Hello everyone! I hope that you are warm and well. Thank you to everyone who came to our last meeting! It was very enjoyable. And here is the tasty drink that Allison served:
Holiday Egg Nog 1/3 c. sugar 1/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ginger 1/4 tsp. cloves 1 qt. pineapple juice 1 qt. orange juice 1 tsp. cold lemon juice 2 qts. vanilla ice cream 2 qts. egg nog 1 qt. 7-up
Before I list the books that people recommended, here's the info about next month. We will meet on Jan. 10 at 7 pm. We are dicussing Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. Also, we're having a book swap -- bring books (if you'd like) to lend to other people who are present & borrow some new (to you) reading material!
A little about Seabiscuit: It is by the author of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, which is the book that we read over the summer. I was very impressed by it and very curious to see if Seabiscuit lives up to Unbroken! Here is the Goodreads.com teaser:
> Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes: > > Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon. > > Author Laura Hillenbrand brilliantly re-creates a universal underdog story, one that proves life is a horse race. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
Allison told us that the book is just fine except for one part -- don't read the part that is about 3 pages long, when a jockey visits a woman. Thanks for the warning!
We don't have a book group set this month, but I have a copy that I will try to read soon so I can pass it along. Oh, The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness is due on Dec. 27th, so please get them to me by then if you have a copy. I have two copies available if anyone wants to read them -- just let me know! Recommended Books from our Dec. Meeting Book Author Notes Rules Cynthia Lord Recommended by Allison. This book has a character with autism, as well as a character with cerebral palsy. Touch Blue Cynthia Lord Also recommended by Allison. The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas -- How a Cat Brought a Family the Gift of Love Julia Romp Recommended by Nancy: "It's a heartwarming true story of a little boy with Autism and the cat who changed his life and helped him to open up to the world around him. I learned so much about Autism through this story. If anyone wants to borrow it, let me know." Mrs. Mike Benedict Freedman, Nancy Mars Freedman We read this a while ago in book group and really liked it. Kathy: "This was a wonderful, clean book that captured my imagination as this very self-sufficient gal moves to the rugged Canadian wilderness to make a life for herself and her family." The Giver Lois Lowry This is probably the first YA/middle reader dystopian novel that I had read, and I loved it. Now there are 3 additional books in this series. Gathering Blue Lois Lowry Number 2 The Messenger Lois Lowry Number 3 Son Lois Lowry Number 4, the conclusion, published Oct 2012 Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years Sarah Delany, Amy Hill Hearth True story of 2 sisters who both lived over 100 years and never married. Life of Pi Yann Martel Good book and movie. The movie is gorgeous, according to Allison.
I'm sorry that this isn't more complete, but I hope you get the idea that we loved giving books and discussing them! See you soon.
Holiday Egg Nog
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 qt. pineapple juice
1 qt. orange juice
1 tsp. cold lemon juice
2 qts. vanilla ice cream
2 qts. egg nog
1 qt. 7-up
Before I list the books that people recommended, here's the info about next month. We will meet on Jan. 10 at 7 pm. We are dicussing Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. Also, we're having a book swap -- bring books (if you'd like) to lend to other people who are present & borrow some new (to you) reading material!
A little about Seabiscuit: It is by the author of Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption, which is the book that we read over the summer. I was very impressed by it and very curious to see if Seabiscuit lives up to Unbroken! Here is the Goodreads.com teaser:
> Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes:
>
> Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon.
>
> Author Laura Hillenbrand brilliantly re-creates a universal underdog story, one that proves life is a horse race.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
Allison told us that the book is just fine except for one part -- don't read the part that is about 3 pages long, when a jockey visits a woman. Thanks for the warning!
We don't have a book group set this month, but I have a copy that I will try to read soon so I can pass it along. Oh, The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness is due on Dec. 27th, so please get them to me by then if you have a copy. I have two copies available if anyone wants to read them -- just let me know!
Recommended Books from our Dec. Meeting
Book Author Notes
Rules Cynthia Lord Recommended by Allison. This book has a character with autism, as well as a character with cerebral palsy.
Touch Blue Cynthia Lord Also recommended by Allison.
The Cat Who Came Back for Christmas -- How a Cat Brought a Family the Gift of Love Julia Romp Recommended by Nancy: "It's a heartwarming true story of a little boy with Autism and the cat who changed his life and helped him to open up to the world around him. I learned so much about Autism through this story. If anyone wants to borrow it, let me know."
Mrs. Mike Benedict Freedman, Nancy Mars Freedman We read this a while ago in book group and really liked it. Kathy: "This was a wonderful, clean book that captured my imagination as this very self-sufficient gal moves to the rugged Canadian wilderness to make a life for herself and her family."
The Giver Lois Lowry This is probably the first YA/middle reader dystopian novel that I had read, and I loved it. Now there are 3 additional books in this series.
Gathering Blue Lois Lowry Number 2
The Messenger Lois Lowry Number 3
Son Lois Lowry Number 4, the conclusion, published Oct 2012
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years Sarah Delany, Amy Hill Hearth True story of 2 sisters who both lived over 100 years and never married.
Life of Pi Yann Martel Good book and movie. The movie is gorgeous, according to Allison.
I'm sorry that this isn't more complete, but I hope you get the idea that we loved giving books and discussing them! See you soon.
Love,
Heather