May 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

We had an excellent meeting at Sarah’s last week. The weather was perfect to enjoy her new digs, and the setting sun provided an excellent back drop to our lively discussion of Suite Francaise. I am not sure what we ended up rating the book, but there seemed to be a wide range of opinions on the plot and writing style. All agreed that the French perspective on WWII was fascinating. Big thanks to Sarah and also to all who brought such delicious food that night.

Our next meeting is at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, July 8^th at Jennifer’s with Kathryn helping out. Please call Jennifer to let her know if you are coming. Snack people for that night are Elizabeth, Natalie and Shirley. This is the meeting where we are discussing two books, The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian and the classic it refers to, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Since our meeting, I have received some member feedback that the part where we go around the circle and answer a question and give our take on the book is taking so long that it leaves less time and enthusiasm for the actual discussion. Instead of giving up on that portion, which allows everyone to weigh in on the book and share a little, I would like to suggest that we all try to keep our comments concise at that point. Perhaps if any of us have a particular aspect of the book that we would like to see discussed in more depth, we can save it as a topic for the general discussion which follows. (I’m sure the hostesses would welcome other people raising discussion points!) My hope is that by keeping the opening comments down to just a few words we can still hear everyone’s opinion of the book without getting too far afield before we get into the meat of the meeting. Let me know if you have any further thoughts on this.

Our field trip to Graycliff is scheduled for Saturday, June 13^th at 11:15 AM. Marion has arranged for our tour. We all need to assemble there by 11:00 AM…no later! Because we signed up for a private group tour, we need to not be casual about the numbers. If you signed up the other night and have since changed your mind, please contact Marion. If you were not there last week and would like to attend, you should contact her as well. If our group falls below 15, the charge will be $15 per person instead of $14. If you have any additional questions, call Marion.

Finally, our summer meeting is set for August 19^th at my house. We are currently contemplating Possession by A. S. Byatt. If you are having trouble finding the book, know that there is a new paperback edition being released on June 23^rd. I think the book looks very intriguing, but if we come up with some wonderful author opportunity or unusual idea in the meantime, we can still modify our plan.

I think that is a wrap for now. Put down your garden tools, get out the lounge chair and get reading.

Jan

April 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

Whew, what a great meeting we had tonight! We rated A Thousand Splendid Suns as a 4.3 which is behind only To Kill a Mockingbird and The Book Thief since we introduced this rating system. Sue not only did a great job hostessing, but she also arranged a great sunset for us tonight. One consistent point to come out of our discussion was how fortunate we are to live in the country we do with the rights and opportunities we have.

Our next meeting will be at Sarah’s at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, May 20^th. The book for that night is Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky. Call Sarah to let her know if you are coming. Directions to Sarah’s home in N. Boston will follow at a later date. Please bring ideas for a summer, fun, food & bookish thing to the May meeting as well as a possible suggestion for the fall before we start in on the next year’s books that we will select in early September.

After the May meeting we will be at Jennifer’s on July 8^th to discuss The Great Gatsby and The Double Bind. Katherine O. will be co-hosting that night, and we will likely be outside on the deck.

In other new business, those of you with Internet access will receive an e-mail containing an invitation to join the Craneridge Book Club’s Google Group. This is something Jill has set up to allow us to communicate within the group in a way that isn’t out there in front of the public. Hopefully, this forum can serve as a place to share stuff about books we’ve read, books we have available to loan out or are seeking to borrow, and whatever else is on our minds. You will have to set up a Google account to access this location, but I tried it earlier and it was quick and easy. Let Jill know if you have any questions or need help getting set up.

Click here for the link to the CRBG Group

Marion is working on lining up a visit to Graycliff for this summer. She will have more information at the next meeting.

Ina reminded us that Alternative Arts show at the Springville Center for the Arts continues until May 2^nd. The Gallery hours are Wednesdays from 12-6, Thursdays from 12-8, Fridays from 12-6 and Saturdays from 10-3. Don’t forget she is a featured quilter at the Clarence Log Cabin Quilters show May 15-17 at the Clarence Town Park Clubhouse. Ina also brought fliers on the current Springville Players production, The Odd Couple, which is running 4/16-4/26 with shows at 8 PM Thursdays-Saturdays and at 2 PM on Sundays. Tickets can be obtained by calling the theater at 592 - 9038 or at the box office. Call Ina REALLY SOON if you are interested in going with a group on Thursday, April 23^rd.

Shirley also informed us that we do have a slot for outgoing mail in the 5^th bank of boxes at the mail center. Apparently, our blue mailbox is gone for good, but it is nice to know that we do have an option for getting mail out without driving to the post office.

Finally, please remember to vote on the Craneridge budget on Saturday. If you are unable to attend and need to submit an absentee ballot, contact Katie.

I think that is all the business. I am hoping that if we get the Craneridge Book Club Google Group running, we can use it to share some of the community event dates and so forth because these newsletters sure are getting long!

Jan

March 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

Wednesday night’s meeting to discuss Loving Frank by Nancy Horan was a tremendous success. We had another super turnout and the discussion seemed to point out that, while people derived very different things from the book, most found it very readable and enjoyed it on some level. Our overall rating was a 3.8. Natalie did a terrific job of hostessing and she and Rory have done amazing things with their home! Welcome to new member Jackie Wells…we’re thrilled to have you!

