December, 2020
Cindy read Doc at the same time she listened to the biography of Grant by Ron Chernow.
Cindy read Moonflower Murders, by Anthony Horowitz (AKA Magpie Murders, Book Two). She also read Squeeze Me a satire about an escaped python at a Florida resort (Mari Lago?) and the associated characters we will recognize from today’s political arena.
Ann is reading His Only Wife, which is an intriguing story about a women who enters an arranged marriage with a guy that didn’t even show to the wedding.
November, 2020
Karen – The Scent Keeper, Born to Run
Cindy – The Luminaries,
October, 2020
All the Devils are Here, a mystery novel by Louise Penny.
Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson.
September, 2020
Karen –
Vanishing Half, Henna Artist, Truths We Hold, Too Much is Never Enough, Still Here, Pilgrimage, Olive Again, Little Fires Everywhere, Keeper of Lost Things, More Myself Journey, Girl White Gloves, Something Fishy in Italy, Good Talk
Linda – (Recommends the first two)
You Never Forget Your First (George Washington) by Alexis Coe
Doc by Mary Doria Russell (really good DOC Holliday )
The Immortalist by Chloe Benjamin *not for everyone, I loved it!
The Bourbon Thief by Tiffany Reisz *again, not for everyone, I like it.
Anne –
Well Behaved Women Seldom Make History
Cindy –
Rosemary’s Baby, 50th Anniversary of the first printing
May, 2020
Sandie asked if anyone is reading Untamed
Karen read…
The Moment of Lift, by Melinda Gates, which we chose as the book to discuss in September.
Jodi suggested…
Nomadland – Surviving America in the 21st-century. About some women who close up their homes and travel in RVs in the 50s.
January, 2020
November, 2019
Ann mentioned the book Educated. It has been mentioned in the past, so we might want to consider this book in the future.
Linda mentioned Three Cups of Tea, which the club read in 2007. She pointed out that it was not based in fact and the author, Greg Mortinson, was disgraced after an investigation found he had personally used funds donated to his charity for Afghan girls’ schools and many facts in the book were found to be untrue. Read more at Washington Post – Mortenson returns to Afghanistan
Jodi mentioned Glass Castles, a story similar to Educated, which was made into a movie in 2017, starring Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts.
Linda also mentioned one of her favorite books, Loving Frank, about Frank Lloyd Wright, a historical fiction told from the point of view of his lover, Mamah Borthwick Cheney.
October, 2019
Linda liked Women Rowing North, by Mary Pipher, which was suggested last month. We do not have this on our book club list, but it is recommended reading for members looking for another book to read.
Ann read and enjoyed Leaving Time by Jodi Pocoult, which is a story set within a story of how elephants grieve.
Jan read Sole of America, by Jon Meacham.
Jan mentioned Mudbound, which we already suggested for later in the year as one of our books.
Kay’s other book club read The Hate you Give and she didn’t like it.
September, 2019
Rules for Visiting, by Jessica Francis Kane
Natural Causes, by Barbara Ehrenreich
Big Rock Candy Mountain, by Wallace Stegner
April, 2019
Lessons from Lucy , by Dave Barry
March, 2019
Travels with Myself and Another
Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
February, 2919
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, by Joshua Hammer
January, 2019
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo
Whiskey in a Teacup – Book for April
Becoming – Book for May
The Paris Seamstress – Book for September (later removed)
November, 2018
Magpie Murders – Book for March, 2018
The Last Outrageous Women – Book for February, 2018
You Are a Badass, How to Stop Doubting your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
Sapiens, a Brief History of Humankind
Sept/Oct, 2018
This Is How It Always Is Book for November
Braiding Sweetgrass Book for Dec/Jan
Auntie Poltie and the Sicilian Lions and other Auntie Poltie mysteries
May, 2018
Killers of the Flower Moon Book for September
My Life In France, Pleasures of Cooking and Eating 1948-1954, by Julia Child
March, 2018
Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist
The Secret History of Wonder Woman
The Chaperone Book chosen for April
January, 2017
1984, by George Orwell. Book chosen for February.
The Last Bus to Wisdom, by Ivan Doig. Book for March.
Being Mortal, by Atul Gawande
The Power of Now, is a book that changed Jan’s life.
