The No-Pressure Book Club

September Meeting!

2011-09-16T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hello! I can't believe it's mid-September already! Did we have summer?

Let's plan our next meeting to discuss On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. Click on the Google Spreadsheet HERE. Please put a check next to the days that will work for you. I included Thursday evenings this time since a few of you liked having that as an option last time.

Also, I really enjoyed meeting at Panera last time, as I think most everyone else did. It was quiet enough to talk, but not too quiet that WE had to be quiet, it was inexpensive and the food was ready quickly. So, let's meet at Panera again at the Landing in Renton this time.

Get directions HERE

Okay, let's pick a date! See you soon!
~Kerrie

PS: Take a look at the suggested titles on the right side of the page. I think a few people were interested in The Art of Racing in the Rain. Any other books to add to this list? Let's get some more on there and I will reinstate the voting option next week. Thanks!

Next Meeting

2011-06-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! There were quite a few of us at the movie last week. And, I think, most of us agreed the film was pretty good. Since there were a lot of us there, we went ahead and chose the next book (recommended as a light, good read by a new member who has read it), and decided to meet toward the end of September. That way, we can just get started reading it since most of us have busy summers.

The book: Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford.

From the author's Web site:

In the opening pages of Jamie Ford’s stunning debut novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle’s Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II. As Henry looks on, the owner opens a Japanese parasol.

This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry’s world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American. While “scholarshipping” at the exclusive Rainier Elementary, where the white kids ignore him, Henry meets Keiko Okabe, a young Japanese American student. Amid the chaos of blackouts, curfews, and FBI raids, Henry and Keiko forge a bond of friendship–and innocent love–that transcends the long-standing prejudices of their Old World ancestors. And after Keiko and her family are swept up in the evacuations to the internment camps, she and Henry are left only with the hope that the war will end, and that their promise to each other will be kept.

Forty years later, Henry Lee is certain that the parasol belonged to Keiko. In the hotel’s dark dusty basement he begins looking for signs of the Okabe family’s belongings and for a long-lost object whose value he cannot begin to measure. Now a widower, Henry is still trying to find his voice–words that might explain the actions of his father; words that might bridge the gap between him and his modern, Chinese American son; words that might help him confront the choices he made many years ago.

Set during one of the most conflicted and volatile times in American history, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is an extraordinary story of commitment and enduring hope. In Henry and Keiko, Jamie Ford has created an unforgettable duo whose story teaches us of the power of forgiveness and the human heart.

Please Sign Up for NPBC Meeting and Movie

2011-05-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Trying to coordinate a time for book club and a movie is tough! Below is a link to a spreadsheet with a few dates listed on it. Please go to the spreadsheet, type your name in the name column and then put an X under the dates you are available to meet. Hopefully, this will help a little. Thanks!

Click here for Google spreadsheet

Postponed Till May

2011-04-20T12:17:00.001-07:00

I think there is like one person who can attend the NPBC meeting on April 29th and one person does not a club make (unless it's a club about being alone, I suppose). Let's postpone till mid-May. More info to come!

Oops!

2011-04-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

So the 22nd is Good Friday. It's the start of Easter weekend. A holiday.

Let's reschedule for the 29th. More details to come.

The Plan for April

2011-04-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

Just checking in to share the plan for April's book, Water for Elephants. The film comes out on April 22.

The plan is to meet on April 22 for dinner, then see the film afterward. But I won't know till we get closer to the date what the times for the showings will be or, of course, what theaters it will be playing at.

So stay tuned!

~Happy reading!
Kerrie

February's Meeting: Next Book and New Stuff

2011-02-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

Pizza, salad, gourmet popcorn, cookies, brownies and lots of laughter...oh, and we talked about books, too, at the NPBC February meeting.

Actually, nobody had finished reading it. But I'm glad we met anyway! We discussed the club and tossed around some ideas for 2011. Every year, we make adjustments to NPBC to try to make it better. Here's what we came up with:

-Always skip November-January. We never actually meet during these months anyway; we always cancel because everyone is just too busy. So, we are making that official.

-Mix up holding meetings at members' houses and at restaurants.

-See the movie. Some of the books we read end up in the theater. Why not go see it as a group?

-Continue with a book every other month.

-Choose books for the entire year up front.

These are all good things! In the next few days, I will post a big list of books. We will vote on them in order to determine our NPBC 2011 Book List. That way we will know what we're reading far in advance!

APRIL'S BOOK
We actually took it upon ourselves to choose April's book at the meeting. We felt we needed to get things moving.

WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sarah Gruen.

We will read the book and then see the movie in theaters April 22! I'm thinking maybe we even meet on April 22 and see the film on the same day. What do you think?

2011 BOOK LIST
This is your chance to throw out ideas for the books we will vote on! Please leave them in the comments! (I heard some of you were having difficulty commenting because it asks you for a "profile." You should be able to choose "Anonymous," but also if you have a Google account, you should be able to enter that information, as well. If you can't comment for some reason, just e-mail me.)

So You Haven't Read the Book for Feb...

2011-01-17T13:29:00.000-08:00

Me neither. But I am going to. I just ordered a used copy from Amazon. It was only $4. I originally checked it out from the library, but never read it. The $4 will probably be cheaper than the late fees I am accumulating.

Kelley graciously has offered for us to have book club at her house. She lives in Renton near 405, so it should be a nice central-ish location.

For food, I would like to make some sort of main dish -- lasagna or maybe something inspired by the book (not sure as I haven't read it yet, but we shall see). Ideas?

If you can bring wine or an appetizer, please put it in the comments below. That way, I'll know what we're missing.

Okay. I've got two days to get my library copy back to the library before my new-old copy gets here. Maybe I'll read a little bit while my son takes a nap.

I also need to get an idea of how many people are coming, so please respond to the poll at right. Thanks!

~Happy reading!
Kerrie

February It Is!

