Popular Series: for those of us that never want it to end

The providence Trilogy by Jamie McGuire

The Providence Trilogy will ignite your curiosity, break your heart, and have you looking over your shoulder.

PROVIDENCE: In the old world shadows of Providence, Rhode Island, Nina Grey finds herself the center of a war between Hell and Earth.

Struggling with her father’s recent death, Nina meets Jared Ryel by chance…or so she believes. It soon becomes clear that Jared knows more about Nina than even her friends at Brown University. When questions outnumber answers, Jared risks everything to keep the woman he was born to save—by sharing the secret he was sworn to protect.

REQUIEM: Dreaming of the dead might mean a restless night for anyone, but for Nina Grey it was a warning.

Still healing from her last run-in with Hell, Nina struggles with not only her life as a Brown University student, but also as an intern at Titan Shipping, her father's company. Recurring nightmares about her father's violent death have become a nightly event, but being overwhelmed with guilt from Ryan's unexpected departure to the Armed Forces, and heart ache over Claire being across the ocean to protect him, Nina believes her sleepless nights are the least of her problems—but she's wrong.

EDEN: She had seen the unspeakable. She had learned the unknowable. Now, she would fight the invincible.

In the third and final installment of the Providence series, Nina Grey will marry the wrong man, carry the child that was never supposed to be born, and fight a war she can’t win.

Faced with the impossible task of protecting his new wife and unborn child against the throes of Hell, Jared Ryel is allowed no mistakes. Pressured to return the Naissance de Demoniac to Jerusalem, he revisits St. Ann’s to learn the answers were in front of him all along.

Together, they must survive long enough to let their child save them—and the world

Reading with an edge: Fifty shades

If you enjoyed Fifty shades of F-ed up, you might enjoy these other reads:

The Marriage Bargain by Jennifer Probst

To save her family home, impulsive bookstore owner, Alexa Maria McKenzie, casts a love spell. But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend's older brother—the powerful man who once shattered her heart.

Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he offers Alexa a bold proposition.

Bared to you: trilogy by Sylvia Day

He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot. I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life. I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me. I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily...

Gideon knew. He had demons of his own. And we would become the mirrors that reflected each other's most private worlds...and desires.

The bonds of his love transformed me, even as I prayed that the torment of our pasts didn't tear us apart...

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn't drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand.

Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby needs--and wants--to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the charming college co-ed. Intrigued by Abby's resistance to his charms, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis' apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match

Aug book club location - Picnic

 

Hi Ladies,

This year’s annual book club picnic will be held on Aug 19^th at the same location as last year. Riverside Park, River side Drive, near W116^st New York, NY.  1st person to get there should lay out a spot and text/call the rest of the group. If we can get the same location as last year that’s would be great. Near the 1 train Columbia subway stop.

As a side Book we will be adding the Fifty Shades Trilogy to the discussion.

Meeting time will be moved up to 12:00.

The week of please e-mail the group with what you will be bringing. I'm thinking sandwiches with side dishes like fruit salad, veggies & Hummus, chips, mix cheeses, dessert. …let’s keep it easy breezing things we can pick up at the store on our way in to the city no one should spend more than 15 bucks.

Everyone should bring their own drinks.

Laters..Leenie

Book to Movie: 50 Shades of Grey

Although this wasn’t a bookclub book, it was suggested and I know many of us have read/ are reading the books.

I don’t know what rating it’s going to get or if it will play in theaters or on cimimax after dark but it’s coming to the big screen ladies.

E.L. James spoke to women at a conference in Westchester, New York May 11 about her inspiration for ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ the upcoming film adaptation and the research behind the raunchy S&M sex scenes!

“I’m very concerned about how it will translate onto screen,” E.L. said at the conference.

Even though the film will be tasteful, it wouldn’t be complete without some of the story’s controversial S&M scenes, which the author tried to make as realistic as possible.“I talked to a couple people into S&M to do research on the book,” she said. “I also talked to an online guy, who was a submissive.

Interesting….. keep you posted

Book to Movie: Major Pettigrew's Last Stand

 

Looks like another one of our book clubs books has been choosen to be a movie, something else to look forward to ladies.  I'll keep you posted on the deeds.

