Meeting Reminder

It's that time again, and I'm not talking about Christmas. Although I hope you are all having a great Christmas season. Can you believe all this snow He poured over us today? Beautiful! Be safe in your travels tomorrow.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night, Monday, 12/13, 7-9p, Biggby in Jackson to discuss Ape House, by Sarah Gruen. Even though this is a very busy time for all of us, it will do us good to unwind with a delicious treat and some girl time. See you then!

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

It was a great get-together last Monday. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was a hit. We all agreed with the popular opinion that 'if you can make it through the first 100 or so pages, you'll not be able to put it down.' The story was a bit difficult to follow at first, but as soon as the author started bringing the pieces together, it took off quickly. I think most of us will end up reading the other two books in the series. I know the ending of this one made me...um... angry (sort of), so I'm hoping there's more of a resolution throughout the next book. Deb is already halfway through the 2nd one, and assures us that our curiosity will be satisfied. Can't wait to get started. It's interesting and unfortunate that the author of this series died before he was able to see his work make the bestsellers list. Lisa shared with us some information she found out about that fact. This is a series that is definitely worth exploring. If you've thought about reading them but haven't taken the plunge yet, you're highly encouraged to do so. You won't be disappointed.

For those of you who weren't able to make the meeting, we missed you! I hope you enjoyed the selection, and that you're getting into the current one, Ape House, by Sara Gruen. Our little group is growing, even though the numbers at the actual meetings remain consistently between 4-6 or so. We welcome anyone who wants to get to know us, either through the once-a-month meetings or through these emails. If you enjoy following us through these emails and our blog, that's absolutely fine. But if you can ever make it to any of our meetings, I believe you'll find it to be a deeper dimension of the book-loving-friend-bonding experience. Feel free to pop in on them as you can, or become a regular whenever the time is right for you.

Our next read, after Ape House, is Saving Max, by Antoinette van Heugten. The synopsis of the book leads me to believe the story is an emotionally charged one. I hope you join us in reading it.

Have a wonderful, peaceful, happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Happy Reading!

Meeting Date Revision For November

I need to postpone this month's meeting to the following Monday, Nov 15. I am sorry for the short notice. I'm entertaining for a visit to Michigan from a manager from the company I now work for, and will be tied up Monday night. I hope you're all enjoying this month's read, Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I wasn't sure what to expect of it, but I'm getting into it. Looking forward to hearing what the rest of you think about it.

I hope next Monday, November 15, Biggby Jackson, 7-9pm works for you. And I hope you're having a great fall, getting ready to go into a busy holiday season.

Meeting Reminder

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful fall season! We've been blessed with wonderful weather, and the colors are starting to pop. Perfect for sitting outside on a porch swing or a blanket in the yard with a good book. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow night to talk about Committed. I think Biggby has some new fall-flavored drinks now too, yum! If you haven't had a chance to read the book, don't worry about it. Come out anyway and enjoy a refreshing couple of hours with a great group of women. See you there!

Biggby Jackson, Monday, Oct. 11, 7-9pm.

The Help (and More)

It's great to see our group growing. A big welcome to our newest friends: Heather, Terry, and Mandy. It was fun getting to know you last night.

I believe the general opinion of Katheryn Stockett's The Help was that it was an entertaining, eye-opening account of Jackson, MS in the '60s. Even though the book is a fiction novel, the story is a pretty accurate picture of the social ladder and attitudes of women, both black and white, of that time. Kudos to Katherine.

Our current read is Committed, by Elizabeth Gilbert. Most of us enjoyed Eat Pray Love and are looking forward to reading more of Elizabeth's thoughts on balancing life, relationships, and marriage. Committed, like Eat Pray Love, is a non-fiction bestseller. Even so, Eat Pray Love read like a novel. It will be interesting to hear what everyone thinks about Committed.

