Tuesday, November 13, 2012

November 2012

Tonight we met at Schepp's Southside to discuss the book The Last Van Gogh by Alyson Richman. Those who read the book found it interesting.  It was about a  doctor, his young daughter, and son, who treated Van Gogh with herbs for the dark periods he went through. The story was so interesting to some it made them look at Van Gogh's paintings online so they could actually see the pictures talked about in this book. 

We are going to meet next month on the 11th at Hunan's. Linda E. has suggested we read Peaches for Father Francis by Joanne Harris. This is the sequel to the book Chocolat. We will have our $10 gift exchange as well.


Kelsey, Linda E., and Joan


Antionette, Pat, Paula, and Linda B.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

September 2012

Last night we met at Arris' Cafe to dicuss the book BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY  by Ruta Septys.  The book tells a story of the extermination of the Baltic people during WW II by Lenin. The narrator of the story is a fictional girl who tries to document what is happening to her family through her art. This is a heart wrenching story, but one worth reading. All who read the book said it was excellent.


We will meet next month on Tuesday, October 2 at El Espolon to discuss THE SECRET LIFE OF CEE CEE WILKES by Diane Chamberlain.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

August 2012


Pickwick members met last night at MiTolteca to discuss the August book, "Cee Cee Honeycutt" by Beth Hoffman.  All loved the book. It is about a young girl names, CeeCee, who after the death of her mother goes to live with an aunt in Savannah. The characters in the book were vivid and real. Joan compared it to a combination of "The Help" and "The Girl on Tradd Street". During dinner Pat told us a few stories of her educational trip to Costa Rica. We all decided not to go on any future trips if afforded the opportunity. Antionette looked rested after spending almost 60 days on a motorcycle during the summer. This was our first meeting since Terri moved and we all missed her a lot. Our next meeting is Sept. 4th at 5pm at Arris Cafe. The book is "Between the Shades of Gray". NOT to be mixed up with "Shades of Gray". See everyone there!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Not Saying Goodbye

I would like to personally thank Terri for starting this book club so many years ago.  I have been blessed to have been invited to spend one night a month with such wonderful people.  Last night we said, hope to see you soon and not goodbye to Terri as she leaves us to begin a new chapter in her life.  Terri will be moving to St. Charles to be the new principal to a K-2 building in Wright City.  We wish her the best of luck and hope she can join us on occasion.  In the meantime, we will miss her in our deep conversations about the books we will read, the friendly conversations of day to day, the knowledge she shares with us, and friendships we all share with her. 

Good luck to you Terri!  Hope to see you soon!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

June 2012

We met at the lovely home of Linda Eisinger to watch the movie Sarah's Key.  We had read the book earlier and was delighted to learn that a movie had been made.  Linda had seen the movie and recommended us to see it and so the idea was born to watch it together.

Before the movie began, we had delicious treats.  Linda provided sandwiches and cupcakes from Chez Monet (Jefferson City) and the rest of us brought dishes to share.  You can see our wonderful spread and get a peek at Linda's home.

Yummy food at Linda's house

Kristin Scott Thomas plays Julia, a journalist who is writing a piece for a French magazine on the Bel d'Hiv roundup of Jews in 1942.  She does a wonderful job playing an American who speaks fluent French.  The movie moves back and forth from 1942 to 2009 as the film tries to capture the horrific events of that time.  The plot is harrowing, with enough shocking scenes to make you feel some of the trauma the French Jews endured.

Linda, Joan and Pat

Joan, Pat, Kelsey, Linda (hidden) and Linda
After the movie discussion, Pat reminded us of these words:

"First They Came for the Jews"
By Pastor Niemoller

  First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me. 

Terri, Kelsey, Linda, Pat, Linda, Linda and Joan

 

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

May 2012

The book club met at El Jalisco's in Jefferson City on a beautiful mid Spring evening.  We sat outdoors and enjoyed each other's company.  Linda presented a gift to Terri as she is moving to St. Charles in June.  The gift was a charm for her Pandora bracelet.  She was recognized by the group as a founding member of the book club.  Terri says she will make plans to come to a few meetings in the future.

The book of discussion was My Week with Marilyn Monroe.  Terri's response was that the movie was much better than the book.  Those who read the book said that the book was flat, and did not create a very interesting portrayal of Marilyn.  Considering the author was 23 years old at the time of the setting, it is likely he did not see the significance of making of the movie and his role in it.  Our opinion:  stick to the movie.

