New Book! New Book!

Thanks Shannon for a truly gourmet Book Club feast! You outdid yourself. Just so we can all remember it was salmon (with butter sauce), quiche, brocolli (with cheese sauce - need that recipe), and yummy lemon risotto/rice. Also the bread and dippers and of course the sticky toffee pudding for dessert! Soooo good.

Also some great books to choose from.

Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Day After Night by Anita Diamant
Let the Great World Spin by Colum Mccann

And the winner was.....






Very excited to read this one...post with your thoughts/comments!
Till next month! Happy Reading

ps. Can we all go see Water For Elephants together?

A New Book

Thanks for coming last night ladies! We missed you Candice! Reviews of your book Unbearable Lightness were great. Definitely one to read if you haven't already.
Keeping in the biography genre, my 3 choices for this month were
I Shall Not Hate
Prisoner of Tehran
Left to Tell


Vote was for Left to Tell, a story about a Rwanadan holocaust survivor. I hope that it is equal parts informative and inspiring!

Until next time at Horne's House....comment with your thoughts

Book Club Recap

Thanks Kristin for a fab Book Club last night! My favourite thing is when all 8 of us are in attendance. More laughter, outrageousness, and stimulating conversation. Of course, could not go without mention the perogie casserole courtesy of K. Shew. So delicious I've told 2 people about what I ate for dinner last night, and it's only 9:00am. Soul food. Mmmmm...

General consensus is that The Outlander was a good book...receiving a 4/5, 3/5, and of course 4/100...

Kristin's Choices for our new book were as diverse as the votes for them:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2 votes)

Wicked (3 votes)

The Slap (3 votes)

The tie-breaker determined that Wicked is our new book!



Click here for more on the author
Click here or here for more on the book
Click here for more on the Broadway Play


If anyone wants to do some extra-curricular book exchange, for those books that we love, but didn't make Book Club, post here what you have or may be looking for and we can swap at the next meeting! I've got Book of Negroes, Life of Pi, Secret Life of Bees, The Red Tent...and maybe something else you are looking for that I can't remember right now.


Next meeting is tentatively set for around third week in Feb? Brunch styles at Casa de la Tuscany? There may or may not be a brand spankin' new baby in attendance. That is too exciting. Will it be a little Charlze or perhaps a little Crazyhorse?


Have a fabulous 2 week cruise Ms. Bauer! Soak up that sun! Thanks again Kristin. Have a great read ladies, and don't forget to post thoughts here.

Book Club Recap

Big Thanks to Alana for a fun Book Club last night!!! The food was delicious...veggie chili and banana bread was so good together, I think this is how I will always serve it from now on (not to forget the real butter and salt too)


Alana's Choices for December book were:
1. The Year of the Flood - Margaret Atwood
2. Stitches: A Memoir - David Small
3. The Outlander - Gil Adamson


The Winner IS...

Click here for the author's website - Gil is a SHE! Short for Gillian, pronounced "Jill".
Click here for an interview with Gil and David Wrobleski (our fave author of the Never Ending Story of Edgar Sawtelle). It is semi long, but interesting!

I think this will be a great Christmas read. I did a little more looking online about it and it seems like it might be reminiscent of The Birth House (1900's young heroine) and One Thousand White Women (again, Wild West and young heroine). Two books I thoroughly enjoyed.

The chase in this book takes place across Southern Alberta Crowsnest Pass area, and at some point ventures into Frank, Alberta. Didn't we all take a field trip there as kids? This should be some interesting local historical fiction, which I always am excited about.

Thanks Amber and Candice for the cute, thoughtful gifts.

I hope wherever you travel for the holidays...be it Fort Mac, Saskatoon, Kauai, Montana, Castlegar, or a cozy Christmas at home...it will be safe and filled with good eats, sweet treats, lively conversation, and deep sleeps.

Happy Christmas Reading Ladies!!!

A New Year of Books

Thanks Jasmine for a great Book Club last night! I am anxiously awaiting a Wok Box to open downtown. Malia was the only one who read Three Cups of Tea and gave a good review. I think that this is one a few of us will revisit.

There was some discussion on changes to our format for the new year. I love that we are a flexible bunch. Along with changes, there are some new rules.

2009-2010 Book Club Rules
1. You don't talk about Book Club.
2. You don't talk about Book Club.
3. Everyone must read all books - no excuses
4. 100% Attendance is mandatory - no excuses
5. Maximum page length for books is 300 pages
6. No font size smaller than 11
7. Summer month books must be light and fluffy
8. If your choice of book is junk - you will be expelled from Book Club
9. Host must provide detailed presentation, discussion questions, and moderate the meeting
10. Host must provide copies at the meeting for all 8 members of their 3 potential Book Club picks.

A change this year is we drew names for months, instead of books. You will host a meeting somewhere near the beginning of your month and present 3 books that you would like to read that month. Then we will take a vote on what will be the book for the month. This will prevent us from reading ahead and we will all be on the same page this year (no pun intended).

By random draw...here is the order for the year!

November - Christine
December - Alana
January - Kristin
February - Shannon
March - Jasmine
April - Amber
May - Candice
June - Malia
July - Christine
August - Amber
September - Malia
October - Shannon

Okay, so I was just joking about the rules. But I think this new format will work really good!

If you are going on some fabulous vacation, or have some wicked cold, and can't host your meeting in that month we can always go out on the town somewhere new and exciting that time.