I shared with the group a fun activity I found on Barnes & Noble's website. They have several online community book groups, and one of them is called First Look. They post a book and give you the opportunity to read and review it before it hits the shelves. The book is usually the author's first novel. BN will send you the book for free, and it's yours to keep. You are asked to read it and join the online discussion, which most of the time includes the author him/herself. I participated in this when the book was Writing Circle, which is now on the New Arrivals table in hard cover in most book stores. We are in the middle of another one, so it's too late to sign up for this one, but keep checking and get in on the next one if you can. It's a great way to get a free book and be involved in shaping some ideas. Check it out here: http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/ It's the second-to-last section on the page. Mandy also told us that some publishers offer this opportunity as well. I'll do some digging and see what I can find.

As for the homework I assigned (seriously, I hope it didn't come off as an assignment - this is a totally optional activity for you), I'd like to say a couple of things about The Elements and the wave choices I passed out. You've probably noticed that the things on the list are not 'big' commitments - just some great ideas on how you can be intentional in living day to day in the shadow of Jesus. I feel fulfilled when I make a conscious effort to make some of those choices and follow through. I hope you will find this activity valuable as well.

In addition, I would like to make a suggestion that fits into the 'world' part of The Elements. Last night we talked about a friend, Sandy, in Concord who is battling breast cancer. Lisa Wooden is leading the organization of a fundraiser event this Friday, 9/17. Sandy has been unable to work for several months while undergoing treatment, and her disability benefits will be ending shortly. She will need assistance until she can return to work. Friday, there will be a spaghetti dinner and silent auction at Concord High School in the cafeteria, 4-7pm. Any support you can offer that evening will be greatly appreciated.

My suggestion builds on helping Sandy. I see a wonderful opportunity for us as a group to help out. If you would like to commit to this, we could easily put together a valuable care package to offer Sandy next month. Here's what I'm thinking: each of us could collect things over the next couple of weeks, bring them to our next meeting, and put them together for Lisa to take to Sandy. Ideas could be gift cards for groceries and stores where she can purchase things they need at home, general gift cards that can be used anywhere, food, maybe even some cooked meals that she can freeze and reheat. Lisa, perhaps you could give us some more ideas if you know of specific things she may need. I will send out a reminder email each Friday until our next meeting and will include updates and any new ideas as they come up.

Our next meeting to discuss Committed, is on Monday, October 12, 7-9pm, Biggby Jackson. We've also chosen our next two books.
November: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson
December: Ape House, by Sarah Gruen

Have a wonderful September!
Happy Reading!!!

Meeting Reminder, August 9, 2010

I'm sorry, I forgot to send this out over the weekend. I hope you all have it on your calendars to come to our book discussion tonight. Eat Pray Love is one of my favorite all time books, and I can't wait to hear what you all thought of it. Biggby Jackson, 7-9pm. Come, bring a friend if you want. We're also going to be making plans for our field trip to go see the movie. The more the merrier. It will be a blast!

Have a great Monday! (is that a contradiction of terms ;-) ?)

Something for Eat Pray Love

Sheila found this link with some cool stuff to look at about Eat Pray Love. Particularly, there are three videos that interview Elizabeth Gilbert, one for each place she visited. It looks like there are shopping links as well. Enjoy!

If you are unable to see the message below, click here to view.

	Shop the Collection. See the Movie August 13. EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW Let yourself go with new discoveries in the spirit of Eat, Pray, LoveTM. shop now
	SPECIAL NETWORK EVENT AUGUST 6-8 © Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Captivating

It was so good to get together with the girls last night! All it takes is missing a month to realize how much I've grown to love our group. Captivating, by John Eldredge was our book of discussion. The different perspectives of the book, from all of us being in different places in our lives, was really good to talk about. Lisa shared an 'ah-ha' moment she had when she read some things that made certain things that have happened in her life make sense. Crissie read it for the second time, the first being when she was in college, and it talked to her in a totally different way this time. I am fascinated by the fact that life works like that, and it was therapeutic to talk about.

We made a decision on our next two books. I'm really excited about both! We're starting Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert for August. This book is a real life story about Elizabeth's search for herself and the places that search takes her. And..... are you ready?..... we planned a field trip for August! Eat Pray Love has been made into a movie, staring Julia Roberts. Mark your calenders for a movie date on Sunday, August 15. More details to come. That means you have to have the book read by then, so get reading. I'm 99.9% sure you're going to love this one.

