Nov 18 Meeting at Grace's - start of 14th year

 "Waterproof" by Judith Redina Copey (an historical fiction)

The book was about the Johnstown, PA flood  and the affect it had on so many of the towns people.

The story is told to a journalist 50 years after the flood, by the main character Pamela McRae, who lived through this tragedy. She was determined to get past the tragedy and not let this tragedy define her life.   Pamela, lost a brother and her fiancé.  Her  father was so torn apart by the affects of the storm he left his family.  Her mother was left in a catatonic hysteria state as a result of the tragedy and Pam cared for her mother with the help of a Hungarian Immigrant who was very loyal to her. Without the help,  Pam would have had a very difficult time moving on.  She became a journalist herself and was taken under the wing  of the newspaper owner, who was a very dear friend to her father.

Some of the town's  people were seeking revenge on the owner's of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club, the owners of the failed dam, that sent a thirty foot wall of destruction down on their city.

There were many twists and turns nothing was ever settled and to this day Johnstown still experiences flooding nothing quite as catastrophic as the flood 50 years ago but none the less there is still much concern amongst the town people.

Once again our book club turned into a food orgy, we love our books and we love our food.

Thank you to my daughter's Sally and Candida for taking over.  Without them I may not have been able to host book club because of my back. ♥ You girls

Pat we missed you. Louisa hope you are on the road to recovery.

I believe everyone present enjoyed the book.

Grace

                             

                    November 18, 2021                                  

   

                                           Diehards of Nov 2020

Apr 16, 2009 (earliest pic I could find, Edna was the photographer)

October 21 Meeting at Carol's

 The October book club was held at Carol’s house with the traditional Halloween theme. The costumes were entertaining as usual. Pizza, salad, snacks and various desserts were served. Everyone seemed to enjoy the book. Just imagine dying and having three nudges to change the outcome of the lives of your children. We discussed if she was in purgatory while waiting to ascend to the choir in heaven.   It was a quirky, fun book and light reading after some of our recent reads. We ate, drank, talked and laughed throughout the evening. The things we do best. 

Happy Halloween!

Carol

September 23 Meeting at Dricka's

This month's book reading was "What Only We Know' by Catherine Hokin. Nine people attended but we missed seeing Edna, Grace and Louisa.

Story starts out in Germany in 1936. Liese was working at a very notable fashion salon owned by her father, Paul Elfmann and mother Marguerite. At an early age Liese was mostly ignored by her father because of his complete adoration only for his wife. During the war she loved working in the salon but it was ripped away when she became just another Jew who the Nazis hated.

During her time at the salon she became enamored by a French buyer who thru one night of passion  became pregnant and had a daughter, Lottie, who she gave her complete love and attention. They were sent to a prison camp where her daughter was tragically murdered by a prison guard. Afterwards she  didn't want to live and attempted suicide but was rescued by a soldier who became devoted to her along with Michael, son of a worker at the salon. They both decided she should marry Andrew to be safe after a chance meeting with the guard who murdered her daughter and Liese then killed.

After moving to England, she had another daughter, Karen who she loved but couldn't forget her past and finally had the courage to end her life. After her father was admitted to hospital, she found pictures of her mother's past life. She then found Michael and understood all that her mother endured. During her time with Michael, she fell in love with is son, Marcus. The book ends with Andrew and Michael revisiting the past. Also seeing the wall in Berlin no longer divided the East and the West. A future founded on hope!

Dricka

August 19 Meeting at WMP with Sharon

 A pleasant evening was had by 7 members of the book club – sorry to miss Edna, Pat, Carol, Pam and Grace. We began, of course, with food –AC&T's famous fried chicken, hash brown potato casserole, cole slaw (thanks, Kathy), biscuits (thanks, Sylvia) and Grace's soon-to -be famous peach cake and other desserts (thanks, Dricka and Alice). The book we discussed followed a fictional account of the lives of people caught up in the Dust Bowl in the 1930s – "The Four Winds" by Kristin Hannah. I guess that's why the period is called The Great Depression – we felt depressed just reading the book!  We were impressed by the resilience and courage of the people in the story, of Elsa Martinelli who left miserable living conditions in Texas hoping to find a better life for her two children in California only to face more hard times, prejudice and pain. We shared accounts of life during the depression that affected our parents and grandparents. We agreed that we liked the book even though we had hoped for a happier ending. Several of us stayed for an entertaining concert performed by the “Sea Chanters"  of the US Navy band.  