Our next book is (finally) A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. We will discuss it at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, April 15th at Sue Payne’s. Sue’s place is about 10 minutes away on Heath Road near Hayes Hollow. At that meeting we will firm up date, book and destination for somewhere around 5/20 or 5/27.

In other news, Jill announced that she is hosting a Pamper Chef party on Saturday, April 4th at 2 PM. She emphasized that this is just a chance to enjoy food and fellowship and there will be no pressure to purchase. All (even guests) are welcome.

Ina reported that the Buffalo and Erie County Public Libraries have a “Book Club in a Bag” program. Basically, you get 10 copies of the book, discussion questions as well as large print and audio copies if available. Although you can keep the materials for 6 weeks, you are not allowed to reserve them for a specific time which makes the planning a little tough. Definitely something we can consider in our planning for next year. None of the books that are in our queue are on the list. Go to this link for more details.

Ina also reported that her wonderful creations will be part of an Alternative Arts show at the Springville Center for the Arts from April 11th to May 2nd. The Gallery hours are Wednesdays from 12-6, Thursdays from 12-8, Fridays from 12-6 and Saturdays from 10-3. She will also be a featured quilter at the Clarence Log Cabin Quilters show May 15-17 at the Clarence Town Park Clubhouse. Congratulations to Ina for earning this honor.

Jennifer Parsons had the idea of sharing with one another books that we have read and enjoyed so that we all have plenty of things on our reading lists even if they are not book club picks. Because our meetings seem plenty full with the business stuff, “circle time”, book discussion and snack and social hour, we thought it would make sense to do this outside the meeting setting. Jill will show us in an upcoming meeting how to post these suggestions on the blog. In the meantime, if you want to share ideas with each other, just select “reply to all” when reading your book club e-mail and shoot your ideas back at your fellow members. Please keep in mind that not everyone has e-mail and keep Marion, Polly, Ann and Gert in the loop.

I think that is all for now. Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything.
Jan

January 2009

Dear Book Clubbers,

Last week’s meeting was a blast. Someone commented that we yucked it up a lot over this book! Overall we gave the book 4 stars. Apparently, books that leave some room for interpretation make for lively discussion. Katie and Pam did an outstanding job of coming up with a “kick off” question for our “go around the group circle time”. They also did an excellent job getting the book discussion rolling and the refreshments were delicious.

The business part was a little chaotic as we tried to pair upcoming book selections with dates and locations to try to make things work for as many people as possible. The next meeting is Wednesday, March 11^th at Natalie’s. The book for that night is Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. I can order the paperback from Amazon for $11.20 plus tax for anyone who wants it. Snack people for that night are Elizabeth, Ina, Jennifer and Beth.

After that we will be at Sue Payne’s on Wednesday, April 15^th to read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Basically you have 14 weeks to read two books, although the spacing is a little weird. Tentatively we will be at Sarah’s house sometime in late May for Suite Francaise…I think.

In other news, Beth brought it to our attention that Geraldine Brooks, the author of some reportedly excellent books including, People of the Book, A Year of Wonders, and March, is speaking at Buff State in early February. Details should be posted on the blog soon.

I guess that is about all there is to say for now. Hopefully, the hustle and bustle of the holidays has quieted and you can curl up with a good book in front of the fire and stay cozy during these cold winter days.

Jan

November

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE IMPORTANT BOOK SELECTION CHANGE IN PARAGRAPH #3!

November 13^th, 2008

Dear Book Clubbers,

Last night’s meeting to discuss The Shack proved very interesting. Overall we gave the book 3.5 stars. Donna did a fantastic job of facilitating the conversation on a book that touched on the very personal topic of one’s beliefs. As Marion mentioned, I think it points out the very special nature of our group that we can derive so much from one another even when we are discussing issues on which we may have to agree to disagree. Thanks again to all who brought refreshments and to Donna for doing such a great job as hostess and leader.

Next up is the co-ed night on Wednesday, December 3^rd at my place. Remember the earlier start time of 6:45 PM and that a “dinner” of substantial appetizers will precede the discussion. If you plan on attending and have not signed up for something to bring yet, call me. In case you haven’t been reminded enough times, the book is Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. We will also be choosing the book for next year’s co-ed function. Please refer to the last newsletter to give your guys a sneak preview about what’s up for consideration. If you were the proponent of one of the suggested co-ed books, you might be called on to give a few brief comments on the selection after I read a synopsis.

Speaking of upcoming selections, I was forced to make an executive decision today regarding the January pick, Northern Borders by Howard Frank Mosher. As discussed last night, the book is not readily available on Amazon, and is available only by special online order through Borders. Sue Payne checked with the Book Worm in East Aurora today. They would be able to order it from their warehouse, but there are only 15 copies left, and they were unable to hold any of them until I could gather up a consensus of how many we need. In an effort to not have people rooting around for copies at the last minute, I made the decision to scrap the idea and go to the book that narrowly missed the list in the tie-breaking vote, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. That is commonly available right now and I can order it for anyone on Amazon for $10.20. My apologies to whoever recommended this book and to anyone who already purchased it. I heard through the grapevine that the one person who started it is enjoying it, but I felt the logistics were going to be a little daunting at a busy time of year.