EXCLUSIVE: Producers Paula Mazur, Mitchell Kaplan and Kevin McCormick have acquired screen rights to the Helen Simonson novel Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. Jack Thorne has been hired to write the script for a film that will be a co-production between the Mazur Kaplan Company and McCormick’s Warner Bros-based Langley Park Pictures. Published in 2010 by Random House, the book focuses on a retired and widowed British army major who falls in love with the Pakistani woman who runs their countryside village’s local convenience store. The novel his the bestseller list when it was published. Mazur Kaplan is funding development. Thorne is a British playwright whose first film was The Scouting Book for Boys. He just adapted the Nick Hornby novel A Long Way Down and has also written for the UK series Skins. UTA made the book deal for Barer Literary and Thorne’s repped by Casarotto Ramsay & Associates " Deadline New York Press"

Amazon Top Bergin Books

All books are under $5 Bucks and have over 100 positive reviews (4-5 stars)

On the Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves starting at $ 2.99

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day."

The Lion, The Lamb, The hunted: A Psychological Thriller  byAndrew E. Kaufman starting at $2.99

"SHE ONLY STEPPED OUTSIDE FOR A MINUTE...
But a minute was all it took to turn Jean Kingsley's world upside down--a minute she'd regret for the rest of her life. 


Heaven is for Real: A little boy’s astounding story of his trip to heaven and back by Todd Burpo starting $4.98

Heaven Is for Real  offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, "Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire starting at $2.99

The new Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn't drink or swear, and she has the appropriate percentage of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance between her and the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend America, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University's Walking One-Night Stand."

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen starting at $4.99

The novel, told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joined during the Great Depression."

The Righteous by Michael Wallace starting $2.99

The small polygamous community of Blister Creek has a history of protecting its own. Even when a young woman is brutally murdered just blocks from her home, the residents of the conservative enclave close ranks

Book Club Meeting Agenda April 22nd 2012

Socializing and places orders/snacks (20-30 minutes)

Welcome, Announcements and Reminders (20 minutes)

Book Discussion (60 minutes)

Major Pettigrew's last stand by Helen Simonson

Meeting Leader Jessica

Brick Lane Curry House

540 Valley Road

Upper Montclair, NJ

973-509-2100

http://www.bricklanemontclair.com/

Next meeting:            

·         Select meeting leaders-Can be whoever suggested the book or a volunteer

§  The Forgotten Garden – Carla (book is almost 700pgs do we want to read this?)

§  Silver Sparrow – Eileen/any volunteers?  

§  We need to talk about Kevin – Eileen/any volunteers?   

§  Rules for Virgins – Saundra

·         Janet Volunteered to cover

·         Discuss meeting location & Dates review

o   Themed book club meetings- picking restaurants based on where the book takes place or the ethnic background of lead characters moving forward.

§  May  20^th – The Forgotten Garden is set in  England

·         http://www.gmtny.com/ English Traven Bleecker street NYC

·         http://www.innatirving.com/  Ivy Place -Gramercy Park NYC-

Lady Mendl’s  (High tea time) 5-Course Afternoon Tea - $35

Sunday 12:00pm, 2:30pm reservations required 212-533-4466

§  June 24^th - Silver Sparrow set in Atlanta (Southern Food)

·         http://www.melbasrestaurant.com/    Melba’s – Harlem NYC

·         http://redroosterharlem.com/  The Red Rooster – Harlem NYC

§  July 15^th  - We need to talk about Kevin- set in upstate New York

·         Picnic?  River side park again?

§  August 19^th  - Rules for Virgins is set in Shanghai China

·         http://www.goldenunicornrestaurant.com/ Golden Unicorn – China Town

Please E-mail me any coments

Favorite places to Read a Book……. What’s ours?