2011-01-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

Next meeting: Friday, February 4 at 7 p.m. discussing Alias Grace.

Where should we meet? Any thoughts?

Whoops!

2011-01-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

I've been completely out of it. The holidays did me in this year. So I sort of let time get away from me. But, now, it's 2011! A fresh new year!

Right now, we should've all finished reading Alias Grace.

Yup.

So, how many of you are done?

Not me. But no matter. If you all were able to read it, let's meet this month. If not and you want to wait till February to meet, then so be it.

Okay. Let's vote! (Vote through Friday, Jan. 7 - 11:59 p.m.)

Alias Grace: Where Are You?

2010-10-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Hello! It feels like the holidays have already started and it's not even Halloween yet.

A few of you have mentioned you won't be able to make the next meeting and many of you have told me you haven't started the book yet (me neither!). What does everyone think of postponing the next meeting until January?

Meantime, we can just meet for brunch or something in December for fun. We can discuss future books for the club or suggestions for the club or whatever.

What do you all think? Leave a comment so we can all see what you are thinking. :)

Future Book Suggestion: Room

2010-09-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

I just read an interesting Q and A conducted by Jennifer Weiner (In Her Shoes, Good in Bed) with Emma Donoghue about her new book, Room, which sounds really good. Here's the Q and A. Synopsis below from Amazon:

"In many ways, Jack is a typical 5-year-old. He likes to read books, watch TV, and play games with his Ma. But Jack is different in a big way--he has lived his entire life in a single room, sharing the tiny space with only his mother and an unnerving nighttime visitor known as Old Nick. For Jack, Room is the only world he knows, but for Ma, it is a prison in which she has tried to craft a normal life for her son. When their insular world suddenly expands beyond the confines of their four walls, the consequences are piercing and extraordinary. Despite its profoundly disturbing premise, Emma Donoghue's Room is rife with moments of hope and beauty, and the dogged determination to live, even in the most desolate circumstances. A stunning and original novel of survival in captivity, readers who enter Room will leave staggered, as though, like Jack, they are seeing the world for the very first time." --Lynette Mong

The reviews are really, really good. Here's the Amazon page.

Friday's Meeting

2010-09-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

So sorry! I forgot to post a poll, so I just went ahead and picked a place based on your suggestions.

Let's meet at the 520 Grill on Main Street in Bellevue at 7 p.m. Please let me know if you can make it by clicking on the poll at right or by e-mailing me kerrie (at) sanitydepartment (dot) com. I will make reservations tomorrow afternoon.

We will be discussing, "The Help," and I will bring discussion questions.

See you then!
Kerrie

Sept. 10 is Almost Here!

2010-08-31T13:41:00.000-07:00

We are meeting in Bellevue on Sept. 10 to discuss The Help. But we don't have a place picked out yet. Suggestions?

Hope you are all enjoying the end of summer (not that it ever started).

~Happy reading!
Kerrie

November's Book

2010-08-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks for voting! And, for once, we didn't have a tie!
November's book is Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood.

~Happy reading!
Kerrie

A Book for November

2010-08-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

I used Random.org to choose five books from our Suggested Titles list. Here are the five. Vote (on the right side of the page) by Wednesday at NOON and we'll have our November book!

Alias Grace
Intrigued by contemporary reports of a sensational murder trial in 1843 Canada, Atwood has drawn a compelling portrait of what might have been. Her protagonist, the real life Grace Marks, is an enigma. Convicted at age 16 of the murder of her employer, Thomas Kinnear, and his housekeeper and lover, Nancy Montgomery, Grace escaped the gallows when her sentence was commuted to life in prison, but she also spent some years in an insane asylum after an emotional breakdown. Because she gave three different accounts of the killings, and because she was accused of being the sole perpetrator by the man who was hanged for the crime, Grace's life and mind are fertile territory for Atwood. Adapting her style to the period she describes, she has written a typical Victorian novel, leisurely in exposition, copiously detailed and crowded with subtly drawn characters who speak the embroidered, pietistic language of the time. She has created a probing psychological portrait of a working-class woman victimized by society because of her poverty, and victimized again by the judicial and prison systems. The narrative gains texture and tension from the dynamic between Grace and an interlocutor, earnest young bachelor Dr. Simon Jordan, who is investigating the causes of lunacy with plans to establish his own, more enlightened institution. Jordan is hoping to awaken Grace's suppressed memories of the day of the murder, but Grace, though uneducated, is far wilier than Jordan, whom she tells only what she wishes to confess. He, on the other hand, is handicapped by his compassion, which makes him the victim of the wiles of other women, too?his passionate, desperate landlady, and the virginal but predatory daughter of the prison governor. These encounters give Atwood the chance to describe the war between the sexes with her usual wit. Although the narrative holds several big surprises, the central question?Was Grace dupe and victim or seductress and instigator of the bloody crime??is left tantalizingly ambiguous. Major ad/promo; author tour.

The Red Tent
The red tent is the place where women gathered during their cycles of birthing, menses, and even illness. Like the conversations and mysteries held within this feminine tent, this sweeping piece of fiction offers an insider's look at the daily life of a biblical sorority of mothers and wives and their one and only daughter, Dinah. Told in the voice of Jacob's daughter Dinah (who only received a glimpse of recognition in the Book of Genesis), we are privy to the fascinating feminine characters who bled within the red tent. In a confiding and poetic voice, Dinah whispers stories of her four mothers, Rachel, Leah, Zilpah, and Bilhah--all wives to Jacob, and each one embodying unique feminine traits. As she reveals these sensual and emotionally charged stories we learn of birthing miracles, slaves, artisans, household gods, and sisterhood secrets. Eventually Dinah delves into her own saga of betrayals, grief, and a call to midwifery.

