"Running Out of Time" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Our book for January is Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix:

Jessie lives with her family in the frontier village of Clifton, Indiana, in 1840 -- or so she believes. When diphtheria strikes the village and the children of Clifton start dying, Jessie's mother reveals a shocking secret -- it's actually 1996, and they are living in a reconstructed village that serves as a tourist site. In the world outside, medicine exists that can cure the dread disease, and Jessie's mother is sending her on a dangerous mission to bring back help.
But beyond the walls of Clifton, Jessie discovers a world even more alien and threatening than she could have imagined, and soon she finds her own life in jeopardy. Can she get help before the children of Clifton, and Jessie herself, run out of time?

Copies are floating around, and also available at the local libraries. Please leave comments if you have a copy available or need a copy.
Book club will be held on January 26th, 7:00 PM at Johanna's house. Please do your best to be on time. Let Mindy know if you have any questions.

Christmas Party/ December Book Club

For December we will be having our annual Christmas party in conjunction with our regular book club. This month we will be reading The Autobiography of Santa Clause by Jeff Guinn.

Where exactly did Santa Claus come from? How did he meet Mrs. Claus? Who named the reindeer? We've all asked these questions and a million more, and Jeff Guinn uses a wonderful mix of scholarship, fantasy, folklore, and faith to answer them all. According to this "authoritative" autobiography, St. Nicholas began giving gifts in the third century A.D. and never looked back. John H. Mayer's warm and leisurely reading certainly puts one in mind of the classic nineteenth-century Claus, but it's the generous sprinkling of facts that draws one in. Did you know the Roman calendar had only 10 months and 355 days and that Christmas caroling was introduced to the world in the thirteenth century? A fine way for the whole family to receive a dash of history and humor relating to holiday cheer.

We will also be doing a book exhange this year. Please bring a wrapped book to exchange at the party. We will have the chocolate fountain again! The following items are a suggestion only. Bring what you want if you don't like your list item.

• Mindy- chocolate
• Krista- bananas
• Caron- peanute butter goodness, ie: cookies, pb balls, ect.
• Linda: large marshmallows
• Leah- potato chips
• Angie- strawberries
• Shanna- cinnamon bears
• Becca- pineapple
• Amy- pretzels
• Ann- angel food cake/pound cake
• Missy- gummy orange slices
• Johanna- brownie bites

Book club will be held on December 15th, 7:00 PM at Krista's house. Let me know if you have any questions. See you all there!

Retreat time is here!

Retreat is on for THIS FRIDAY! Here is the scoop:

Meet at my house at 3:00. We will leave from there. We will meet Logan people at Smith's at 3:30ish. Please bring the following:
~$10 for food
~a treat to share
~any personal items/sleeping stuff you need
~a paper product to donate to the cabin ie: a roll of paper towels, some napkins, some TP

This will probably be a very laid back retreat. I have a little craft to do (bookmarks) that will basically be free. We will put off the book exchange because of the late notice of retreat. Just come ready to enjoy hanging out with each other. Please let us know if you can drive. I do not trust myself behind the wheel of a car in the canyon. Also let us know if you have any questions. See you all on Friday!!

October's Book

FYI: The book changed for this month. Please note that we will be reading "Watchers" by Dean Koontz for October's book. If we aren't able to have retreat this month we will review it at Shanna's house - we aren't sure at this point. Johanna is looking into what dates we can use the cabin. Leah will then do "Room" for November. If you have problems with this... TOO BAD!

Retreat????

I was writing things down on my October calendar and realized I didn't know when the retreat was. Are we having one this fall? I noticed that book club is at Shanna's this month.

SO... are we doing a November retreat or skipping it this time?

August's Book Club **Date Change**

Hey, girls. I posted about this on Facebook already, but if you weren't in the loop (or have yet to cave and join the Facebook cult), here is the rundown:

I have my last night of class (of the quarter) on the night we originally had planned to have book club. This means I really can't miss. And since I am hosting, I figured that wouldn't work out. So I'm changing the date... and I really, really hope you all can come! I tried to choose a date that was out of the way of birthdays (Happy Soon-To-Be Birthday, Leah!!) and the start of the school year, which I'm sure is super crazy for all of you. Again, I really hope it works for all of us and that we all can come! It's never the same if someone is missing.