Please remember the holiday crafty open house thing on November 29^th and to keep Gert in your thoughts during her recovery. Also contact Marion or see her at the next meeting if you are interested in attending a film and discussion of The Shack at the Hamburg Wesleyan Church on December 10^th.

I think that’s all the stuff I had to say for now.

Jan

October

Dear Book Clubbers,

Sorry to take so long to get this newsletter out. It’s been a busy time! Last week’s meeting to discuss The Book Thief was outstanding. Our group scored the book with an overall rating of 4.8 which is our highest since we started doing this. I think that the only thing keeping it from being a perfect 5.0 was the disturbing subject matter. Nancy was a super hostess and Linda did a terrific job of leading the lively discussion. Thanks also to Grace who handed out bookmarks she brought home for us from her African adventure.

The next meeting is at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, November 12^th at Donna Deyermond’s. The book for that night is The Shack by William P. Young. Snack people for this gathering are Linda, Polly and Loraine. Please let Donna know if you will be attending diewrite@hotmail.com.

In other news, huge CONGRATULATIONS to Katie and family who were recently blessed with the arrival of Alisette Philomena. Last we heard, things are going well, and Katie is still planning on hosting the January meeting with the help of Pam.

That reminds me of an idea which came up. Since our group has recently grown in number (which is a good thing) the suggestion was made that perhaps people who have houses on the smaller side could buddy up with another member to help out with hosting and leading the discussion. Please keep that possibility in mind as we continue to work our way through the member roster alphabetically. Gert Forde also reminded me that the Springville Historical Society building is available for group meetings.

For those of you who weren’t in attendance, I issued a “save the date” reminder for Saturday, November 29^th when there will be an open house at my home from 11 AM – 2 PM. The purpose of this is to showcase the jewelry of Marilyn’s daughters-in-laws, Beth and Freeda, Ina’s unique wool hats and purses, Liz’s beaded creations, my friends, Suzanne and Bill’s, laser engraved, personalized wood gifts, and Grace’s husband, Roger’s, wood sculptures. I think this is a great chance for us to have a relaxing post Thanksgiving gathering as well as to get a jump start on holiday shopping by buying handmade, unique gifts and perhaps avoiding the malls on that crazy shopping weekend.

Just a few short days later on Wednesday, December 3^rd, we will be having our co-ed meeting to discuss Out Stealing Horses. The time for this event is 6:30 PM since we will be serving substantial appetizers prior to getting into the book. If you did not sign up to bring something yet, you may do so at the November 12^th meeting or by contacting me. Please remind the guys that we will also be choosing our co-ed selection for next year. The choices which we will vote on are: People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, Big Russ & Me by Tim Russert, The Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo, The Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Tolle and The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield.

Finally, the date of the January meeting has been set for January 14^th and the selection is Northern Borders by Howard Frank Mosher.

Hopefully, I haven’t forgotten anything. Now that the weather is colder, it is time to hunker in with a good book!

Jan

August

Dear Book Clubbers,
Last night’s meeting at Joanne’s to discuss The Time Traveler’s Wife was super. It was terrific to see some old faces back in the mix and to add another new one. Welcome to new member, Natalie Rinaldi, and welcome back to those of you we’ve been missing. The group gave the book pretty close to 4 stars. Part of what made the discussion great is that there was a wide range of how we felt about the book. The other nice aspect is that we were able to help each other “get” some of the confusing aspects of the time travel. I think all agreed that the book’s premise was pretty creative and that the love story was moving. Of course, the company and refreshments were excellent and no neighbors called the sheriff when we sang “Happy Birthday” to Marilyn. Thanks to Joanne for hosting such a successful gathering.

Those of you in attendance know that we spent a lot of time on the logistics of our Book Selection Night (and used book swap) which is coming up very soon at 6:45 PM on Wednesday, September 10th. The details are:
Location: Pool shelter (foul weather back up site is 8 Woodstock*)
Time: 6:45 PM
Bring: In addition to what you sign up for please bring along your own wineglass, coffee cup, folding chair (if you don’t want to sit on a picnic table bench), used books to pass on (optional) and most importantly…ideas for books for our group to read in the coming year.

When researching possible books, please be prepared to present a brief synopsis and summary of reviews as well as information regarding the books’ length and availability in paperback. Books chosen must be currently in print! Bring along a printout from Amazon or a bookstore, a newspaper clipping, or a handwritten summary…something for us to place on the table to represent that book and jog people’s memories regarding content during the voting period.

If you weren’t there last night and plan on attending, please call Shirley to get an assignment.

Our next book will be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Please note that we have switched that meeting to Wednesday, October 15th to avoid a holiday conflict. The location of that meeting is still being confirmed and will be announced at the September 10th gathering. I can order the book for anyone from Amazon for $9.59 plus tax.

I think I have covered all the important stuff. I hope you all enjoy the long weekend and that we get a September that makes up for our cool, wet summer.

Jan

July 2008

Dear Bookclubbers,
Thank you all for turning out and giving such a great welcome to our visiting author, Ann McCauley, on Wednesday night. I think all will agree that we had a delightful discussion with her, gaining new insight into the writing process and the creation of Runaway Grandma. Especially great was the reappearance of several members who have been missed of late. Welcome back to them and welcome to Polly McCauley and Joan’s friend, Jan. We hope to see you all again in August.