Sharon

July 15 Meeting at WMP with Louisa

 Book club was held at War Memorial Park on a very hot and humid day. Everyone graciously brought what they wanted to eat and drink. We received a delightful surprise when Edna and Glenn arrived. Their daughter and grandchildren who are visiting from England came and ate with us. It was wonderful to see them.

     The book we read was "Dial A for Aunties” by Jesse Q Sutanto.

     The families immigrated from Indonesia to California. There they ran a family business. Big Aunt makes wedding cakes. Second Aunt does the bride’s hair and make up. Ma does the flowers. Meddy, her daughter, is the photographer. Fourth Aunt is the singer at the weddings.

     Communication is sometimes difficult because the Aunts speak Mandarin or Indonesian but little English. Meddy speaks English and not much of the other languages. This causes a lot of miscommunication among the family.

     Ma decides to go on a dating site pretending to be Meddy. She fixes her daughter up with a hotel owner. Meddy goes on the date. She drinks too much so the guy says he’ll drive her home. He takes her to a secluded area of the city. She tells him to take her home but he doesn’t listen. She tases him and he wrecks the car. Meddy thinks he’s dead so she drives home and tells Ma. Ma calls her sisters to help. The decision is made to put his body into one of the freezers not being used for the next day’s wedding. The freezer gets moved to the resort with all the other wedding supplies. Lots of antics go on as they try to keep everyone out of that freezer.  Meddy runs into the real resort manager and it is her college love, Nathan. He helps Meddy and the Aunties with the freezer.

     I think most of us enjoyed the book. There were laugh out loud scenes.  The book showed a different culture. In the end , no matter what, families stay together and help each other when needed.     

      Most of the girls stayed for the concert in the park.

     We missed you Pat!

        Louisa

June 17 Meeting at Pam's

 

May 20 Meeting at Pat's

 (First normal Meeting since  Dricka's 80th Birthday Bash! Feb 21, 2020)

It was good to be together.  Sorry Kathy and Alice couldn't be there.  I kept it simple, this first meal inside together since COVID began- pizza from King's, Sylvia's salad, and ice cream cake.  We read two books this month.  "How to Walk Away" by Katherine Center and Ira Byock's and "The Four Things that Matter Most"- Please forgive me, I forgive you, Thank you, and I love you.  It was an evening of great discussion and sharing as we considered these things in Center's book and in our own lives. Hoping our understanding of these things and the gift of sharing our thoughts and needs with good friends bring us all encouragement and peace.

It will be great to see you again, Kathy!!

Love, Pat

April 23 Meeting in WMP with Rosemary

 The April bookclub met at War Memorial Park.  Covid is still with us but we have been able to meet with friends and even now in closer quarters.  The book I had chosen was "The Winemakers Wife" by Kristin Harmel.  

It was a captivating story set against the vineyards of northern France during the global World War II which lasted from 1939-1945.  A story of deceit, guilt,intrigue, bravery, love and reconciliation.  The time period alternated from the World War II period to more recent times, with several twists and subplots and I few surprises at the end .  It was such a tumultuous time in our history, tragedies, destruction, deaths and sacrifices. So many stories of bravery and patriotism in the fight against evil.  I myself have a compulsion to study and read stories of this time period before and after.    So much hatred of humanity, prejudice, greed, But then on the flip side, compassion, courage, love of mankind and extreme sacrifices.....

The book also enlightened us as to the production of champagne, the sweat and challenges involved in this beverage that comes from a unique region of  France and to qualify as champagne it must come from this area in Northeastern France.  

Everyone seemed to enjoy the book, not all were happy with the ending involving grandma Edith 's choice at the end.
I was glad  Liv got to meet her true grandmother Celine, her dad Michel's mother.   I did like the book very much and hope all of you did!

We enjoyed the chicken wraps, chicken tenders ,snacks ,some homemade desserts and good weather at the park.  Thanks for coming.   It was great to get together!

