Bookies – Page 4 – Book Journey

The Book Exchange.. How It Works And Why It Is Awesome

Published on July 22, 2014July 22, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)27 Comments

The book club I am part of (The Bookies) have had a fun exchange that we have taken part in for the past three years. I recently posted about it here. It is a lot of fun and a great summer break idea for your book club or for you and your friends just to read really great books.

Here is the basic layout of how to do it.

Pick a date when you ask each person in your group to bring a wrapped book to the group. (*we encourage brown wrap so people do not choose by the packaging 😉 )

MOST IMPORTANTLY – The book everyone brings NEEDS to be a book the giver has read and liked very much if not LOVED.

Inside the front cover of the book place a post it note saying why you loved the book so much and if you want the receiver to keep it or return it after is read.

At your gathering you each choose a book and what you pick is what you read. When you meet up again, you each share the book you read, who gave it to you and what you thought of it. It is a lot of fun.

Our group does this every June so in July during our annual picnic, we share what we each read instead of a whole group book review like we do the rest of the year.

This year some of the books that made this exchange were:

Whiskey Beach by Nora Roberts

Burial Rights by Hannah Kent

Night by Elie Wiesel

Delicious by Ruth Reichl

Lethal by Sandra Brown (this is the book I picked out of the pile)

Red Moon by Benjamin Percy

Night Road by Kristin Hannah

Boy In The Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist

City Of Bones by Cassandra Claire

That Night by Chevy Stevens

My favorite part of the whole process is to listen to what everyone thinks about the books. As you can see above we had some pretty amazing books in the group and a couple really deep ones (Night and Boy In The Striped Pajamas – two books that I think everyone must read. For the most part everyone really enjoyed the book they picked. As readers, at least I know for myself… I love it when a freind recommends that next great read.

Bookies Queen Event 2014

Published on July 10, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)21 Comments

This past Tuesday July 8th was our annual Queen event for 2014. It is always a wonderful time of Food, Fun, and Friends, and of course… off with the old Queens head and on with the new… sorry Angie 😉

The evening was gorgeous, and I was so caught with everyone’s conversation and everything that I forgot to take pics of the food!

We started our evening with a “photo shoot” of those of us who dressed for the event:

The speeches were awesome, poems, songs, bribing with candy…..

It was a wonderful night. In the end… we crowned a Queen:

Congratulations Queen Sharon… she was the “Susan Lucci” of our group… runner-up for years, but never Queen! 😀

This is our 8th Queen Event. For more Queen Event pictures… see my past links here under Book Clubs.

Morning Meanderings… The BOOK Exchange!

Published on July 8, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)15 Comments

Good morning!

It is the morning of our Bookies Coronation. SQUUUEEEEE!!! I bought the dress on Saturday, I wrote my speech last night, giggling and texting my friend like a school girl about “How’s it going are you done? Are you ready?” with her texting back just as excited “just finishing up, now picking out my dress”

It will be great 🙂

Last month at book club, we had our Annual Book Exchange. This practice started three years ago. Each Bookie is supposed to wrap up in plain brown paper ( we are trying to avoid people picking the *pretty packaging*) a book that they have read in the past year that was a great read. Obviously, not a Bookies Book Club pick.

Then…

We all randomly choose a book out of the pile and that will be the book we will each read and discuss in July (tonight) while we enjoy good food and conversation. It is a fun tradition:

I had missed Bookies last month as I was at camp but I still participated. I sent a book into the mix – the center picture above, Delicious by Ruth Reichl (LOVED that one!) and then the group picked a book out for me. So what did I have picked to read this past month?

I had Lethal by Sandra Brown. This was a good one for me as I have tried Sandra Brown before and could not get through it. She seems like an author I would enjoy, so this was a fun attempts again. I finished it last night…. I will review the book later but for now I would describe it as very similar to the book Labor Day…. but a heck of a lot steamier. 😉

Morning Meanderings… Preparing To Meet The Queen!