Speaking of August, there has been an important date and location change for the August meeting. We will now be getting together on Thursday, August 28^th at 7:15 PM at Joanne Richter’s. Joanne is currently between computers, so you will have to call her by phone to let her know if you are coming. Hopefully, the people who volunteered to bring snacks remember who they are. The book is still The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Just let me know if you would like the book ordered from Amazon.com. The cost is $11.20 plus tax. Amazon now has to charge sales tax in NYS, so please take note of the amount on the receipt which accompanies the delivery when you reimbursing me.

The next important date is Wednesday, September 10^th. This is the night we will be meeting to make our book selections for the remainder of the year. I think we decided that we will meet at the pool shelter. The idea is for everyone to bring a few ideas for possible reads. Each suggestion will be briefly presented. It is important to bring a printout about the book, the actual book or a short handwritten summary. These will then be laid out on a table and each of us will go around with poker chips or pennies to place on the books we would like to see selected. At the end of the evening the books with the most votes go on the upcoming schedule. This will also be our night for an informal used book exchange. We will discuss details for that process and make a plan for eats and drinks at the August meeting. It probably would be a good idea to have a volunteer to provide a little organization for the refreshments that evening. The hope is that by having this book selection night, we should gain more time to actually discuss the books at regular meetings and …of course for socializing.

The choices made in September will begin after the October 8^th meeting which will still be The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ($7.19 on Amazon.com). This is a great read that I think you will all enjoy.

Finally, thank you all for your contributions to make our summer event so successful. Special appreciation goes out to Jill for all her hard work in bringing Ann to us, purchasing the books, picking up the gift certificate, etc.

Jan

June 2008

Dear Bookclubbers,
Sorry to take so long to get this out after last week’s meeting at Sue K’s to discuss Wicked. I guess with the nice weather, I tend to be doing outside stuff and ignoring the stuff that requires sitting at my desk. Anyway, it was an excellent discussion even though the book only ranked 2.4 stars on our rating scale. Sue did a great job of uncovering some areas for discussion, which will also make for interesting points of comparison for those going to see the musical at Shea’s. Welcome to new member, Kristin Bradley!

I think we are doing pretty well getting organized for the author night on Wednesday, July 16th to discuss Runaway Grandma by Ann McCauley. We have decided to have the meeting begin at 6 PM so that we can be leisurely about our dinner. I can still order people the book from Amazon.com for around $15. Jill has offered make another run to Bradford to get them from the author (same price), but I’m thinking we should save her that hassle. Anyone who gets one from someplace other than the author can still have their copy signed the night of the event.

Below you will find the list of things we still could use for the party. Each of you on the e-mail list will also be getting a reminder saying what you have committed to bring. If you didn’t sign up at Sue’s, call or e-mail me to let me know what you will bring. Also, please remember that I need an accurate head count in order to set up enough chairs for this meeting which often has a larger attendance.

Speaking of which, that reminds me to remind you that this author night is a good time to invite friends who might want to see what our group is about or just hear what Ann McCauley has to say. Also, PLEASE bring questions for her and ideas for discussion topics. I always feel pressure to have an especially chatty discussion when we have a guest author and I can sure use your help with that.

Don’t forget that we will be collecting $5 to pay for chicken breasts, paper products, some drinks, condiments and rolls as well as to fund some sort of honorarium for the author. That is another reason we need a fairly accurate head count ahead of time, so that we can gage what we have available to purchase a gift certificate for her. I am going to say that you should let me know if you plan to attend by July 7th. For those of you who signed up for food already, I will assume you are coming unless I hear otherwise between now and 7/7.

After this, our next meeting will be Wednesday, August 27th. We are still planning on it being at Orie Hebard’s in Buffalo. The book is The Time Traveler’s Wife (Amazon $11.20) by Audrey Niffenegger. For dates beyond that, check our wonderful blog at www.crbc.blogspot.com.

Food still needed for Summer Author Night:

• Chardonnay
• Shiraz
• Appetizer (1)
• Green salad
• Pasta salad
• Desserts (2-3)

I think that covers it for now.
Jan

April 2008

Dear Book Clubbers,

Last night’s meeting at Jill’s to discuss the classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, was a huge success. I think the book receive 5 stars from just about everyone in attendance. We had a great turnout and welcomed new member, Diane Knight. The discussion of the book was excellent and we made good progress with tidying up the house keeping aspects of the club. As usual, the treats were delicious. Thanks Jill for doing such a great job of leading our book chat and for your awesome work on the blog and the meeting schedule.

Our next meeting is at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, June 4th at Sue Kellner’s. We will be reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. Please don’t forget to give Sue a heads up if you are planning to attend. Snack members for that night will be Shirley, Sue Payne and Grace with Sarah helping out with wine. If anyone wants me to order the book for them from Amazon for $11.20, just let me know. It isn’t a super short read, so get going!

Following that, our summer meeting will be an author night to discuss Runaway Grandma by Ann McCauley (her pen name). The tentative date for that event is July 16th, but Jill will have to verify the author’s availability before that is written in stone. Also your hostess for the evening (that would be me) has to check with her sister-in-law regarding the timing of their visit this summer. I can order this book on Amazon for $14.95, but I am going to suggest that we hold off on that as well since Jill may be able to get us copies directly from the author. Stay tuned on all that.