Next month we will meet at Linda's to see the movie Sarah's Key.  We read the book earlier in the year.  We will meet at 5:00 on June 5 at Linda's house in JC.

Antoinette, Paula, Joan, Terri, Linda, Kelsey, Ashley, Pat and Linda

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

April 2012

We met at the wonderful Fuji restaurant last night.  We had a small but talkative group.  The book we discussed was The Paris Wife.  A fictional book based on a real character is always tricky.  And, when the protagonist is Ernest Hemingway, that makes the book much more interesting.  Hadley is Ernest's first wife, his starter wife,(there were a total of four) and is eight years older than he.  Ernest meets Gertrude Stein while he is writing The Sun Also Rises and many other celebrities during their time in Paris.  Most of us weren't quite finished with it but we still had a great discussion wondering how the book would end.

Next month we are meeting on May 1 at El Espolon on Hwy 179 at our usual time.  We are reading My Week with Marilyn. 

March 2012

Pat and Kelsey




Linda, Anntoinette and Paula




Tuesday, February 7, 2012

February 2012

Our delightful group met at Red Lobster (a first for us!) to discuss Troublemaker and The Magician's Elephant.  Troublemaker will not be released until later in February so the discussion focused on The Magician's Elephant.  The book was artfully crafted by author Kate DiCamillo to create a book with a dreamy, starry quality to the prose.  The fable, starting with Pete spending his master's money on something he shouldn't (does this remind you of Jack and the Beanstalk?) which sets off a series of events so unlikely that when the end comes and they are so neatly tied together that you can't help but be amazed!  The book illustrates so beautifully the power of having a dream and working toward making it come true.




We meet again on Monday, March 5 (note the day change!) at 5:00 at Paddy Malones.  We will be discussing Emma and Me. 

Until next time, happy reading!
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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

January 2012 Meeting

Tonight we met at Panera Bread on the Boulevard.  It was a hoppin' place.  After ordering dinners of soups, salads and sandwiches, we talked about.........MOVIES!

We talked about My Week with Marilyn Monroe, Sarah's Key, Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and another one that isn't popping into my head.  We did discuss the book some, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, but on my end it was difficult to hear the discussion.  Sorry, girls.




We also discussed the merits and downfalls of eBooks, as it pertains to public school libraries.   Other lively topics of discussion were grandchildren, French immersion schools, the new high school, and the possible tax levy.

Next month we meet at Red Lobster on February 7 at 5:00.  Books to be announced.
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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

December Meeting

The Pickwick Society met at Hunan's on the Boulevard to discuss James Patterson's book The Christmas Wedding.  All enjoyed the book and its characters but believed there aren't three men alive who would wait on a woman to decide who she'd marry on Christmas Day!

After dinner, we exchanged Christmas gifts.  This year we started with our own gifts.  The one who had a birthday in January started first, February second and so on.  Everyone received lovely gifts. 

Pat admiring her gift.

Kelsey

Joan

Linda
Our next meeting is January 10, 2011 at Panera's where we will be discussing Major Pettigrew's Last Stand.  Meet at 5:00 to enjoy dinner!
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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

November Meeting

Our wonderful group of ladies met at El Espolon tonight to discuss the book The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher.  It will come to no surprise that we have loved this book.  With comparisons to Eat, Pray, Love and Under the Tuscan Sun, the warmth of the characters, the house in Provence, the recipes and a neighbor who knows all the family skeletons, this book has the makings of a great movie!

After a short discussion about the book, a lively and impassioned discussion took place about a possible French immersion school in our area.  Even though we loved the book with its French background, the school did not get such a favorable review.

Our next meeting will be December 13 at Hunan's.  Bring a $10 gift to exchange and be prepared to discuss The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson!



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Monday, September 12, 2011

September Meeting

Our book club met in September at the always wonderful Arris Cafe.   We discussed the book On Folly Beach by Karen White.  Our book club is a huge fan of her.    The author does a wonderful job of weaving the present and the past in this book, a task not easily done and which can become tedious in a story.  The mystery was unraveled through well developed characters and a developing plot that kept you glued to the book.