A God in Ruins, by Kate Atkinson is Dee at Fairhaven Book, all-time favorite book – companion book to Life After Life.
Cindy is reading Rebecca. Sandie loved War and Peace, which might be a good summer read (1,200+ pages).
The Moth (enjoyed by Karen’s Bruce)
Cindy enjoyed Vampires in the Lemon Grove.
Sandie mentioned David Sedaris a well-known American humorist, who has quite a few collections of short stories in book form.
Kay is reading The Book of Joy, by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu .
October, 2016
Cindy recommended The Elegance of Hedgehog, but had to leave the meeting early to pick up Katie. Cindy, please tell us more about this book at our next meeting.
Kay recommends The Girls who Wrote in Silk.
September, 2016
LInda and Kay read My Grandmother Asked me to tell you she’s Sorry and Witches of Portabello, but they did not recommend either one for book club.
Karen loved The Little Paris Bookshop and loved it. (book for October).
Cindy read and enjoyed The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Eva Lavender.
Karen read The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.
Cindy liked two books recommended by Linda, Stoned and Astoria.
Kay told us about a book about the Karsai family she heard about on the radio.
Cindy talked about a book she and Lou are reading, The Last of the Three, about Turkey, written 100 years ago. (Sandie cannot find link online)
There was discussion about the Queen(s) of Jordan and King of Jordan.
May, 2016
Sandie picked up My Grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry, by Fredrick Backman, who also wrote A Man Called Ove. His latest novel is Britte Marie was Here.
Linda read and enjoyed the Kitchen House about an indentured servant.
Karen told us about a book about Auntie Maime. She will bring it in September.
April, 2016
Books for summer to be discussed in September…Storied Life of A. J. Fikry and The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion.
March, 2016
Pat suggested “Notorious RBG,” by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik, and “Sisters in Law.” Both books are about women on the Supreme Court.
Kay suggested “The Girl Who Wrote in Silk,” by Kelli Estes and “Being Mortal,” by Atul Gawande.
Pat suggested, “The Living,” by Annie Dillard.
There is a new book out, Fairhaven: A History.
February, 2016
Astoria – Kay – historical fiction about Astor sending traders out to establish settlements. Astoria first settlement on the west coast.
The Big Burn by Egan (Shadow Catcher) – Linda. About Gifford Pinchot, chief forester for Teddy Rosevelt. Story tells about battling a gigantic forest fire in 1910 in Washington.
Great Race – roads for national parks – Kay will send a link
Stone– Linda – Where stones come from
Vanessa and her Sisters – Karen – London 1905
January, 2016
Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story – read by Cindy – Ann felt the decline of Detroit started with desegregation.
The Art of Tidying Up – recommended by Cindy
The Girl Who Wrote in Silk – recommended by Kay – about a family who lived on Orcas. Historical fiction about people from Asia taking away jobs during a depression.
Whatcom Reads book – A Tale for the Time Being – Kay suggested
Rosey Project – Karen – Book for March
Me before You and After You – Jan
A Man Called Ove – Jan – Book for April
God in Ruins – recommended by Dee from Village Books. One of the best books she’s ever read.
The Light Between the Oceans – Linda – Book for May
October, 2015
Jan read and enjoyed Being Mortal, by .
Cindy read Furthest Field, by Raghu Karnad.
September, 2015
Oct. 27, 2015 Invisible Thread, by Laura Schroff
Dec. 2, 2015 11/22/63, by Stephen King
Jan.26, 2016 All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr
Feb. 23, 2016 The Girl in the Spider Web, by
The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
May, 2015
Jan mentioned a book that has made an impact on her… The life changing magic of tidying up.
April, 2015
Pick a Pickle – 50 Recipes for Pickles, Relishes, and Fermented Snacks
Course Correction – Wild meets The Boys in the Boat, a memoir about the quest for Olympic gold and the triumph of love over fear
Global Forest – Forty ways trees can save us
March, 2015
Ann recommended Shakespeare Saved my Life, Laura Bates
Cindy recommended Vampires in the Lemon Grove, a collection of short stories. The one in particular she loved was the one about presidents reincarnated as houses.
Pat recommended…Great Performances…the Mark Morris Dance Group.
