September 2017 Host:  Sarah

Born a Crime:  Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Summary

This is an enlightening and at times harrowing narrative on growing up in post-apartheid Africa. Trevor's stories about his adolescence are at times familiar (acne, trouble dating) and at other times appalling (drunkenness, abuse, bootlegging, illegal for him to see his father). Noah was neither black nor white but a mixed-race child who never stopped searching for his identity. Although he experienced homelessness and even eating caterpillars, he always maintained a positive perspective, probably because of his remarkable mom. I especially enjoyed reading about the bond between him and his mother, he actually went to jail for (not) stealing a car rather than tell her. We all enjoyed this book, especially the candid insight into what it what was really like growing up in post-apartheid Africa.

Menu

Appetizers

Ravioli

August 2017 Host:  Nancy

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Summary

The Underground Railroad is a fictionalized account of slavery using a literal railroad.  The heroine in this novel escapes the cruelty of a plantation owner only to find that was a temporary reprieve.  She continues to endure brutal violence and cruelty on her journeys but when she does get a temporary break, she must yet endure psychological and emotional horrors. Some of the graphic language used to describe the horrific torture the slaves endured made this book difficult for some to read, yet the excitement of the heroine’s escapes and resolve and fortitude of the black characters kept me reading until the very end. This is an easy, quick, and at times unsettling read.

Menu

Roast Chicken and Baked Potatoes

Salad

Dessert

June 2017 Host:  Jaci

One Second After by William Forstchen

Summary

‘One Second After’ has been cited on the floor of Congress as a book that all Americans should read as it describes how one nuclear weapon could destroy the United States and its infrastructure, a dire warning of what could be our end.  This novel describes what would happen to a small North Carolina town literally one second after an Electro Magnetic Pulse (EMP) hits the United States (which would most likely happen in the form of a nuclear attack or an EMP weapon).  All electricity, transportation, phones, etc. will shut down for probably years.  Many medications such as insulin will become unavailable for years and a large part of the population (especially elders and diabetics) will die within weeks or months.  The United States will regress at least 100 years and we will revert to a tribal society.  This is a good book and it makes you think about how you might begin to prepare for such a disaster.

Panini Sandwiches

May 2017 Host:  Colleen

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Summary

This novel is set in the near future (around 2044) where nearly everyone lives in poverty due to no oil, etc.  But on the bright side, there is a virtual reality world called the Oasis which serves as an online utopia for the poor populace.  The protagonist of the story, a very destitute Wade Watts, goes to school, earns money, and meets friends on the Oasis.  James Halliday, the deceased creator of Oasis and the richest man to have lived, leaves behind three keys to finding his fortune and Wade Watts becomes obsessed with finding those keys which are located within the Oasis.  His quest puts him in frequent and often violent danger, but he doesn’t give up.  This novel is full of puzzles, 80s nostalgia, nerdy friends and nerdy romance.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book but it was partly due to a plethora of references to the 1980s. Can’t wait to see the movie.

Asparagus Bites

Salad

Mushrooms

Meatballs and Caprese Kabobs

Candy Bar Cake

                                             April 2017 Host:  Karen

                            A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron       
                                                                   
                                                         Summary

This sentimental story is told first person by a dog (Bailey) who lives several lives. His first life is spent as a feral puppy and he is picked up by animal control and euthanized.  His next life is shared with a young boy and Bailey searches for the boy throughout his subsequent lives. He is then reincarnated as a German Shephard police dog and then a black lab.  The true purpose of this dog’s life is revealed at the end.  Throughout his lives, we become privy to his inner most thoughts such as his musings on the usefulness of cats: (none) and his various relationships and bonds with his humans.  This story is full of humor and if you are a dog lover, you will be sure to thoroughly enjoy this tale.  This book club was cancelled so no pictures.                   

February 2017 Host:  Jennie

City of Thieves by David Benioff

Summary

This story takes place in the besieged city of Leningrad in 1941 and focuses on the relationship between an intelligent 17-year old Jewish boy and a worldly and handsome college boy.  They are arrested by the Germans for looting and other crimes and are given a reprieve from execution if they can complete one task.  Their mission is an impossible one:  finding a dozen eggs for a colonel’s daughter’s wedding cake during the blockade of Leningrad and its subsequent famine.   Their travels take them through a nightmarish odyssey through a freezing countryside populated with cannibals, starving children, and prostitutes.  At times funny and often terrifying, the author is able to blend humor with the grisly aspects of war and produces an engaging page turner.  Highly recommended. 

I forgot to snap a few pictures at this book club gathering, I was probably having too much fun!

January 2017 Host:  Stephanie

Outliers The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Summary

In this book Gladwell suggests that success depends more on culture, income level, tenacity, and time of a child’s birth rather than innate ability and IQ.  Success also comes from hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities, there is no such thing as a self-made man.  Imagine if Bill Gates and Steve Jobs were born ten years later, they both would have not been exposed to computers in high school and would have been well into another career.  American students spend 180 days in school per year while Asian students spend 280 days in school per year, thus affecting academic and other achievements.  Outliers also touches upon other bits of trivia such as why most pro hockey players are born in January, how a pilot’s culture can affect their crash record, why the descendants of Jewish immigrant garment workers became the most powerful lawyers in New York, why Asian kids master math quicker than American kids, how the Beatles became one of the best rock bands ever, and why it takes 10,000 hours of practice to rise above your peers.  Possibility comes from the particular opportunities that our place in history presents us with.  This is a fascinating and engaging read and highly recommended.

Menu:  Brunch

Fruit, Mimosas, Cinnamon Rolls

Both Sausage and Bacon Egg Casserole