Our September selection is The Help, by Katheryn Stockett. The Help is Katheryn's first novel, and it's a story set in Jackson, Mississippi about black maids working for white families in the 1960s. It is a work of fiction, and it's told from the perspective of two black maids and one white woman. Barnes and Noble did an interview with the author, which you can find in a free podcast on itunes if you're interested.

So, our agenda for August and September:

• Read Eat Pray Love
• Next meeting is Monday, 8/9, 7-9p, Jackson Biggby
• Movie date with the girls to see Eat Pray Love in theaters on August 15
• Read The Help
• Meet September 13, 7-9p, Jackson Biggby

Happy reading! (We miss you, Deb!)

Meeting Reminder

Guess what tomorrow is??? Book group! Yay! We'll be talking about Captivating, among other things. I look forward to hearing how the summer has been for all of you. Also, we don't have the next book picked yet, so come with suggestions. I have a few in mind.

Jackson Biggby, Monday 7/12, 7-9pm. See you there!

July Meeting

I hope you all are enjoying your summer. Deb, we miss you already! I'll bet you're having a blast traipsing around the countryside. :)

There wasn't much to report from last month's read since we didn't end up having a gathering around it. No biggie though. Summer. Busy. Typical for groups during the summer. Right now, you should be reading Captivating, by John Eldridge. Our next get-together is Monday, July 12, 7-9p, Jackson Biggby, and we will be discussing Captivating. This book was suggested by Crissie. She's read it already and says it's a MUST for every woman. I love books like that. I've started it, and so far I have to agree with Crissie. I would suggest looking for this book at Agape in the Crossing. The library probably has it as well.

I'm looking forward to seeing all of you July 12. If you're going away for the 4th of July holiday, Captivating would be a great book to take along for the road.

Winter Garden

Deb, Crissie and I had a great time, just the three of us, last meeting. We missed the rest of you. :) Kristin Hannah's Winter Garden was hands down one of our favorites so far. Kristin did a wonderful job of weaving two stories together in a way that made you feel like you were reading two books at once, and at the same time like you were right in the middle of the life of each of the three main women, present and past. The bonus is that we got a peek into a piece of history. The three of us reflected on how a story like this can make us step back from our own problems and what we believe to be a stressful life, and realize how we can't even begin to imagine what it must have been like to live through that time in Leningrad. Can you imagine being SO cold and SO hungry for SO long? Or loosing a child to starvation? Or watching what you believe to be the tragic death of your 2nd child and husband? Kudos to Kristin for such an amazingly well-written story.

We decided to read more about Leningrad with our current book, The Madonnas of Leningrad. This is a good follow up to Winter Garden, and some of the facts in each book are reflective of each other. I hope you're enjoying it. We'll get together on Monday, June 14 to talk about Madonnas.

We've chosen the next book. Captivating, by John Eldredge. Crisse suggested it and is sure it will be a book we'll all enjoy and will prompt excellent discussion. This book should be easily found at Agape Booksellers in the Crossing. I will check with them ASAP to see if they can get extra copies for us.

Until next time.... Happy Reading!

Next Book

I hope everyone is enjoying Winter Garden. Can you believe April is almost over already? Our next meeting is May 10 at Biggby. Looking forward to hearing what you think about the book.



We took a vote for our next read, and Madonnas of Leningrad won out. I think this will be a great follow up to Winter Garden. If you've read Winter Garden, you'll know why. ;) I've already talked to Best Books in the Jackson Crossing, and they have copies in and waiting for us now. Remember to give my name when you pick yours up to get your 15% discount. Of course, the library has copies as well.


Have a great rest of the month! I'll see you in May......

Picking Dandelions

Had a great time tonight! We had a new friend join us. Welcome, Teresa! Deb, Lisa, Sheila, Teresa, Crissie, and I enjoyed some laughs and a little bit of book talk. ;) Crissie cracked us all up with her 'good guy, bad guy' negotiating tricks she and her hubby pulled off when buying their new car. SHE was the bad guy! Thanks, Crissie, for sharing your stories. Teresa fit right in with our goofiness, and Sheila and Crissie discovered they have much in common with their jobs and volunteer work. Crissie and I have new cars, so as we were leaving, we got to show off our new babies. Yay!