So... the new date is: WEDNESDAY, Aug. 31st! Let's plan for 7:45pm (meaning 8pm, but no one makes it on time - myself included). I'll hope the kiddos cooperate with me and go to bed on time. :)

We'll be reviewing Artichoke's Heart (which if you haven't read, you now have time to do so) and introducing September's book. And having a TON of fun and delicious food. So please come.

Love to all of you. Hope you survive the back-to-school crazies! :)

Recommended Reads

Following is a list of books we talked about at retreat a couple of months ago. These books were recommended reads from different members:

• The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik
• Juliet by Anne Fortier
• A CHange of Heart by Jodi Piccoult
• Birth Marked by Caragh O'Brien
• Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
• Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter
• Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand
• Shabanu by Suzanne Staples
• Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
• Goodnight Mr. Tom by Michelle Margorian
• Watcher by Dean Koonz
• A Wrinkle in Time by  Madeleine L'engle
• A Spell for Chameleon by Piers Anthony
• Ida B by Katherine Hannigan
• Growing Up Black and White by Kevin Hoffman

Club pick for August: Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee

this review was taken form the blog The Book Reader

Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee


Rosemary Goode is smart, funny, and a nice person. Not to mention the best eyebrow waxer in Spring Hill, Tennessee. But no one really cares about all those things, because she's overweight. Rosemary's only friends are the chocolate bars she has stashed under her bed. Everyone constantly reminds her of the weight she needs to lose. Like with the treadmill her mother bought her for Christmas, which she's probably never going to use and the rickets to the weight loss convention that she got from her aunt. And since her mother runs the best beauty shop in town, blending in with her surroundings is not as easy as she hopes for. So when she finally resolves to lose the weight after hitting an all time high of two hundred three pounds after Christmas, she realizes that this is about more then just the extra pounds. And with the help of two unexpected allies from her school, an always happy and popular cheerleader and bluebird, Kay-Kay Reese, and a jock from her study hall, Kyle Cox, she realizes that not all people judge her by her weight and some can see her inner beauty that she has trouble seeing on her own. 


Book club will be held on Thursday, August 25 at 7:00 PM. Just as a note: let's all do our best to be on time. I was 40 minutes late to the last book club so I am not blaming anyone here. But we need to be more considerate of the person who is hosting. It is frustrating to hustle to get ready, kick your family out of the house, and then have nobody show up for an hour. As an incentive...I will have a *PRIZE* for anyone who is at book club at 7:00 this month. Let's show our love and be on time, ladies!


Also, just FYI, I will be bringing the READ letters to book club in August. Many of you have already paid me for these letters. For those of you who haven't you can buy one if you want. I thought I would have time to host a night where we painted these letters but it is not looking like that is going to happen. So I will bring the letters so you can take them home and paint them on your own time.

Book Club Pick for July: Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

This month's book was chosen by Johanna. Battle Hymn of the Tiger mother was written by Amy Chua.
The following review is from amazon.com: Chua (Day of Empire) imparts the secret behind the stereotypical Asian child's phenomenal success: the Chinese mother. Chua promotes what has traditionally worked very well in raising children: strict, Old World, uncompromising values--and the parents don't have to be Chinese. What they are, however, are different from what she sees as indulgent and permissive Western parents: stressing academic performance above all, never accepting a mediocre grade, insisting on drilling and practice, and instilling respect for authority. Chua and her Jewish husband (both are professors at Yale Law) raised two girls, and her account of their formative years achieving amazing success in school and music performance proves both a model and a cautionary tale. Sophia, the eldest, was dutiful and diligent, leapfrogging over her peers in academics and as a Suzuki piano student; Lulu was also gifted, but defiant, who excelled at the violin but eventually balked at her mother's pushing. Chua's efforts "not to raise a soft, entitled child" will strike American readers as a little scary--removing her children from school for extra practice, public shaming and insults, equating Western parenting with failure--but the results, she claims somewhat glibly in this frank, unapologetic report card, "were hard to quarrel with."
I will be ordering this book from amazon.com on Wednesday, Jun 29. I have had several people say they would like to order a book as well. The book is $15.57 with free shipping if you order through my account. As this is a fairly new book, the only used copies available through Amazon started at $10 plus $4 shipping. You have to order these on an individual basis and I didn't want to get into paying a different price for each book. Trying to figure out who owed me what would be too confusing. If you want to order a new book through my account let me know ASAP. I will be placing the order on Wednesday, June 29.
We will meet at Johanna's house on Thursday, July 21st, at 7:00 PM.  Note that this date is different from our usual forth Thursday night.
This looks to be a great read! I am exited to get my hands on this one. Let me know if you have any questions. I will see you all in July!

