Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

Welcome to this month's book club decision!  This is not your teenage daughter's vampire book!  Thanks to Shele S. for the selections and thanks to everyone who voted.  Start reading everyone!  Since this is obviously a very busy time of the year for most people, I have decided that the club will not meet again until after the first of the new year....this means you all have plenty of time to read this selection (and according to Shele, you will want to read the rest of the series right away too!)!!  Also, look for Lisa U.'s selections coming up to vote on!

http://lovevampires.com/jrwdark.htm

Meeting Time : Sunday, November 27th at 4pm

Ok folks, it is time for the next meeting.  November 27th at 4 pm.  I am still looking in to the locations, but I thought it would be fun to go to one of the tea houses around town.  Please let me know if you would like to join us.  And as always, you need not have read the book, just come and have a want to have fun and at least a little interest in reading with us in the future!  Also, let me know if you want your name in the drawing for choosing the next book.

Now, on to the next item of business- next month's book selections!!!  Thanks to Shele S. for providing the selections for us.  I am interested to see what we will be reading, as they both are some very different choices!  Thanks Shele!

http://daniellesteel.com/blog/big-girl/

http://lovevampires.com/jrwdark.htm

Look into these choices and let me know your vote!  You don't have to go to the meeting to vote.

The Mistress's Revenge by Tamar Cohen

This month's selection was chosen by Rhoda R.  Rhoda chose two selections and we all voted.  We should not discount her other choice though.  Stiff, by Mary Roach.  I did not vote for this book- I've already read it, twice!!  It's a great book.  I know it sounds like it would be disgusting and gory.  Who reads books about cadavers?  It's actually very entertaining, informative and enjoyable!  If you finish this month's read a little early and are looking for something to read while waiting for the next selection, I recommend picking up Stiff and just giving it a try!

Now, onto this month!  The Mistress's Revenge.  I can't quite tell if this is a sinister, suspenseful novel or a dark comedy.  I guess that will come with reading it!  Please let me know if you are reading it.  I am always interested in everyone's take of our selections.  This one has been reviewed with similarities to Fatal Attraction- leads me to believe it is more on the sinister side!  I'm excited to read a suspenseful one!  Perfect to read close to Halloween!  Click on the link below to see the synopsis and a few of the reviews. 

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9843958-the-mistress-s-revenge 

Happy Reading!

Madame Tussaud: Book Club Meeting

Today for our book club meeting, we met for a lunch on the patio of a little French cafe in Highlands Ranch.  As last time, good friends, good food and good chat- even some about the book!  Of course there was wine- wouldn't be a meeting without booze!  Thanks again to Jennifer for the great selection!  Jennifer was fortunate enough to experience the actual museum in London.  She has a very interesting book about the wax models and all of the ones that are now in the museum, old and new.  If you weren't able to attend, I'm sure she would be happy to let you see her book!  We also tallied the votes I had collected on the new selections- see the next blog!  Thanks ladies for another great meeting.  As always, feel free to join our club if you want to read with us!  There are no initiation fees or hazing periods!

Madame Tussaud: Book Club Meeting Time!

Okay Bookworms!  It's that time again- time for another meeting!  I hope you are all enjoying or have enjoyed this month's selection.  Thanks so much to Jennifer for making the pick!  I thought we could meet over lunch for this month's meeting.  There is a nice little French restaurant here in Highlands Ranch that I bet would be more than happy to accommodate us.  Please let me know if you plan to attend so I can call them in advance and see if they will reserve a large table for us.

Cafe Mon Ami

9579 S. University Blvd.

720 344 2323

Tuesday, September 27th

Noon

I have emailed Michelle Moran through her website...she will sometimes call into your book club if it is a convenient time.   How exciting would that be!  I will keep you posted as to what I hear in return....we need to come prepared with questions that make us Bookworms look as smart as we are!!