Keeping on a six week schedule will take us to August 27th for the next meeting. The book for that meeting is going to be The Time Traveler’s Wife (Amazon $11.20) by Audrey Niffenegger. The location is still pending at this writing. After that we will read The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Amazon $9.59) on 10/8 or thereabouts.

The biggest news is that we made a decision regarding how to streamline the book selection process so that we are not spending so much of our meeting time choosing books. This should allow us to focus on the book under discussion that night, the refreshments and socializing. Several members brought suggestions based on how other book clubs handle making their choices. After we hashed it all out, it was decided that we would have a meeting in the fall with the sole purpose of choosing the books for the year. Everyone would bring ideas and give a short synopsis to the group. Hopefully, they could also bring the actual book or a printout with some reviews or something for everyone to look at. After we heard a little about all the books, we would wander around looking at the books or reviews. Each of us would have the same number of pennies as the number of meetings we have in a year. We would put our pennies down on the books which most appealed to us, and the books with the most pennies (top 7 or so) would make the list for the upcoming year. We would continue to choose the next co-ed book at the co-ed meeting and would remain open and flexible in the event that a special opportunity such as an author night or a timely “must read” came up. We have tentatively picked September 10th as the night for this selection process. We are thinking of having the meeting at the pool shelter and making it a wine and cheese party as well. As you read above, we have picked books up through early October, so we would start with the new way after that.

Phew, that was a lot to say. If you have any questions about all of this…check our trusty blog at www.crbc.blogspot.com or call me.

Jan

March 2008

Dear Book Clubbers,

We had an excellent turnout for Wednesday’s meeting. Welcome to new member Katie Korn. It is so wonderful that our group continues to grow as we enter our 10th year! Most who attended had seen Pillars through to completion and on the average gave the book 4.5 stars. The discussion was lively, although perhaps limited somewhat by the amount of time we spent choosing books for the future. More about that later…

Following our 6 week rotation, our next meeting will be at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, April 23rd at Jill’s house. Our selection for that night is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Please let Jill know if you are coming by contacting her on her cell phone or via e-mail. The snack members for that night are Jennifer, Katie and Beth. I am sure there are tons of copies of this book around, but if anyone wants me to order one for them on Amazon, the regular paperback is $6.99 and the larger, trade paperback size is $10.85.

There were a lot of excellent selections proposed for future discussions. Unfortunately, when I attempted to research them quickly on the internet during the meeting, some were difficult to obtain (no recent printings) or only available in hardcover. Since Wednesday, I have had some member feedback suggesting that we dedicate part of one meeting every 6-12 months to choosing all the books for the upcoming gatherings. This way, ideas could be brought to the meeting with all the “background checks” already done and we could speed through the process faster. My input is that once a year seems like we would be less flexible to jump on “hot reads”. I think that what happened is that we usually know our books one to two meetings in advance, but between the co-ed get together and my absence at the January meeting, we fell behind. Perhaps we can think about an every 6 month power session? We’ll talk about that next time. Of the suggestions proposed Wednesday, only four satisfy our criteria at this time. They are:

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (lost out this time in a hat draw)
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (not a light choice, but one we should do)
Wicked by Gregory Maguire (unsure regarding “discussability”)
Into the Wilderness by Sarah Donati (too lengthy after Pillars)

We all agreed that we will have Jill pursue the possibility of having Ann McCauley (actually that’s a pen name), the author of Runaway Grandma, as our guest for the summer meeting. Joanne is still working on reaching the author of Scatter My Ashes over Havana, but has been unsuccessful so far.

After the April meeting, our next date is June 4th. Don’t forget you can see the tentative schedule well in advance on the blog at www.crbc.blogspot.com.

I hope I haven’t forgotten anything.

Jan

P.S.
I forgot to say that I did follow up on our search for a possible selection about the Great Race of 1908 as we celebrate the 100^th anniversary of that event and the tie to Springville. The only books on the subject that I could find available were children’s books. Sorry.

January 2008

Dear Book Clubbers,
Jill filled me in today on what transpired at last week’s book club meeting. I will try to recap the details and hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything.

I understand that the discussion of Lovely Bones was quite interesting. Thanks Ann for doing such a great job of hosting. Welcome to new members Pam Kozlikowski and Liz Strong who are next door neighbors on the Ridge. Apparently, Gert Forde is experiencing some serious health problems.

The decision was made to go with an every 6 week meeting schedule. Exceptions will be made for holidays and other times when the scheduled time falls on an obviously bad date. The tentative schedule for some time in the future can be seen on the blog at www.crbc.blogspot.com. Thanks again to Jill for continuing what Beth got started.

Our next meeting will be at 7:15 on Wednesday, March 12th at Marilyn’s. The book for that night will be Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. This book is receiving a lot of recent attention due to the release of the (sort of) sequel, World Without End, this fall. Snack people for that night are Liz, Shirley and Jill. The book is available on Amazon for $12. I am happy to order it for anyone with my free shipping deal, but you need to let me know right away since we will be leaving town later this week. Pillars is a nice long winter read, so get going!

A suggestion was made for a lighter read, Whistled Like a Bird by Sally Putnam-Chapman, for the April meeting. We will see if any progress has been made on our proposed author night before firming up our spring choices. It was also brought up that this July, there will be a 100th anniversary reenactment of the Great Race from NYC to Paris. Possibly, there might be a book about that event which might be a fun summer choice.

