Next week

All,
Our next book club is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov 7th after work at EB's house in Lansdale. If you haven't finished (or started) the book, don't worry. Its a shorter book and an easy read, so stay in, relax and read this weekend. I added poll to the side...please respond if you will be attending next week or not. Poll ends this Friday.
THANKS!

The final 2007 Book Club

Our next book club will be Wednesday, Nov 7th (sometime after work...exact time determined later) at EB's house in Lansdale (directions will be emailed).

We will split the cost of Chiense take-out. If there are any suggestions as to where to get it, leave a comment.

And just in case you missed it before, the next book we are reading is...Lucky (see two posts below).

Final Book Club of 2007

With the flurry of the holidays quickly approaching, we decided that we need to think about our next book club now. And its best if we have it before the holidays. So, at lunch today, we discussed having our next meeting after work one day and just order in Chiense takeout. We thought the first week in November could work.
So, two options are:
Wednesday, Nov 7th
or
Wednesday, Nov 14th.

EB volunteered to host and we'll just split the cost of takeout.
Thoughts on the date? Leave a comment.

NOTE: The dates have changed. Please check your calendars again and let everyone know what works.

Book Club Selection Process

To those who were at this Sunday's book club - it was a great time. Good discussion, good food and good company. I had a great afternoon.

We also decided how we will select the next book.

We brainstormed for awhile and all thought this might be a good idea.

The Book Selection Process

• At each book club meeting, after discussing our current selection, we will pick the next book.
• Each person in attendance will write down their suggestion and tell the group what it is (and why they are suggesting it, if there is a reason).
• The host will pull a selection "out of a hat." That is it. Selection is final.
• There are no books off limit, however when making your suggestion think about the following...If you have already read it, will the book create discussion? Although not a true criteria, how long is it? Try not to suggest a 1500 page book. :) Mainly, just try to suggest a book that you think people will enjoy.

Couple of other thoughts

• If there is a book that people really want to read, people can suggest the same book. You can try to get other people to suggest the same book as you. If half the group writes down the same book title, it increases the chances of it getting drawn.
• If you are not at the book club, you do not get to put in your suggestion (of course you can try to sway someone else to suggest your book).

Why we liked it:

• It allows brand new books to be suggested (vs a running list that we make our way through - which takes a LONG time, since we only read 3-4 books a year)
• Its completely random - will allow for new and different suggestions and types of books, since the same people are decided the selection all the time.
• Doing at book club gives lots of notice and time to read.
  You can continuely change your suggestion.

So, with 5 people at the book club on Sunday, we picked our next book.

Our next book club selection is...

Lucky - By Alice Sebold

In a memoir hailed for its searing candor and wit, Alice Sebold reveals how her life was utterly transformed when, as a nineteen-year-old college freshman, she was brutally raped and beaten in a park near campus. In a narrative by turns disturbing, thrilling, and inspiring, Alice Sebold illuminates the experience of trauma victims even as she imparts wisdom profoundly hard-won: "You save yourself or you remain unsaved." (from http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books/8/0316096199/index.html)

Food, Glorious Food!!

Okay, so it isn't all about food, but its hard to think of fun titles. Book Club is this Sunday, August 11th at 1:00 (since I didn't hear any objections to the time, I guess that's okay with everyone) at my house. Below is a link to discussion questions. IMPORTANT - Do NOT look read the summary if you have not finished/read the book. Its gives away the plot and the ending (I couldn't belive they did that!!).

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_B/brave_new_world1.asp

As our reading group grows, I think it might be easier if we always do a "bring a dish" type of meeting. My thought is that is makes it easier on the host. But we can discuss this Sunday, if people have other ideas. If people want to leave a comment to this post with what they are bringing, it will ensure that everyone isn't bringing brownies. I was thinking if a couple people bring a "side-dish" and a couple bring dessert, we should have lots of food, probably too much, but thats okay!

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend!!

Our Next Book Club Meeting

So, 9 people voted about the 12th. 7 said they can make it, 2 can't (although I know there is at least 3 who can't make it). So it looks like we have enough people to have book club (so for those who are going to miss it!!).

As it gets closer I will most likely email directions (don't want my address on here). Is everyone okay with people bringing food? I was thinking of easy things like the Oriental Coleslaw (although JR won't be here) or brownies, or simple things like that.

So, its only a couple of weeks away, so lets get reading!

Links

I added some links of interest to the side. Just a word of caution, the Reading Group Guides site (which is a really great site) gives pretty detailed summeries of books, so just be careful to not ruin books you haven't read yet. Although we already have a pretty lengthy list of books, just browsing those sites, I have about 5 more books I want to read. Maybe we need to start meeting more often!?!?! :)

Too many conflicts?

So it seems like not everyone voted for the dates, and some people can't make it. I would like to get an idea of how many people can actually attend on the 12th. If its too few people, we can try to find another day (even an weekday evening). So, please try to answer the poll (yes, another poll to the side).

Its been decided...

After the polling, it looks like Sunday, August 12th is when most people are available for book club. Hopefully most will be able to attend!!! Are there any preferences for time? Around 1:00 works well for me (okay, works well around the baby's nap!).

In honor of our new blog and name of our book club, I will have some yummy girlie PINK drinks (my favorite pink drink....Cosmopolitans!). I'll have other drinks (non-alcoholic) too. And I plan to make fruit salsa and a sweet pasta/fruit salad. I think if everyone brings something, we will have more than enough food. Maybe everyone can just leave a comment about what they are bringing? A couple desserts and other side dishes are some ideas.

As it gets closer, I'll post links for discussion questions and other relevant stuff.

The winner is...

After voting, our next book is...Brave New World won 5 votes to 1 vote for each of the other book. Below is a link for amazon (which has used books for under $3).

http://www.amazon.com/Brave-New-World-Aldous-Huxley/dp/0060929871/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-7180628-1632913?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184542537&sr=8-1

The next thing we must decide when to meet. I've added a new poll to the side. Please vote for any date that you are available. You can choose mulitple dates. Hopefully we can find a date that works for most of use. And like I said in an email, I can host this book club, unless someone else want to volunteer.

Our Next Book

Although a hundred emails have gone back and forth, we still haven't decided on our next book. I think we narrowed it down to three choices. Let's just vote on one and get it over with. There is a poll on the side. Select only one book (and vote only once). The poll will end tomorrow evening (I know its short, but I'd actually like to start reading the book soon!!). Once the book is decided, we'll pick the date.