Also NO pressure to put on a dinner feast. Appies, take-out, or even just cheese and crackers is great. I don't get to host dinner parties ever, so I like to test out new menus on Book Club...but absolutley no expectations.

I am also excited to present 3 books and have input from the group on what they'd like to read. I think this will eliminate books that someone has already read. Extra incentive to come to the meeting to get in on the vote!

All that being said...the first meeting of the new year is at my house - Friday, November 6! I'm off to Coles at lunch to do some book shopping! We'll be discussing Middlesex at this meeting too.

How is everyone doing on Middlesex? Do you love it? What do you think of the new format? Are you happy with your month?

Happy Long Weekend

Hey Ladies,
Fun book club at the Diner last week! We missed Jasmine...I think the consensus on A Wolf at the Table was that there was a direct relationship between liking the book and beleiving the author. Those that were genuinely afraid for that little boy liked it, and those that thought it was a "tall tale" didn't think it was so great. Definitley an interesting read by a new and different author and for that, I liked it a lot!

Two books were recommended to me by an avid reader friend (who's top 10 list is very similar to mine), they are The Power of One and Tandia. The Power of One is not a self-help like it sounds. Here is the review from Chapters...

"This powerful book will inspire hope and lift the soul. The Power of One from author Bryce Courtenay follows a boy named Peekay as he copes with the harsh realities of racism, war and lies in South Africa. Born to an Englishwoman, nurtured by a black woman and tormented persistently throughout his youth, he vows to survive and become the welterweight champion of the world. However, his journey is filled with modern prejudice and tribal superstitions. He learns of the power of words and communication and its ability to transform lives and communities. As he learns to sustain himself through the mystical and spiritual world he appreciates, he manages to see through the cruelty of the world."

Followed by Tandia...
"When Tandia was a teenager, the South African police raped her. Half Indian and half African, she grew up to hate white men, using her mind and beauty as weapons for terrorism. The tables turn when she meets Peekay, a white man with a past as strange as her own. In a land that forbids mixed relationships, their love results in explosive consequences. Bryce Courtenay’s Tandia is the sequel to the international best-seller The Power of One."

So my reading list is currently like this...
Finish Edgar Sawtelle
Finish Twilight
The Power of One
Tandia
The Virgin's Lover
The Disappeared

All before Bright Shiny Morning!? Hmmm, better get power reading this weekend!!!
Get out and enjoy the sunshine!!

Have save travels out East Shorts!

What a Fabulous Bunch...

Hey Gals...

BIG thanks to Alana for the Meatatarian-Movie Book Club! Food was super fab (sad again I didn't bring camera for visual documentation - next time it is a must). The movie brought mixed reviews, am I right? It followed the book, yes...but if you hadn't read the book I'm sure that you would think it the weirdest, most crazy ass movie you'd ever seen. Rocks? Death by Chocolate Pudding? Cherry Daquiri? WTF.

Overall thoughts on the book were mixed...like what can you make of it? However, based on the fact that we all read and finished reading it...I'd say it was a success! Great pick KD! We missed you KD as we ate our kebabs!

I was reflecting on our fabulous book club and how the best part of meeting monthly is to witness the changing of the tides, so to speak. One month is the perfect increment it seems to always have some big and fabulous news. Since the inception of our book club we have done the following (in no particular order)...

Travelled to:
Mexico (3 or 4 times)
Thailand (2 times)
Vegas (3 times)
Hawaii (4 times)
Africa !!!!
Halifax
London
Croatia
And yet one more fabulously European country for Shannon that my memory is failing
(Did I miss any?)
Gotten engaged (2 times)
Gave BIRTH !!!
Bought homes (4 times!)
Renovated homes (3 times)

That is the lives of 8 gals over 18 months...I'd say that is mayjah.

Not to say there haven't been a lot of hard times through the months, but the support and friendship through those times as well has been remarkable. Thanks ladies!

Have a great Easter Weekend! Eat Chocolate!

And BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Malia and Amber. Another year is definitley something worth celebrating. LOVE YA!

Book Club Scoop

Hey All,
Thanks KD for a fab book club on Friday! Sushi was delish and the lasagna...don't forget I need the recipe Ambs. Jasmine and Alana were missed and didn't get to see the Fashion Show! which of course was fun and had fabulous results! Thanks again ladies for all the great choices. You have saved me time and money scouring Market Mall Tuesday night before we leave for something (anything!) to wear to this wedding. Those impulse buys are never the best.
Good Luck on Choke everyone. I'll try to get some info and links up on the side bar this week so check back!

Book Club Recap

Hello all...
Big thanks to Amber for Bollywood Book Club and the super delicious meal! I was going to try to recreate it for a Valentines Day meal for me and BD at the cabin in Montana this weekend, but alas, it will be a full house with 12 other family members joining us. Also, I don't think there is one Indian Restaurant in all of Montana to get some naan bread from, and it just couldn't be as good as Bubly's. Too bad we didn't have more success with The Thirteenth Tale but I think those of you that didn't read it got some pretty good reviews as incentive to!
I started Inside Out Girl on the weekend and hope to make some major progress this long weekend...there is no cable or internet at the cabin. That has been my major distraction lately, that darned laptop at home.
I am already looking forward to the next meeting...did we discuss it at Kristin's or did I make that up?
C