APRIL'S CHOICE!

Susan Wigg's book "Just Breathe," will be the selection for April 2009. The club will take place on April 18th, 2009 at Fat Man's.


Amazon.com writes this about "Just Breathe:"


Bestselling author Wiggs (Snowfall at Willow Lake) keeps her romance reputation going with this feel-good story of a wronged woman who gets out on her own and gets going. Sarah Moon, a comic-strip writer, is happily married to Jack Daly—until she comes home to find him entwined and naked with a business associate he had badmouthed to her just hours earlier. After five years of marriage, including months of infertility treatments because of Jack's cancer, infidelity is the last straw, and Sarah pack ups and leaves Chicago for her hometown of Glenmuir, Calif. Sarah uses her comic strip, Just Breathe, to vent her frustration and relieve her stress. The character, Shirl, is undergoing fertility treatments, getting a divorce and moving back in with her mom. (Comic strips open each section of the novel). And in Glenmuir, lo and behold, Sarah's dreams come true. She finds out she's pregnant, and begins a friendship with her high school nemesis, Will Bonner, who's now the town fire captain and a single dad whose lonely daughter reminds Sarah of herself as a young girl. Wiggs takes serious situations and weaves them into an emotionally wrought story that will have readers reaching for the Kleenex one moment and snickering out loud the next.

More information to come about the book with discussion questions, and other stuff hopefully.

As always...HAPPY READING!

THANKS LESLEY!

This past Saturday, March 21, Lesley Kagen let us call her, and she talked to us from the comfort of her Wisconsin home. A very down to earth person, she is informative in her ways of explaining different things relating to the book field, publishing world, and her own experiences.

Thanks to her pushes, the cover of "Whistling in the Dark," was going to have blond girls, and no where with a red head. She faught to have the picture changed, and with some gusto, they listened to her. She said that people do look at the cover, and notice the tinest detail in the pictures associated with the books themselves.

As for the actual title, Lesley said that we are alsomt all the time "Whistling in the Dark," as in we don't always know whats going on around us all the time, or if ever.

Her book was a fascinating read, that it went along as a sort of mystery, but never did I feel as though I was reading one. She classified her book as "Literaray fiction." Which is sort of blend of genre's of books if you will. She is not really writing a mystery, not really a romance, not really a drama persay, but something that hauls the labors off all different kinds of books.

We all enjoyed listening to her talk about how hard it is to go into the writing business. It's a labor of love when it comes to something like that. It's amazing that, she told us about 14,000 books ( around that number) come out every week. And for her books to really get off the ground is fascinating. They all believed at Penguin, that her books weren't going to become that popular, so they thought. After a fan following, her books became popular, and they way it sounded, they were sorry that they didn't believe in her.

She said it all depends on every last detail. From the book cover, to what is said in the book.

A very interesting book, and an interesting woman to hear talk to us. She is knowledable about what she does. You can tell that she enjoys writing her books and bringing them to life.

We want to thank Lesley Kagen for taking the time to let us call her, and talk to us about her book. It was informative and entertaining for us all. If you are interested in having Lesley speak at your bookclub, contact her. See is shes available. It's something worth having her do if you want.

Next up on the list, it's April's book!

A Few Things to Think About the book from LitLovers.com

1. Sally combines childish innocence with a surprisingly mature discernment of life. You might talk about those opposite qualities—the ways in which they evidence themselves in the book. In fact, just talk about Sally as a character.

2. Do you find the adult characters as interesting—or as well drawn—as Sally and her sister?

3. You might talk about Kagen's portrayal of a 1950's close-knit neighborhood—the kind of community we yearn for as offering a safe haven for growing up. Yet, in Whistling, beneath the surface lurks a darker world. For those who grew up in that era, it seemed a safer world . . . or is that being innocent, naive, like Sally?

4. Were you surprised by the ending?

MARCH'S CHOICE

For the month of March, the choice is "Whistling in the Dark," by Lesley Kagen.

The book is described as the following:

"Funny, wise and uplifting, Whistling in the Dark is the story of two tough and endearing little girls...and of a time not so long ago, when life was not as innocent as it appeared."

What happens with the girls? You will have to read along with us to find out.

I am pleased to say that Lesley has agreed to talk with us as did Susan Richards, and Kate Jacobs. It will be a tri-fecta of writers, which will be exciting to all of us. I hope.

I will hopefully be back with discussion questions or other tid bits. As always readers...HAPPY READING!

Hello Kate Jacobs!

Well readers, we got another treat in February. Kate Jacobs, decided to call into our book club on the February 21st meeting. It was a Saturday morning, at 9:30am Eastern time. Kate was calling from California, which we all know is a three hour difference. So, as she told us, we became her first morning book club. Awesome for us, which we are more memorable that way.

A lot of the book clubbers had questions for her, ranging from how she started writing, to "Friday Night Knitting Club" itself. She talked about herself, her books, and what she might do in the future. Which, if you didn't already know, "Friday Night Knitting Club" is in talks or is being made into a movie with Academy Award winning actress Julia Roberts. Very exciting.