We missed Pat, Pam, Sylvia, Grace and Alice 

love Roe

March 18 Meeting at WMP with Alice

The March 2021 episode of GTG Book Club happily gathered in person (finally!) at War Memorial
Park at our favorite pavilion. The assignment was "The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin. Everyone seemed to like the book although didn't quite understand the death/drowning of Maya's mother and how she couldn't confront the father of her baby (A.J's brother in law) in order to have things work out (and not die, as it turned out). And that happens first!

It was a book about books, a brick and mortar bookstore, and a seaside setting on (no way), Alice Island.  Fun fact: *the last book I chose for bookclub barely 8 months ago,  "28 Summers" by Elin Hildebrand, also took place on Nantucket Island, like right up the east coast from Alice Island!  

I wasn't so sure of A.J., when the story began, he was grieving the loss of his wife; however, one thing lead to another (life literally showed up at his door) and he made the most of it.  The book had wonderful pacing, interesting characters, and each chapter was themed around one of A.J.'s favorite books, which turned out to be a list for his daughter.  Nice.

Lunch/menu - All the food (subway sandwiches, chips, pickles, veggies, pickles, cookies (by Drika, thanks!) fresh fruit, and Spring flower cookies by Kathy (dee-lish)- well, everything tasted good sitting outside, hanging out with friends, and catching up eyeball to eyeball (my mom says that).

Missed you Roe, Pat and Edna; we'll see you next time. Hugs to all.

Stay well, take care of yourself, and READ ON. 

  Alice xo

February 18 Meeting on ZOOM with Sylvia

Since we are still COVID minded and continue to social distance, we met again this month via Zoom…which was not without its wrinkles! 

With Grace as navigator, Sylvia delivered homemade cookies with hot chocolate packets to everyone.  The treats were delivered the day before as book club day began with snow that lasted throughout the day.

Our book, "Fifty Words for Rain" by Asha Lemming, centers around an aristocratic Japanese family who fears a stain on their royal pedigree brought by their willful married daughter who leaves her husband to  have a relationship with an African American soldier…and the birth of their child Noriko (Nori).   At the age of 8, Nori is abandoned by her mother at the home of her grandmother with the warning to not question, fight or resist her grandmother.   Shamed by her dark skin and mixed race, Nori is hidden away in the attic of her grandparent's imperial estate where she suffers unspeakable abuse and neglect.  Only at the age of 12, when her half-brother arrives at the estate does Nori begin to experience more to life than her confinement.  This is a moving story about tradition, the power of family, loyalty, and the choices we make.

We missed Pam who couldn't join our Zoom session!

Sylvia

January 21 Meeting on ZOOM with Edna

 Well, January Bookclub started off with a bang as I delivered fried chicken dinners with apple pie.  After my second time in a year of having to do a Zoom meeting, I thought a nice home-cooked meal from Old Country Diner would be just right.  

It was a beautiful day for a drive as Glenn & I drove around Berkeley & Jefferson Counties. We also delivered our Christmas gifts:  a pen, magnet & bag from the Australian Open Tennis in Melbourne.    Luckily for me, I received a nice bag of fudge from Ruthi and a nice bottle of wine from Alice so I could have kept driving all day for wine & chocolates!!  Lol!!!

At 7:15 pm, we began our Book club meeting after I spent 15 minutes trying to get the Zoom, on my computer, started.  Carol was finally able to take over as host so that everyone could come on board.  

Since we had just finished the first book of a trilogy about Alexander Hamilton, I picked the second book "Love & War" by Melissa de la Cruz and encouraged people to read the last book, "All for One" as well.  We spent most of our time talking about Covid-19 and a little bit of time discussing the book!!  Haha.  Really though, most of us thought the middle book was boring but got better if you finished the series.   It was more interesting to me to hear about the early years of the Country than the personal history of the Hamilton’s.  

It was great to be able to see and talk to everyone.  We had eight members that were able to Zoom.  We missed Pam,  who is helping her daughter make arrangements for her grandson's funeral;  Drika, who is still coping with losing Bob;  Alice, who is caring for her aged mother;  and Pat, who is caring for her sick brother.  We are all thinking of and praying for all of you and your families!! This is what makes our group of ladies so special!!  

Hopefully, in the not too distant future, we will be able to all be together again!!  I look forward to it!!  

The February meeting will be hosted by Sylvia.  Everyone stay healthy and safe!!

Love, Edna