November 2018 Host:  Jennie

Dark Matter:  A Novel by Blake Crouch

Summary

This is the story of Jason Dessen who is living a satisfying life with a loving wife and son, until he is kidnapped and taken to a research lab where people he has never met claim to know him.  Dessen discovers the way of travel through parallel worlds and fights to get back to his wife and son.  He discovers alternate worlds created from decisions that he made in the past and discovers hundreds of other Jasons in these worlds who chose the paths that the original Jason did not take.  This was an incredibly satisfying/mind blowing sci-fi/thriller and we highly recommend this book.

Menu

Spaghetti with meat sauce

Green beans with goat cheese and almonds

Carmel Apple Cheesecake

October 2018 Host:  Stephanie

The Mist by Stephen King

Summary

A small Maine town becomes enshrouded in a mist after terrifying thunder storms.  Within the mist are creatures who are bloodthirsty and try to get at humans who have locked themselves in buildings in order to avoid the creatures.  Stephen King brings to life the characters who are reacting to the situation as it happens.  This is a great short story and will keep you scared until the very end although some will not like the non-concrete ending. I totally forgot to take pics.

September 2018 Host:  Sara

Artemis by Andy Weir

Menu:  Lunch at The White Chocolate Grill

Summary

Author of ‘The Martian’ Andy Weir writes a second novel ‘Artemis’ which is based on the moon, but very different from his first book.  This is the story of Jazz, who lives on the moon which is populated by the very rich who can afford to live there, and the very poor who work on the moon.  She is a porter who makes very little and smuggles for extra income.  Eventually she is offered a very dangerous and illegal job with a huge payoff which leads her to discover who really is in power and who controls economic policy on Artemis.  This story is light, at times humorous, fast moving, and a gripping tale.

August 2018 Host:  Stephanie

Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford

Summary

In this story, a young Chinese-American boy is sold by his mother in order to give him a better life during a time of famine in China.  He boards a freighter bound for the United States and ends up at a boy’s school.  When he becomes rebellious, he ends up being raffled off at the 1910 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle. He is purchased by the madame of a house in the red-light district and befriends two girls, one of which will play a big part in his future.  The author then weaves the main character’s later years into the story with the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair as the backdrop.  This is a beautiful story with very well developed characters.  

Menu

Lunch at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant

June 2018 Host:  Jaci

The Midnight Watch:  A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian by David Dyer

As the Titanic fired eight distress rockets and slowly sank on April 14, 1912, the Californian sat idly by, just a few miles away.  This is a fictional account of what may have happened on the Californian that night and the resulting fallout for the captain and the second officer of the SS Californian.  This exploration for some valid reason as to why the Californian did not provide assistance to the Titanic fueled the author’s many years of research, while utilizing his own experiences as a lawyer and a ship’s officer to complete this novel.  Overall, this is a very good read and one that will stay with you and is highly recommended for those interested in learning anything more about the Titanic.

Menu:  Nachos

May 2018 Host:  Nancy

Black Boy by Richard Wright

Summary

This is an autobiography which begins by describing how it was for a black boy growing up in the 1910s and 1920s and gives first-hand accounts of the physical and psychological issues he faced from both whites and even his own family.   Even as an adult he was also always expected to be a boy, in his job titles such as cleaning boy or elevator boy, and was expected to be downcast and slump shouldered.  He was not allowed to look at another white person in the eyes or even display any emotion except fear or humility.  Richard eventually heads North and the second part of this book describes his adult life as a communist in Chicago.  Overall this is a very interesting read and recommended to anyone interested in learning more about the Jim Crow era and the harsh effects on blacks.  

Menu

Appetizers

White Chicken Chili

April 2018 Host:  Colleen

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Summary

This novel introduces us to Jackson Brodie, a quirky yet kind detective who cannot say no to a case.  He investigates three separate cases that occurred decades ago: a baby girl gone missing, a young mother in a murderous rage, and a young woman who finds herself at the wrong place at the wrong time. resulting in deadly consequences.   Each case history is explored and we eventually learn the context, the victims, and perpetrators of each crime and how they come together at the end of the novel.  Jackson also befriends a cat lady and works for her for free.  He is also being chased by a killer; one day when he leaves his house to pick up a cat across the street, his house explodes.  This is a well written story interspersed with humor and relateable characters as well as the family dynamic.

Menu

A feast!

February 2018 Host:  Jennie

The Little Paris Bookshop byNina George

Summary

"...Facebook is like tapping on the walls of a prison cell." is one of the many quotes you will enjoy in this book about a broken-hearted French book seller who sells books from his converted barge on the Seine in Paris. He intends to mend broken hearts by recommending specific books to specific readers. Although the plot was at times tedious, the descriptions of books, Provence, Paris and the smells and tastes of the country resonate throughout, making you feel as if you are there.

Menu

Chili

Appetizers, etc.

November 2017 Host:  Stephanie

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Summary

This novel depicts a dystopian society where totalitarian power gives women their functions. The women are divided into groups:  Wives (infertile), Marthas (for housework and cooking), Handmaids (fertile) Aunts, or Unwomen.  Unwomen are those who are rebellious and are generally sent to work in toxic waste dumps.  The rest of the women are required to participate in various roles involving procreation due to the falling birth rates. The main character in this story is a woman named Offred (of Fred, the commander she serves).  Offred may leave the house of the commander once per day to the market where signs are now pictures, not words, as women are no longer allowed to read.  Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable, so she desperately wants to get pregnant when she lies on her back once per month with the commander (with the commander’s wife by her side).  Offred does remember her past, a husband and daughter, and she does not know where they are or if they are still alive, and is slowly beginning to forget them.  Parts of the world today operate this way with women having no say in reproductive or other rights, and put into various categories, which is what makes this novel a bit unsettling, along with the possibility that this dystopia is possible.  The Handmaid’s tale is a powerful novel which you will most likely never forget. 

Menu

Macaroni and Cheese

Cheese and Crackers, Salad, and Chocolate Pie

 October 2017 Host:  Stephanie

The Life She Was Given by Marie Wiseman

Summary

This story is set in 1931 and the main character Lilly is a ten-year-old child who is forced to stay in her room.  Her mom convinces her that if anyone saw her, they would be frightened of her.  Lilly eventually escapes her prison (her mother sells her to the circus) and ends up being part of a circus where she finds familial and friendship bonds with the others, however, she also finds her new world can be cruel and brutal in this depression era circus.  Two decades later, another family member, Julia Blackwood, uncovers the truth of Lilly’s life after Julia’s parents pass away and she inherits the house that Lilly was kept prisoner in.  As Julia’s and Lilly’s stories unfold, it brings their stories closer to coming together.  As an adult, Lilly learns the truth about her past, and at times, her past as well as her present are gut wrenching and heart breaking.  This novel reads like a combination of “Flowers in the Attic” and “Water for Elephants” and if you enjoyed either of those novels you will like this novel.