July's Book Club in August :)

Tonight was the Book Club BBQ. We had a lovely time sitting in Jo's Beautiful Garden. Honest he garden is amazing!! We BBQed and just had a great chat. This month we discussed The Uglies. The general thoughts were that it was a very easy read. It was a good book. Some thought it was slow to start with and then towards the end turned out AMAZING! Thanks to Sarah for suggesting for us to read it. Great pick!

For August we have again chosen two books. The first one is The Time Travelers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger:

Here is the synopsis: Time Traveler's Wife, is the story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.

The Time Traveler’s Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's marriage and their passionate love for each other, as the story unfolds from both points of view. Clare and Henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals — steady jobs, good friends, children of their own. All of this is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control, making their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable.

I have read the book already and cant say enough good about it. I loved it and will keep the rest of my thoughts to myself until the end of next month.

The second book we have decided to read is Sunny Side Up By Lucile Johnson This book is a compilation of stories from married couples. It has ben reccomended by one of our readers and I am excited to read this one now.

Next months book club will be held at my house on Wednesday the 26th of August at 7:30. I look forward to seeing you all there! In the meantime... Happy Reading!!

June Book Club

It has been forever since I updated. We have had some great reads as well. This month we read The Hunger Games by Suzann Collins. What a fantastic book. This is the first book in a Trilogy. Book number 2 comes out in September and I have a feeling we already know what the book for October will be!! Yes that is right the sequel!

This month we have chosen to read The Uglies by Scott Westerfield.

This is the first book in a 4 book series which I am happy to say all 4 books are available to purchase.

Here is the Synopsis: Tally lives in a world where your sixteenth birthday brings aesthetic perfection: an operation which erases all your flaws, transforming you from an 'Ugly' into a 'Pretty'. She is on the eve of this important event, and cannot wait for her life to change. As well as guaranteeing supermodel looks, life as a Pretty seems to revolve around having a good time. But then she meets Shay, who is also fifteen - but with a very different outlook on life. Shay isn't sure she wants to be Pretty and plans to escape to a community in the forest - the Rusty Ruins - where Uglies go to escape ' turning'. Tally won't be persuaded to join her, as this would involve sacrificing everything she's ever wanted for a lot of uncertainty. When she is taken in for questioning on her birthday, however, Tally gets sent to the Ruins anyway - against her will. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she could ever imagine: find her friend Shay and turn her in, or never turn Pretty at all. What she discovers in the Ruins reveals that there is nothing 'pretty' about the transformations...And the choice Tally makes will change her world forever.

Sounds like a good read. I cant wait to get my hands on this book!!

Here is the Synopsis: The Continuum Concept introduces the idea that in order to achieve optimal physical, mental and emotional development, human beings - especially babies - require the kind of instinctive nurturing as practiced by our ancient relatives. It is a true ‘back to basics’ approach to parenting. Author Jean Liedloff spent two and-a-half years in the jungle deep in the heart of South America living with indigenous tribes and was astounded at how differently children are raised outside the Western world. She came to the realisation that essential child-rearing techniques such as touch, trust and community have been undermined in modern times, and in this book suggests practical ways to regain our natural well-being, for our children and ourselves.

I am excited to read this one as well and see what sort of changes I can make in my life to better myself.

Next month is the Book Club BBQ so we are meeting at 6:30 rather than the usual 7:30. And if you thought we had loads of lovely food each other month just wait until you see what we have to offer this month! It is going to be a GREAT evening! Pray for sunshine and loads of warm weather!!

Book Club Meeting 7

Can you believe another month has passed? Seriously where does the time go. 

This last month we read "The Summerhouse" by Jude Deveraux. I think that only one word really describes this book. Brilliant. We all loved it. At first we thought it might be a little weird with someone called Madam Zoya as a character. But in the end we all agreed that it was fantastic and that we really enjoyed it. In fact we enjoyed it so much that we have decided to read the Return to the Summerhouse" Next month. If anyone has read this before we would love to hear what you thought about the book. Please leave a comment with your personal feelings on the book!

Next month we are reading two books. The first book is:

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult. Here is the Synopsis, " Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. by the age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. " 

WOW I CANT WAIT TO READ IT!!