Marley and Me
Labrador retrievers are generally considered even-tempered, calm and reliable;and then there's Marley, the subject of this delightful tribute to one Lab who doesn't fit the mold. Grogan, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and his wife, Jenny, were newly married and living in West Palm Beach when they decided that owning a dog would give them a foretaste of the parenthood they anticipated. Marley was a sweet, affectionate puppy who grew into a lovably naughty, hyperactive dog. With a light touch, the author details how Marley was kicked out of obedience school after humiliating his instructor (whom Grogan calls Miss Dominatrix) and swallowed an 18-karat solid gold necklace (Grogan describes his gross but hilarious "recovery operation"). With the arrival of children in the family, Marley became so incorrigible that Jenny, stressed out by a new baby, ordered her husband to get rid of him; she eventually recovered her equilibrium and relented. Grogan's chronicle of the adventures parents and children (eventually three) enjoyed with the overly energetic but endearing dog is delivered with great humor. Dog lovers will love this account of Grogan's much loved canine.

People of the Book
Reading Geraldine Brooks's remarkable debut novel, Year of Wonders, or more recently March, which won the Pulitzer Prize, it would be easy to forget that she grew up in Australia and worked as a journalist. Now in her dazzling new novel, People of the Book, Brooks allows both her native land and current events to play a larger role while still continuing to mine the historical material that speaks so ardently to her imagination. Late one night in the city of Sydney, Hanna Heath, a rare book conservator, gets a phone call. The Sarajevo Haggadah, which disappeared during the siege in 1992, has been found, and Hanna has been invited by the U.N. to report on its condition. Missing documents and art works (as Dan Brown and Lev Grossman, among others, have demonstrated) are endlessly appealing, and from this inviting premise Brooks spins her story in two directions. In the present, we follow the resolutely independent Hanna through her thrilling first encounter with the beautifully illustrated codex and her discovery of the tiny signs-a white hair, an insect wing, missing clasps, a drop of salt, a wine stain-that will help her to discover its provenance. Along with the book she also meets its savior, a Muslim librarian named Karaman. Their romance offers both predictable pleasures and genuine surprises, as does the other main relationship in Hanna's life: her fraught connection with her mother. In the other strand of the narrative we learn, moving backward through time, how the codex came to be lost and found, and made. From the opening section, set in Sarajevo in 1940, to the final section, set in Seville in 1480, these narratives show Brooks writing at her very best. With equal authority she depicts the struggles of a young girl to escape the Nazis, a duel of wits between an inquisitor and a rabbi living in the Venice ghetto, and a girl's passionate relationship with her mistress in a harem. Like the illustrations in the Haggadah, each of these sections transports the reader to a fully realized, vividly peopled world. And each gives a glimpse of both the long history of anti-Semitism and of the struggle of women toward the independence that Hanna, despite her mother's lectures, tends to take for granted. Brooks is too good a novelist to belabor her political messages, but her depiction of the Haggadah bringing together Jews, Christians and Muslims could not be more timely. Her gift for storytelling, happily, is timeless.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
It’s difficult to tell if critics’ reactions to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies should be characterized as praise or astonishment. Some reviewers treated the book as a delightful gimmick. Others found that, beneath the surface, the book actually constituted an interesting way of looking at Austen’s novel. Zombies answer certain puzzling questions: Why were those troops stationed near Hertfordshire? Why did Charlotte Lucas actually marry Mr. Collins? (She had recently been bitten by zombies and wanted a husband who could be counted on to behead her—of course!) But critics also pointed out that this parody shows that Austen’s novel has remained so powerful over time that even the undead can’t spoil it.

Book Suggestions

2010-07-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Maybe I had too much of my peach margarita, but I forgot to ask you all to send in new suggestions for November's book. We still have some left over, but it's always good to get more.

Please leave a comment if you have a book suggestion!

Happy reading!
~Kerrie

Vote: Meeting Place

2010-07-11T22:28:00.000-07:00

Since we met in Bellevue last time, this time we'll meet in Renton. The three choices:
La Hacienda on S. 3rd Street
or
Papaya at the Landing
or
The Red House on Burnett

You can vote in the poll on the right side of the page through Tuesday. Thanks!

PS: If you are having trouble voting, just e-mail me your vote. (Not sure what's up with Blogger.)

Where Should We Meet?

2010-07-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone is enjoying our heat wave! Just about a week till our next meeting...

Where should we meet? Leave a comment with your suggestion. If I don't get any, I'll just choose a place. K?

Happy reading!
~Ker

September's Book

2010-05-19T21:28:00.001-07:00

THE HELP

By Kathryn Stockett

What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it.

Tied Again!

2010-05-14T20:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, we narrowed it down. We need to vote again! You have till the end of Tuesday. If we tie it again, I will use Random.org to select a September book from the tied selections.

New poll on the left. Don't forget. Vote by the end of Tuesday.

Suggestions for September's Book

2010-05-12T20:52:00.000-07:00

Here are the contenders for September. Take a look, then vote on the left side of the page. At the end of the day on Friday, I will announce the winner.

WEST WITH THE NIGHT
By Beryl Markham
"Did you read Beryl Markham's book, West with the Night? I knew her fairly well in Africa and never would have suspected that she could and would put pen to paper except to write in her flyer's log book. As it is, she has written so well, and marvelously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer. I felt that I was simply a carpenter with words, picking up whatever was furnished on the job and nailing them together and sometimes making an okay pig pen. But [she] can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers. The only parts of it that I know about personally, on account of having been there at the time and heard the other people's stories, are absolutely true . . . I wish you would get it and read it because it is really a bloody wonderful book."--Ernest Hemingway
Little side note: This book, suggested by Heather M., is sitting on my bookshelf, sent to be me by my mother, who always sends me the best books to read.

THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN
By Garth Stein
If you've ever wondered what your dog is thinking, Stein's third novel offers an answer. Enzo is a lab terrier mix plucked from a farm outside Seattle to ride shotgun with race car driver Denny Swift as he pursues success on the track and off. Denny meets and marries Eve, has a daughter, Zoë, and risks his savings and his life to make it on the professional racing circuit. Enzo, frustrated by his inability to speak and his lack of opposable thumbs, watches Denny's old racing videos, coins koanlike aphorisms that apply to both driving and life, and hopes for the day when his life as a dog will be over and he can be reborn a man. When Denny hits an extended rough patch, Enzo remains his most steadfast if silent supporter. Enzo is a reliable companion and a likable enough narrator, though the string of Denny's bad luck stories strains believability. Much like Denny, however, Stein is able to salvage some dignity from the over-the-top drama.

BREAKFAST WITH BUDDHA
By Roland Merullo
Merullo, author of the Revere Beach series and Golfing with God, delivers a comic but winningly spiritual road-trip novel. Otto Ringling is a food-book editor and a happily married father of two living in a tony New York suburb. After Otto's North Dakota parents are killed in a car crash, he plans to drive his ebulliently New Age sister, Cecilia, back home to sell the family farm. But when Otto arrives to pick up Cecilia in Paterson, N.J. (where she does tarot readings and past-life regressions), she declares her intention to give her half of the farm to her guru, Volvo Rinpoche, who will set up a retreat there. Cecilia asks Otto to take Rinpoche to North Dakota instead; after a fit of skeptical rage in which he rails internally against his sister's gullibility, he accepts, and the novel is off and running. Merullo takes the reader through the small towns and byways of Midwestern America, which look unexpectedly alluring through Rinpoche's eyes. Well-fed Western secularist Otto is only half-aware that his life might need fixing, and his slow discovery of Rinpoche's nature, and his own, make for a satisfying read. A set piece of Otto's chaotic first meditation session is notably hilarious, and the whole book is breezy and affecting.

THE HELP
By Kathryn Stockett
What perfect timing for this optimistic, uplifting debut novel (and maiden publication of Amy Einhorn's new imprint) set during the nascent civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss., where black women were trusted to raise white children but not to polish the household silver. Eugenia Skeeter Phelan is just home from college in 1962, and, anxious to become a writer, is advised to hone her chops by writing about what disturbs you. The budding social activist begins to collect the stories of the black women on whom the country club sets relies and mistrusts enlisting the help of Aibileen, a maid who's raised 17 children, and Aibileen's best friend Minny, who's found herself unemployed more than a few times after mouthing off to her white employers. The book Skeeter puts together based on their stories is scathing and shocking, bringing pride and hope to the black community, while giving Skeeter the courage to break down her personal boundaries and pursue her dreams. Assured and layered, full of heart and history, this one has bestseller written all over it.

From previous lists:

JENNIFER GOVERNMENT
By Max Berry

Free enterprise runs amok in Barry's satirical near-future nightmare: the American government has been privatized and now runs most of the world, including "the Australian Territories of the U.S.A.," where the book is set. American corporations sponsor everything from schools to their employees' identities, and literally go to war with one another. By taking a drink at the wrong water cooler, Hack Nike, a merchandising officer at the athletic shoe company whose name he bears, is coerced into a nefarious marketing plot to raise the demand for Nike's new $2,500 sneakers by shooting teenagers. Hank becomes responsible for the death of hapless teen Hayley McDonald's; he and two top Guerrilla Marketing executives, both named John Nike, are soon pursued by the ruthless Jennifer Government, a former advertising executive who is now a federal agent with a personal ax to grind-and preferably to sink into the cranium of her hated ex, one of the John Nikes. Barry tosses off his anticorporate zingers with relish; his sendup of "capitalizm"-a world where fraud is endemic and nearly everyone (except the French) is a cog in vast wealth-creation machines-has some ingenious touches. The one-joke shtick wears thin, however, and is simply overdone at times ("I'm getting rid of Government, the greatest impediment to business in history," says John. "Yes, some people die. But look at the gain!"). Barry's cartoonish characters and comic book chase scenes don't allow for much psychological subtlety or emotional resonance. Still, if it's no 1984, this breezy, stylish read will amuse the converted and get some provocative conversations going.

THE SUNFLOWER
By Richard Paul Evans

Author of the smash The Christmas Box and spinoffs, Evans delivers an entertaining albeit syrupy picking-up-the-pieces romance. Heartbroken and bereft when her fiancé backs out a week before the wedding, Christine Hollister allows herself to be talked into a volunteer work trip to Peru by best friend Jessica so that the pair can work together in an orphanage called the Sunflower. There she meets Paul Cook, the handsome but damaged former ER doc who left the U.S. after being blamed for a series of tragic Christmas deaths on the ward. The budding romance between Paul and Christine is totally predictable (including the awkwardness of their initial meetings). Evans adds a nice dramatic touch when Jessica's newfound boyfriend is seriously hurt while guiding a group of orphanage workers through the mountains near Machu Picchu, and he has a nice feel for framing devices, dialogue and scene-pacing. Evans also puts the jungle setting to good use during the couple's "dates." Although the various references to Christmas feel gratuitous, and a sudden appearance by jilter Martin doesn't do much to make the ending harder to anticipate, the finish nonetheless remains satisfying.

THEN SHE FOUND ME
By Elinor Lipman

In an enchanting tale of love in assorted forms, Lipman, author of the well-received collection of short stories Into Love and Out Again , delivers a first novel full of charm, humor and unsentimental wisdom. At age 36, April Epner, her adoptive parents recently deceased, is quite satisfied with her quiet, self-sufficient, solitary life as a Latin teacher in a suburban Boston high school. Then she is claimed by her birth mother, Bernice Graverman, star hostess of Boston's popular, gossipy morning TV talk show, Bernice G! Loud and self-centered, always on-stage Bernice, who was 17 when she gave April up for adoption, barrels her way into her self-effacing daughter's life, wreaking havoc all around. Not the least of these occasions occurs after April, bullied into bringing a date to a dinner with Bernice, invites the only available man she knows, the apparently nerdy school librarian, whose shy exterior hides unexpected virtues. Lipman displays a sure, light touch while charting the various transformations that love performs. Raising laughter and tears with acutely observed characterizations and dry, affectionate wit, she also keeps dealing out the surprises, leaving readers smiling long after the last page is turned. Literary Guild alternate.

