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.  

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.

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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