A member also recommended Ken Burns’ Cancer 3-part series on PBS.
Sandie recommended Walking Dead. LOL
Book for the month Gillead – Pat really enjoyed the story of a minister who lost his wife. He was a very gentle man. Several other members reported they haven’t yet finished the book.
January, 2015
A local book recommendation is Drive-ins, Drive-ups, and Drive-thrus, The History of Drive-In Movie Theaters and Drive-In Food Places in Whatcom County, by Kent Holsather and Wes Gannaway.
September, 2014
Anne – The Island, by Victoria Hislop
Cindy – The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Beginner’s Goodbye, by Anne Tyler
Vampires in the Lemon Grove, a collection of short stories, by Karen Russell
The Color of Water, by James McBride
Zeitoun, by Dave Eggers
Cindy & Jan – Boys in the Boat, Daniel James Brown – Whatcom Reads Book for 2015
Me Before You, by Jojo Meyers
Invention of Wings, by Sue Monk Kid
Jan – The Signature of all Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert
Kay & Linda – Empty Mansions by Dedmon and Newell
Pat – Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Sandie – Oxygen, by Carol Cassella
May, 2014
The Perfume Collector, by Terraro (Karen) is recommended for summer reading
Wild, From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed, recommended by Sandie, is the book for September. Wild was the Whatcom Reads book for 2014 and you can read about it at http://www.whatcomreads.org/about_wild.
The Whatcom Reads book for 2015 is The Boys on the Boat.
April, 2014
Grain Brain, by David Perlmutter, MD (Suggested for general reading enjoyment)
Wheat Belly (Suggested for general reading enjoyment)
Stern Men, by Elisabeth Gilbert. (Ann)
Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes. (Jan)
Beautiful, The Life of Heddy Lamaar, by Stephen Michael Shearer (Sandie)
Perfume Collector, by Terraro (Karen)
March, 2014
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed (Sandie) – Whatcom Reads book for 2014 – Book for September
Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich (Ann)
Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro (Karen)
Strapless by Deborah Davis (Karen) – Book for April
Whiskey Cove by Denise Frisino (Kay)
Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (Pat)
February, 2014
The Perfume Collector (by Kathleen Tessaro)
Whiskey Cove (Denise Frisino)
The Orchardist(Amanda Coplin).
January, 2014
The Telling Room: A Tale of Love, Betrayal, Revenge, and the World’s Greatest Piece of Cheese, by Michael Paterniti
Karen shared The Orchardist, by Amanda Coplin.
Kay shared The Bookman’s Tale, by Charlie Lovett
We discussed The Snow Child, which other clubs are reading, but none of the members seemed interested in the fantasy plot-line.
Jan read David and Goliath, by Malcolm Gladwell
Ann read and recommended Truth and Beauty, by Ann Patchett. We chose this book for March.
October, 2013
Where did you go Bernadette? – Pat read this and enjoyed it. The character, Bernadette, is an architect who conceptualized the 20-mile house, where everything you need is located within a 20-mile radius of your home.
The School of Essential Ingredients – November/December Book
What the Dog Saw – Collection of short stories by Malcolm Gladwell from the New Yorker.
Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure – sequel to Chocolat
The Imperfectionists – February Book
September, 2013
Wench, by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, recommended by Ann
The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Café, recommended at personal reading by Linda, but not for book club.
The Telling Room , by Michael Paterniti, recommended by Kay
Bookman’s Tale, by Charlie Lovett, recommended by Kay
The Imperfectionists: A Novel, by Tom Rachman, recommended by Cindy, who couldn’t put it down.
The Snow Child, by Eowyn Ivey, is book chosen for September by another book club (Katie O)
Turn Right at Machu Picchu, by Mark Adams recommended by another book club
Four Fish, by Paul Greenberg, recommended by another book club
Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art by Christopher Moore
Dead End Gene Pool: A Memoir, by Wendy Burden recommended by Ann
The Lost Art of Mixing, by Erica Bauermeister, is a sequel to The School of Essential Ingredients, recommended by Ann
Joy for Beginners, by Erica Bauermeister recommended by Ann
Off the Beaten Path, by Terri Peterson Smith, recommended by Ann
June, 2013
Pat: recommended a book about Edward Curtis, Short Nights of the Shadowcatcher
Cindy: War of the Roses, by Alison Weir
April, 2013
Jan recommended Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women of Extreme Religions
March, 2013
Kathy mentioned Mink River, by Brian Doyle came highly recommended by a friend
February, 2013
Catherine the Great, by Robert K. Massie – recommended by Cindy.
Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter was recommended by Kathy as a “good summer read.”
11.22.63, by Stephen King, is highly recommended by Cindy.
Kathy enjoyed Kate Morton’s, The Distant Hours.
January, 2013
Wierd Sisters, by Eleanor Brown (Linda and Kay)
Language of Flowers , by Vanessa Diffenbaugh (Kathy)
True Story of Hanzel and Gretel , by Louise Murphey (Kathy)
Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig – Sandie – The group decided to read it when it comes out in paperback.
The Winter Palace, by Eva Stachniak – Book for February.
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, by Jan-Philipp Sendker
October, 2012
Jan – Wild, by Cheryl Strayd
Pat – Katherine the Great, by Robert K. Massie
Ann – Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern (Book chosen at this meeting for November/December)
Linda – Wives of Henry Oades, by Johanna Moran (Book chosen at this meeting for January)
Kathy – Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, by Tom Franklin
Jan – Beautiful Ruins, by Jess Walter
Linda – Molokai, by Alan Brennert (A historical novel recommended by another book club)
Members also recommended “Samsara” playing at the Pickford, “Old Goats,” at the Limelight (the old Pickford), and the movie “Dark Shadows” with Johnny Dep.
June, 2012
Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, (book for May/June)
Michelle is reading Tears of Mermaids: The Secret Story of Pearls, by Steven Bloom and she recommends it highly.
The Tiger’s Wife, by Tea Obreht. – Cindy
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot – Jan
April, 2012
Forgotten Garden – Linda
Land of Painted Caves – Jan
The Sharper your Knife, the Less you Cry – Cindy
Gervase Phinn – Kay
Kitchen Literacy – Kay & Linda
Girls from Ames – Kathy
Friend of the Earth – Kathy
Montana 1948 – ?
The Room – Sandie will be reading and may recommend next year
Tiger’s Wife – Kathy will be recommending this book next year
Also discussed the “Two Cups of Tea” controversy. Read more at http://bucknellian.blogs.bucknell.edu/2011/04/18/three-cups-of-tea/
March, 2012
When a Crocodile Eats the Sun…Kathy read and liked this book recommended by Cindy last month
Cutting for Stone…Sandie is reading and had difficulty getting through the first 1/3 of the book, which is about the people working in a Mission hospital in Ethiopia. There are very graphic descriptions of surgical procedures, which might not appeal to some readers. However, now that the characters have developed and after reading a review here, which has very helpful background material, she is bound and determined to finish the book and will report to the group in April.
The Tiger’s Wife…recommended by Kathy’s daughter, Elizabeth. This is not yet out in paperback, so may be considered in the future.
Medicus … suggested by friend of Ann’s
Peace Like a River … also suggested by Ann’s friend
2 States …suggested by Karen
January, 2012
Border Songs – Jim Lynch – Local author, got rave reviews on Amazon
Cutting for Stone, several members are enjoying this and it also has wonderful reviews. We keep talking about it at book club meetings, so perhaps this would be a good choice. Currently $5 for Kindle edition.
Unbowed – Wengari Maathai
Outliers – Malcolm Gladwell – Other books by author are Blink and What the Dog Saw
Devotions – Danielle Follmi – Ann, is this the correct book?
Girls from Ames – Jeffrey Zaslow
Brightest Star in the Sky – Marion Keyes
Breech – Ann, I couldn’t figure out what book this is…can you let us know?
Cleopatra – Karen, can you let us know who the author is?
The Room – Emma Donoghue – not yet out in paperback
The Jungle – Upton Sinclair
Just Kids – Patty Smith
Huckleberry Finn – Mark Twain – Lots of versions of this available both in paperback and eReader
True Grit – Charles Portis
King’s Speech – Mark Logue and Peter Conradi
Winter’s Bone – Danielle Woodrell
October, 2011
Wine and Words Book Club 