1. At the park. Make a picnic and bring a large blanket, find a nice spot and settle in for a la
   
   zy day. A calm overcast day is best for eyes and hair. You won’t tire easily and you won’t be distracted by flipping pages and clinging hair caused by the wind.
2. In bed. Morning or night, one of the best places to read is in your bed! You are your most relaxed and it’s extremely comfortable. Stack up those pillows or crawl under the bedclothes for some truly exceptional reading time.
3. In a library. It’s fairly quiet in a library and there are usually places for settling in with a book. Some have little nooks and others have open reading lounges. Find yourself a spot and crack open a book!
4. On a couch. Like your bed, the couch is a nice and comfy spot to sit/rest and read a book. Armrests make great pillows.
5. In the car. You spend a lot of time in the car. Open that book and fill those empty wasted minutes spent traveling by traveling to another world.
6. By the pool. Dangle your feet in the water or lie out on your towel. Both are great for reading. Bring a cool drink to quench your thirst and have fun!
7. Local book Store. Are any even still open? If so they can be a great quiet environment to sit and read, most serve coffee and cakes to sustain you long hours of reading.
8. In the bathtub. Get clean and get time to read at the same time! Add some bubbles or bath salts and you’re really having a party… a party for one, but still as fun!

Chick Lit is not Dead: Best Books of 2011

Best Books of 2011 by Liz

1. Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close I read this debut while on vacay in Hawaii over the summer and let’s just say that I’m pretty thankful neither of my kids drowned while I was engrossed of this witty, refreshing tale of a group of friends after they graduate from college and struggle with heartbreak and career changes, all while attending endless bridal showers. A MUST read if you were a big SATC fan-the narrative really captures the spirit of Carrie & co.  It’s not too late to pick this up for your stocking!

2. The Art of Forgetting by Camille Noe Pagan Another great debut!  When Marissa’s BFF Julia gets hit by a cab and suffers brain damage, it changes the dynamic of their friendship forever. As Julia struggles to regain her memory, things come up that Marissa would much rather forget and things get a bit complicated.  A engaging story about friendship and forgiveness that I couldn’t put down.  I highly recommend you grab a copy for you and your bestie TODAY.  One of my favorite covers of the year too!

3.  Skipping A Beat by Sarah Pekkanen I. Loved. This. Book! As a self-delared emotional robot, I found myself bawling like a freakin’ baby during the last few chapters of this delightful novel.  When Julia’s husband Michael has a near-death experience, he rewrites the rules of their struggling marriage, forcing her to choose whether to stay and take a leap of faith or leave forever. Insightful but also with with a healthy dose of Pekkanen’s trademark humor, you won’t be able to put it down- I PROMISE!

4. The First Husband by Laura Dave When Annie’s long-time boyfriend suddenly leaves her, she rebounds with a vengeance, marrying a down-to-earth chef after three short months of dating. Soon Annie finds herself in a small Massachusetts town and wondering if she was too quick on the trigger.  When her ex returns and wants her back, things get really complicated…  Laura Dave is one of my fave writers, her narrative on love and life always hits home and The First Husband is no exception.  I devoured this book in four hours flat-a new record for me. The perfect gift to give yourself this season!

5. Best Kept Secret by Amy Hatvany Cadence thought she had it all-good job, successful husband and adorable son-until her marriage went off the rails and the stress of single motherhood drove her to start drinking heavily. It’s only when her five-year old son is taken away that she realizes that her best kept secret has been discovered. Will she ever be able to find her way back and earn back the trust she’s lost? Honest and thought-provoking, I promise you’ll be thinking of Cadence long after you finish this fantastic book.
And one YA bonus pick!
Y’all know I have love for those young adult novels…here’s my fave of 2011.
Bumped by Megan McCafferty- When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, things get a little bit CRAZY.  Would-be parents pay top dollar for teens to conceive and carry babies, making them the most prized citizens in society-and the most genetically blessed are in the highest demand and considered celebrities. I LOVED this book-very high concept about the business of having babies, and our increasing desire for genetic perfection. I’m anxiously awaiting a sequel!

Taken form: http://www.chicklitisnotdead.com/

http://chicklitisnotdead.com/2011/12/best-books-of-2011-by-liz/

Beach Bag reads – The not so lighter side

Not your average Chick-Lit but easy reads when you need a little somthing more.

 

Bitter is the New Black - Jen Lancaster

The hysterical true story of newly unemployed ex-sorority girl Jen Lancaster.