Published on July 2, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

July.

I know right? As of today we are 6 days out from our annual Queen Event for book club. 6 DAYS!!!

If you are familiar with our book club “happenings” every July since… (hmmm…. I should know this) well, for many years, we dress up in formal wear and have a coronation for Bookies Queen of the year. It comes from the book Same Sweet Girls by Cassandra King. (Yes,worth the read!)

2013 Bookies Queen Event, Book Journey, Sheila DeChantal — Bookies Queen Event 2013

We usually grill, talk books, eat lots of tasty foods… and have a LOT OF FUN! The competition is all in fun. And the girls really get into their speeches…

Brendas dress — Brenda’s dress last year was partially made of book. MADE OF BOOK! Genius!

and I think I mentioned delicious food…

2011 - OW! — 2011 was also the year that I had sprung my wrist and broke my finger while riding in a 150 mile bike ride. But… the event must go on…. bling included 😉

Alright… now I am getting into this… maybe I will save more for Saturday snapshot. And I must prepare my speech…. I think I have an idea…

Book club people – do you do things above and beyond the books? IE. potlucks, dinners out, movies, road trips? I would love to know 🙂

Weekend Cooking – Literacy and Food

Published on May 17, 2014May 17, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)23 Comments

The bookies Book Club read and review Moloka’i by Alan Brennert this past week. ,One of things I love about reading for book club is the opportunity to make something I probably never would have tried. Miloka’i based in the late 1800’s Hawaii. I made two things for this review, Sweet Potato Casserole and Poi.

For this weeks Weekend Cooking I will post both recipes.

Sweet Potato Casserole

4-5 large sweet potatoes halved

4-5 bananas peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices

16 oz. crushed pineapple in own juice

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Tablespoon cold butter

2 tsp. salt

1 cup pineapple juice (saved off the crushed pineapple)

1 tsp. Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons honey

Heat over to 350 degrees. lightly butter bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

Place the potatoes into a pan of water that covers the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain and let steam dry until you are able to touch, then peal the skin off the potatoes, rough chop and place in the 9 x 13 pan.

Dot with the cold butter over the potatoes.

Sprinkle the salt over the potatoes.

Arrange the bananas over the potatoes.

Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar and cinnamon combo.

Top with crushed pineapple.

Whisk together the pineapple juice, lemon juice, and honey until honey is dissolved. Pour over the top of casserole.

Cook at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

*This was pretty tasty. The banana’s seemed odd but actually complimented the dish. I thought it would be extremely sweet but it was not over the top. I would make this again for a unique potluck dish. ~Sheila

Poi

You asked for the recipe… I am giving it but there is really not much to it. 🙂

2 pounds Taro Root (surprisingly I found this at my local grocery store)

water

Bring taro root to a boil in 2 quarts of water. Cook for about 40 minutes. Drain, cool, and peal the root. Rough chop taro into a bowl. Blend in blender with 1 cup of water until smooth. (There are more traditional ways to do this that involve a grass skirt, a smooth rock and a hollowed out piece of wood but I went “new school” and “got ‘er done”!) 🙂

A couple things about Poi. There is one finger, two finger, and three finger poi. This is because traditionally you scoop it up with your fingers. The thicker the poi, the less fingers used. I am happy to say, I made a one finger poi:

Poi tasted like bland potatoes. I was surprised when looking on line I could not find any variations of this recipe to jazz it up a bit. I would have liked to have made three cheese poi, or fully loaded poi with garlic and sour cream and bacon… just saying 😉

And finally why is my poi white when traditionally it is purple? I have no idea. I was disappointing as I was looking forward to the bright purple I seen in pictures. I Googled this question but came up with no answers.