Kelsey and the new baby

Joan, Linda, Antoinette, Paula, Ashley and Glenda

Look at these portion sizes!

Terri
We got on the discussion of bottle trees.  Terri was given a bottle tree from a group of her friends when she was first diagnosed with cancer.   Bottle trees were used to ward away evil spirits.   Several books we have read, including On Folly Beach, mention bottle trees.

Our next meeting is October 4 at 5:00 at Kate and Allie's.  The title of the book is Southern Belles of Honeysuckle Way by Linda Bruckheimer.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

August Meeting

The August 2011 meeting was held at the home of Terri Steffes.  The book club was unable to Skype with author Michael Lee West.  However, the discussion of the book Gone With a Handsomer Man was lively.  All agreed that the female characters were well developed and likeable, even the protaganists. 

Paula, Linda, Terri, Kelsey, Joan

A meal was shared among the members present.  A tomato tart, like the one mentioned in the book, was the featured course.  The recipe follows.


Tomato Tart

1 prepared pie crust
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 large, ripe tomatoes, sliced
1 lb fontina cheese, sliced
salt and pepper

Press the pie crust dough into a tart pan and bake at 450 for 9 minutes.  Remove from the oven, let cool.  Spread the garlic over the pie crust.  Lay slices of fontina cheese over the garlic.  Layer slices of tomatoes over the cheese, then lay more cheese over the tomatoes.  Bake at 350 for abou 30 minutes or until the cheese melts and the tomatoes are warm.


Dessert was "Teenie" cheesecakes from BK Bakery from Linda E.  Three different varieties of turtle, vanilla bean and cookies and cream were selected. 


The next meeting will be held on September 6 at Arris Cafe at 5:00.  We will be reading On Folly Beach by Karen White, author of the well liked Tradd Street book.


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Thursday, May 5, 2011

May Meeting

We had a small but very interested group that discussed the book Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back.  Experiences were shared about heaven and a great conversation about various beliefs were shared.

We ate at the newest El Jimador on West Edgewood.  Good food was had by all!



Our books, Gone with a Handsomer Man, have arrived!  We will do this book for our July meeting which will be held at Terri's house.  Our June book will be a children's novel and will be sent out by our wonderful member, Linda in an email soon!

Here you go:


  When:  Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 at 1:00
  Where: Frenchies at Apache Flats

What:  Moon Over Manifest (2011 Newbery)
                   by Elizabeth Kennedy

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

April Meeting

Pickwick Society met tonight at Bingham's in the Truman Hotel.  Members discussed the book Fugitive Spring written by former Jefferson City resident Deborah Sugarbaker Digges.  The book sparked much discussion about the style which Mrs. Digges used in writing the book.  A 1965 Jefferson City High School yearbook was brought to the meeting and photos were shared of several of the Sugarbaker daughters.

The next meeting will be May 3 at El Jimador on Westwood on the patio if weather permits.  We will be reading and discussing Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back.

Lisa's sweet babies joined us tonight!



This article appeared in the L.A.Times after Mrs. Digges death:  Obituary
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Sunday, March 13, 2011

Gone with a Handsomer Man

Ladies, the book is set to ship April 26 so let's do this as a June book instead of May.  I will contact Michael to do our Skype in June. I will shoot for the first Tuesday in June. 

Gone with a Handsomer Man was recently picked as the Mystery Guild's Book of the Month!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

March Meeting

Tonight we met at Prison Brews and discussed the book A Reliable Wife.  Most felt it was a good book with a nice twist at the end.  The characters were well developed and the storyline complex.  Good food was had by all.

Pat, Linda, Kelsey

Ashley, Linda, Antoinette

Joan, Linda, Paula

Terri, Ashley
We had an opportunity to toast Linda Eisinger's announcement of her retirement.  We will meet at Bingham's at the Truman Hotel in April.  We will be reading Fugitive Spring.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

February Meeting

Tonight we met at Hunan's and discussed the book Lie After Lie.  We had a lengthy discussion about this book.  We were all fascinated by the Boston police officers' description of Jefferson City and took exception with the notion that none of JC's restaurants are open past 9:00 p.m. 

Everyone had tasty meals and then we decided on books for the future.  Terri brought a book that had been written by her friend Michael Lee West and the group will read it in April.   After discussion of other titles, it was decided to read A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrich available on Amazon.

February 2011