Book Club Pick for June

 Linda had some family obligations come up this month so we have rearranged a few things. The changes are listed on the side bar.

Our book this month is "One Thousand White Women" by Jim Fergus.
The following was taken from reviews on amazon.com: This novel is about an 1875 treaty between Ulysses S. Grant and Little Wolf, chief of the Cheyenne nation. Little Wolf comes to Washington and suggests to President Grant that peace between the Whites and Cheyenne could be established if the Cheyenne were given white women as wives, and that the tribe would agree to raise the children from such unions. The thought of miscegenation naturally enough astounds Grant, but he sees a certain wisdom in trading 1,000 white women for 1,000 horses, and he secretly approves the Brides For Indians treaty. He recruits women from jails, penitentiaries, debtors' prisons, and mental institutions offering full pardons or unconditional release. May Dodd, born to wealth in Chicago in 1850, had left home in her teens and become the mistress of her father's grain-elevator foreman. Her outraged father had her kidnapped, imprisoning her in a monstrous lunatic asylum. When Grant's offer arrives, she leaps at it and soon finds herself traveling west with hundreds of white and black would-be brides. All are indentured to the Cheyenne for two years, must produce children, and then will have the option of leaving. May, who keeps the journal we read, marries Little Wolf and lives in a crowded tipi with his two other wives, their children, and an old crone who enforces the rules. Reading about life among the Cheyenne is spellbinding, especially when the women show up the braves at arm-wrestling, foot-racing, bow-shooting, and gambling.  May's personal journals, loaded with humor and intelligent reflection, describe the adventures of some very colorful white brides (including one black one), their marriages to Cheyenne warriors, and the natural abundance of life on the prairie before the final press of the white man's civilization.

We will meet on Thursday, June 23 at 7:00, at Angies house. I am excited to see you all there!

Retreat Tonight

Alright ladies, just wanted to give you all a head's up on how rides are developing for this afternoon:
There will be two (probably) vehicles leaving my house at 3:15. If you want to go early with us please be on time. I am not sure who all is going when and if you are not on time it is likely you will get left, and I don't want to do that! We will leave promptly at 3:15. Johanna we will pick you up on our way through town. We will stop at Smith's. Missy, if you are meeting us early we will be there about 3:30.
Angie is going over at 4:30. I know there are some people riding with her already. If you need a ride for the later time, give her a call.
There is at least one car coming back on Friday night. Becca I think that is you. The rest of us will plan to be back in Cache Valley by noon.
Also for food: I am just getting pizza and breakfast this time. Bring your own drink for dinner. I will provide paper products for dinner and some juice and milk with breakfast. I am trying to keep the cost as low as possible- we will see how we do with $5 this time around. Also please bring a paper product (tp or paper towels) to donate to the cabin.
That is what I know. Let me know if things are different than I stated or if you have questions. I am SO EXCITED to hang out with all of you. Yay for book club!!!!

Lip Balm UPDATE

Hey, ladies. Here is a picture of what the lip balm looks like, size etc. It looks SUPER pink in the pot but is really light on. We can make it lighter for sure (or a different hue if you have different lip stick you wanna try), and you'll probably want to if you're doing it for your little girls. We can play with it.

Also, I worked it out and think that it will cost $1 a pot. That's including everything: wax, oils, flavor, color, shimmer, the little container, etc.