Moloka’i by Alan Brennert (Bookies Book Club Review)

Published on May 14, 2014May 14, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Small synopsis: Hawaii in the late 1800’s was a beautiful place but a potentially frightening one as well. With the outbreak of Leprosy everyone was on the look out for anyone who may have this contagious disease. When little Rachel “Aouli” Kalama found a sore on the back of her leg that would not heal. She is eventually taken away from her family to live in Kaulapapa, an are off the island of Moloka’i for those with Leprosy. Here is where Rachel lives her life.

In May of 2014, 15 of the Bookies Book Club showed up for a review of Moloka’i. We sampled Hawaiian culture foods and discussed this read of a time in Hawaii most of us were unfamiliar with.

Using the questions provided int he back of the book, we discussed Leprosy compared to the AIDS scare if the 80’s, and what that must have felt like at the time to those who were in fear for their lives and the lives of their families. As in Rachel’s case, being taken away from her family had to be devastating on both sides; and Rachel’s diagnosis put a huge label on her family and even though they did not have it themselves they were shunned by their community.

Rachel herself makes for a great protagonist. Learning at a young age that she was pretty much on her own, she has a strong will, but also a sensible one. While she may stretch the boarders, she does have a wonderful sense of right and wrong and it shows throughout the storyline.

The Bookies overall enjoyed the book. A few found it a bit drug out, certainly not a fast read at almost 400 pages, but filled with deep historical facts that made for a good read.

What makes this a good book club read?

Moloka’i does make a good book group discussion due to it’s historical nature. There is plenty to discuss around the subject of Leprosy and what we can compare that to today. The characters of this book and how they respond to Rachel is also discussion-worthy. Once you label a person, how does that change us?

The questions in the back of the book are great for the discussion. There is also a section in the back of more detailed facts behind the fiction that makes for interesting follow up. A group could bring items of Hawaiian culture or information off the websites marked in the back pages to add to this discussion.

The natural deepness of this read also makes you feel like you read something important. Deeper reads deepen your book discussions.

Morning Meanderings…. Bookies Night In! (w/Poi results!)

Published on May 14, 2014May 14, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)11 Comments

Good morning! Cup number two of coffee here…. deserved though… yesterday was pretty great. 😀

I had yesterday off work to catch up on my house which lacked some attention in the past few weeks. Then I spent the late afternoon preparing for book club which was to be at my home… Hawaiian Style after reading Moloka’i. Bookies – true to form brought this book to the next level with food like Chocolate Mochi, Hawaiian roast, Sweet Potato Casserole, seafood salad, pineapple… more on that later. 😉

As I mentioned yesterday I was going to try my hand at Poi; and I did. It was not purple like I seen in the pictures on-line (still have not figured out why). Warm, it tasted a little like a sticky potato product. One of the girls said they heard it was better for you than potatoes.

It was not super hard to make but of course I did not sit in the lawn in a grass skirt and pound it with a rock and a board… no, I used my handy blender. Aloha!

Then the real test was the thickness. There is one finger, two finger three finger poi, depending on how many fingers it takes for you to scoop it up. I am proud to say that I made a one finger poi.

So that’s my night. I need to get ready for work but watch for the Bookies thoughts on Molokai coming up later today. 😀

Any Poi makers out there? Why was mine not purple?

Bookies Review and Fun: The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Published on March 13, 2014March 13, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)16 Comments

A few days ago I read and reviewed for the first time, The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd. This week, our book club The Bookies had the opportunity to discuss it.

On a scale of 1 – 5 (5 being the highest) the book rated mainly between 3.5 and 4. The girls all agreed that they enjoyed the book. While it was not one of those “WOW” that blew me away reads, it was an overall pleasant read with a nice mix of mid 60’s southern culture, and fats about honey and bees.

We discussed Lily’s home life situation with her father, and the loss of her mother. We discussed the culture of the 60’s in South Carolina and what that meant at the time for a white girl to live among an African-American family. (This still shocks me that this was really, not so long ago….)