Love the One You're With Recap & Suggestions Wanted

2010-05-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great meeting on Friday with yummy food at the Chantanee in Bellevue and it was quite a large group -- 8, I think.

Here's a recap if you missed the meeting discussing Love the One You're With:

-Overall the group rated the book as: Ehhh; it was okay. Why?

-Not enough strong characters.

-Not really a believable scenario.

-Relied on pop culture references too much.

-If you want a better Emily Giffin book, go with Something Borrowed or the next one, Something Blue.

***

Just as we were about to leave, a server at Chantanee came over and asked if we were a book club. Then he offered up his suggestion for a future book selection. I will list it after I get suggestions from all of you guys. Please send them to me (kerrie (at) highlandrain (dot) com) by the end of the day on Wednesday. Then I will put up the poll so we can select a book for September's meeting.

Meantime, enjoy Bitter is the New Black! I look forward to our July meeting!

July's Book

2010-03-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

So, if you didn't already see the poll results, it looks like the book for July is Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster.

I just finished this book, but it is not my copy, so unfortunately, I won't have it to share with anyone. It's a fun read and will be a good one for summer.

Meantime, I've started May's Love the One You're With and am liking it so far.

Happy reading!
~Kerrie

May's Book & Tie for July

2010-03-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

We voted and May's book will be Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin. There's a tie for July, so I'm posting another poll. Let's vote by Wednesday.

List for May & July

2010-03-10T21:27:00.000-08:00

Here is the list. Some of these I've read and I put a couple of brief comments in italics.
Vote for TWO in the poll by Friday, March 12. The top two will be the May and July books.