The recipe and ingredients/materials I will bring will be for peppermint, pink shimmer lip balm (seen above... the OPI nail polish is just for size comparison). If you want any other variation (flavor, color, or container), please feel free to bring whatever else.

I'm excited to make these! I really like these and think you'll enjoy them. (Hope so.)

NOTE: Unless I hear otherwise, I will plan to bring enough materials to make about 3 pots a person. It's totally fine with me if you want less, but if you want more (especially if you want lots more), I need to know. I figure this is our first time doing it, so you'll probably just want a couple as souvenirs. (wink)

Thanks for being patient with me while I try to figure this all out. Love you girls! I'm excited to play with you in TWO DAYS!!

Chao.

RETREAT CRAFT?? Homemade Lip Gloss/Balm!!

Hey, girls! So this weekend is our book club retreat (see the post below for specs), and I just came across a SWEET tutorial that I absolutely want to try! Homemade lip gloss (or balm... there are two different but very closely related tutorials; we could try both)!! Does that make anyone else giddy? It does me! I want to try it regardless of whether we do it at retreat or not, so I went out this afternoon and bought the stuff.

I want to know if you're interested in doing this.

I think it will cost up to $5 per person and should get you at least a couple of little pots of gloss/balm. Keep in mind, I've never tried this. I probably will before Friday, but I can't guarantee that. So it may be a gamble.

Does anyone else want to gamble with me?? :)

I won't be offended if it sounds lame to you. Or if you just don't feel like potentially wasting your time/money. But I think it will turn out great, and I think it will be FUN!

I will buy everything and figure out more definite costs if you'll let me know (soon, preferably). So- what say you? Lip gloss/balm craft at bookclub retreat???

Check yes or no.

*Note: Image from here. Tutorials (if you're curious, or if it'll help you decide) here and here. And Mindy (or others), Castor oil can substitute almond oil if nut allergies necessitate this.

For May: Book Reviews and RETREAT

May is RETREAT TIME! This event always makes me so excited! I can't wait to hang out with all of you. Retreat will be held on Friday, May 20th and Saturday, May 21st. We will again be going to Johanna's cabin. We will also be doing book reviews for this month. Come prepared to share a book of your choice with all of us. This might be a good time to hear about some of those books we have exchanged at retreat in the past. I will not be doing a craft this time, but if anyone else wants to spearhead that, let me know and you can take it on. So here is a list of the specs:

• Date: May 20-21

• Time: Leave Mindy's house at 3:15, we will meet Logan people at Smith's at 3:30- if this time is a problem please leave a comment. We will accommodate whatever time works best for the majority.

• Bring: Your personal and sleeping items, $5 for food, a treat to share, and your book to review.

Please let me know ASAP if you have any questions or concerns or if you are willing to drive. As always, retreat is one of the highlights of my year! Hooray for all of you!

One Thousand White Women

This is {Ang} making this post :>! I have finally figured out what I want to read for my month. I read this book years ago and forgot about it until I saw it on a recommendation list this morning. It is an interesting read.

TIME CHANGE

Please note that book club next week has been changed to 8:00 PM. The date remains the 28th. Just the time is different:

April 28th

Ann's house

8:00 PM

Pass the word along to anyone you see. See you all there!

A Proposal

Dear ladies:

First off please be sure to read the post below this one for news on this month's book.

Now for a discussion: I have felt a lack of enthusiasm for reading lately from club members. I am not blaming I am just saying. This is for many reasons: we are all busy. There have been new babies, illnesses, sick kids, stressful schedules, etc. I just feel like reading for book club has not been a priority. That's okay. That is life. But I think I am right in saying that staying in touch and spending time with each other is still a high priority. So here is what I propose: How about we take a step back?  How would you all feel if we bumped everyone's scheduled month back by one or two months and took 1-2 months of a breather. We would still hold book club. We could have it at my house or at the houses of the people who were originally over those months. We would just do reviews for a couple of months. Bring a book that you have read and share it with the rest of us. This might take some of the pressure off of reading for a bit. That way we are not expected to read a specific book for the month, and the person who spent the time and effort picking the book will not have to get their feelings hurt when people are unprepared for a discussion.