We are still looking for the recipes for some of the co-ed night yummies to put on the blog. Specifically, there have been a lot of requests for Barb’s Swedish meatballs, Ina’s Extreme Brownies and Sue’s Pumpkin dessert. Please get the recipes to Jill or by regular mail to Jill.

Hopefully, I’ve covered all the important items for the moment.

Stay warm and well read! See you in March.

Jan

November/December 2007

December 11, 2007

Dear Book Clubbers,

Sorry it has taken me so long to get the newsletter out. Those of you who were there know that we had a really lively discussion of The Road. Love it or hate it, the book seemed to generate some strong feelings in just about everyone, so that made for an interesting meeting. We did hash out the co-ed book club choice for next year which will be Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson. This comes well recommended not only from within our group, but also from my son-in-laws’ mom, who reads a ton. Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth was a close second, largely because of its overwhelming length (pushing 1,000 pages).

The first meeting of 2008 will be at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, January 16th at Ann’s house. The selection for that night will be Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I can order that book for any who want it from Amazon. Unfortunately, the trade paperback size that is available with my free shipping deal is $11.55. You may recall that I am not going to be there that night and will be gone until early March. One suggestion that was made is to select Pillars of the Earth as our next book after that and allow a good stretch of time in between…until perhaps early to mid March. That would give everyone a big thick book to get into for the winter. You guys decide at the meeting. If we picked volunteers to bring “snack” that night, I did not write it down…or I did and I lost it. Please let Ann know if you are coming and a couple people should offer to bring a treat.

The other suggestion that has been raised is to lock the night of book club in to the same week every month. That would make it so all could plan on the second Wednesday of the month (for example) as being book club night. The drawback I see to that is that we had originally thought that 4 weeks was a little quick to get a book read and still have time to read other things as well. I think going 8 weeks between meetings would be a little too long. Again, you all can discuss it in January.

On a personal note, thank you all for the help in getting the house back in ship shape prior to Rob’s surgery the day after book club. The surgery went fine and Rob has been recuperating well. Thanks also to all of you for the well wishes, offers of “guy job” help and everything else that you have done. What a great community we live in! I better get back to my holiday preparations before Rob rings his bell to be waited on.

Happy Holidays,
Jan

PS: Someone left their copy of The Road on our stairs. Please let me know so I can get it back to you.

July 2007

July 16, 2007

Dear Book Clubbers,
I am writing this letter late because the food at tonight’s meeting was so good that I have “agita”! Look it up in an Italian dictionary if you don’t know what that means. Thankfully, the weather held and we were able to have a great meal and discussion of the light read, The Black Madonna outside. Welcome to new member Donna Deyermond! It was great to see Nancy doing so well after her surgery and Joan getting around well after her foot operation. Thanks to everyone who cooked and helped. It really was pretty yummy.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 18th at 7:15 PM at Linda Hoffman’s. We forgot to ask for volunteers to supply goodies, so if three people can confirm that they will bring something to Linda’s that would be super. The book for that night will be The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory. Let me know (if you didn’t tonight) if you would like it ordered from Amazon for $10.88. You have 8-9 weeks, but it is a long one so get cracking.
After that, we are pursuing having author, Olga Karman come to discuss her autobiography, Scatter My Ashes Over Havana. That will be at Joanne Richter’s house in October. More details should be available on that at the September meeting.

We also are going to give the guys a kick in the butt to get together to select a book for the co-ed meeting in late November or early December. Remember that they said they would like to pick the book this time, so we are trying to let them, but they need to come up with it by the September 18th meeting. I will try to light a fire under Rob to get something moving, but you ladies bug your guys as well.

Grace mentioned that this month the Springville Center for the Arts is celebrating the art, history and natural beauty of the Zoar Valley. Guided nature hikes are available on the weekends. Wednesday night at 6:30 PM there is a lecture being given at the center on this topic. Deb Barone suggested that people heading to the discussion might want to stop for a fund raising chicken BBQ at the old Orsini’s restaurant which is now home to the 10 Lives Cat Sanctuary.

I guess that is it in a nut shell. Good night. I wish you all lots of lazy reading days as we enjoy our fine Glenwood summer.
Jan

September 2007

September 18, 2007

Dear Book Clubbers,
Tonight’s discussion of The Other Boleyn Girl at Linda’s was superb. Turns out that the Tutor period of English history is a bit of a special interest for Linda and she did an awesome job of facilitating the discussion. We welcomed new member Jill Gregory to our ranks and greatly appreciated her dessert contribution as well as the other yummies! Sounds like this book is going to be a movie come December, so there may be a night out in our future.

Joanne Richter has been unsuccessful in her recent attempts to reach the local author of Scatter My Ashes Over Havana which was going to be our October book. Since it is probably not realistic to ask someone to come out here in the winter, we will put that author night off until the spring.

The consensus was that Wednesday nights will work for most everyone and will eliminate many of the Tuesday meeting and class conflicts that plaque us. We will next meet at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, October 24th at Joan’s house to read Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Snack people that night are Sue P., Sue K. and Marilyn. Nancy will bring some wine.

Following that, we are up to the co-ed night. We didn’t get a ton of help from the guys, but Marty proposed The Road by Cormac McCarthy. I have heard that although this book is somewhat disturbing at times, it is absolutely riveting and should generate a ton of excellent discussion. We will discuss food for this get together at the next meeting. Get those guys reading!