On the Island – Tracy Gatvis-Graves

The relationship between Anna and TJ was sweet and sexy and very real...the idea of their age difference was neither a shock nor unbelievable. The bonds created between individuals under duress are strong and enduring. And the romantic in me loved it as well."

Good Grief - Lolly Winston

When Sophie's husband dies, she starts her life over in a new place and discovers just exactly who she is and what she wants out of life.

One Pink Line – Dina Silver

One Pink Line was such a great read. The story line immediately pulls you in and anyone who came of age in the 80s and 90s is going to love the historical references- acid wash jeans anyone? characters- so real like old friends.

Can You Keep a Secret? - Sophie Kinsella

This novel will make you think twice before revealing your innermost secrets to a stranger.

Location Location Location: April meeting detail

Next meeting:            

·         Books

Upcoming books

Apr- Major Pettigrew's last stand by Helen Simonson

·         Select meeting leader

                        Jessica was voted the next meeting Leader

                        Meeting leader will provide questions and lead discussion

 

  PLEASE REVIEW and provide votes on where you would like to go                     

·         Up coming meeting location

                              April meeting in Montclair NJ

                                          http://www.truenorthosteria.com/

                                          http://www.osteria-giotto.com/

                                          http://torosushibar.com/         

                              

                              May meeting in Hoboken  NJ

                                         http://www.originalclambrothhouse.com/#13327669360811&true  $12 Prix-Fixe 

                                         http://www.zylorestaurant.com/  $18 Prix-Fixe            

                                         http://www.thebrassrailnj.com/lunchmenu.asp  $17 & $27 Prix-Fixe

 

N                           June New York City - Pot Luck Riverside Park Picnic

 

 

The Boy in the Suitcase Quiz

Are you ready for this weekends Book Club Meeting?!?!? take the Quiz and see...

http://www.goodreads.com/quizzes/12216-the-boy-in-the-suitcase

March 25th 2012, meeting Agenda

Meeting in 6 days, it's not too late to get your read on, The Boy in the suitcase is a short easy read. Remember you need to have read a minimum of 50% of the book to participate at the meeting.

* We will be taking Photos

Book: The boy in the Suitcase

Date: March 25th @ 1:pm

Location: Le Provencal Bistro, 436 Mamaroneck ave , Mamaroneck NY

Socializing and places orders (20-30 minutes)

Welcome, Announcements and Reminders (20 minutes)

·         Pledge updates

Book Discussion (60 minutes) Meeting leader Saundra

Meeting leader will provide questions and lead discussion

Next meeting:            

·         Books

Upcoming books

Apr- Major Pettigrew's last stand by Helen Simonson
May- The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

·         Select meeting leader

                        Saundra –current meeting, who’s next?

                       

·         Discuss meeting location

                              April meeting @ Montclair NJ

                                          http://www.truenorthosteria.com/

                                          http://www.osteria-giotto.com/

                                          http://torosushibar.com/         

                              May ?? Hoboken or New York City ??

·         Suggestions

                        Open

NPR's top Fictions...grab some Book Pledge Ideas

  

The Tigers Wife by Tea Obreht

Tea Obreht's debut novel takes place in an unnamed Balkan country similar to the former Yugoslavia. Natalia, a young medical student, is on her way to an orphanage in enemy territory when she learns that her beloved grandfather has died. As his confidante, Natalia was not only aware of his cancer; she was also privy to his many incredible adventures, the two most fantastic being his stories of the Deathless Man and the Tiger's Wife.

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

Unwillingly brought together to care for their ailing mother, three sisters who were named after famous Shakespearean characters discover that everything they have been avoiding may prove more worthwhile than expected.

The House at Tyneford by Natasha Solomons
To escape 1938 Vienna, Elise Landau, a Jew, accepts employment as a domestic servant at Tyneford, a family estate in England, where her involvement with the son of the master of the house changes her life in unexpected ways





Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Twin brothers born from a secret love affair between an Indian nun and a British surgeon in Addis Ababa, Marion and Shiva Stone come of age in Ethiopia, where their love for the same woman drives them apart.