Jennifer Government by Max Berry
Free enterprise runs amok in Barry's satirical near-future nightmare: the American government has been privatized and now runs most of the world, including "the Australian Territories of the U.S.A.," where the book is set. American corporations sponsor everything from schools to their employees' identities, and literally go to war with one another. By taking a drink at the wrong water cooler, Hack Nike, a merchandising officer at the athletic shoe company whose name he bears, is coerced into a nefarious marketing plot to raise the demand for Nike's new $2,500 sneakers by shooting teenagers. Hank becomes responsible for the death of hapless teen Hayley McDonald's; he and two top Guerrilla Marketing executives, both named John Nike, are soon pursued by the ruthless Jennifer Government, a former advertising executive who is now a federal agent with a personal ax to grind-and preferably to sink into the cranium of her hated ex, one of the John Nikes. Barry tosses off his anticorporate zingers with relish; his sendup of "capitalizm"-a world where fraud is endemic and nearly everyone (except the French) is a cog in vast wealth-creation machines-has some ingenious touches. The one-joke shtick wears thin, however, and is simply overdone at times ("I'm getting rid of Government, the greatest impediment to business in history," says John. "Yes, some people die. But look at the gain!"). Barry's cartoonish characters and comic book chase scenes don't allow for much psychological subtlety or emotional resonance. Still, if it's no 1984, this breezy, stylish read will amuse the converted and get some provocative conversations going. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
I am almost done with this book. I love it. Sarcastic and funny.
It doesn't take Lancaster long to live up to her lengthy subtitle ("Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smart-Ass, or Why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office"): in just one chapter, she gloats over cheating a homeless man, is rude to a waitress and passes judgment on all of her co-workers (including her "whore" best friend). She's almost gleeful about lacking "the internal firewall that keeps us from saying almost everything we think," but she doesn't come off as straightforward, just malicious. (Of course, it's possible she's making up much of her dialogue, which is a little too clever to be believable.) Lancaster expects sympathy for her downward slide after getting fired from her high-paying finance job in the post-9/11 recession, and chick lit fans may be entertained watching life imitate fiction, but just when you start to feel sorry for her, the snotty attitude returns. In later chapters, Lancaster increasingly relies on entries from her blog (www.jennsylvania. com) and caustic replies to criticisms, and though things start looking up—her husband finds a job, she lands a book deal—it's not clear that she's been as chastised by her experiences as she claims. (Mar. 7) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Sunflower by Richard Paul Evans
Author of the smash The Christmas Box and spinoffs, Evans delivers an entertaining albeit syrupy picking-up-the-pieces romance. Heartbroken and bereft when her fiancé backs out a week before the wedding, Christine Hollister allows herself to be talked into a volunteer work trip to Peru by best friend Jessica so that the pair can work together in an orphanage called the Sunflower. There she meets Paul Cook, the handsome but damaged former ER doc who left the U.S. after being blamed for a series of tragic Christmas deaths on the ward. The budding romance between Paul and Christine is totally predictable (including the awkwardness of their initial meetings). Evans adds a nice dramatic touch when Jessica's newfound boyfriend is seriously hurt while guiding a group of orphanage workers through the mountains near Machu Picchu, and he has a nice feel for framing devices, dialogue and scene-pacing. Evans also puts the jungle setting to good use during the couple's "dates." Although the various references to Christmas feel gratuitous, and a sudden appearance by jilter Martin doesn't do much to make the ending harder to anticipate, the finish nonetheless remains satisfying. (Oct.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman
In an enchanting tale of love in assorted forms, Lipman, author of the well-received collection of short stories Into Love and Out Again , delivers a first novel full of charm, humor and unsentimental wisdom. At age 36, April Epner, her adoptive parents recently deceased, is quite satisfied with her quiet, self-sufficient, solitary life as a Latin teacher in a suburban Boston high school. Then she is claimed by her birth mother, Bernice Graverman, star hostess of Boston's popular, gossipy morning TV talk show, Bernice G! Loud and self-centered, always on-stage Bernice, who was 17 when she gave April up for adoption, barrels her way into her self-effacing daughter's life, wreaking havoc all around. Not the least of these occasions occurs after April, bullied into bringing a date to a dinner with Bernice, invites the only available man she knows, the apparently nerdy school librarian, whose shy exterior hides unexpected virtues. Lipman displays a sure, light touch while charting the various transformations that love performs. Raising laughter and tears with acutely observed characterizations and dry, affectionate wit, she also keeps dealing out the surprises, leaving readers smiling long after the last page is turned. Literary Guild alternate. Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Read this many years ago and loved the movie, too. Loved both. (The film follows the book closely.)
A huge success in England, this marvelously funny debut novel had its genesis in a column Fielding writes for a London newspaper. It's the purported diary, complete with daily entries of calories consumed, cigarettes smoked, "alcohol units" imbibed and other unsuitable obsessions, of a year in the life of a bright London 30-something who deplores male "fuckwittage" while pining for a steady boyfriend. As dogged at making resolutions for self-improvement as she is irrepressibly irreverent, Bridget also would like to have someone to show the folks back home and their friends, who make "tick-tock" noises at her to evoke the motion of the biological clock. Bridget is knowing, obviously attractive but never too convinced of the fact, and prone ever to fear the worst. In the case of her mother, who becomes involved with a shady Portuguese real estate operator and is about to be arrested for fraud, she's probably quite right. In the case of her boss, Daniel, who sends sexy e-mail messages but really plans to marry someone else, she's a tad blind. And in the case of glamorous lawyer Mark Darcy, whom her parents want her to marry, she turns out to be way off the mark. ("It struck me as pretty ridiculous to be called Mr. Darcy and to stand on your own looking snooty at a party. It's like being called Heathcliff and insisting on spending the entire evening in the garden, shouting 'Cathy!' and banging your head against a tree.") It's hard to say how the English frame of reference will travel. But, since Bridget reads Susan Faludi and thinks of Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon as role models, it just might. In any case, it's hard to imagine a funnier book appearing anywhere this year. Major ad/promo; first serial to Vogue; BOMC and QPB main selections; simultaneous Random House audio; author tour. (July) Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
I read this book and loved it.
An unexpected love affair threatens a long-lived friendship in this soap opera–like debut from Atlanta ex-lawyer Giffin. Since elementary school, Rachel and Darcy have been best friends, with Darcy always outshining Rachel. While single Rachel is the self-confessed good girl, an attorney trapped at a suffocating New York law firm, Darcy is the complete opposite, a stereotypical outgoing publicist, planning a wedding with the handsome Dex. After Rachel's 30th birthday party, she knocks back one drink too many and winds up in bed with Dex. Instead of feeling guilty about sleeping with her best friend's fiancé, Rachel realizes that Dex is the only man she's really loved, and that she's always resented manipulative Darcy. Rachel and Dex spend a few weekends in the city together "working" while Darcy's off with friends at a Hamptons beach share, but finally Rachel realizes she'll have to give Dex an ultimatum. The flip job Giffin pulls off—here it's the cheaters who're sympathetic (more or less)—gives Dex and Rachel's otherwise ordinary affair extra edge. Rachel would be a more appealing heroine if she were less whiny about her job and her romantic prospects, and rambling dialogue slows the story's pace, but this is an enjoyable beach read—one that'll make readers cast a suspicious eye on best friends and boyfriends who seem to get along just a little too well. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Love the One You're With by Emily Giffin
I met a woman in the book store who loved "Something Borrowed" (which I loved, too), and she said this book was even better.
A chance encounter with an old flame in Giffin's bittersweet, sometimes mawkish fourth novel causes Ellen Dempsey to consider anew what could have been. Shortly after marrying Andy, Ellen runs into Leo, her intense first love. Leo, a moody writer, has secretly preoccupied Ellen ever since he broke her heart, so after seeing him again, Ellen wonders if her perfect life is truly what she wants or simply what she was expected to want. This scenario is complicated by Ellen's past: the early death of her mother and subsequent disintegration of her family have left Ellen insecure and saddled with unresolved feelings of guilt. These feelings intensify when Andy's career takes the newlyweds from Ellen's beloved New York City to suburban Atlanta. As Ellen's feelings of inadequacy and resentment grow, her marriage begins to crumble. The novel is sometimes bogged down by characters so rooted in type that they, and the story line, can only move in the most obvious trajectory. However, Giffin's self-aware narrator and focus on troubled relationships will satisfy those looking for a light women's lit fix. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Daring Chloe by Laura Jensen Walker
When Chloe Adams' fiance dumps her---the night before their wedding---two girlfriends from her book group decide a little adventure is in order for the three of them. After all, why let a perfectly good honeymoon cruise go to waste? Adventure? Chloe Adams? No way! Chloe's lived in one town her whole life. The closest she's ever gotten to actual adventures is reading about them. But her girlfriends won't take no for an answer. One good adventure calls for another as Chloe's friends try to coax her out of her post-dumping funk, and soon she finds herself living out the adventures in her book club's latest selections. Hiking. Sailing. River rafting. Traveling to new places and eating exotic food. The play-it-safe Chloe begins to blossom into a new, daring Chloe. A Chloe who just might be ready to take on her biggest adventure of all ... Laura Jensen Walker has a knack for quirky heroines and real-life humor. In Chloe, she's created another memorable character who will live on in readers' hearts.

Light & Airy Summer Suggestions

2010-03-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

After some serious war tomes, we're ready for a couple of lighter reads!

Please send me your suggestions (leave them in the comments for this post) for "light" books by 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 10. I will assemble the list and then we will vote by Friday (3/12). The TOP TWO will be the May and July books, respectively.

Two suggested at the meeting were: Jennifer Government by Max Barry and Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster.

About July...the first Friday is July 2, or part of the Fourth of July weekend. How does everyone feel about moving the meeting to the second Friday (July 9)?