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment. I really need your feedback on this because I cannot make a decision for all of us by myself. Please let me know what you think of this plan. Like it, hate it, whatever, just let me know. I will not change anything until we have a majority of opinions gathered in. I would like to have a consensus by next book club which is on April 28. Leave a comment. Let me know.

I love all of you and I want our book club meeting to be a worthwhile and rewarding experience for everyone. For those who come and for the person who is hosting. Please let me know how you feel.

Love to all of you, 

Mindy

For April: "The Forgotten Garden" by Kate Morton

This month's book was chosen by Ann. The Forgotten Garden was written by Kate Morton. Following is a review of the book from Amazon.com:

Like Frances Hodgson Burnett's beloved classic The Secret Garden, Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden takes root in your imagination and grows into something enchanting--from a little girl with no memories left alone on a ship to Australia, to a fog-soaked London river bend where orphans comfort themselves with stories of Jack the Ripper, to a Cornish sea heaving against wind-whipped cliffs, crowned by an airless manor house where an overgrown hedge maze ends in the walled garden of a cottage left to rot. This hidden bit of earth revives barren hearts, while the mysterious Authoress's fairy tales (every bit as magical and sinister as Grimm's) whisper truths and ignite the imaginary lives of children. As Morton draws you through a thicket of secrets that spans generations, her story could cross into fairy tale territory if her characters weren't clothed in such complex flesh, their judgment blurred by the heady stench of emotions (envy, lust, pride, love) that furtively flourished in the glasshouse of Edwardian society. While most ache for a spotless mind's eternal sunshine, the Authoress meets the past as "a cruel mistress with whom we must all learn to dance," and her stories gift children with this vital muscle memory. --Mari Malcolm

Book club will be held on April 28 at Ann's house and 7:00 PM. If you have any questions let me know. Happy reading!

Babies, Babies, Babies

Baby JJ is here! Shanna had her baby boy yesterday afternoon. Here are some pictures and details:

Baby JJ born March 15, 4:00 PM

7 lbs. 2 oz.

21 inches

Shanna and the baby are both doing great. They will probably be home today. Everything went really well. We are so excited for you Shanna!! Can't wait to hold that little guy.

And other big news: Angie is a mommy again! She adopted a little boy this week. This was a sudden and fast thing. Make sure you check your facebook accounts for more news on this from Amy and Linda, or call them if you want to help gather a few things that Angie might need. She will be in Nevada for a few more days. I cannot wait to meet this new baby boy!

For March: "A Town Like Alice" by Nevil Shute

Nevil Shute’s most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, follows its enterprising heroine from the Malayan jungle during World War II to the rugged Australian outback.

Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. But it turns out that they have a gift for her as well: the news that the young Australian soldier, Joe Harmon, who had risked his life to help the women, had miraculously survived. Jean’s search for Joe leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals.

Copies of this book are available at all the local libraries and I will also have a copy I can pass around when I am done reading it. Book club will be help on March 24, 7:00 PM, at Mindy's house. I am looking forward to seeing you all there!

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Review taken from amazon.com:
Stardust is an utterly charming fairy tale in the tradition of The Princess Bride and The Neverending Story. Neil Gaiman, creator of the darkly elegant Sandman comics and author of The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish, tells the story of young Tristran Thorn and his adventures in the land of Faerie. One fateful night, Tristran promises his beloved that he will retrieve a fallen star for her from beyond the Wall that stands between their rural English town (called, appropriately, Wall) and the Faerie realm. No one ever ventures beyond the Wall except to attend an enchanted flea market that is held every nine years (and during which, unbeknownst to him, Tristran was conceived). But Tristran bravely sets out to fetch the fallen star and thus win the hand of his love. His adventures in the magical land will keep you turning pages as fast as you can--he and the star escape evil old witches, deadly clutching trees, goblin press-gangs, and the scheming sons of the dead Lord of Stormhold. The story is by turns thrillingly scary and very funny. You'll love goofy, earnest Tristran and the talking animals, gnomes, magic trees, and other irresistible denizens of Faerie that he encounters in his travels. Stardust is a perfect read-aloud book, a brand-new fairy tale you'll want to share with a kid, or maybe hoard for yourself. (If you read it to kids, watch out for a couple of spicy sex bits and one epithet.)
Book club will be held on February 24th, 7:00 PM, at Missy's house. See you all there!