Picking Dandelions is a 'cute' book ;), so aptly described by Lisa. It was a fun read, enjoyable, but not too deep. Sarah has a wonderful way of using metaphors to tell us about her idea of and search for Eden. We heard her speak at Westwinds a few weeks ago, and she speaks and writes very well. This was only her second book, and we see her having a really bright future as an author. It was fun to read about things we could relate to locally, like Jackson High and some of the people she talked about.


For next week - I mean, month - sheesh! I was doing THAT all night too. Could NOT keep my chronology straight. Anyway, for next month, we're reading Winter Garden, by Kristin Hannah. Deb and I confessed we've already made it through the book - a fact that didn't please the rest of them! But.... all it took was a peek inside the book and I couldn't put it down. Yes, it's THAT good. So enjoy!


Ok.... for the next read, we have a decision to make. One choice is The Madonnas of Leningrad, by Debra Dean. This would be a good follow up to Winter Garden, because part of Winter Garden is set in Leningrad. Another book we've been talking about reading is A Reliable Wife, by Robert Goolrick. Click on the links to read about the books, and then comment to this blog or reply to all in the email to cast your vote. I would like to have your opinions by the end of this week, and then I'll let you all know which book was chosen and I will have Best Books get some copies in stock.

For everyone who came out tonight, thank you for coming. We had a blast, and the camaraderie was much needed! You've become a highlight of my month!

Meeting Reminder

I hope everyone enjoyed spring break. So sad it's ending, but really awesome that we have the entire summer to look forward to! :) The sunshine does wonders for the soul.

Tomorrow, Monday, April 12, 7-9 pm, Jackson Biggby. Come ready to talk about Sarah Cunningham's Picking Dandelions. I hope you all enjoyed the book as much as I did. It was nice to peek into Sarah's journey and walk beside her for a little bit.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow! As always - girl time is needed!!!

A Wizard of Earthsea

One of the great things about being part of a book group is that you end up reading books you might never have picked up on your own - a great way to open the mind and try new things. That's how it was with this book. We chose it to stick with a book-group tradition of supporting the NEA's Big Read. I don't think any of us were overly thrilled to get started on it because we aren't particularly fantasy/sci-fi fans. I, for one, found the book to be very entertaining and really enjoyed reading it. Then again, the Harry Potter series caught me off guard like that as well, as did the movie Avatar. Maybe I like fantasy/sci-fi more than I thought I did.

Anyway, the discussion of Earthsea was fun and insightful. The library is focusing on the book the entire month of March with free reading guides, CDs and events. I highly recommend picking up a CD (they're free) and listening to it. I did that about halfway through the book, and it catapulted my excitement level of the story...an awesome supplement to the book. We all agreed that Ursula K. LeGuin must have pioneered the wizard-goes-to-school story telling. Harry Potter is suspiciously similar. ;)

We also talked about our next read, Sarah Cunningham's Picking Dandelions. Sarah is a local author. She spoke at Westwinds last month to kick off her new book release. I think we're really going to enjoy her book. Best Books has copies in for us. You'll need to give them my name and receive a 15% discount. Or you may be able to pick up a copy from her website, sarahcunningham.com. You can also find them at http://www.indiebound.org/.

Our next meeting is Monday, April 12, 7-9p, Biggby, Jackson.

Local Author Book Signing

Since this is our next read, I thought I'd pass along this info I just received. It's last minute, but it'll be fun if you can make it. If you don't have your book already, this may be an opportunity to pick one up. From what I'm told, the author makes more money from the sale when you purchase directly from her. The other option, though, is through Best Books in Jackson or http://www.indiebound.org/. Best Books has several copies in already and being held under my name so you can get a 15% discount.

Filling a Need

Below is a copy of an email I received from Becky, our satellite leader for WW. The Novelties has an opportunity to step up and help out. Take a minute to read what she wrote and let me know if you're interested in participating.