Moving It Again

2010-01-31T21:42:00.000-08:00

Okay. This is The No-Pressure Book Club, after all, so I'm asking if it'll work for you all if we move the meeting...again. Why?

1) I feel really bad moving it to fit my schedule and now some people can't go. I want us all to be able to meet!

2) That's opening night of the Olympics. I don't know about you, but I like to watch them. I have TiVo and everything, but still...

3) Who is actually DONE with the book? Anyone?

Heather F. had a really good idea. Why don't we just move it to the first Friday in March? Would that work for everyone?

Let me know.
~Kerrie

Can We Move the Meeting?

2010-01-29T07:48:00.000-08:00

I have a conflict with the Feb. 5th meeting date. I really hate to move the meeting back a week just for me, but I've heard from a few of you that you wouldn't mind. Thank you!

So, let's just push it back one week. Is that OK with everyone?

I finally have Outlook on my 'puter, so I'll send out a meeting request a la "the old days."

Thanks!
~Ker

We're Tied: Choosing February's Book

2009-12-17T17:34:00.000-08:00

We're tied. But instead of voting and spending another week deciding, I'm flipping a coin...virtually with Random.org/coins.

Heads - The Book Thief
Tails - Alias Grace

Here I go...

Heads.

OK, peeps. Our book for February is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Happy holidays & merry reading!
~Kerrie

Vote for February's Book & Looking Ahead to April

2009-12-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

Okay, it's time to vote on the next book selection.

I meant to get the poll up by Wednesday, but I've had a lot of weird things going on this week. So, I apologize.

I used a random number generator from Random.org to choose three books from our list to vote on. Please vote before Tuesday, 12/15, at 5 p.m.

APRIL: If nobody minds, I'd like to choose three more titles after this poll closes so we can vote April's book. That way, if anyone finishes early and wants to read ahead, they can. Send me any other book suggestions you want me to add to the list before I set up April's poll.

Thanks & happy reading!

~Kerrie

PS: If anyone is looking for a funny, crass, fluffy memoir, I am reading Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster right now and it's cracking me up. I can't believe it's a memoir!

Send Me Suggestions

2009-12-05T21:36:00.000-08:00

Let's pick February's book! First, I need your suggestions. I updated the list on the left hand side of the page. Send me your suggestions by Wednesday afternoon and I will add them to the list.

Then, on Wednesday night, I will use a random number generator to pull out 3 books to vote on for February. Does that sound like a good idea to everyone? Yes? No? Other ideas?

~Kerrie

Can I Get a Head Count?

2009-12-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

Please let me know if you can or cannot attend the meeting on Friday so I can figure out where we are going to meet. Vote in the poll at left.

Hope to see you there. I already have one burning point I want to discuss. So curious what you guys think!

Happy reading!
~Kerrie

Looks Like Good Things for December

2009-10-12T20:15:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for voting! It looks like we have our December book: Good Things by Mia King.

If you voted for a different one, don't worry! We'll keep them on the list...well, maybe not the holiday ones, but the nice thing about December's book is that it is light, so you can read ALL of them!

Here's what Mia's Web site says about Good Things:

Living simply isn’t simple. Deidre McIntosh is 40, single, and host of Seattle’s premier lifestyle TV show, Live Simple and Simply Live. But when her show is abruptly cancelled, her seemingly perfect life ends along with it. It’s a godsend when Kevin Johnson offers her a place to stay, even if her new living arrangement is literally a shack in the woods. As she slowly begins to practice what she once preached, Deidre takes the first step toward a new kind of success, and maybe even love.

Includes recipes: Orgasmic Corn Fritters with Chinese Peppercorn, Creme Fraiche, and Sherry; Linguine with Rose Petal Sauce; Uptown Bistro’s Spinach Salad with Light Roquefort Dressing; Lindsey’s Meatloaf Special; Maple Walnut Scones in Origami Parchment Pockets;Hardware Bobby’s oven- Baked, Old-Fashioned Fries; Chocolate Cherry Crackle Cookies; Old-Fashioned Mashed Potatoes; Deidre’s Aromatic Gingerbread; Johnson Family Eggnog; Fresh Salmon and Penne Salad with Creamy Light Dill Dressing; Potato and Leek Gratin; Deidre’s Peace of Mind Tea.

I don't know about you all, but this is totally the type of book I need right now. Actually, any of the ones on our list would've been great. :)

Just FYI: I was at Borders in Federal Way and they didn't have a copy of Good Things. I'm not sure if the other stores have a copy, but just saving you a trip...

Okay, everyone, happy reading!
~Kerrie

Light & Easy for December

2009-10-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who met at Vino on Friday to discuss The Street of a Thousand Blossoms. We had a good time!

The next meeting will be December 4th (first Friday), and we decided to bump the time up by a half hour. Hopefully, that will work better for everyone. I am looking at where we should have our next meeting. Any new ideas, please comment or shoot me an e-mail.

After two very heavy books in a row, we all agreed to keep things light for December's book. I even suggested reading a Christmas-themed one.

You may notice that I thinned out our suggested books list because several of them have been on there for months and months, and have not been chosen. Please send me ideas for future titles and I will add them

Here's what I added and what's up for voting for our December meeting. Read about the books and then vote by Monday, Oct. 12, please.

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham: I read this book several years ago. I really loved it...then I saw the movie. Ugh. The movie was horrible and wasn't at all like the book. Read more here.

The Perfect Christmas by Debbie Macomber: I have never read anything by this author, but I know she is popular. I'm willing to try something different. Read more here.

Good Things by Mia King: The description for this one starts out: "Seattle's answer to Martha Stewart..."! Sounds good to me...and pretty much all of the reviewers on Amazon. Plus, recipes in the back. Sweet. Read more here.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen: This is a Young-Adult book that was recommended at my last SCBWI meeting. Not sure how you all feel about reading YA, though. Read more here.

Pretty in Plaid by Jen Lancaster: I don't remember who suggested this one. A friend just finished reading it and she liked it. Read more here.