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Working side by side for a record label, former punk rocker Bennie Salazar and the passionate Sasha hide illicit secrets from one another while interacting with a motley assortment of equally troubled people from 1970s San Francisco to the postwar future

Astrology Lovers..read on

Sometimes Astrology Is The Best Therapy Of All

by Karen Abbott NPR

This book titled Destiny Times Six: An Astrologer's Casebook by Katherine de Jersey. De Jersey was an astrologist, and for more than 30 years she received an impressive roster of clients. Everyone from Grace Kelly to Sonny and Cher went to her to learn the nuances of their natal charts.

The discreet Ms. de Jersey doesn't name names in Destiny Times Six, but the case histories she presents are so deliciously melodramatic that it doesn't matter. I stayed awake reading because I just had to know: What would become of Edward, the sensitive Pisces locked in an asylum for the murder of his psychiatrist? And the client calling herself "Jane Austen," a pragmatic Aries in love with her older — and married — Scorpio boss?

-I couldn't help but apply the author's techniques within my own relationships, and found sly ways to learn someone's date, place and time of birth. I reveled in learning why I had weirdly intense chemistry with a passing acquaintance (my Venus atop his Mars), why a certain relative is so cheap (Saturn in Taurus), and how my husband's mild jealous streak is tempered by a proud Aries sun (although my own sun, in Aquarius, would never tolerate blatant jealousy, anyway).

In between the soapy antics of de Jersey's cases, I discovered that astrology was my ideal form of therapy. It's comforting to find reasons — even reasons I'm still embarrassed to discuss

First Tuesday Book Club

Journalist and publisher Jennifer Byrne hosts First Tuesday Book Club on ABC TV. Byrne will be joined by a panel of book lovers and experts who will discuss titles from fiction, non-fiction, biography, thriller, romance and history genres

First Tuesday of every month 10pm & the following Sunday 4.30pm

 

You can watch old episodes on the web site. the shows been on for about 6 years but the clips are short pretty interesting if you looking for new reads.

http://www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/

Fun for readers/bookclub memebers BBC TV show: The Book Club

There is a BBC series from around 2003 called The Book Club
Below are the links if your interested in watching.

http://www.hulu.com/the-book-group (episodes on Hulu)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276650/ (info)

It's only two seasons, about 12 thirty (30) minute episodes, so it can be done in a quickie marathon. The story centers around a book club in Scotland which was organized by the actress who played "#13" from the House, MD series.

A Brief History of Book Clubs

The Beginnings of Book Clubs

Because literacy was initially reserved for only those member's of society's upper classes, reading was not an activity that the general public could indulge in. This gave those who were literate, usually the wealthy and educated, an instant upper hand in society.
While there is some debate as to when the first book club was formed (in part because the facts are vague), Rachel Jacobsohn, author of The Reading Group Handbook, recalls a reading group comprised of " white glove-wearing, hat-wearing, tea-drinking, elitist old white women" from the late 1800s. This exclusive group was restricted to members who inherited a place among the coveted club.

Women's Roles in Traditional Book Clubs

Though men were the first gender to popularize the concept of a reading group, women followed the examples of their male counterparts. Though remaining confined to the social parameters of their sex, women slowly shifted their social activities from sewing circles and church groups to the eventual formation of their own reading groups.
Women initially resorted to book clubs as a way to socialize and discuss daily happenings. According to Jacobsohn, women in reading groups "simply came together to discuss the same issues and dilemmas that men debated". Women used the reading group as an outlet to not only socialize, but to be given an opportunity to have a voice and be heard among peers.


Read more at Suite101: A Brief History of Book Clubs: How the Modern Reading Group Developed | Suite101.com http://lisa-rufle.suite101.com/a-brief-history-of-book-clubs-a64430#ixzz1oNT1Lh88

Book Club Meeting Agenda

Book Club Meeting Agenda

Socializing and places orders/snacks (20-30 minutes)

Welcome, Announcements and Reminders (20 minutes)

·         Pledge updates

Book Discussion (60 minutes)

Next meeting:            

·         Book suggestions

·         Select meeting leader

·         Discuss meeting location

·         Suggestions