We want to thank Kate for calling in and talking with us. She told me that I was one of only 4 men who have contacted her, over her thousands of emails and letters from women. I am proud to be one of the four. Thank you Kate! She also graciously told us that she would send us autographed book places to our book club, since she talked to us. Very nice, and very cool. As I say, it's an extreme pleasure to have an author talk to our little book club. We are much appreciated by that.

The club seemed to enjoy the book for the most part. They said it was a little confusing to start at the begining, but it got better as the book progressed. In any case, it doesn't matter if you are female, or in my case male. The meaning behind the book is what really hits home. Read the book, and you will see what I mean.

Again, thank you Kate Jacobs!

♥FEBRUARY'S CHOICE♥

For the month of February, we will all become familar with a hobby that I have no idea how to do, but I know some of our member's do. They know all about Friday nights...no...kidding...they knit. The next selection in the club is "Friday Night Knitting Club," by Kate Jacobs.

This is what's being said on her website www.fridaynightknittingclub.com:

Praise for The Friday Night Knitting Club
"An absolutely beautiful, deeply moving portrait of female friendship. You'll laugh and cry along with these characters, and if you're like me, you'll wish you knew how to knit."—Kristin Hannah, author of Firefly Lane

"If you are looking for an inviting group of gals to spend a few winter evenings with, pull up your afghan and snuggle in with The Friday Night Knitting Club…[It] makes you yearn for yarn, even if you're not a knitter."—USA Today

"This book's great—worth reading now."—Glamour Magazine

"Knitters will enjoy seeing the healing power of stitching put into words. Its simplicity and soothing repetition leave room for conversation, laughter, revelations and friendship—just like the beauty shop in Steel Magnolias."—Detroit Free-Press
"[A] winning first novel…impossible to put down."—Booklist

"If you like to write or read or knit, your first reaction to The Friday Night Knitting Club may be pure jealousy…Readers will come to root for nearly everyone in the sweetly diverse cast of characters."—Concord Monitor

"What begins as an unlikely hodgepodge of women soon evolves into an unbreakable sisterhood as the characters learn from each other's differences and bond over their love of knitting."—Vogue Knitting
"A Steel Magnolias for the 21st century."—Kirkus Reviews

"Poignant twists propel the plot and help the pacing find a pleasant rhythm."—Publishers Weekly

"A really great story."—Marie Claire

"Celebrates the power of women's independence and is essentially an urban counterpart to How to Make an American Quilt."—New Statesman

So come and read about knitting, friday nights, and a good book. The club will be knittin' away at our book, will you?

The next club will take place on February 21st, at 9:00am at Fat Man's. I will post about the book later.

As always, HAPPY READING!

BIG THANKS TO SUSAN RICHARDS

January's selection was "Chosen By A Horse" by Susan Richards. For the first time our book club got to speak to the author of the book at the meeting.

When searching for information for the book club in January, an email on her website came up. I quickly sent an email to Susan Richards, and asked her for advice, information, words of wisdom that she wanted to give. Sure enough, I got an email back about an hour later the same day, with her saying a few words, and that it would be ok to call her if we wanted. She would be available in the morning for us to talk to on our Saturday mornings, so I wrote her phone number down.

On Saturday, January 17th, we had a lively discussion on the book about a woman's love for a horse, and her life. It was a positive book, that delivered a feel good vibe, but at the end delivered a slight blow, as it wasn't a happy ending, but it is unfortunately a part of life. All in all, the club really enjoyed the book.

We have two members who own horses themselves. It was said that what Susan said was true. The members said highly, that the horse chooses you, you don't choose the horse. One member said that she talked of things, that she herself had only thought of in her head. That she didn't tell anyone, but that it was like she knew what she was thinking. With our horse experts, and our animals lovers, they gave big thumbs up.

After discussing the book, and answering the discussion questions which are available online, it was time to dial up Susan. As never as I was, never calling an author before, I was all ready to try something new. I took my cell phone, dialed the number, and put it on speaker phone. Before you knew it, she was on the other line from Florida, taling to us. I thanked her for taking the time to hear us, and talk to us personally. It's not everyday that an author allows you to call you at home, and talk with a group of readers about your book.

***ATTENTION AUTHORS: Please let your readers and book clubs call you. It is the most gratiflying experience to talk to the person of the book you have just read.***

After letting Cheri (the one who picked her book) talk to her personally, and all of us asking the questions to her, it was time to say goodbye. She was most gracious, and wonderful to talk to. We at our book club, would like to thank Susan Richards, for taking the time to talk with us. It meant a lot, and we are most thankful!!!

After talks about horses, pets, and life in general, the book club came to a close. It was, however (I think) the longest club clocking in at almost 11:00am. WOW!

The rating was more than likely **** 1/2 out of *****. A nice feel good, discussion book. And if you are lucky, and you want to try and have Susan talk to you, she might take your call.

Stay tuned for the next book club book, coming up for FEBRUARY!