Thank you to Rhoda for providing me with two possible selections for next month's read:

 Stiff:  The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Mary Roach

The Mistress's Revenge

Tamar Cohen

Now we can research these and vote at the meeting!  If you are not able to attend the meeting but still want to cast a vote, please let me know and I will tally your votes with the rest of them!  Also, if you want to be in the drawing to choose the next book, give me a shout and I will include your name.  And as always, if you haven't joined us yet, you are more than welcome to jump on in and start participating!  We would love to read with you!

Just Some Thoughts

I hope all of you have been reading and enjoying the book.  I have only made it about half way through and I really like it.  While I was reading I realized that when I was in London and went to the Madame Tussaud Wax Museum I saw the "Sleeping Beauty" which is another name for the Du Barry which is the figure that Marie talks about in the beginning of the book.  My issue is trying to figure out how to load the picture on here.  Since I am not all that technical I don't know if I will be able to do it, but I would love to share it with all of you.  I guess I could just bring it with me when we have our meeting.

Speaking of which we need to start thinking of a time when we would like to get together.

Also, we can have a conference call with the author if we want.  She is usually available, according to her web site.  All we have to do is present her with three different dates and times and she will confirm with us which would be best for her.  If this is something you all might be interested in please let us know so that we can begin work on this.

If I figure out how to load the picture I will add it soon, until then keep reading and I hope you are all enjoying the book.

Jennifer

Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution

Well, here it is!  Selection #2!  Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution.  Written by Michelle Moran.  Thanks to Jennifer H. for making this lofty decision!  What an interesting choice and drastically different from our last choice!

Did you know that Madame Tussaud is actually a historical figure?  I didn't!  I just thought that was the name of the crazy wax museum in Las Vegas!  Check out her bio here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Tussaud

Here is also a webpage about the book and the author:
http://www.madametussauds.com/Hollywood/NewsAndEvents/MadameTussaudANoveloftheFrenchRevolution.aspx

Great choice Jennifer!  Hope you all pick up the book and start reading!  If you didn't join us this week for the club, you missed out!  Details to come on the date of the next meeting.

Also, a little housekeeping.  I have added a gadget to the side of the page.  If you want to get an email every time a new post is listed, click on the "Subscribe by E-mail" link to the right and get yourself set up for this.  Also, I am going to try and add Jennifer as a guest author of this blog and let her take over the blog until the next meeting!

Happy Reading Bookworms!

Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt : Garden Party!

Wow!  What a successful first book club meeting!  Thanks to everyone who participated and made for a great afternoon.  So sorry to those of you who couldn't make this month's meeting.  Jennifer H. was chosen from the bucket to select next month's book.  Stay tuned.  We also made the decision that we are going to stay a month ahead in the book selections.  We chose another name, Rhoda R.  At next month's meeting, Rhoda will have two books with her that she is interested in reading. (She assures us the words "heaving bosoms" will be one, if not both, books.)  We will then take a vote as to which of those two books we will be reading.  The date of next month's meeting is still undetermined.

Now for some highlights of this month's meeting:

We had a beautiful, cool summer day to enjoy the club meeting out on my patio!  (Yes, those are tiaras on the table- everyone got to feel like a lady, prom queen, beauty pageant winner today!)  Lisa also added some bling and provided us with frilly necklaces!

I tried my hand at making Long Island Iced Teas.  After Rhoda asked "Are these supposed to taste like this?" we toned them down by mixing half "tea" and half lemonade.  We created the Long Island Palmer!  Thanks to Lisa, we were able to have umbrellas in our drinks!

Next we had a whole spread of garden party food.  Bruschetta pizza, watermelon, shrimp puffs, and "pimento" cheese sandwiches.  Thanks to Lynanne for supplying the sandwiches...we will be your guinea pigs for recipes like that any time!

A special thank you to Beth Hoffman for checking in on us and commenting on the blog.  I hope we did your book justice with our little gathering!

Just a great afternoon talking books....and lots of other things too!  Thanks ladies, see you next time!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt : Poofy Dresses and Tiaras Welcome!

