November 2019 Host:  Nancy

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Setepys

Summary

This is a young adult historical fiction book that details the 1941 invasion by the Soviet Union of Lithuania and other Baltic countries.  Hundreds of Lithuanians were rounded up, condemned, and sent to Siberia to work camps.  Thousands died during this ordeal.  This is the story of Lina, a young girl and her family who eventually are sent via cattle car to a work camp in the Arctic Circle.  Lina and her family face starvation, exposure to the extreme cold, disease, and abuse by the Russian soldiers.  Lina uses her artistic talent to try and reach her dad to let him know where they are.  This is an incredibly powerful story gleaned from first-hand accounts of those who endured the Baltic Genocide.  This is a book that stays with you after you read it and is both inspiring and incredibly sad.

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Cocktails

Tandoori Style Chicken

Rice with Lentils

Eggnog Dip with Vanilla Wafers

October 2019 Host:  Colleen

The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Summary

This novel is set in the early 1900's and tells the tale of Anthony and Gloria Patch.  Anthony has no desire to work as he is set to inherit a fortune from his grandfather and Gloria survives partly on her beauty.  Nothing really mattered to these two except drinking, partying, and spending money that they didn’t have.  When their money eventually runs out, they find themselves friendless.  Many have mixed feelings about this book as the characters are at times vacuous and vain and the first part of the book is difficult to get through.  This novel gives us a glimpse into early high society in New York City and the entitlement that goes along with it.  Much of this novel is said to have been drawn from Fitzgerald’s own life and marriage.  

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Veggies and Dip

Potato Casserole

Chicken Pot Pie

Cupcakes