Happy reading!
~Kerrie

Calling It: Where We Will Meet on Friday

2009-09-30T12:16:00.001-07:00

After much discussion and thought, we will meet in Renton at Vino at the Landing at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2. We will discuss The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama (I will bring discussion questions). Don't worry if you aren't finished, we'll make the best of it. Mostly, at this meeting, I hope to discuss the future of NPBC. So, see you there!
~Kerrie

PS: If you want/need my cell number, shoot me an e-mail.

We Need a Home!

2009-09-24T20:04:00.001-07:00

I need suggestions for where to meet next Friday. Unfortunately, Vino at The Landing won't work as they have a "Meet the Winemaker" forum every Friday from 6-8. If we reaaaalllly want to meet there we will have to move our meeting to 8 p.m. and I know for several people that doesn't work.

Soooooo....

Any other ideas? Renton is a good central meeting place, I think. If I don't get suggestions, I will just pick somewhere for this first meeting and we can discuss later.

WARNING: Right now, the only place I can think of in the Renton area that can accommodate us is Scari's (Shari's) by the hotel there at 169 and 405. And nobody wants that...

Our "First" Meeting & Where to Meet

2009-09-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to get this party started.

Based on your feedback, the new era of the No-Pressure Book Club will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. on the First Friday of every other month beginning in October.

That means our first meeting will be Friday, October 2 at 7:30 p.m. We'll be discussing The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama. I will bring questions. Check the sidebar on the left for updated meeting times, locations and other general info, such as what book, who will bring discussion points, etc.

Now, we just need to find a "home." The Renton Landing area is sort of a middle-ground for most of us, I think. I contacted Vino at the Landing, a well-lit and nice looking wine bar, to see if they're the type of place that a book club could meet at. I will let you know what I find out.

But we need more suggestions. I'm thinking we should try to stay close to the downtown Renton area. Anyone know of any good places that could host about 10 people?

FYI: I fixed the comments on this blog, so if you had issues leaving one in the past, it should be working now. Sorry about that.

See you soon!
~Kerrie

A New Era of NPBC

2009-09-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

"A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated by a watch." ~Jane Austen

Sound like anyone you know?

Have I found the motto for the No-Pressure Book Club? Honestly! We are not good about keeping a schedule. But that's the whole point. Don't rush us, we'll get around to meeting. I like our philosophy, even if we take it to the extreme sometimes.

But I do think some things about NPBC need to change. I have talked to several of you and everyone has agreed. Here is my proposal. Please let me know what you think by commenting below. I am opening up the blog for anyone to comment.

1. Meet every other month. We need longer amounts of time to read the books.

2. Meet in the evenings. The lunch-time meeting worked for a couple of years. But moving it to the evening will allow us to invite more people. We'll have more time to chat about the book and life and whatever. What do you think about 8 or 8:30 p.m.? That gives people enough time to get home from work and have dinner with their families. Then, we can meet somewhere for dessert or drinks or whatever.

3. Stick to a day. How about the first or the fourth Friday of every other month? The first or fourth Friday seems easy to remember. What do you think? That would make Oct. 2 or Oct. 23 our first meeting.

4. Invite more people.

5. Organize our meetings. What do you think about actually having an organized discussion of each book? Maybe someone could volunteer each time to look up some good book discussion questions or topics...what do you think?

***

Here are the things I hope we can keep the same. Again, let me know what you think.

1. A mix of genres. I like going from chick lit to YA to historical fiction. It keeps things interesting. And, like always, anyone who is not interested in a certain genre can always choose to skip the book.

2. No pressure. Again, if you don't want to read the book, no biggie. We'll catch you next time around.

***

If you are interested in being in, or staying in, the NPBC, please comment below. We are currently reading The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama.

~Kerrie

August Meeting or ...?

2009-08-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

Is everyone done reading the book? I'm not. I thought I would be, but I admit I had a hard time with the middle (sad), so I haven't wanted to pick it back up. That said, I won't be there on Wednesday.

Feel free to meet without me. Or, let me know if you are up for rescheduling.

Meantime, I saw only three votes for the date of the next book club meeting. I have an idea that I'd like to discuss about changing things up a bit. I will post my idea later this week and hope to get your feedback.

~Kerrie

The Next Book & Stuff

2009-08-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

First of all, how is everyone doing on Street of a Thousand Blossoms? I'm just about half-way into it and it's a pretty heavy book so far. How does Monday, Aug. 24 or Wednesday, Aug. 26, sound for a meeting? Please vote at right.

Also, only four of us voted, but that was enough to choose the next book: My Sister's Keeper. So, I will put up a new poll for October's book in a few days. Something to keep in mind, though, about the next choice: The Kite Runner, Street of a Thousand Blossoms and My Sister's Keeper are all pretty heavy subjects, so I'm ready for something a little lighter. Any suggestions? If not, I will throw in a couple fun ones I've heard of.

~Kerrie

You're Invited

2009-06-16T22:24:00.001-07:00

All NPBC members are invited to post to this blog. Make suggestions or request a new meeting date...whatever. You all should have received an invitation to this blog. You will need to sign in through that e-mail in order to post. Please let me know if you need me to resend the invitation.

Happy reading!
Kerrie

Books We've Read

2009-06-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

2007
May: Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
June: The Nanny Diaries by Emma Mclaughlin & Nicola Kraus
August: Gentlemen and Players: A Novel by Joanne Harris
September: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

2008
January: Wicked by Gregory Maguire
February: Me and Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter
March: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
April: Atonement by Ian McEwan
May: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
June: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
July: Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
August: Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonet
September: A Wedding in December by Anita Shreve
October: The Tender Bar by JR Moehringer

2009
January: The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Fowler
March: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
May: The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
July: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hussein
October: Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
December: Good Things by Mia King

2010
March: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
May: Love the One Your With by Emily Giffin
July: Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster
September: The Help by Kathryn Stockett