Ok folks.  Meeting is less than a week away!  Are you finished reading yet?  Remember it is still okay to come and join us even if you haven't finished.  Also, we will be drawing names from a hat to determine who will choose the next book.  If you are coming to the meeting, have a book in mind in case you are the winner of the drawing!  Hope you all enjoyed this book as much as I did!!!  If you want to join us, please let me know and I will give you my address!  Looking forward to chatting about the book and drinking Long Island Iced Teas at our own garden party!  Poofy dresses and tiaras welcome!

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt: Tuesday, August 9th - Long Islands and Cucumbers!

The time is here!  We have set our date for the first ever Booze and Bookworms meeting!!

Tuesday, August 9th at Noon - ???

Even if you haven't read the book yet, you are welcome to come and join us!  If you are going to come, please, please RSVP so I know how many Long Island Iced Teas and Cucumber Sandwiches to make!  This month's meeting will be at my house.  Comment below, find me on Facebook, or find me in person for address and directions!  Hope to see all you worms there!



Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt: Hardcover, Paperback or E-reader?

So with the closing of a large chain of bookstores, it got me thinking about all the different ways to find our books today.  There is, of course, the library.  Those of you who know me well know that I have a fear of used books, so I don't venture to the library too often...in fact, never.  There is the hardcover version of the books we read.  The fairest of them all.  Beautiful covers with fold out tabs to read.  The weight of the words literally resting on you as you read.  However, not too convenient to pack into the suitcase space we need for that last pair of shoes.  Then we have the paperback.  Again you get the feel of the pages as you turn them.  Another pretty cover- let's face it, if the book has a shiny cover with pretty pictures we are more likely to pick them up.  I often cave and buy the hardcover of a book because, unfortunately, you have to wait a bit longer for this version.  And the newest versions, the e-reader.  This is my current choice.  I received a Kindle for my birthday almost a year ago.  It was difficult for me to give up the actual feel of the book, and I still miss the ritual of placing the book on my shelves when I am finished reading.  However, how easy is it?  A small tablet that actually fits in my purse.  If I am finished reading my book while on a trip, just download another!

So now I ask you...how do you read your books today?

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt - A Couple Discussion Questions To Start!

So, what's a book club without discussion questions?  If we get these out of the way now, we have more room for booze later, right!?  I found a website that had some questions so I thought I would borrow them.  Please read them and think about them...comment, comment, comment!  Hope you are enjoying the read!

CeeCee tries to escape from the harsh reality of her life by turning to books.  When did your own love of reading develop?  Did a particular person or event inspire it?  What were some books you loved as a child?

Camille's illness left CeeCee filled with shame and despair.  Do you think if she had told Mrs. Odell more of what went on inside the house that the elderly woman could have done something?  If so, what?  Were there any incidents in your youth that brought you shame or you were afraid to discuss with an adult?

Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

http://bethhoffman.net/the-book

Hello fellow bookworms!!!  This is the first official post of the new club "Booze and Bookworms"!  I am so excited about creating this club and hope to share some good experiences from it!  With everyone's busy schedule, it is impossible to pick a date where everyone is not working, has child care, doesn't have to walk the dog, has the grocery shopping complete and is available to spend an afternoon with friends drinking froo froo umbrella drinks.  Thanks so much to Karen C. for this great blog idea.  Now, we can still all read the same book and discuss it...here or outside!  Just to clarify though, this is not a substitute for the once a month Tuesday afternoon meeting, where there will be umbrellas and libations!  I have never been in a book club before, so I'm not sure how to exactly run one, but we can all pitch in and learn together.  I had a suggestion from someone that instead of discussing every month within the group which book to read, we rotate and each month one person picks the book.  He noted that everyone has different tastes and you will probably end up picking up a book you never would have otherwise.  Perhaps whoever picks the book for the month can host the meeting.

That being said, I took it upon myself to pick the first book.  Saving CeeCee Honeycutt written by Beth Hoffman.  I tried to pick something fun and lighthearted for the first book, so hopefully the description isn't misleading.  So pick it up, download it to your e-reader, borrow it from the library....whatever, but start reading!!!!  Feel free to become a follower and leave comments.  In fact, I encourage them!  That's what this blog is meant for!!!

Meeting will be Tuesday, August 9th