social meetings each year for the sole purpose of getting together and enjoying each other’s company.
2. Try one meeting this year with the book discussion taking place in two smaller groups. This could be accomplished by splitting into two groups in a bi-level home, by meeting at two separate homes at the same time or by trying a daytime and an evening meeting for the same book.
3. Encourage members who have not substantially gotten into the book to consider only attending the business portion of the meeting and the post discussion social mingling. Because acoustics can be so difficult when we are at our peak numbers, those who have not read the book, but would like to hear others discuss it need to listen only and not get drawn into side conversations during the book discussion.
I hope this summary of what was discussed doesn’t sound like the Craneridge Book Club is taking itself too seriously and making more rules. This whole thing simply arose out of an attempt to create more time and ability to get into great book discussions. By far the overwhelming tone both times this topic was brought up was that we are first and foremost a group of friends to whom each other and the community we live in are very special. The bonds that bring us together far exceed sharing an interest in reading. Our mutual caring and concern for each other is paramount and nobody wanted to make any changes that would affect that dynamic!
Onward! The next meeting is at 7 PM on Wednesday, October 13th at Jackie’s. The book for discussion is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. Please let Jackie know if you will be attending by calling or emailing. Snack volunteers for that night are Terry and Liz for appetizers; Polly, Ina and Jennifer for wine; Julie and Barb for desert.
Remember that tickets to hear Greg Mortenson as part of the UB distinguished speakers’ series may be obtained online through Ticketmaster. At the time of the meeting, I thought that all tickets were general admission, so Jackie agreed to organize carpooling assuming that everybody could get their own tickets and then ride and sit together. Since then I have discovered that there are some reserved seats. I leave it to you all to talk to each other and decide who wants to go and the level of seats. Anyone wishing to organize a more concerted effort can communicate to the entire club by REPLYING TO ALL to this email to reach the membership. I assume Jackie is still willing to coordinate rides when the time gets closer.
After the October meeting, the co-ed gathering will be up next on Wednesday, December 1st. The book remains River Horse by William Least Heat-Moon. As usual, this meeting will be at our house and will start earlier since substantial food is involved. We will plan the food at the upcoming meeting.
Now for the books we chose for the year.
The following books received quite a few votes and have made it to our “PROBABLY WILL DO” list:
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Suggestions that seemed like they would be “POSSIBLE CO-ED CHOICES” and will be proposed on 12/1 for the 2011 co-ed read are:
The 1000 Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron
We also encourage the guys to add any books to the co-ed choices for 2011. Depending on what the guys pick, we may add some of the above to our list of pending choices when we go to set the schedule for the second half of the year. Other books proposed Wednesday that will be on the “POSSIBILITIES PENDING” list are:
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson
Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larson
It was decided to await further input to pick our “LONG, CLASSIC BOOK” list, but the following are currently on the table:
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
We also agreed that we would try to contact author Catherine Gildiner to see if she would make a return visit to our book club. For those of you who weren’t around at the time, she came to us to discuss her first book, Too Close to the Falls, about her childhood in Lewiston. The sequel, After the Falls: Coming of Age in the Sixties, which is about her wild high school years in Amherst, is due out in hardcover on 10/28/10. If we can get her to come back, we will stick this selection in to coordinate with her schedule. I think those of you who were there when she came last would all agree she was a fascinating person. Stay tuned! (Those of you who haven’t might want to read the first book while we wait.)
In further notes, Rob and I will be hosting our annual, minimally organized Halloween gathering. Basically, we invite anyone interested to make our home their final stop on their children’s trick or treating route and come in to share some food and an adult beverage (kid beverages too). Those who lack little ones and would like to simply hang out somewhere that night are encouraged to come as well. We just ask that you bring an appetizer or dessert and anything unusual you would like to drink. Jackie would also like to remind you that she goes “all out” for Halloween, so be sure to check out her place earlier in the evening!
Finally (I think), I will be generating an updated members list of addresses, phone numbers and e-mails in the coming weeks. Just don’t get too charged up about it because I am in the process of switching computers and things got a little ugly. In the meantime, please send me any changes or additional contact info you would like me to include before October 12th. I will include home phone numbers only unless you don’t have a landline. Anyone wanting their cell to be included should let me know by 10/12.
Whew, I hope that is everything. Thanks for your attention.
Jan
Monday, September 06, 2010
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