Shower for Shanna

UPDATE UPDATE

We will be having the shower on Feb 19th. The 12th didn't work for many. You will be getting a invite in the mail soon. 

We are having a shower for Shanna!! We are looking at February 12th right now. Please leave me a comment if this is a good date for you (especially SHANNA)! More detail will follow but I wanted to feel out the date. Let me know, ladies!

Happy Birthday Mindy!
We are so glad that you chose to celebrate your birthday with us!
We love you!

Book Club Meeting

Hi ladies! Just a reminder that book club is tomorrow night at Caron's house. I am excited to see you all there!

Also, I was thinking about our recipe book. I have not given up the idea. So here is my new plan: each month I am going to assign a recipe for the month (like this month is appetizers or snacks). Bring a recipe or recipes to book club that fit into this catergory. Next month we will do something different. By the end of the year wil will have a cook book!
I know this is late notice but do your best. Bring recipes tomorrow for appetizers and snacks. I will love you for it.
See you all tomorrow!!

We Must Be Happy!

I was watching Oprah today (please don't judge :>) and they were talking about "Happiness". I missed bits and pieces while I ran kiddos here and there, but thought this was interesting...

The "happiness guru" guy said that joining a club that requires your attendance once a month is equal to doubling your income in terms of your happiness. SO... who needs to double their income - we have our Lit Lovers Book Club! Ok - so I wouldn't mind a doubled income, but now I know why I want to shoot anyone who messes with my ability to go to book club (which is usually my husband, who is thankfully still alive!).

Absolutely LOVE you guys... see you tomorrow!

Books We Have Read

As per requested here is a list of the books we have read in years past. It is fun to look back and see everything we have read. good job, ladies! Remember to add your book to the side bar when you have chosen what you want to do this year.

•  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
•  Life of Pi by Yann Martel
•  Chocolat by Joanne Harris
•  A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
•  A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
•  Night by Ellie Wiesel
•  Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
•  The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
•  My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Piccoult
•  The Doll in McCallaway’s Window by Kevin Krogh
•  The Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher
•  East of Eden by John Steinbeck
•  The Princess Bride by William Goldman
•  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• The Kite Runner  Khalid Hosseini
•  The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
•  The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
•  The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
•  The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
•  An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde
•  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
•  Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
•  The Pilot’s Wife by Anita Shreve
•  Atonement by Ian McEwan
•  The Book Thief by Markus Zasak
•  The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
•  Holy Fools by Joanne Harris
•  The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet
•  The Bell Jar by Sylvia Platt
•  Belong to Me by Marisa de los Dan Santos
•  Moonraker’s Bride by Madeleine Brent
•  Beneath My Mother's Feet  by Amjed Qamar
•  Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
•  Zorro by Isabelle Allende
•  Jayhawk by Dorothy Keddington
•  Driving Sideways by Jess Riley
•  These Is My Words by Nancy Turner
•  The Pianist by Wladyslaw Szpilman
•  Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
•  Tending Roses by Lisa Wingate
•  Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
•  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
•  Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson 
• The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
• When Crickets Cry by Charles Martin
• Tarzan of the Apes  by Edgar Rice Burroughs
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• Sarah's Key by Tatiana DeRosnay
• My Cousin Rachel by Daphne DuMaurier
• What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
• Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• The Weight of Silence by Heather Gundenkauf
• The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARON!!

Happy birthday to you, Caron. We all love you so much!! Here are a few things I love about you:

1. You are one of the truest friends I have. You have my back and I know it.
2. You are so much dang fun! You are a blast to hang out with and always game for anything. I promise next time I do donuts in the church parking lot I will come get you first.
3. You make awesome rolls and salad. They are delicious.
4. You are sweet and kind and thoughtful and just plain wonderful.
5. Remember all those times we have shared night toots? That was pretty fun.
6. You are seriously one of my favorite people in the world.

We hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy your birthday. I am so glad you are in our book club and more importantly that you are my friend. Love you much my dear!