If anyone who didn’t order the books tonight would like me to order them from Amazon, the prices are $8.99 for Eat, Pray, Love and $8.97 for The Road.

Linda will keep us posted on a fund raising art auction that she is involved with which will be held on Saturday, January 26th. She promises a good time will be had by all…details to follow.
I think that is all for now…someone speak up if I forgot something.

Jan

October 2007

October 25, 2007

Dear Book Clubbers,

My, what a turn out we had at Joan’s last night! I think that may have set a new record (not counting the author nights, summer feasts or the co-ed meetings). It was great to see some new faces (Welcome Carol and Ina!) and some people who haven’t been able to make it in a while. Seems like even though there were mixed feelings about the book (and even about its distinct parts) most people drew some interesting points from it. A huge thank you to Joan for accommodating such a large group so graciously!

After a touch of discussion regarding the trouble some members are having with the nature of The Road, we decided to forge ahead with it for the co-ed meeting on Wednesday, November 28th. Even though this book might be uncomfortable or disturbing, it will hopefully promote a lively discussion. We will get together at 6:30 PM for that meeting to allow for tons of eating and socializing. However, we are NOT going through the hassle of trying to get the guys to make their own choice next year. I have provided a list of book titles that have been thrown out as possibilities for the co-ed meeting over the last several months, and we will pick next year’s book on the 28th! Please ask around, check the reviews and share the list with your men. If any of them miraculously comes up with another suggestion, they can propose it at the meeting. I recognize that doing it this way eliminates the option of reading some hot new book next year, but chances are that anything that hasn’t come out yet wouldn’t be in paperback a year from now anyway. Make sense? A list of who signed up to bring what is also included with this newsletter. Since our numbers seem to be on an upswing (YEAH!), it is very important to let the hostess (in this case me) know that you will be coming to allow for appropriate set up. I hope we have an awesome turnout for the co-ed night!

Our first meeting of 2008 will be at 7:15 PM on Wednesday, January 16^th at Ann Britain’s house. We chose The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. Ann has requested help leading the discussion. Perhaps we can take a few minutes of time at the co-ed meeting to quickly resolve the details of the January stuff. Snack volunteers for that night are Loraine, Polly and Marion.

In other news, Marion announced that she will be selling her home and moving to Fox Run this coming summer. As much as we will miss her as a neighbor, we will still have her as a good and true friend despite a little distance. You may contact her for details on her exciting plan or if you know of anyone who might be interested in purchasing her house.

Marilyn will be hosting an open house during the day on Saturday, December 8th to display her daughter-in-law, Freeda’s handmade jewelry. Freeda has her own unique style and designs for you to check out…think Christmas gifts. Details will follow.

Jill Gregory has offered to help assume care of our awesome web site that Beth set up. We should be proud of that site. I was amazed that when I googled on “co-ed book club selections” our humble little blog was the 4th thing listed! Giving your reading friends our site (www.crbc.blogspot.come) is a good way to provide them with a list of all the books we’ve read. Thanks, Beth and Jill.

I think that covers it for the moment. Again, I apologize that our hastily made plan for January will require a little tweaking at the co-ed meeting.

Jan

September

September 17, 2006

Dear Book Clubbers,
I am still in a state of shock!!!!!! Thank you all so very much for the wonderful surprise birthday cake, gift and card. I was truly blown away by your thoughtfulness. Not sure anyone had ever snuck up on me that effectively before. I certainly felt honored and appreciated and…a little bit speechless. Rob said to be sure to thank all of you for getting me so wound up Thursday night that I kept him awake with my babble. I will keep you posted on what theater thing I pick to go see. I really can’t say enough about how much our group and all of you mean to me – "sworn sisters" one and all.
Thanks also to Loraine for hosting such a great night and to Barb for that special cake! Our discussion of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan was very interesting. Grace’s and Shirley’s input regarding their recent exposure to Chinese culture added another dimension. Welcome to new members Lucy Carson and Sarah Mugel.
Our next read will be My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult. We will meet at Polly’s at 7:15 PM on Tuesday, October 17th. So far Shirley and Ann are scheduled to bring goodies. Anyone wanting me to order the book from Amazon for $8.40 should contact me today (Sunday). If you don’t get this newsletter by then, you can leave a message while I am away and I will try to check my messages and order books while I am away.
After that we are already looking ahead to the co-ed book night on December 5th. We have chosen Up Country by Nelson DeMille. This is available from Amazon for $7.99. Again, let me know if you need me to order for you.
In other news, please keep Jean Clohessy in your thoughts and prayers. She is now residing at Orchard Heights. Her room is #112, and she can sure use visitors during this adjustment phase.
Guess that’s all for now. Enjoy the last days of summer and get ready to hunker in for the "get cozy and read by the fire" season.
Jan