The Second Book we are reading this month is:

Return to the Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux. Here is the Synopsis: The sequel to the bestselling The Summerhouse tells the story of three women who are given that chance to go back in time to recreate their history. Amy is perfectionist with a wonderful husband and two young boys, but when she suffers a miscarriage, she suddenly realizes her life isnt as ideal as it seems on the outside. Faith, is in her 30's but looks years older. Her husband died a year ago, but she is really mourning another man - one she let go years ago. And Zoe, a painter, who dresses in black and has multiple piercings, suffered a brain injury and cant recall anything after her high school prom. All she knows is that she did something so horrible that her entire hometown hates her. These three women, with nothing in common except for a shared pain, are united one weekend in a summerhouse in Maine. There they meet Madame Zoya and her sister Primrose who have mystical powers and give them the opportunity to alter their own histories. When Amy decides to return to the 18th Century Georgian England to see if she can change her husbands ancestors, the other women elect to go with her and all three are given a chance to create their own happily ever after. 

Another one I cant wait to read!!

Twilight Movie Comes out on DVD and we have decided to have a Movie night. More details to follow. 

The Next book Club Meeting will be on the 29th of April (Which might I add is Lucy's Birthday. Happy Birthday LUCY!!) I cant wait to see you all then!!!!

PS The Books we plan to read in May are: The Boy in Striped Pajamas and The Memory Keepers Daughter. More details on those books to follow next month!!

Book Club Meeting 6

I know that I missed an entry for Meeting 5. It has been a crazy month.

This last month we "tried" to read Barack Obamas Audacity of Hope. Most of us found it very difficult to read. I think that with small children and very busy lives not many of us could find the time to sit down and concentrate on the book. I am certain that this is an amazing book and that it is a fantastic read. But for me alone it would take concentration, which is difficult with small children.

This next month we are reading Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux:

Synopsis Best friends for nearly twenty years, three women, all with the same birthday, plan to get together at a summerhouse in Maine to celebrate their approaching fortieth birthdays by taking stock of their lives, loves, choices, and dreams.

As it is a novel Im sure that it will be an easier read. I am excited to start reading it.

We had lots of lovely food as usual. We also had some fantastic conversation.

The next book club meeting is Wednesday the 25th of March. I cant wait. I really enjoy book club nights.

Book Club Meeting 4

I know it is a late update but it has been a crazy month! Last month we had our book club early on the 16th of December so as to avoid having it on Christmas Eve. We had read the book Christmas Jars and everyone really loved this book! Everyone really liked the idea of the jars and thought it was such a great book for the Christmas Season. I made little Christmas Jars for everyone and we have decided to fill our jars and next Christmas we will then do our own version of Christmas Jars for someone. What a great way to celebrate Christmas. We all felt that this book really put across the true meaning of Christmas and that it doenst matter how much money you have or dont have for that matter. I wish the spirit of Christmas could last the whole year long and I think that this isnt just a book to read at Christmas but a book for all year. We all really enjoyed it!

For January we are reading a book which was suggested to us by Eleanor, Sarah Song by Karen Kingbury here is the synopsis:

The ritual is the same every December: Twelve handmade paper ornaments and a small plastic Christmas Tree. Twelve days for Sarah to remember her long ago love from the place where she now lives, her small boxy room at Greer Retirement Village. Twelve Chances for Sarah to sing her song once more....

Every year Sarah Lindeman celebrates Christmas in a special way. It is her time to remember where she came from and what she is today, and how that long ago song gave her another chance at love.

But this year the ritual is different. This year a desperate young woman is listening, a nurse who lingers by the door as Sarah places the first yellowed ornament on her tiny tree. Sarah feels the hurt in this woman's soul and reaches out to her. Her hope is that she can do something to help both of them.

And so she sings. Each day she hangs a paper ornament on her Tree and relives a chapter of her story, drawing her new friend into the hallways of yesterday and a love that rose and fell, only to bloom again stronger than ever. Sarah knows the heartache that results from making bad choices. And she knows, too, how God can redeem any situation, her own life is proof of that. 

As Sarah sings, she prays her new friend will understand the true gift of love and that to give it up without a fight means to give up on life itself.

But will Sarah be able to convince this troubled young woman before time runs out? Twelve days. Two lives. And one song. "Sarah's Song", that just might bring about a miracle for everyone watching.

This books sounds really exciting and I cant wait for mine to arrive from Amazon so I can start to read it! 

The next book club meet in on the 28th of January at the usual place! I personally Cant Wait!! xx