As you may remember, we took an offering for relief efforts for Haiti right after the tragic earthquake. We also mentioned that we would be partnering with World Vision in that effort. Based upon the funds that we raised (around $5,000), we have chosen the mode of sending first aid and health kits. How it works is:

We let WV know how many kits we can create based upon the amount of $ raised and then they, WV, sends us the kit materials for us to assemble and box up. They then pick up the assembled kits and send them to Haiti via their base in Miami.

What we need is Satellite groups willing to serve WW via assembling these kits. We will put together close to 200 of them, which is very exciting!!!!
Though the date is somewhat flexible based upon who jumps on this opportunity, we are looking to box materials the week of March 8th, before the Len Sweet weekend. If we can get a couple of groups to pull out a few hours on a Monday (8th) or Tuesday (9th) evening, that would be great. I will supply snacks.

Info for A Wizard of Earthsea (Jackson's Big Read)

Melissa McPhearson works with the library and was kind enough to remind me to remind you to check out their website for event information for the Big Read. http://jackson.lib.mi.us/ There is a link to the Big Read events right from the home page. If you see anything that looks interesting and you would like another 'field trip', let me know. You may be able to pick up copies of the book at some of them. Probably at least some good material to discuss...

Thank you Melissa!

Meeting Kristin

Tonight was awesome! Deb, Lisa and I met and talked with Kristin Hannah at Borders in Ann Arbor tonight. Kristin was touring to promote her new book, Winter Garden. I think Deb and Lisa will agree that she was definitely worth the trip to Ann Arbor.







Kristin was very personable, approachable, friendly, normal (lol), just like one of us. It was truly a joy to be able to be there and listen to her talk about her writing, her life and her books. She revealed that her mother died of breast cancer at the age of 48, which is the age Kristin herself was when she wrote the book Firefly Lane, which just happens to talk about that very subject. We were surprised to learn that some of Kristin's favorite types of books to read are suspense/thriller kinds of books, even though she loves to write contemporary women's novels. We also learned she never knew she would end up being a writer until she was in the hospital for an extended stay while pregnant with her son. She wrote her first book then, and hasn't looked back. Her career as an author has allowed her to stay home with her son (now 22) while he was growing up.


So.... it was a wonderful night! And after meeting Kristin, we're really looking forward to reading more of her books. Guess what our May read is going to be??? ;)

True Colors and Kristin Hannah

Once again, it's unanimous... except this time unanimously thumbs-up. Kristin did a wonderful job of telling a story of three sisters, each with totally different personalities. One is super-intelligent-successful-envious-of-beautiful sister. One is beautiful-carefree-doted-on-spoiled. And one is married-with-children-sensible-turned-independently rebellious. The story brings in the men that come into their lives and moves brilliantly through the twists and turns of love, jealousy, hope, support, pain, and every other emotion you can imagine. There were a few things we noted that Kristin could have given a more realistic theme to, but I think that will come with maturity in her writing style as she continues to put out novels. Overall, the book was a hit, and I think we will all look forward to checking out more of her books, both previous and future.

Speaking of Kristin, she is going to be in Ann Arbor this Tuesday, February 16 at 7:00 pm at Borders on Lohr Rd. (I94 west to exit#175, right off the exit, first left is Lohr Rd. You'll see Borders in a shopping center right after you make the turn.) The Novelties is going on a field trip to meet Kristin. Be sure to bring your books for her to sign. I work in Ann Arbor, so I will already be there, but I know of at least two who are riding together. We are meeting at Borders around 6:30. If you want to be included in ride arrangements from Jackson, email me at wendyr67@gmail.com.

Our next book is Jackson District Library's 'Big Read' selection. It's A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. LeGuin. Best Books has them in stock for us. Give them my name when you purchase the book and you'll get 15% discount.

For April's book, we've chosen Picking Dandelions, by Sarah Cunningham. Sarah lives here in Jackson, MI, and is a high school teacher and author. She began her new-book tour in Jackson, at Westwinds and Jackson Coffee Company. She's now on her way to promote her books and spread her message, and we wish her all the best! You can learn more about her at http://www.sarahcunningham.org/. I will give Best Books a heads-up on this selection so they can get some in stock. Until then, you'll be able to find copies at Westwinds and at http://www.indiebound.org/.