August 20, 2006

Dear Book Clubbers,
So sorry to take so long to get this out. I was negotiating changes in our schedule, but more about that later. Our author night was a great success I’m told. I was a bit preoccupied with the details, but I think we had a pretty good discussion considering the diversity of the literary types we pulled together. Thanks so much again to everyone who gave extra help for the event, especially Marilyn, Loraine and Grace.
In terms of that night’s unfinished business, I am still planning on visiting Margery Facklam at her home and may be able to get additional copies of her books, and possibly Peggy Thomas’s, signed at that time. Anyone who wants to take advantage of that should contact me ASAP. I’m not sure when I will be going, but hopefully it will be within the next month or so. Also, I need to let Linda Hoffman know if anyone wants a copy of the book her son edited, Dispatches from the Field.
We elected to stick with our choice of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See for our fall kickoff meeting. Loraine will host the meeting, but we have changed the date. I had a chance to go out of town and since I suggested this book, I really wanted to be there. Rather than make it one of the bad Tuesdays for school board, etc. we are going to try for Thursday, September 14th at 7:15 PM. Hope that works for most of you. This will be an important planning meeting for the upcoming months as well. Anyone wanting me to get them the book from Amazon should let me know. It is currently selling for $8.37 in trade paperback. Those of you who find the book a little tough at the start, should stick with it. I think it is a great women’s issues/relationships book.
After that if you still want to read something by the Dalai Lama, you need to come with ideas for which one to choose. There are a ton of choices and I don’t know anything about them. Also bring suggestions for other books and we will try to plan our next few meetings.
I guess that’s all for now. Enjoy these last few weeks of summer.
Jan

July 22, 2006


Dear Bookclubbers,

OK, I can finally send out a newsletter since things are shaping up at last for the summer meeting. Before I bring you up to date, I should say that the meeting at Donna’s a few weeks ago was fantastic. We had a super turnout and managed (barely) to surprise Marion with a small celebration of her milestone birthday. It seems most everyone enjoyed Three Weeks with My Brother, and we also digressed and talked about a lot of other stuff. Typical!

I think we had pretty much decided on Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See for our first fall meeting. In light of the fact that the Dhali Lama is coming to Buffalo, there was interest in reading one of his books at some point. Do we want to do that for September (the month of his visit) and postpone the Lisa See book to October? My one thing is that I want to try to make sure that Shirley and Grace can make the night of the Snow Flower and the Secret Fan so that they can interject stuff from their recent trip to China. Also, that would be two non-fiction choices in a row. Everyone think about it, and we will have a VERY brief business part at the start of the August meeting.

As for that meeting, hopefully everyone knows that we are on for August 8th at my house. I’d like to have people seated and get rolling shortly after 7 PM since we have a lot going on that night and some of the special guests have a distance to travel. If people could arrive around 6:45 PM and get going on food and drinks, that will be awesome. I will probably put some people that know my kitchen in charge of supervising getting the food and beverages put out so that I can spend a few minutes with the special guests getting a feel for what they are comfortable talking about, etc. Speaking of food and drinks, I have totally misplaced the list that said who is bringing what. If you can let me know again, that would be appreciated. Also please remember that not everyone can bring wine, but the appetizers and desserts can be simple, not time consuming! Those of you who can also help with set up or cleanup, I will definitely be counting on you!

Right now (please keep in mind that I haven’t started the book), I am hoping that the special guests can comment on their writing process in the context of stuff that Anne Lamott has written. I envision this discussion being a little more controlled and more listening on our part than our usual meeting. Think about questions on aspects of writing that you would like to ask.

Let me review the special guests and their writings.

Diane Bridenbaker: local author of Tricked, a mystery set in Glenwood and dealing with the dog show world. Diane has just completed her second book. Copies of Tricked can be obtained ahead of time by stopping at the Fireside Inn on a Wednesday night. She is usually there and has copies of the book with her. I’m sure she will bring some to the meeting as well. As an aside, Diane is the former owner of the Whistling Thistle Gift Shop. Catherine has been in touch with her and mentioned that Diane has left over stock from the store. Anyone who used to like to pick up a few items there may be able to tap into that reserve. Talk to Catherine if you want details on that.

Margery Facklam: author of tons of children’s books. Most, but not all, have a scientific slant. Marge’s late husband was my high school biology teacher and they co-authored many books as well. When asked what her personal favorite is, she answered The Big Bug Book because her son, Paul did the illustrations for that. That book is out of print, but she will bring some of the last copies to the meeting in case anyone would like to purchase one.

Peggy Thomas: Marge’s daughter and also an author of children’s books. Her most recent is Joshua and the Giant Frog. Many of her books deal with wildlife and conservation issues.

Our homegrown writer types include our own Peggy Healy Stearns. Peggy has been a highly accomplished creator of children’s educational software for many years and is recently trying her hand at children’s books. She has attended several writing workshops working toward that goal. Marilyn Dickhut’s daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Dickhut (aka Beth), also hopes to join us that night. Beth is a high school English teacher and is writing poetry in her free time. She has had several poems selected by the Buffalo News for publication. As I am writing this she is attending the prestigious Iowa State Creative Writing workshop.

I took a few of Margery and Peggy’s books out of the library. I will start them around so that you can see what they are like. I will put a club rooster inside one of the books. Please look at the books quickly and pass them on, crossing your name off the list when you do. If I can’t get my online library account working, I may have to get them back to renew them…oh, well. If I can obtain any samples of Beth’s poetry or Peggy’s stories, I will try to circulate them as well.

I think I better stop writing this letter and get reading. Please call or e-mail me and let me know what you are bringing.

Jan

PS: If anyone that had me order Bird by Bird for them hasn’t paid, please get me a check for $10.74.