Of course, we themed food and I found a fun little website called Book Menus that had a list of ALL the food in The Secret Life Of Bees. Seriously, how cool is that? We had pulled pork sandwiches and I made ham. One of the girls had coleslaw and added peaches to it (delicious!) as peaches play a role in this book. We had a pineapple strawberry upside down cake, orangeade, AND….

we had to try the coke and salted peanuts together like the y had in the book:

March cokew peanuts — **Bookies, trying the coke with salted peanuts as Lily and August loved in the book, Secret Life Of Bees**

Why is this a great book for book clubs?

The Secret Life Of Bees brings out some good discussion topics such as abuse, the loss of a mother and women who stand in as “mothers” in our lives. There is also the topic of racial hatred and relationships among those of different backgrounds and color. The book brings with it wonderful southern foods to try as well.

Morning Meanderings… What Makes A Book Club Work

Published on March 13, 2014March 13, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)17 Comments

Yes, it is about that time of month again when I talk book club. I can’t help it. I love that group of girls so! Tuesday evening while we sat around chatting before the review with plates full of food from the book ‘The Secret Life of Bees” and salted peanuts in coke (more on that later….), one of the girls said something that really touched my heart.

She said that she loved our book club and had to tell us why. She had been in a book club before that just did not work. She said that the group would have a book they would read but some would read it, most would not. The group would gather and have wine and talk and rarely get to the book. There was no one who brought questions to the group about the book or kept a discussion on track.

It’s no secret I love my book club. We have such an amazing group of ladies who each bring something to add to the group. They are willing to dig in and discuss the hard topics, and laugh about the fun stuff.

It’s not always easy pulling off a book club night, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love planning the food around the book and it has stretched me to make new things and try different cultures. Each book, even before I open that first page has me thinking, “what will I learn? How can I implement that into the meeting? What foods will me encounter? What music?” Where can I get a skeleton?” (Ok just kidding on that last one… at least so far 😉 )

I love doing the extras for book club. I love to fully experience the book. Bookies has come a long way in our almost 13 years. I wouldn’t trade a moment.

Next book up…. A Constellation Of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra….

Oh the possibilities.

The Secret Life Of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Published on March 11, 2014March 11, 2014 by Sheila (Book Journey)14 Comments

14-year-old Lily Owens has little memories of her mother. The one memory she does carry, is that she is responsible for her mom’s death. Her father, T. Ray, is distant and both physically and verbally abusive. When Lily finds a town written on the back of an image of a black Madonna that belonged to her mother, Lily and her friend Rosaleen decide to leave on a search for clues to who Lily’s mom was.

When Lily finds a product in a store called Black Madonna honey, the same black Madonna that is in the picture that was her mother’s, she is directed to the home of the creator of this honey. Lily meets the three Boatwright sisters, April, May, and June, three black women who harvest honey. Lily feels strongly there is a connection between these women and her mother, and plans to stay until she can find out, knowing that back home her father is just learning that she is gone and his anger for her betrayal will fuel him forward to find her.

The Secret Life Of Bees is a warm southern read which if it carried a scent I believe it would smell like bread right out of the oven with fresh honey dripping down thick slices with a background aroma of lilac and clover. This book gives me flashes of that warm feeling I had when I read Beth Hoffman’s Cee-Cee Honeycutt.

I was actually a little surprised how much I enjoyed this book/audio. I do not know what held me back from it all of these years as I clearly know now that I was missing out. Lily is a delightful protagonist. She has been forced to grow up quickly in a world without her mom and a dad who has no idea to be anything but angry.

I can’t think of anything I’d rather have more than somebody lovin’ me.”
― Lily Owens, The Secret Life of Bees

Narrated by Jenna Lamia, who also narrates in The Help, and both of Beth Hoffman’s books as well, the audio flows smoothly as Jenna has no trouble taking on the young voices of Lily and Rosaleen, as well as switching it up to the older Boatwright sisters.

If you have not yet treated yourself to The Secret Life Of Bees I encourage you to do so. You are in for a sweet experience.

Now…. I get to watch the movie!