Our next regularly scheduled meeting to discuss A Wizard of Earthsea is Monday, March 8, 7:00-9:00, Biggby, Jackson. PLEASE NOTE THE NEW TIME. We've moved the time back by a half hour so that more people will be able to make it. Hope to see you there...

Meeting Reminder

Hello Everyone! I meant to send this out yesterday. Sorry for the late reminder. Tonight we will be discussing True Colors by Kristin Hannah. Also on the agenda will be making plans to visit Borders in Ann Arbor next Tuesday, Feb 16 at 7pm where Kristin will be promoting her newest book, Winter Garden.

Tonight, Monday, Feb 8, 6:30-8:30, Biggby Jackson.

Hope to see you there!

Kristen Hannah in Ann Arbor

I just found out that Kristen Hannah, the author of our current read, True Colors, is on tour and will be at Borders in Ann Arbor at 7pm on Tuesday, February 16. The address is 3140 Lohr Rd, Ann Arbor. http://www.kristinhannah.com/content/about_kristin.php?id=Tour%20Dates

Keep it in mind. This would be a really fun thing to do together as a group. We can discuss further next Monday at our meeting.

Chronic City

Again, a unanimous vote, this time in the opposite direction. In the opinion of all I spoke to who read or attempted to read Chronic City, it was difficult to follow, seemed to have no clear plot (sort of like the Seinfield theme, except not nearly as entertaining), and the language used was so sophisticated (long words, eek, lots of them!) that you would really have to take your time and pay close attention, even re-reading paragraphs, to figure out what is being said. This would be ok if the story had meaning, but it was like a Seinfield episode written with super-intelligent narrative. It just doesn't fit. Oh well, moving on...

Our current read is True Colors, by Kristin Hannah. I've read one other book by Kristin, Firefly Lane, and loved it. It was one of those 500-pagers that you could get through in a week because you didn't want to put it down. So I'm looking forward to True Colors. Best Books in the Jackson Crossing has plenty in stock for us, and if you purchase your book there, give them my name for a 15% discount for our book group.

The Big Read in Jackson kicks off late February with events through March, so we decided that should be our next title. The book is A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. LeGuin. I will make sure Best Books knows to have copies for us in stock soon. You can also order the book online at indiebound.org, or of course pick up a copy at the library. More information on the book can be found by clicking here.

Our next meeting is Monday, February 8, 6:30-8:30 pm at Biggby in Jackson. We'll be discussing True Colors, enjoying wonderful drinks and snacks, and growing friendships. I hope you'll join us, even if you don't get a chance to read the book.

January Meeting Reminder

"Hello, Everyone! I'm back from my business trip to Atlanta and getting settled in. It's always so good to come home. I could NOT believe the weather in Atlanta! It felt like I never left Michigan, only worse because they don't know how to handle this kind of weather. We're getting around better up here with multiple inches of snow and extremely cold temps than they did with just a dusting of snow and extremely cold temps. They closed schools and cancelled flights before it even started snowing! LOL! Oh well... they knew they didn't have the equipment and resources to handle it and tried to head it off at the pass.

Anyway... I'm looking forward to seeing you at our gathering tomorrow night - Monday, 1/11, 6:30-8:30 pm, Biggby. Please come if you can, even if you didn't read the book. I SO need some girl-time, ya'll!"

Checking In...

How is everyone holding up with this one? I'm very curious to hear all of your feedback on Chronic City. I'll keep my opinion to myself for now. ;) I'll just say that I'm really looking forward to our next one, True Colors.

I'm going to be in Atlanta from tomorrow, 1/5, till Sunday, 1/10, for work. I plan on finishing Chronic City while I'm there, and I look forward to seeing all of you Monday evening, 1/11, at Biggby.

Also... Westwinds is having a Satellite 'reboot' this Sunday the 10th. That's where all of the Satellite groups will be available after each service to take questions and hopefully generate interest from potential new members. Since I'm going to be out of town, Lisa Wooden is going to stand in for me as our leader for this event. Please tell everyone you know who may be interested in The Novelties to talk to Lisa this Sunday.

I hope your Christmas and New Year's holidays were wonderful. Mine were awesome! I was able to enjoy some much needed down-time with my kiddos. Have a great week!